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Manfred Philipp (1945–present) was born in Rostock, Germany. He obtained his B.S. (1966) from Michigan Technological University and his Ph.D. (1948) from Northwestern University. The Ph.D. was under the direction of Myron L. Bender. After postdoctoral research with Hartmut Seliger at the Institute for Macromolecular Chemistry at the University of Freiburg, and with Paul O. P. Ts'o at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He joined the faculty of Lehman College in 1977. Thereafter he became assistant professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the CUNY Graduate Center in 1978, becoming Professor in 1988, emeritus Professor in 2016. Manfred Philipp and colleagues found the kinetics of enzyme reactions on substrates and worked to encourage civic engagement and the free expression of ideas at the City University of New York (CUNY), across the US and internationally. He worked primarily in the study of reaction mechanisms and the biochemistry of enzyme action. Working with Myron L. Bender, Manfred Philipp demonstrated the inhibition of serine proteases by arylboronic acids that enzyme-substrate binding, not any chemical change, is the rate-determining kinetic step for the action of chymotrypsin on the most specific substrates.

Working with Hartmut Seliger, Manfred Philipp discovered the spontaneous phosphorylation of nucleosides and developed a new method for the enzymatic analysis of nucleic acids.

Working with his doctoral students, Manfred Philipp discovered the biomemetic ability of boronic acids to catalyze the hydrolysis of imines and nitriles. He and his student, Galla Rao also discovered the ability of nitrophenyl esters to covalently modify a monoclonal antibody. With other students, Manfred Philipp helped discover new families of beta-lactamase inhibitors.

Manfred Philipp joined the Board of Directors of the Belle Zeller Scholarship Trust Fund in 2018, becoming its Managing Director in 2020. The fund gives scholarships to CUNY students and gives the Friend of CUNY Awards to those people who have materially assisted the City University of New York. During the time Manfred Philipp was Managing Director of the Belle Zeller Fund, Friend of CUNY Awards were given to Barbara Bowen, Former President, Professional Staff Congress; Deborah J. Glick, New York State Assembly, Chair, Committee on Higher Education; Toby Ann Stavisky, Chair, Higher Education Committee, New York State Senate; Letitia James, New York State Attorney General; Andrew Gournardes, New York State Senator; and Karines Reyes, New York State Assembly Member.

Manfred Philipp joined the Board of Directors of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Alumni Association for the US in 2011 and was President of the Board in 2013-4. He served as DAAD Research Ambassador from 2019-2022.

Manfred Philipp joined the Fulbright Association Board of Directors in 2008 and was President of the Board in 2018. Together with Christiane Amanpour and Mary Ellen Schmider, Manfred Philipp gave the Fulbright Prize for International Understanding to German Chancellor Angela Merkel on January 28, 2019.

Manfred Philipp has served the City University of New York (CUNY) in several ways. From 2006-2010 he was the Chair of its University Faculty Senate and ex officio member of CUNY's Board of Trustees.

in 2014-8 he was Executive Director of the CUNY Academy for the Humanities & Sciences and was President of the Academy from 2011-2014.

He served on the Governing Council of the CUNY School of Professional Studies in 2006-2012, on the University Committee of the CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Individualized Studies in 2003-2006, and the Board of Directors of the CUNY Research Foundation in 1995-1998.

At Lehman College of CUNY he served as Chair of the Executive Committee of the General Faculty in 2010-2012 and, from 2001-2005, as Chair of its Chemistry Department. He served the college as 2012-2016 Chair of its chapter of the Professional Staff Congress of CUNY, leaving the post on his retirement.