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CELEBRATING GENEROSITY
CelebratingGenerosity Thank you, leadership donors!
On August 5, 2022, the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences hosted a special reception to thank and recognize members of the James Platt White Society and their Loyal Blues Leaders, Champions and Guardians. The event, held at the Westin Buffalo, also gave donors and supporters an opportunity to meet and interact with Dean Allison Brashear.
1. From left: Nader Nader, PhD ’99, Faranack N. Benz,
MD ’15, Barbara Barlow, BS ’64, Jared Barlow Sr., MD ‘66 2. Grant Golden, MD ’76, and Deborah Goldman, MBA ’82
3. From left: David Milling, MD ’93, executive director of the
Office of Medical Education and senior associate dean for medical education; Randall Loftus, MD ’92; and UB
President Satish K. Tripathi 4. Dean Allison Brashear, MD, MBA, left, speaking with
Sherice Simpson, Class of 2023. Simpson recently completed a yearlong fellowship in the Medical Research
Scholars Program at the National Institutes of Health.
Loftus Family Fund Established
J. Randall Loftus, MD ’92, and his wife, Tami, have established the Loftus Family Fund to support diversity and inclusion priorities for alumni, students and faculty in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
The Loftus Family has been a steadfast and generous donor to the Jacobs School and a longtime advocate of diversity and inclusion in medicine.
The endowed fund is directed to programs such as the Celebration of Inclusiveness in Medicine and Sciences lectures, networking for current students of color, and Second Look Weekend in partnership with the Jacobs School administration and the Medical Alumni Association (MAA).
“The idea for the Loftus Family Fund arose from the need to increase diversity in our medical school,” says Randall Loftus, founder of Western New York Radiology Group and a past president of the MAA. “Great things can be accomplished by many small, directed intentional efforts. One initial goal of ours is to provide modest resources for the Second Look Weekend program.”
Second Look Weekend is a student-led initiative that is credited with playing a significant role in helping to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups in the Jacobs School. Now several years old, the program provides an opportunity for accepted students from underrepresented groups to take a closer look at the Jacobs School during a weekend of events designed especially for them.
According to data from the Office of Medical Admissions, 33 out of 180 students in the Class of 2022 were from underrepresented groups, compared to 18 students in the Class of 2021. Among the 33 students are 20 African American students, up from eight in 2017.
The Loftus Family Fund will help ensure momentum for this important and highly effective program.
“The long-term goal of the fund is to help our school achieve a diverse medical student body and to help attract diverse medical residents to train and subsequently practice in this area—both of which would strengthen our medical community,” Loftus explains.
“In the future, we also hope the fund will be utilized to engage with local secondary schools to highlight health careers and provide mentorship.
“This is a small beginning, and we will provide continued support,” Loftus notes. “Tami and I feel there are many programs and initiatives in the Jacobs School that can greatly benefit from focused support and encouragement.” —S.A. Unger
Randall Loftus, MD ’92
J. Randall Loftus, MD ’92, and Tami Loftus
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