Philip H. Mark, MS ’66, PhD ’72

For more than half a century, Philip Mark, MS ’66, PhD ’72, has been a teacher, mentor, suburban farmer on Long Island and a community advocate. He is also a generous supporter of Adelphi.

In 2024, Dr. Mark made a $1 million gift to Adelphi’s Momentum Campaign: Extraordinary Impact. His generosity supports the Department of Chemistry and the Adelphi Fund. It further builds on his earlier establishment of the Philip H. Mark Chemistry Scholarship, which supports students majoring in chemistry with preference given to transfers from Nassau Community College.

Dr. Mark earned his graduate and doctoral degrees in chemistry at Adelphi. A lifelong educator, he is professor emeritus of chemistry at Nassau Community College, where he chaired the department, and an adjunct professor of chemistry at Hofstra University. At Spirit Weekend in 2024, Adelphi University named Dr. Mark our Philanthropist of the Year in recognition of his generous commitment to advancing education and opportunity.

Dr. Mark’s life and legacy are also tied to his family’s farm in East Meadow—one of the last remaining farms in Nassau County. For decades, he worked the land alongside his parents, later choosing to sell the property to the county to be preserved as open space and run by the Cornell Cooperative. His decision reflected the same values that guide his philanthropy today: preserving what matters and investing in the future.

Reflecting on his journey, Dr. Mark shared, “Teaching is my proudest accomplishment. Preserving my family’s farm was about protecting open space for the future, and supporting Adelphi is an investment in growth and in the next generation.”

Adelphi is proud to recognize Dr. Mark as a Million Dollar Roundtable honoree—a testament to his generosity, enduring connection to Long Island and Adelphi, and unwavering belief in education as a force for good.