Joseph P. Vacca, PhD ’83

Joseph P. Vacca, PhD ’83 is a recipient of the Merck Director’s Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the discovery of Crixivan, an HIV protease inhibitor that the World Health Organization lists as an essential medicine needed in any basic health system. He chose the University at Buffalo to receive the proceeds from the Merck award because of the important role UB played in his career.

The fund honors his former PhD mentor, Professor Emeritus Peter T. Lansbury. Lansbury, who was a member of the UB faculty for more than 30 years, was an expert in exploratory, mechanistic and synthetic organic chemistry.