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

VCU

Spring 2008

Power of Personal Philanthropywww.advancement.vcu.edu

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Editor: Melanie Irvin Solaimani (B.S. ’96), misolaimani@vcu.edu, (804) 828-3975Writer: Claire Hairfield, boswellrc3@vcu.edu

Inside this issueCollocation benefits VCU students, Richmond 3

Brandcenter’s creative space matches its mission 6

Renowned physician reconnects through gift 8

Dentistry Class of ‘57 surpasses gift-giving goal 10

Business alumni and friends build Ram pride 11

Annual consortium celebrates heartfelt campaign 12

Brown-Lyons Lecture keeps attendees in stitches 13

Nursing school supporters gather in the garden 14

‘Asking friends’ program pays off for cancer research 15

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Power of Personal PhilanthropyThe

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Spring 2008 | 3

Collocation benefits VCU students, Richmond

Trustees, supporters and government officials gather for the dedication of Snead and East halls. Pictured from left: former Gov. George Allen, School of Engineering Foundation board member; Russell Jamison, dean, School of Engineering; Paul Rocheleau, president, School of Engineering Foundation board; Steve Markel, chair, School of Business Foundation board; Michael Sesnowitz, dean, School of Business; state Sen. Donald McEachin; and Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D., VCU president.

✫ see Collocation, continued on Page 4

Garima Prasai knew she wanted to attend business school. She just wasn’t sure where.

Before high school graduation in 2005, she and her mother visited Virginia Commonwealth University to see what the university and the School of Business had to offer.

Dean Michael Sesnowitz invited Prasai to his office where he unfurled giant blueprints of a planned new home for the School of Business and talked about the transformation that was on the horizon.

“His excitement was absolutely contagious,” Prasai said. “I don’t recall if I was more struck that day by the magnitude of how cool the new business building was going to look or whether I was awed by the ‘down-to-earth’ dean, in whose office I was sitting, chatting with so casually. Maybe it was a combination of the two, but I remember going home and thinking ‘VCU is it,’”

Now as a junior pursuing a double major in accounting and finance on the CPA track, Prasai is thrilled by what VCU has accomplished. The Monroe Park Campus Addition, where Snead Hall for the School of Business, East Hall for the School of Engineering and the VCU Brandcenter are located, opened in January.

“On the first day of classes, I walked in and was blown away not only by how beau-tiful the building was, but how technologically advanced the study rooms were,” she said. “It’s amazing how a new facility can make all the difference. People are so much more focused and serious about their classes. The openness of the learning environ-ment allows students to see one another studying, and it has created a peer-motivating learning environment and has led to a greater exchange of ideas.”

That type of collaboration spurred the development of the Monroe Park Campus Addition and the collocation of the schools of Business and Engineering. The idea origi-nated over a golf game between business and community leaders Steve Markel and Bill Goodwin. They envisioned business and engineering students learning side-by-side to create well-rounded graduates ready to play a pivotal role in the Richmond workforce.

“The combination of a new campus for VCU and redeveloping a large part of the city as well as bringing business and engineering together really made the project a winner,” said Markel, who is the chairman of the School of Business Foundation Board of Trustees and vice chairman of the Markel Corp.

4 | The Power of Personal Philanthropy

When Markel served on the VCU Board of Visitors, he said, the group struggled with crafting a workable plan to improve the business school facilities.

“Until this plan came together, none of the others got any traction,” he said. “A key part of the new business school plan was the creation of a School of Business Foundation to bring an important group of supporters together to seriously engage with VCU to help develop the VCU School of Business for the long-term future.”

The School of Engineering Foundation Board of Trustees col-laborated with the business board to work toward a common goal. Both boards, which are composed of some of the top business leaders in the area, were instrumental in raising awareness and money for the project, said Peter L. Wyeth, vice president for University Advancement.

“These board members fos-tered unbelievable support for this project, as well as long-term championship of the two schools among local businesses, the com-munity, and our alumni and friends through their dedication and hard work,” he said.

