Power of Personal Philanthropy - Summer 2010

The

Powerof Personal Philanthropy Summer 2010

www.advancement.vcu.edu

VCU V i r g i n i a

C o m m o n w e a l t h

U n i v e r s i t y

The

Powerof Personal Philanthropy Summer 2010

www.advancement.vcu.edu

Inside this issue 5 Rev. Lantz bequeaths milestone gift to school 6 Public policy alumna creates graduate awards 7 Couple’s gift supports veterans, future teachers 8 New scholarship benefits aspiring broadcasters 9 MCV Foundation bestows awards at annual dinner 9 Friends fund lecture to honor MCVAA president 10 Donors enjoy special Theatre VCU performance 10 Massey opens renovated patient resource library 11 Record alumni gifts mark MCV Campus reunion 12 Scholarship fund honors Brandcenter champion 14 Runners race to benefit Massey Cancer Center 15 VCU raises tuition, fees to help offset budget cuts

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On the cover

An architectural rendering of the 200,000-squarefoot, 12-story new School of Medicine building

Editor: Melanie Irvin Solaimani (B.S. ’96), misolaimani@vcu.edu, (804) 828-3975 Writer: Sara Daves (B.A. ’08), davessl@vcu.edu, (804) 828-2049

IV | The Power of Personal Philanthropy

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Alumni giving boosts new medical school building This year, the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine launched a $158.6 million capital construction project. The public-private partnership to create a new state-of-the-art educational facility includes a private gifts component of $37 million.

Alumnus Dr. Robert Whisnant (M.D. ’61) and his wife, Jane, have been donors to the School of Medicine for more than two decades. The Whisnants made a $25,000 gift to the project after Whisnant attended an alumni luncheon hosted by the School of Medicine dean, Dr. Jerome F. Strauss III, this past October.

During the luncheon, Strauss shared his vision for the new School of Medicine building. Then alumni asked questions and reminisced about their days in medical school.

“When I walked away from that meeting, I decided I should make a donation to the project,” Whisnant said.

“I first talked to my wife, and Between travels, donors Dr. Robert Whisnant and his wife, Jane, we agreed to do it.” support many School of Medicine projects.

The 200,000-square-foot, 12-story building will be located on the site of the A.D. Williams Clinic, at the corner of 12th and Marshall streets. Crews began taking down the A.D. Williams Clinic in the spring, and construction on the new building is slated to begin this fall.

The building will provide classrooms and laboratories commensurate with the nation’s top medical schools. Additional instructional space will allow the school to increase its enrollment from 730 students to 1,000. Occupancy is set for spring 2013.

The $158.6 million project is a public-private partnership. Then-Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and the General Assembly approved $70 million for the project, with VCU and private funds supporting the remaining cost. The building will help address a national and statewide physician shortage.

In December, Kaine visited the MCV Campus and joined VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., to help launch and celebrate the project.

“Capital investments in medical schools will help meet the future needs for health care professionals in the commonwealth, particularly in underserved and rural areas,” Kaine said. “Construction of these facilities will create jobs immediately and position our colleges and universities to continue our highly regarded work force development efforts.”

As state support for higher education shrinks, VCU has become more reliant on generous alumni to support priority projects.

“I very much enjoyed the four years at MCV,” Whisnant said. “And I realize when I went to medical school the state supported a large part of my tuition, which is obviously not the case for today’s students.”

Whisnant knows firsthand the struggles medical students face. He married at the end of his first year of medical school, and the couple welcomed their first child during his third year.

Their next two children were born, respectively, during Whisnant’s internship at Harper University Hospital in Detroit and his residency at the Mayo Clinic. A fourth child was born after he began his practice, Lynchburg Eye Physicians & Surgeons of Lynchburg, Va. “Alumni should give to maintain excellence of the school so future students will enjoy an education that we enjoyed,” Whisnant said. “I worked my way through

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Alumni giving,

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college, and it was hard. I received a benefit and want to pass that benefit on to people who may be in the same circumstances.”

Whisnant retired and sold his ophthalmology practice in 2007. He now spends his time traveling abroad with his wife, enjoying African safaris and camping all over the U.S. His granddaughter Ashley is following in his footsteps and will be entering medical school this fall.

