"Leader of a top research institute, cofounder of a pioneering biotechnology company, Bill Rutter is that rare combination of entrepreneurial spirit and high-level management skills so important to the rapid growth of biotechnology both as a discipline and as a global industry," said Arnold Thackray, president of CHF.
The Biotechnology Heritage Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of biotechnology through discovery, innovation, and public understanding. Walter Gilbert and Phillip A. Sharp were honored in 2002 for founding Biogen, a pioneer company in biotechnology. Both men are Nobel laureates. Francis S. Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, and J. Craig Venter, former president of Celera Genomics, received the award in 2001 for their key roles in the sequencing of the human genome.
About William J. Rutter
Rutter is the cofounder of Chiron Corporation and served as chairman of its Board of Directors from Chiron's inception in 1981 until 1999. In 1969 Rutter joined the faculty of UCSF as Hertzstein Professor and served as the chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics from 1969 to 1982. As department chair, he spearheaded the drive to turn the department and the School of Medicine into leading research organizations, with emphasis on an interdisciplinary molecular approach.
From August 1983 through April 1989, in addition to his responsibilities at Chiron, Rutter was the direct
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Contact: Neil Gussman
ngussman@dejazzd.com
717-314-2494
Chemical Heritage Foundation
25-Jun-2003