Paul Rocheleau, a founding member of the School of Engineering Foundation board of trustees and its current president, also stressed the board members’ role in sup-porting the school by helping to ensure that it runs efficiently and effectively while producing out-standing graduates, which will benefit, in turn, the community.

“As you can imagine, many of the foundation executive committee members have dedicated a lot of time to ensure the program has grown to the level it is today,” said Rocheleau, who is managing director for Cary Street Partners and is responsible for invest-ing the foundation’s endowment. “We are now in a wonderful position to have excellent facilities, an established accredited program and improving financial resources.”

The board, Rocheleau said, wants this growth — in the quality of new students, faculty and programming — to continue.

“We are very encouraged by the attractive prospects for new graduates, increased student applications for 2009 and continued corporate support for the program,” he said. “The new building represents another key milestone along a path to success, but most importantly the success will be driven by the faculty and students who occupy the new building.”

The students, for their part, are ripe for the challenge.“The most exciting thing about the building is the change in itself. The change has

created a momentum of students who are excited about learning,” Prasai said. “What this has given me, and every other student at VCU, is a chance to highlight our best efforts. This building stands as a belief in our potential success, and we will work hard to reciprocate and make everyone proud.”

To support the School of Business, contact Ken Blaisdell, executive director of the School of Business Foundation, at (804) 828-1487 or kcblaisdell@vcu.edu. To support the School of Engineering, contact Brian Thomas, vice president of the School of Engineering Foundation, at (804) 827-0067 or bsthomas@vcu.edu.

Collocation, continued from Page 3

Top: Trustee S. Buford Scott and his wife, Susie, chat with Board of Visitors member Tom Snead. Bottom: VCU President Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D., and VCU Rector Tom Rosenthal hold resolutions designating July 1 as VCU Day. State Sen. Donald McEachin presented them at the April 9 dedication.

Spring 2008 | 5

School of Engineering Foundation Board of Trustees

Chair: William H. Goodwin Jr., chairman, CCA Industries Inc.

Vice Chair: Bruce C. Gottwald, chairman, Newmarket Corp.

President: Paul F. Rocheleau, manag-ing director, Cary Street Partners

George F. Allen, former U.S. senator and former Virginia governor

Henry S. Becker, president, Qimonda North America

Edward H. Bersoff, Ph.D., chairman, Greenwich Associates LLC

James C. Cherry, retired chairman Mid-Atlantic Region, Wachovia Bank N.A.

Bradford A. Crosby (B.S. ’01/E), supervisor, 300mm Tools Group, Qimonda North America

Clifford A. Cutchins IV, partner, McGuireWoods LLP

Marguerite Davis, owner, The Davis Collection

Thomas D. Eilerson, president, EDCJoseph C. Farrell, retired chairman,

CEO and president, Brink’s Co.Thomas F. Farrell II, chairman, president

and CEO, DominionC.T. Hill, chairman, president and CEO,

SunTrust Bank Mid-AtlanticWayne L. Hunter, managing partner,

Harbert Venture PartnersArthur D. Hurtado, chairman and CEO,

Invertix Corp.Hugh A. Joyce, president, James River

Heating and Air Conditioning Co. Inc.John A. Luke Jr., chairman, president

and CEO, MeadWestvaco Corp.Charles H. Neal, president, Symbol

MattressWayne K. Nesbit, senior vice

president of operations, Mindspeed Technologies Inc.

Stanley F. Pauley, chairman and CEO, Carpenter Co.

Mary E. Perkinson (B.F.A.’91/A; B.S.’03/E), plant engineer, Northrop Grumman

Richard E. Posey, retired president and CEO, Moen Inc.

E. Bryson Powell, president, Midlothian Enterprises Inc.

Roderick H. Powell, retired chairman, Invensys Climate Controls

Anne J.G. Rhodes, community leaderRobert E. Rigsby (M.S.’75/B;

M.B.A.’81/B), retired president and COO, Dominion

Walter S. Robertson III, president and CEO, Scott & Stringfellow Inc.