Tom Holland, associate dean for development at the School of Medicine, said, “I have come to know Dr. Whisnant over the years because of his involvement with the school. He’s been such a loyal alumnus and every time VCU has held an event, he has always been at the door.”

But Holland stresses the need for other alumni to join Whisnant in supporting this vital effort to raise $37 million in private support for the new building.

“The success of this campaign rests with the alumni who, we hope, will become engaged in making generous gifts,” Holland said. “In the past, we’ve been much more reliant on state resources, but those are becoming scarcer in Virginia, just as they are in other states.”

To make a gift to the School of Medicine, contact Tom Holland, associate dean for development, at (804) 828-4800 or teholland@vcu.edu.

Building project evokes private giving on MCV Campus In April, a 74-year-old time capsule was removed from the A.D. Williams Clinic before work began to take down the building. The capsule had rested behind the building’s cornerstone since Dec. 1, 1936.

Jodi L. Koste, archivist for VCU’s MCV Campus, was the first person in 74 years to handle the time capsule’s contents.

She found a fundraising brochure that she had never seen before and a letter from A group of three white elephants with their then-MCV President Dr. William T. Sanger. trunks upturned — a symbol of good luck — Other objects in the time capsule included peer out from the time capsule. newspaper clippings, issues of the Skull and Bones student newspaper and a copy of the charter of the Medical College of Virginia.

A note on the envelope of Sanger’s letter warned it should not be opened until the time capsule had been unsealed. In the letter, Sanger revealed that more than half of the construction costs for the clinic, $300,000, had come in the form of an anonymous gift from A.D. Williams and his wife, who were local philanthropists and tobacco heirs.

The other financing for the building, $239,850, came from the Public Works Administration, a Depression-era agency focused on the construction of largescale public projects.

Today, the School of Medicine is embarking on a similar journey.

“That public-private partnership is what we want to replicate today,” said Tom Holland, associate dean for development for the School of Medicine. “The new building has been supported with $70 million in state funds. The university has committed to bearing a share of the cost, and private gifts will be a vital resource for making up the difference.”

The lobby of the new building will prominently feature a roster of alumni donors whose financial support will be an essential ingredient to this project’s success.

4 | The Power of Personal Philanthropy

VCU raises tuition, fees to help offset budget cuts Students were worried. As the economy continued to falter, they were struggling to pay for their education. On campus, they were having trouble enrolling in classes required for graduation. Professors were stressed, too, from taking on additional course sections and bigger class sizes.

As the Virginia Commonwealth University Board of Visitors considered a tuition increase, 2009-10 student representative Jet Aiken (B.S. ’10) recalled the concerns students had shared with her.

At the same time, board member, donor and alumnus Thomas G. Snead Jr. (B.S. ’76) grappled with those issues, too.

“As trustees, we have the duty to look out for the viability of the university and quality of the education it provides. We already needed a lot more professors, many more class sections — students couldn’t graduate in four years,” Snead said. “If a student is smart and they do everything right and they still have to stay here longer because we couldn’t offer the classes they need, that’s a hidden tax.”

When the board came together this spring to decide whether to increase VCU’s operating budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year tuition, Aiken was ready to oppose sets priorities for more faculty, course sections and financial aid to ensure students graduate on time. the idea but changed her mind.

“Once I saw how bad the financial situation was for the university, though, I realized there wasn’t another way to make up the difference,” said Aiken, of Gainesville, Va., who will pursue a Ph.D. in molecular biophysics this fall at UNC-Chapel Hill. “Students were feeling the impacts of the budget cuts in terms of larger class sizes and fewer course options and that upset them more than the amount of money they were paying.”

Ultimately, the board approved a 24 percent increase, or $1,700 a year for in-state undergraduates. With the increase, VCU’s tuition remains lower than half of the state’s public colleges and universities.

The increase came as a response to plummeting state funding. VCU faces a $40 million budget gap over the next two years, caused primarily by the loss of federal stimulus funds and continued reductions in state funding. In 2012, VCU will have lost about one-third of the state support for instruction it had in 2008, a decrease of more than $65 million. More than 90 percent of VCU’s undergraduates are Virginians, meaning that there are relatively few out-of-state students — who under state law must pay at least 100 percent of the cost of education — to offset the cuts’ impact.

