Pharmaceutical industry executive Robert Seidman, PharmD ’82, MPH, will deliver the keynote address at the Mann School’s 118th commencement ceremony.
Seidman is a nationally recognized consultant whose expertise is sought by the healthcare and finance industries, media and government. With more than 43 years of experience in ambulatory, hospital and managed care pharmacy, he has played a pivotal role in shaping pharmaceutical policies. As a dedicated alumnus of USC Mann, he endowed the annual Robert Seidman Distinguished Speaker Series, further contributing to the school’s mission of advancing pharmacy education.
He began his career at Blue Cross of California in 1990 as a clinical pharmacy administrator and was later promoted to vice president of pharmacy for the company, a subsidiary of WellPoint Health Networks. He went on to serve as vice president and chief pharmacy officer at WellPoint, which is now Elevance Health.
Seidman is perhaps best known for leading WellPoint in becoming the first nonpharmaceutical company to petition the Food and Drug Administration to change a drug’s status. In 1998, WellPoint urged the FDA to reclassify the top-selling allergy medication Claritin, along with competitors Allegra and Zyrtec, from prescription to over-the-counter status. The FDA approved Claritin as a nonprescription drug in 2002, leading to significant savings for both payers and consumers.
The commencement ceremony will honor hundreds of graduates who have earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in pharmacy, pharmacology and drug development, regulatory science and related fields, along with residents and fellows.
The 2025 USC Mann Commencement ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. on Friday, May 16, at McCarthy Quad at the University Park Campus. Learn more at mann.usc.edu/commencement.