Thomas J. Seifert, COO, Qimonda AGRichard L. Sharp, managing director,

V10 Capital PartnersJohn Sherman Jr., retired vice

chairman, Scott & Stringfellow Inc.

Kirk E. Spitzer, retired president and CEO, Alfa Laval Inc.

Mark A. Sternheimer Sr., president, Sternheimer Brothers Inc.

Michael E. Szymanczyk, chairman and CEO, Philip Morris USA

James E. Ukrop, chairman, Ukrop’s Super Markets Inc./First Market Bank

Charles A. Williamson, CEO, CapTech Ventures Inc.

Robert W. Woltz Jr., president, Verizon Virginia

C. Kenneth Wright, chairman, Wright Properties Inc.

Emeriti trusteesWilliam W. Berry, retired chairman

and retired president, DominionWilliam S. Cooper, former president

and CEO, Choice Communications Inc.J. Carter Fox, retired chairman and

CEO, Chesapeake Corp.Richard G. Holder, retired chairman

and CEO, Reynolds Metals Co.Sean Hunkler, vice president

of manufacturing, MEMCE. Morgan Massey, chairman, Evan

Energy Co.Malcolm S. McDonald, retired

chairman, First Union-VA/MD/DCJohn L. McElroy Jr., chairman

emeritus, Wheat First UnionJeremiah J. Sheehan, retired chairman

and CEO, Reynolds Metals Co.Hugh R. Stallard, retired president

and CEO, Bell-Atlantic VirginiaRichard G. Tilghman, retired chairman

and CEO, SunTrust BankHays T. Watkins, chairman emeritus,

CSX Corp.Robert C. Williams, chairman

emeritus, James River Corp.

School of Business Foundation Board of Trustees

Chair: Steven A. Markel, vice chairman, Markel Corp.

Treasurer: Robert E. Rigsby (M.S. ’75/B; M.B.A. ’81/B), retired president and COO, Dominion

James A. Buzzard, president, MeadWestvaco Corp.

L. Dans Callans Jr. (B.S. ’66/B), president, Sunset Ford

Marge M. Connelly, COO, Wachovia Securities

Phyllis L. Cothran (B.S. ’71/B), retired president and COO, Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield

Josée G. Covington, president and CEO, Covington International Travel

Richard Cullen, partner/chairman, McGuireWoods LLP

Michael Dinkins, executive vice president and CFO, Hilb, Rogal and Hobbs of Virginia

Nancy C. Everett (B.S. ’78/B), president and CEO, General Motors Asset Management

Charles H. Foster Jr., retired chairman emeritus, LandAmerica Financial Group

Michael D. Fraizer, chairman, president and CEO, Genworth Financial

Mark M. Gambill, managing director, Cary Street Partners

William M. Ginther (B.S. ’69/B; M.S. ’74/B), retired corporate executive vice president, SunTrust

Brenton S. Halsey, retired chairman and CEO, James River Corp.

A. William Hamill, president, H3 Companies LLC

Eva S. Hardy, executive vice president, Dominion

Robert E. Henley (B.S. ’71/B), retired managing partner, Ernst & Young

Allen B. King (B.S. ’77/B), chairman and CEO, Universal Corp.

W. Austin Ligon, retired president and CEO, CarMax

John P. McCann, chairman emeritus, United Dominion Realty Trust

James V. Meath, partner and vice chairman of the board, Williams Mullen

G. Gilmer Minor III, chairman, Owens & Minor Inc.

Thurston R. Moore, chairman, executive committee, Hunton & Williams LLP

John R. Nelson, president, operations and technology, Philip Morris USA

Charles F. Phillips III, managing partner, Ernst & Young

James E. Rogers, president, SCI Investors Inc.

Philip J. Schoonover, chairman, president and CEO, Circuit City

S. Buford Scott, board chairman, Scott & Stringfellow Inc.

Robert C. Sledd, chairman, Performance Food Group Co.