“The financial circumstances of preparing for the largest cut in state funding of any university in Virginia leaves no choice but to substantially raise tuition,” said VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D. “Further cuts jeopardize the quality of education and the value of a VCU degree.”

The added tuition dollars will allow VCU to hire 94 professors and to open up more than 300 course sections. Financial aid will be significantly increased.

Additionally, the VCU Alumni Association and the MCV Alumni Association of VCU have launched Opportunity VCU, a campaign to raise $50 million in scholarship aid. To Snead, that provides donors a way to help.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to do great things for the university and students.

Please be generous, often,” Snead said.

To make a gift to the Opportunity VCU campaign, contact Thomas C. Burke, executive director of the VCU Foundation, at (804) 828-3958 or tcburke@vcu.edu, or visit www.advancement.vcu.edu/opportunityvcu.

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Rev. Lantz bequeaths milestone gift to school The late Rev. Robert B. Lantz (Cert. ’64) completed his training toward certification in clinical pastoral education from the Program in Patient Counseling at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Allied Health Professions, marking the beginning of a long and cherished relationship with the university.

His wife, Katherine Lantz, said he found his VCU residency, completed while earning his certificate, to be the richest educational experience of his life.

“It was the foundation of his professional career,” she said.

In recognition of the education he received, in 2001 the Rev. Lantz pledged $100,000 to establish the Robert B. Lantz Professorship in Patient Counseling.

That pledge was fulfilled in 2006. Before his death in July 2008, he included in his estate plan a bequest of nearly $1 million to transform the professorship into an endowed chair. His gift is the largest ever to the School of Allied Health Professions by an individual.

“When it came time to decide how The long and cherished relationship the late to make out his will, he decided to give Rev. Robert B. Lantz shared with VCU continues through his bequest. back to the institution that meant so much to him,” Mrs. Lantz said.

After graduating, the Rev. Lantz went to work at Lutheran Hospital in Baltimore and then became chaplain at City of Memphis Hospital, where he established the Memphis Institute of Pastoral Care, the hospital’s pastoral and education department, in 1967.

In 1970, the Lantzes moved to Annapolis, Md., where the Rev. Lantz joined the faculty at St. Paul’s Seminary and established a private counseling practice.

While at St. Paul’s, he was responsible for launching the Maryland Institute of Pastoral Counseling, an educational program where he taught and counseled.

D. Mark Cooper, D.Min. (Cert. ’75), chair of the patient counseling program at VCU, studied under the Rev. Lantz at City of Memphis Hospital. The Rev. Lantz believed his education at VCU was directly responsible for his success, Cooper recalled.

“The Rev. Lantz felt strongly that he should give back to the Program in Patient Counseling and the School of Allied Health Professions because of what it did for him,” Cooper said.

For the last 20 years of his life, the Rev. Lantz made it a priority to support the development of a master’s degree program in patient counseling at VCU. In 2003, the Rev. Lantz was named the school’s Alumni Star. He served on the board of trustees of the MCV Foundation in 2006 and spent nearly 15 years as chair of the advisory committee for the Program in Patient Counseling.

Cecil Drain, Ph.D., CRNA, FAAN, dean of the School of Allied Health Professions, said he learned a considerable amount about pastoral care as well as the details related to clinical training for chaplains through the Rev. Lantz’s mentorship. In 1995, the dean served alongside the reverend on the search committee for a new chair of the Program in Patient Counseling.

“He became a valued friend and counselor,” Drain said. “He taught me not only about the profession but the type of education he felt was required to prepare the next generation.”

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Public policy alumna creates graduate awards When Bonnie Mani (M.P.A. ’81; Ph.D. ’87) graduated from East Carolina University with a Bachelor of Music degree, she had no idea she would become a pioneer at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her goal was to pursue a graduate degree in music and to teach at the college level. Her career track, however, took a different course.

