A Man with a Plan.
From a very young age, Arthur A. Siciliano BSP ’65 had a plan – a plan that, of course, would evolve but would also essentially guide his activities as a youth, his educational pursuits, his professional advancement and his post-retirement interests. Ask him today, and he’ll tell you that the plan worked.
Growing up in a pharmacy family (his father and uncle were MCP graduates), Siciliano learned about, and foresaw the future professional benefits of, a pharmacy education. He says, “I felt pharmacy would form an excellent base for my future interests.” It did. He earned a Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry, as well as an MBA in marketing/management because, he notes, “The most significant single benefit provided by MCPHS was the educational foundation it provided for my later endeavors.” Those endeavors included research and development positions with world-leading consumer product corporations such as Gillette and Revlon , corporate leadership positions as president of Heico and Microfluidics, and entrepreneurial visionary as co-founder of PolyMedica. Siciliano describes the organization as “a company which originated as a manufacturer and marketer of synthetic wound dressings, OTC and prescription urologicals and cosmetic ingredients,” and became a highly diversified, one-half billion dollar, multiple healthcare products powerhouse.
If there is one constant in Arthur Siciliano’s plans, it would appear to be change. That’s a good thing, as he notes, “Students are taught skill sets that are current at the time of their graduation. Keeping up as the years progress is critical.” That same line of reasoning guided Siciliano’s decision to establish a two-life charitable gift annuity agreement for himself and his wife Barbara Blanchard with MCPHS. As a savvy investor and, just as importantly a long-time MCPHS supporter, he notes, “A charitable gift annuity fits in nicely with my cash flow based investment plan. It allows me to make a meaningful gift to the University today in return for a secure fixed lifetime income stream with immediate and ongoing tax benefits.” Perhaps most importantly, he concludes,” I have designated the remainder of the gift to be used to support graduate student research and academic programs in pharmaceutical sciences.”
Even though he retired in 2004 after a 35-year professional career, and serves on non-profit boards focused on music and animal welfare, Arthur Siciliano’s heart remains tied to the math, science and technological development skills and interests that brought him far. That is, undoubtedly, how he planned it.