Thomas G. Snead Jr., (B.S. ’76/B), retired president and CEO, Southeast Region, Wellpoint Inc. Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield

John W. Snow, JWS Associates LLC; former U.S. secretary of the treasury; and retired chairman and CEO, CSX Corp.

Eric P. Whittleton, (B.S. ’84/B), executive vice president, Technology Solutions and Integration Group, CACI International Inc.

F. Dixon Whitworth, (M.S. ’69/B), regional president, BB&T

Ex-officio: Steven B. Brincefield, CPM, (M.S. ’74/B), senior vice president, Property Services Group, Thalhimer

Emeritus: Bryan E. Kornblau, chair-man, Eagle Construction of Va. Inc.

Schools of Engineering and Business Foundation Boards of Trustees

6 | The Power of Personal Philanthropy

Bright green floors. Metal staircase. An upstairs patio perfect for sipping a drink. Ping-pong, pool and foosball in the basement. Cool, roll-up doors that let the breeze flow in and the sounds of the Neville Brothers waft out, greeting passers-by.

A swanky, new downtown hotspot where all the hipsters hang out?Try again.An educational space that melds

creativity and business savvy?Exactly.The Virginia Commonwealth

University Brandcenter’s new home is a far cry from other, more traditional buildings on campus.

The mission to move the Brandcenter into a permanent location began about five years ago, when Rick Boyko, former chief creative officer and co-president of Ogilvy and Mather Worldwide Inc., became managing director of the pro-gram. From the beginning, he stressed the need for a suitable home and told VCU President Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D., that the old Central Belting Building would be the perfect location.

Fortunately, VCU owned the prop-erty. Longtime benefactors Dianne and C. Kenneth Wright had donated it in 1999.

“When I donated the building, it was with the idea of enabling VCU to expand east across Belvidere Street,” Kenneth Wright said.

But there was a caveat, recalled Dr. Trani at the Brandcenter’s grand opening in March: When discussing donating the building, which had served as the headquarters of Kenneth Wright’s business, he said to Dr. Trani, “You are going to save the building, right?”

The new 27,000-square-foot space — designed by internationally renowned architect Clive Wilkinson, creator of spaces for Google, the Disney Store and advertising agencies such as TBWA/Chiat/Day in Los Angeles — incorporates many features from the old structure, including exposed wooden beams, wood floors, brick walls and parts of the original elevator, which was used for storing carriages belonging to guests of The Jefferson Hotel.

VCU Brandcenter• Founded in 1996, the VCU

Brandcenter is the only graduate program in advertising to combine business-oriented communications strategy and brand management tactics with leading-edge market-ing creativity.

• Two-year Master of Science degree program with five tracks: art direc-tion, copywriting, creative brand management, communication strategy and creative technology

• Enrollment: 180 students; 38 per-cent minority, 51 percent female

• Alumni: 500

Aaron Neville dances with guests at the VCU Brandcenter’s grand opening celebration. More than 300 attendees enjoyed the March 6 festivities, which included entertainment by the Neville Brothers.

Brandcenter’s creative space matches its mission

Spring 2008 | 7

The Wrights’ property gift served as the catalyst for the development of the 11-acre Monroe Park Campus Addition, which also includes Snead Hall for the School of Business and East Hall for the School of Engineering, as well as the 689-space Jefferson Street Parking Deck. A residential college, complete with a full-service Chili’s and a Starbucks, is scheduled to open this fall.

“This hardscrabble piece of earth has never been as good as it is now,” Dr. Trani said at the celebration.

The opening of the new building also signals the investment of resources, energy and support of the advertising world in the program.

Michael Roth, chairman of Interpublic Group, told the crowd that the pro-gram is addressing, with “passion and talent,” issues that the advertising industry is facing.

When he was asked to make a gift to the campaign during a major downturn in his company’s business, Roth bit the bullet and donated $1 million. His philosophy: “Put your money where your mouth is, if you believe in something.”