Encouraged by her father to join the federal civil service as a means of supporting herself through graduate school, Mani obtained a job at the Internal Revenue Service in Richmond, Va., answering taxpayers’ questions on the telephone, and she soon began working on her Master of Music degree at VCU. Mani’s career advanced with the IRS, and eventually, she had to choose between pursing music and her successful path with the IRS. VCU’s Master of Public Administration degree program was relatively young at that time and had piqued her curiosity. Learning One of the first two graduates at VCU of Mani’s interest, then-professor Leigh to earn a doctorate in public adminGrosenick, Ph.D., recruited her as a graduistration, Bonnie Mani plans to fund self-named awards to benefit graduate ate student. students in the program.

“I was very impressed with him and the other M.P.A. faculty members, so I changed my major,” Mani recalled. “The M.P.A. program better accommodated someone with a full-time job, offering their classes in the evening and on weekends.”

Grosenick also was instrumental in encouraging Mani to earn a doctoral degree in public administration. At Commencement 1987, Mani became one of the first two graduates and the first female graduate at VCU to earn a doctoral degree in public administration, which has since converted to a Ph.D. in public policy and administration because of a program modification.

Completing a circle of lifelong learning, Mani has returned to her undergraduate alma mater, East Carolina University, where she is now a professor in the Department of Political Science, teaching courses in human resource development, women in politics, women and public policy, and public administration.

Mani has written two books and several articles and is nationally recognized as an expert on women’s rights.

Both ECU and VCU have been significant in Mani’s life, and as an expression of her loyalty and dedication, she has included both universities in her estate plans.

Her gift to VCU will fund the Dr. Bonnie G. Mani Awards in Public Administration.

These merit-based awards will help full- and part-time graduate students defray the expenses associated with data collection and analysis related to the candidates’ dissertations.

“As a faculty member who spent thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for my own academic self-improvement, I also hope funds for faculty development in these two areas will be awarded as a result of my gift,” she says.

Planned gifts such as Mani’s impact the lives of future generations of VCU students, said Lois Badey, director of development in the College of Humanities and Sciences.

“Alumni and friends who include VCU in their estate plans are recognized as members of the VCU Heritage Society,” she said. “By taking a proactive and thoughtful approach to estate planning, alumni affect the university’s ability to sustain the momentum of excellence, which has become a hallmark of VCU.” For more information on planned giving in the College of Humanities and Sciences, contact Lois Badey, director of development, at (804) 827-0856 or labadey@vcu.edu.

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Couple’s gift supports veterans, future teachers When alumnus David Phillips (B.S. ’76; M.B.A. ’82) and his wife, Joyce, established three merit-based scholarships for Virginia Commonwealth University students, they had these goals in mind: to give back to their alma mater, to express their gratitude for students who have served their country, to provide support for high-achieving VCU students and to honor members of their family with permanent endowments in their names.

The Phillipses created the scholarships at VCU because that’s where they met, 37 years ago as sophomores, during the first week of the fall semester.

“VCU will always have a special place in our hearts because it brought us together — it gave me the tools and education needed to compete in the business world because of its original mission to attract Virginia students, many of whom are first in their family to attend college,” David Phillips said.

First, the couple created the Meadows L. Phillips and Thomas H. Weatherford Veterans Scholarship. The award is named for David Phillips’ father, the late Meadows Phillips, who served in the U.S. Army in the Pacific; and David Phillips’ cousin, the late Thomas Weatherford, a member of the U.S. Army Rangers Navy veteran Daniel Grant (left) credits the Meadows L. who served in Europe. Both were Phillips and Thomas H. Weatherford Veterans Scholarship, decorated combat veterans during established by Joyce and David Phillips, for allowing him to earn his master’s degree.

WWII. The Meadows L. Phillips and Thomas H. Weatherford Veterans Scholarship was endowed in 2005 and became available to any qualified veteran of the U.S. armed forces studying in the College of Humanities and Sciences at VCU. The Phillipses continued to make contributions to the endowment so the scholarship could be awarded to two students annually. Last year, the second award was established for qualified veterans who intend to pursue a career in teaching or education administration.

In addition, the couple in 2007 established the merit-based Mary Ballard Scholarship for women’s soccer in memory of Joyce Phillips’ mother. Joyce Phillips described Ballard as the ultimate soccer grandma. The scholarship in her name supports students who show exceptional talent through VCU women’s soccer. Each recipient is awarded $500.

