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$200 Million Raised for Molecular Medicine
New Frontiers Campaign reaches goal for recruitment of scientists and construction of building
Accompanied by a rousing round of applause, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston President James T. Willerson, M.D., announced with great pride at the Annual Development Board Dinner Jan. 11 that the New Frontiers Campaign benefiting the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases (IMM) has now reached its $200 million goal and will likely surpass that goal in coming months.
New Frontiers Campaign Chair Beth Robertson shows her
appreciation to UT Health Science Center at Houston
President James T. Willerson, M.D., for two dozen yellow roses,
representing $200 million raised in the campaign. Event Photos
by Image-Catcher Photography
The announcement was followed by a large-screen showing of several images of the nearly completed Fayez S. Sarofim Research Building. The seven-story, 223,000-square-foot facility that will house the IMM is scheduled for completion in May 2006.
Co-chairs for the campaign, Beth Robertson and Ben Love, received special recognition for their leadership and dedication to the campaign. Two dozen yellow roses were presented to Beth Robertson representing a dozen roses for each $100 million raised. Ben Love’s son, Jeff, accepted on behalf of his father an inscribed longhorn sculpture in appreciation of his tireless support.
Robertson complimented the entire board for their team effort to make the campaign a success, and Love noted how much the success of this campaign and many accomplishments of the health science center meant to his dad, who was unable to attend due to illness (see related story, Remembering Ben Love).
J. Virgil Waggoner, a member of the New Frontiers
steering team,
celebrates the campaign’s successful
conclusion with Beth Robertson,
campaign chair.
Jeff Love, left, accepted a longhorn statue
on behalf of his father, Ben
Love,
who was
co-chair of the New Frontiers Campaign.
With him is
Development Board member
Lan
Bentsen,
who is spearheading a
fund-raising effort for the new Senator
Lloyd
Bentsen Center for
Stroke Research
at the IMM.
“We have attracted a truly stellar Development Board with some of our city’s most prominent business and civic leaders – all of you here tonight,” Willerson said. “I extend my personal appreciation to each and every individual present, along with our many generous donors who have collectively made this celebratory milestone possible.” A special note of appreciation was given to current chairman of the board, Phil Conway.
Also recognized during the event were Ferid Murad, M.D., Ph.D., director and CEO of the IMM, and Irma Gigli, M.D., deputy director, for their continued leadership, along with Tom Caskey, M.D., who recently joined the leadership team as the chief operating officer with the title of director- and CEO-elect. Willerson noted that Murad remains the director, while Caskey will oversee the daily operations of the IMM, working closely with Murad and Gigli as part of the leadership team.
“The result will be that we will now have in place a leadership team composed of three outstanding scientists, each with specific roles and responsibilities, allowing us to move the IMM to new levels of performance and reputation,” Willerson said.
Reaching the $200 million milestone signals a new chapter in the IMM and its soon-to-be completed Fayez S. Sarofim Research Building.
The Fayez S. Sarofim Research Building
that will house the IMM is
scheduled for
completion this year. Photo by
Bruce Bennett
“We are actively recruiting some of the world’s best scientists in neuroscience, stem cell research, inflammation, metabolism, obesity, diabetes, genetic and proteomic discovery,” Willerson said We expect to have some 125 scientists working in the new building in the years to come, working collaboratively with basic and clinical scientists at all of our schools and working with scientists at academic institutions and hospitals throughout the Texas Medical Center, including Rice University and the University of Houston.”
While the announcement of the successful completion of the New Frontiers Campaign captured the spotlight, a review of many accomplishments throughout the UT Health Science Center at Houston during the past year provided an impressive overview of momentum and collaboration. Highlights included a brief school-by-school review of accomplishments with special recognition given to the significant humanitarian relief effort provided by UT faculty, staff, students and friends following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
“In short, we have much to be proud of, we have much to celebrate, and we have all of you to thank for the ongoing support that you give in so many ways,” he closed.
By Bryant Boutwell, Dr.P.H., Medical School