He saw the Brandcenter program as a source of outstanding future advertising and branding professionals.

“Without talent, you can’t have sustainability to prosper,” Roth said. “It was our chance to make a step forward and to set an example for the industry and our company.”

Another major benefactor of the program has been Yahoo, which committed $500,000 to name the Yahoo Big Idea Student Lounge in the building. The compa-ny’s consigliere and Brandcenter board of directors member Matthew J. Scheckner secured the entertainment for the grand-opening festivities.

The board met secretly to discuss possibilities, Sheckner said. They chose the Neville Brothers, he said, because “the group epitomizes the four attributes of the Brandcenter: creativity, sustainability, heart and soul.”

The Brandcenter students exhibited that heart and soul through a personal thank you to the Wrights.

“The Brandcenter students sent us a large poster signed by them with notes of thanks and how much it has meant to them; how much better they can concen-trate and accomplish their work than their previous location before moving into these truly unique new quarters,” Kenneth Wright said. “The acknowledgment and expressions of gratitude are humbling and satisfying to us both. We feel great pride in being significant participants in the growth and expansion of VCU.”

To make a gift to the VCU Brandcenter, contact Beth Harrington, senior director of development, at (804) 828-8384 or ekharrington@vcu.edu.

Designed by the internationally renowned architect Clive Wilkinson, the 27,000-square-foot VCU Brandcenter building reflects the creative nature of the top-ranked graduate program.

8 | The Power of Personal Philanthropy

Dr. John D. Bower (M.D. ’61/M), a nephrologist originally from Bedford, Va., has a history of providing much-needed funding to ensure that health care professionals are receiving a high-quality education.

At the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where he is professor emeritus of medicine, Bower has established endowed chairs in nephrology, pediatrics and nursing.

He recently extended his philanthropy to his alma mater by funding an endowed chair of physiology at Virginia Commonwealth University.

VCU School of Medicine Dean Jerome F. Strauss III, M.D., Ph.D., says that on the national front, academic interest in physiology has suffered a decline in recent years, but Bower’s gift will spur a revival of its study at VCU.

To Bower, physiology is one of the most basic facets of medicine and one of the most significant.

After serving four years in the U.S. Navy, Dr. John D. Bower (M.D.’61/M) returned to Lynchburg College where he graduated in 1957 after only 2 1/2 years. He graduat-ed from the Medical College of Virginia in 1961. As a third-year medical student, Bower says, he knew he wanted to go into academic medicine.

“I did not want to be a surgeon; I did not want to be an OB/GYN doctor. I wanted to be a teacher, and I wanted to understand the mecha-nisms of disease,” he said.

During his education, Bower worked as a research assistant in the lab of Dr. Robert Ramsey, a professor of physiology. After an internship at the University of Virginia, Bower returned to MCV for his residency and a fellowship in nephrology.

Bower worked for two years during his training with Dr. David Hume in the Kidney Transplant Research Program, funded by the National Institutes of Health.

“He was the one who really sort of set my career and attitude adjustment. … David was just such an inspiration,” Bower said.

Hume recognized the need for an artificial kidney to support the transplant program. He sent Bower to train under Dr. Belding H. Scribner at the University of Washington. Bower and Hume then established the artificial kidney unit to support the transplant program at MCV.

A medicine department restructuring plan at MCV gave Bower the opportunity to go to Mississippi to do research in high blood pressure with Dr. Arthur Guyton. The demand for artificial kidney services redirected his research, and he estab-lished Kidney Care, a nonprofit organization that grew to 23 kidney units in three states. Kidney Care later merged with five other programs to form the Renal Care Group. Proceeds from the merger started the Kidney Care Foundation, later named the Bower Foundation.