In 2007, they met soccer star Amanda Adams (B.I.S. ’10; M.T. ’10). She won the Ballard Scholarship for three consecutive years and graduated this past May. “We have been big fans of Amanda both on and off the soccer field over the past three years,” David Phillips said. “We know she is going to achieve great things in her life and make the world a better place.”

Adams calls the Phillipses her angels. “They have always been so humble,” she said.

“They act like I am the one giving them something.”

Another recent graduate, Daniel Grant (B.A. ’08; M.P.A. ’10), a Navy veteran who studied in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, was awarded the Meadows L. Phillips and Thomas H. Weatherford Veterans Scholarship for two consecutive years. He and his parents met the Phillipses in 2008.

“Without the scholarship, I wouldn’t have been able to finish graduate school,” Grant said. “The scholarship has really been a blessing.”

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New scholarship benefits aspiring broadcasters Determined to assist women enrolled in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Mass Communications’ broadcast sequence, alumna Chandra Broadnax-Payne (B.S. ’98; M.S. ’02) recently pledged to donate an annual scholarship for the next 10 years.

After graduating from the broadcast journalism sequence, Broadnax-Payne worked for Blab TV, a cable-access channel that offered information dealing with local issues, people and unique products.

There she managed the teleprompter and worked as a camera operator. Later, she completed a production Chandra Broadnax-Payne pledges internship at PBS Channel 23 in Richmond, Va. to help women in the VCU School of Mass Communications.

She now manages a Bank of America banking center in Tennessee.

“I place a lot of value on education and realize that I’ve been successful in my career because of my education,” Broadnax-Payne said. “As the first to graduate from college in my family, I was able to attend VCU with the help of financial aid and, at times, worked multiple jobs to help fund my education. So I know firsthand how it feels to want an education and not be able to afford it.”

Broadnax-Payne’s scholarship in the amount of $500 is designated for exceptional women who are active in their community and who are enrolled full time in the School of Mass Communications. They must write a 250-word essay about their passion and motivations.

“It feels great after a hard day’s work to go home and know you've made a difference in someone's life,” Broadnax-Payne said.

To make a gift to the School of Mass Communications, contact Michael Hughes, assistant director for development, at (804) 827-3761 or mehughes@vcu.edu.

MCV Foundation bestows awards at annual dinner In May, 115 trustees, donors and friends celebrated the MCV Foundation at its annual dinner.

During the event, the foundation bestowed several awards.

Dr. Enrique Gerszten, professor emeritus, won the 2010 Robert Irby Award, which honors outstanding faculty volunteers on the MCV Campus.

Dianne Harris Wright, foundation trustee, earned the 2010 New trustee Norwood H. Davis Jr. (left) is congratulated by Michael B. Dowdy Philanthropy Dr. Sheldon M. Retchin, VCU Health System CEO and vice Award, which honors outstandpresident for VCU Health Sciences, Dr. John C. Doswell II ing volunteer philanthropists on (D.D.S. ’79), MCV Foundation chair, and lifetime honorary trustee William H. Goodwin Jr. at the MCV Foundation’s annual dinner. the MCV Campus. Dr. Ruth Campbell (M.D. ’57), trustee and former foundation board chair, received the 2010 Dr. Eugene P. Trani Award for MCV Campus Leadership, which honors outstanding leadership on the MCV Campus.

MCV Foundation President William P. Kotti, Ph.D., thanked the many donors and volunteers who give their time, talents and treasures generously to support the research, learning and patient care executed on the MCV Campus.

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Friends fund lecture to honor MCVAA president

Photo Martha Bushong

Two Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry faculty members, Dr. Jim Burns (D.D.S. ’72; Ph.D., ’80) and Dr. John Svirsky (D.D.S. ’73; M.Ed. ’79), have established a new endowment in honor of their friend and colleague, Dr. James H. Revere (D.D.S. ’65). Revere is president of the MCV Alumni Association of VCU. The inaugural lecture took place in April.

“In fundraising, the pros talk about giving to bricks and mortar,” Burns said. “The bricks may be the building blocks, but the less noticeable mortar holds the building together. Jim Revere is the mortar of the School of Dentistry.” Svirsky calls Revere the “heart and soul” of the school.

Drs. Jim Burns (left), James H. Revere, Irwin Becker and Revere has been a presence on John Svirsky attend the first Revere Faculty Appreciation campus and in the school for more Lecture at The Jefferson Hotel. than 40 years. Burns and Svirsky first met him when they were students and he was their teacher. Revere accepted a temporary teaching job after graduation that has lasted for 35 years.

He taught countless students and served as an administrator in a variety of capacities, including admissions dean, clinic dean and interim dean. He currently is a member of the school’s advancement team and was the driving force behind the advocacy efforts that garnered state funding for the new W. Baxter Perkinson, Jr. Building.

“My greatest achievements are not the positions I have held at the school but the friendships I have made,” Revere said.

Burns and Svirsky hope other friends, former students and colleagues will add to their $100,000 gift so the lectureship can grow into an endowed chair.

The gift now provides funding for an annual faculty development day. The first one took place this year at The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Va. More than 100 faculty members attended presentations by Dr. Irwin Becker (D.D.S. ’69) and earned six hours of continuing education credits.

“We are especially grateful to Dr. Becker, chairman emeritus of The Pankey Institute, for sharing his time and his knowledge with our faculty at the Revere Faculty Appreciation Lecture,” Svirsky said.

Donors enjoy special Theatre VCU performance

Guests chat with a Theatre VCU cast member at a postperformance reception at the Singleton Center.

10 | The Power of Personal Philanthropy

Photo Travis Papenfuse

In April, Virginia Commonwealth University donors, Pollak Society members and faculty emeriti gathered for the VIP opening-night performance of “The Who’s Tommy,” by Theatre VCU. After the performance, the group of about 150 enjoyed a reception in the lobby of the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, where the audience met and mingled with cast members. The Pollak Society is a group of donors who have made a gift of $1,000 or more in a fiscal year to the School of the Arts.

Massey opens renovated patient resource library

Photo Fran Householder

The Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center officially opened the renovated Linen-Powell Patient Resource Library with an April 15 ribbon-cutting ceremony and community celebration.

Dr. Sheldon Retchin, VCU Health System CEO and vice president for VCU Health Sciences; Mary Ann Hager (M.S. ’92), associate director for oncology administration at Massey; and Becky Massey, Massey advisory board member, offered thanks to the MCV Auxiliary, which funded the renovation, as well as to the numerous volunteers whose care and efforts were behind the planning and implementation of the new space.

The new library, located in the North Hospital lobby outside Massey’s Dalton Clinic, offers a welcoming and soothing environment for staff and volunteers to provide information and Mary Ann Hager (left), Becky Massey, Terrell Harrigan, Judy Turbeville, resources necessary for Shelly Arthur, Polly Cole and Dr. Sheldon Retchin celebrate at the patients and their families new patient resource library. to successfully navigate diagnosis, treatment and survivorship of cancer. In September 1995, the library was renamed the Linen-Powell Patient Resource Library, recognizing the library founder, Diane Linen-Powell.

Following the opening of the library, Massey has also instituted daily new-patient orientations. At noon each day, patients can take part in an informal orientation and have the opportunity to receive general information about Massey and what can be expected from their care and treatment, as well as ask specific questions.

Lantz,

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The Rev. Lantz believed that students deserved to earn more than a certificate for their 18 months of training, so he and Drain agreed to intentionally search for a chair who could develop and implement a new master’s program in patient counseling. That dream was realized in 2001.

The program excelled with the support and guidance of the Rev. Lantz, whom Drain described as genuinely devoted to the program.

“Of all the alumni that I deal with, Bob was among the most influential and supportive,” Drain said. “He was a very good man, a great friend and alumnus, and a joy to be around.”

Alexander Tartaglia, D.Min., former program chair and current associate dean in the School of Allied Health Professions, also worked closely with the Rev. Lantz and reiterated Drain’s praise.

“Bob’s commitment and dedication was evidenced not only by the distance he traveled to participate in the development of our program but also the personal consultation he offered during my tenure as chair. This generous gift is a reflection of his strong support for the long-term viability of the program.”

For more information on planned giving in the School of Allied Health Professions, contact Jessica Feinberg Gurganus, senior director of development, at (804) 828-3269 or jfgurganus@vcu.edu.