Renowned physician reconnects through gift

Dr. John D. Bower

Passion for medicine, teaching shapes physician’s career path

Spring 2008 | 9

“In order to understand how disease affects a living organism, you’ve got to understand how the living organism functions,” he said. “How a disease modifies the function of an organism is where it’s essential to have an understanding of the physiology and the chemistry of the organism that’s infected. It’s … a question of understanding.”

With the establishment of this endowed chair, the VCU Department of Physiology and Biophysics attracted Diomedes Logothetis, Ph.D., a leader in his field, from Mount Sinai University in New York as the new head of the department. Logothetis’ research is aimed at understanding the molecular functioning of ion channels.

Logothetis says he was initially drawn to the university when a respected colleague from Mount Sinai who had already come to teach at VCU told him about the school and Strauss’ vision for the future.

The endowed chair provides funding that Logothetis can use to support research, faculty salaries or equipment costs — whatever is needed. More importantly, though, Logothetis says being named the John D. Bower, M.D., Chair in Physiology makes a statement about his worth to the university.

“It gives a sense of how you’re valued as a leader coming in to the institution,” he said.

Bower’s hope is that with the money he has donated, Logothetis can make important and necessary improvements in the department. Logothetis’ hopes for the department are in line with Bower’s wishes.

So what are Logothetis’ plans?“To make it the No. 1 physiology department in the country,” he said.To make a gift to the School of Medicine, contact Tom Holland, associate dean of devel-

opment, at (800) 332-8813 or tehollan@vcu.edu.

Dr. Jerome Strauss (left), dean of the VCU School of Medicine, and alumnus Dr. John D. Bower, welcome Diomedes Logothetis, Ph.D., the new chair of the School of Medicine’s Department of Physiology and Biophysics and the John D. Bower, M.D., Chair in Physiology.

10 | The Power of Personal Philanthropy

The School of Dentistry Class of ’57 was a small one — only 48 strong. A quarter of the alumni had passed away before their 50th reunion in April 2007.

With so few living classmates, it was an ambitious goal when class leader Dr. Harold P. Heafner Jr. (D.D.S. ’57/D) came up with the idea of raising $50,000 to commemorate the class’s 50th reunion. The class surpassed that goal, however, at the reunion banquet, topping out at $59,000.

How did the class pull off such a feat? “It just happened,” Heafner said.The 50th reunion donation began as an idea Heafner threw around after he heard

about another class’s reunion donation. He thought it would be a good idea for his class to band together after 50 years to raise some money to present to their alma mater at their reunion banquet.

“We had all done some things [to give back to the school] individually, but we had never done anything as a group,” Heafner said.

When classmates Dr. Joe M. Adair (D.D.S. ’57/D) and Dr. William H. Allison (D.D.S. ’57/D) each agreed to pledge $5,000, Heafner knew this was an idea worth pursuing. He pledged another $5,000, and a generous $15,000 contribution came from classmate Dr. Dick S. Ajalat (D.D.S. ’57/D). They had raised $30,000 between the four of them, and then Heafner was off, sending letters and making phone calls to the rest of his classmates. Others stepped up to fill in the remaining $20,000.

At the reunion banquet, someone suggested the class set a $57,000 goal, and, Heafner said, “everyone just started giving.” The class reached its new goal that night.

After the reunion, classmates who couldn’t attend the banquet sent in their contributions, pushing the class over its second goal. Heafner and classmate Dr. Hubert E. Kiser (D.D.S. ’57/D) then contributed a little more to make the final gift an even number.

In the end, the class donated $59,000 to their alma mater. The money went to the school’s Campaign for Clinical Simulation, which funded renovations in the school and installation of DentSim Virtual Reality Simulator System training equipment, said Ed Kardos, senior director of advancement in the School of Dentistry.

The Class of ’57 Conference Room in the School of Dentistry was named in recognition of the reunion gift.

For the School of Dentistry Class of ’57, giving back to VCU was a matter of gratitude.“We all owe everything to the school,” Heafner said. “We all admit that.”For more information about making a donation to the School of Dentistry, contact

Ed Kardos, senior director of advancement in the School of Dentistry, at (804) 828-0324 or egkardos@vcu.edu.