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Record alumni gifts mark MCV Campus reunion Alumni of the MCV Campus came back for Virginia Commonwealth University’s April Reunion Weekend and made big gifts to their alma mater in the process.

School of Medicine

Photo Cabay Fine Photography/Nancy Parker

Alumni from the VCU School of Medicine pledged more than $250,000 in reunion giving. The school is in the midst of a campaign to raise money for a new state-of-the-art building.

Special thanks goes to these class leaders: Dr. Bob Waddell (M.D. ’60); Dr. Jane Pendleton Wootton (M.D. ’65); Dr. Pete Sowers (M.D. ’70); Dr. George Burke (M.D. ’70); Dr. Harry Bear (M.D. ’75; Ph.D. ’78); Dr. Lori Smithson (M.D. ’80); Dr. VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., joins medical students durBarklie Zimmerman (M.D. ’80); ing Reunion Weekend to unveil the architectural rendering of the new School of Medicine building.

Dr. Paula Fergusson (M.D. ’85); Dr. Mike Fuller (M.D. ’90); Dr. Glenda Ramsey Cardillo (B.S. ’90; M.D. ’95); Dr. Cliff Deal (M.S. ’95; M.D. ’00); and Dr. Scott Midwall (M.S. ’01; M.D. ’05).

School of Dentistry

Photo Doug Buerlin

School of Dentistry alumni marked their class graduation anniversaries with a record total of class pledges to benefit students scholarships, to enhance the school and to memorialize classmates.

Dr. French Moore Jr. (D.D.S. ’60), former rector of the VCU Board of Visitors, led the effort for the D.D.S. Class of 1960. Their 50th Reunion Scholarship Endowment, totaling $348,850, topped all other reunion giving at the university combined. The “2” on the class ceremonial check was marked out when the total leapt into the $300,000 range, after Moore received a $75,000 signed commitment while riding in the hotel elevator to the ballroom to sign his name to the oversized presentation check.

The School of Dentistry Class of 1960 contributes the most during Reunion Weekend, giving $348,850.

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Many classes asked members to pledge their class year (for example, $1,995 for the Class of 1995), resulting in numerous first-time donors and pushing the School of Dentistry’s total giving to $446,225.

Aside from Moore, special thanks go to these reunion pledge leaders for their hard work, commitment and personal generosity: MCV Alumni Association of VCU President Dr. James H. Revere (D.D.S. ’65); Dr. Bill Dabney (D.D.S. ’80); Dr. Mike Campbell (M.S. ’78; D.D.S. ’85); Dr. Dennis Wong (D.D.S. ’90); Dr. Steve Forte (D.D.S. ’95); and Dr. Clay Weisberg (D.D.S. ’05).

School of Nursing

During Reunion Weekend, the VCU School of Nursing Class of 1960 made a $20,000 gift, which will establish a new scholarship. The Class of 2010 also concluded a successful fundraising effort. The class raised $8,700 as their gift to the school.

To make a gift to any school or unit on the MCV Campus, contact Brian Thomas, senior executive director of development for the MCV Foundation, at (804) 828-0067 or bsthomas@vcu.edu.

More than 70 members and friends of the MCV Society savored an evening of delicious food and wine at Sweely Estate Winery in Madison, Va., in April.

The MCV Foundation’s MCV Society recognizes individuals who have provided support for the MCV Campus through bequests or other planned gifts.

Couple’s gift,

Photo Frank Crocker

MCV Society members enjoy trip to vineyard

MCV Society members enjoy dinner at the Sweely Estate Winery in Madison, Va.

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This year, Daniel Goodman (B.A. ’06; M.T. ’10) received the scholarship’s second award. He recently graduated with a Master of Teaching degree and plans to teach high school English.

In November, the couple attended the annual Monroe Park Campus Scholarship Dinner to celebrate Grant’s second award and to meet Goodman. At the reception, Goodman moved the audience with his speech about receiving a scholarship bearing the names of two decorated combat veterans.

“I come from a long line of veterans,” Goodman said. “It is with these two men that I feel an unbreakable bond. These men bravely served, but they also inspired generosity in others.”

The Phillipses said they were deeply touched by his speech.

“We are humbled and grateful for the service and sacrifices of these young people.

Meadows Phillips and Thomas Weatherford would be so proud of each of the veterans who received the scholarship and would appreciate the legacy of service to our country,” David Phillips said.