Dentistry Class of ’57 surpasses gift-giving goal

The School of Dentistry Class of 1957 includes Henry McCoy (front, left), Robert Markley, Bill Cabell, Harold Hefner, C. Marshall Mahanes; Edward Woolridge (middle, left), William Allison, Felix Shepard, C.R. Jones, Melvin Morrison, J. Thomas Nicholson; William Henley (back, left), Walter Hankins, Joe Adair, Jack Hurley, William Williams and Hubert Kiser. Dean Ron Hunt holds the check representing the class gift.

Spring 2008 | 11

More than 700 School of Business alumni and friends gathered for the VCU men’s basketball game against Old Dominion University on Feb. 16.

The “VCU Means Business” event has grown from 20 participants six years ago to include hundreds of alumni from throughout the area. A pre-game reception, also attended by VCU President Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D., featured Rodney the Ram and the VCU cheerleaders, dance team and pep band.

A crowd of 700-plus business alumni and friends cheer on the Rams.

Business alumni and friends build Ram pride

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• TheCarMax Foundation awarded a $27,000 grant to the Partnership for People with Disabilities at Virginia Commonwealth University to support its “Include Me” project. The grant, made via the Richmond Funding Program, will help the part-nership foster quality, inclusive education for preschool-aged children.

• TheVCU Massey Cancer Center will open a Phase I pancreatic cancer study later this year in conjunction with leading researchers from Israel, marking the first time cancer researchers at VCU have partnered with their counterparts in Israel. The study is supported by a $950,000 grant from the U.S.-Israel Bi-National Industrial Research and Development Foundation. Leaders from the Virginia Israel Bioscience Commercialization Center helped to foster Israeli interest in research at VCU. The trial involves a novel, targeted therapeutic agent developed by BioCancell of Jerusalem and will offer new hope for one of the most difficult-to-treat cancers.

• TheOffice of Naval Research awarded $3.5 million in four grants to the VCU Reanimation Engineering Shock Center for research using the blood substitute Oxycyte in studies of decompression sickness, embolisms, traumatic brain injury and blast injuries. VCURES is VCU’s critical injury and illness research group that specifically studies the delivery of oxygen. VCURES has generated approximately $35 million in research funding over an eight-year period in work that has myriad applications in areas such as homeland security and traumatic brain injury.

• TheVCU Massey Cancer Center has created a line of gift cards. Tribute cards are available for a minimum $25 tax-deductible gift. Massey will send one of six spe-cially designed cards to recipients, letting them know that a gift to cancer research has been made in their honor. In addition, the program provides several options to inform guests of a gift made in their honor, such as inscribed special scrolls, table cards or gift tags. To order, call (804) 827-0652 or visit www.massey.vcu.edu/pdf /TributeCardWebsiteOrderForm.pdf.

• Thisyear’sVCUStaffSenateWalk-a-Thonraisedmorethan$11,600fortheVirginia’s Caring University Scholarship. The event, now in its fourth year, drew more than 200 employees and members of the surrounding community. The scholarship is awarded annually to a junior or senior in financial need with a GPA of 2.7 or higher who has demonstrated community service. Some of this year’s community sponsors included Target, Sam’s Club, Ab[Soul]ute Massage, Barksdale Theater, Richmond Braves, The Cheesecake Factory, Olive Garden, Crowne Plaza Hotel and The Jefferson Hotel.

In other giving news …

12 | The Power of Personal Philanthropy

This year’s annual Cardiology Consortium served a dual purpose: To offer insight into current cardiovascular health issues while celebrating the successful conclu-sion of the $10 million The Next Generation: Campaign for the VCU Pauley Heart Center.

About 80 donors, campaign advisory committee members and heart center staff joined Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D., VCU president and chair of the VCU Health System; Dr. Sheldon M. Retchin, CEO of the VCU Health System and vice president for VCU Health Sciences; and Dr. George W. Vetrovec, chairman of the Division of Cardiology; for the February event at The Country Club of Virginia.