Beverly J. Warren, Ed.D., Ph.D., FACSM, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs said, “By investing in these students who have served their country, the Phillipses provided the perfect expression of gratitude while offering the opportunity to pursue academic excellence now and in the future.”

To make a gift to the College of Humanities and Sciences, contact Lois Badey, director of development, at (804) 827-0856 or labadey@vcu.edu.

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Development announces staff changes, transfers

David Benedict

Tina Carter

Wendy Eastman

Beth Harrington

David Benedict

Wendy Eastman

Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development and External Relations VCU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics (804) 828-7474 dbenedict@vcu.edu Formerly senior associate athletic director, external relations, California State University, Long Beach

Director of Planned Giving MCV Foundation (804) 828-5518 wheastman@vcu.edu Formerly executive director of development, Randolph-Macon College

Tina Carter Director Mary and Frances Youth Center (804) 827-0802 cccarter@vcu.edu Formerly program manager, Cranston’s Community Learning Center in Rhode Island

Beth Harrington Executive Director of Development for Clinical Programs MCV Foundation (804) 828-8384 ekharrington@vcu.edu Formerly executive director of development for the VCU Brandcenter

Scholarship fund honors Brandcenter champion At the annual board meeting of the Virginia Commonwealth University Brandcenter in March, Director Rick Boyko announced the creation of an endowed memorial scholarship to honor former board member Andrew Jaffe, a noted foreign correspondent for Newsweek, editor of Adweek and head of the international advertising Clio Awards.

Jaffe, who died in February, was a champion of the Brandcenter for years, joining its board in 2003, Boyko said.

“Andrew took the time to get to know and help mentor and guide many of our students as individuals. It is for this reason that alumni at agencies across the globe will mourn his passing,” Boyko said.

About $21,000 has been raised to date.

To make a gift to the Brandcenter, contact Director Rick Boyko at (804) 828-8384 Rick Boyko, VCU Brandcenter director, addresses the crowd at the center’s annual meeting. or rboyko@vcu.edu.

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Runners race to benefit Massey Cancer Center

Photo Fran Householder

On March 27, the crowds were bigger than ever at the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k, but participants and spectators alike couldn’t miss the bright yellow shirts peppering the race route declaring “Massey Runs With Me.” For the fifth year, the Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center was the charitable partner for the 10k and conducted the Massey Challenge — an opportunity for race participants to run or walk to benefit Massey through fundraising teams or as individuals.

The Massey Challenge, an effort led by a committee of tireless volunteers, continued to grow, with 2,228 participants, 170 teams and 9,650 donors raising a total of $516,000 to benefit Massey.

“In light of the current economic climate in which income from charity walks and runs, as well as charitable giving as a whole, are both down, we are immensely proud to have increased our parOn March 27, 38 members of the Boxing Day Bowlers participated in the Massey Challenge and raised more than $3,800. ticipation by 17 percent and to have increased our funds raised by more than 9 percent,” said Denise Barnes, chair of the 2010 Massey Challenge committee.

To see the top fundraising teams and individuals, visit www.run4massey.org.

In other giving news ... o Dr. Warren W. Koontz Jr. recently made another gift to the VMI Scholarship in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, bringing his total support of the fund to $75,000. He has worked to recruit fellow cadets to contribute to the fund, too. Nancy and Bruce Gottwald are among those who answered his call, giving $50,000. The scholarship will be awarded to VMI cadets pursuing an M.D. at the VCU School of Medicine. o The William S. Cooper Sr. Scholarship Fund in the VCU School of Pharmacy has been established through the generosity of members of the Class of 1957.

The fund was created with more than $14,000 given in memory of William S. Cooper Sr. (B.S. ’57). Cooper was the School of Pharmacy’s first AfricanAmerican graduate. The scholarship will provide annual scholarship assistance to a Pharm.D. student. o Harry Stein has earmarked $100,000 in his will to create the David C. Sarrett, D.M.D., M.S., Scholarship Fund in the VCU School of Dentistry. A $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to as many dental students in good standing as the payout will allow. This is the third scholarship Stein has established in this manner. Sarrett is currently interim dean of the School of Dentistry.

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