Before dinner, Dr. William C. Roberts, of the Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute at Baylor University Medical Center, spoke about “Atherosclerosis: Its Cause and Its Prevention.” Afterward, Dorothy and Stanley Pauley were honored for their transformational gift to the campaign, which was led by chair James Sanderlin of TroutmanSanders. Also recognized were campaign honorary chairs Martha M. Kimmerling, James C. Roberts and Charles G. Thalhimer Sr.

Annual consortium celebrates heartfelt campaign

VCU President Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D., expresses appreciation to Dorothy and Stanley Pauley and their daughter, Kathy Hickok, for their support of the VCU Pauley Heart Center.

The School of the Arts has named the first recipient of the Tyler Binsted Endowed Scholarship in Sculpture + Extended Media. Conor Backman is a rising sophomore from Purcellville, Va.

The scholarship was created in mem-ory of Tyler Binsted, an undergraduate sculpture student who died in March. The merit scholarship is designated for the top Art Foundation student at VCU who has been accepted for enrollment in the Department of Sculpture, in which Binsted was enrolled.

Freshman academic performance and work in the annual spring Art Foundation portfolio review will be the main criteria in the scholarship selection process. Backman will receive $1,000 from the scholarship for the 2008-09 academic year.

VCU Arts names recipient of Binsted scholarship

Conor Backman

Spring 2008 | 13

Top: Attendees enjoy the 23rd Annual Brown-Lyons Lecture. Bottom: University Librarian John Ulmschneider, Brown-Lyons lecturer Jack D. Spiro, Ph.D., and guest Julian B. Jacobs enjoy the reception.

Dr. Jerome F. Strauss, dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, recently hosted a reception for alumni and friends living in North Carolina’s Research Triangle area. Strauss shared his vision for the medical school with the evening’s three dozen guests, who enjoyed refreshments while catching up with one another at the Umstead Hotel and Spa. The dean travels around the country throughout the year, and a visit to San Antonio, Texas, is already on his fall calendar.

VCU medical school alumni reconnect in Raleigh

Jack D. Spiro, Ph.D., had 450 donors, friends and alumni in stitches at the 23rd Annual Brown-Lyons Lecture when he spoke about “Jewish Humor – It’s No Joke!”

Spiro, the Harry Lyons Distinguished Chair of Judaic Culture and director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Center for Judaic Studies, discussed humor’s inherent role in Judaism and explored the entertaining nature of Jewish humor from Abraham to Mel Brooks.

The annual lecture is spon-sored by the VCU Libraries, the VCU Center for Judaic Studies, the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, the Richmond Jewish Foundation and the Weinstein JCC.

Brown-Lyons Lecture keeps attendees in stitches

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Cayette and Tjukiong Tjoa, parents of second-year medical student Tjoson Tjoa, enjoy hearing about the future of their child’s educational experiences.

Tony Segreti (left), who earned his Ph.D. in Biostatistics in 1977, greets Glenn Simon, who earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology in 1979, and his wife, Susan, a 1978 alumna of the School of Nursing master’s program.

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14 | The Power of Personal Philanthropy14 | The Power of Personal Philanthropy

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More than 100 guests gathered in April for a garden party at the VCU School of Nursing. During the event, designed to thank donors for their sup-port, Dr. Baxter Perkinson Jr. (D.D.S. ’70/D) completed an original watercolor, giving guests the chance to see him paint in person.

A generous supporter of VCU, Perkinson donated 123 original water-colors to the School of Nursing in 2007 to decorate its new building. Through the Adopt-a-Painting program, funds have been raised to construct a garden behind the school. Work on the garden is set to begin this summer. Once com-pleted, the garden will provide a relaxing space for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.

Nursing school supporters gather in the garden

Acclaimed author David Baldacci (B.A.’83/GPA) visited with College of Humanities and Sciences students, faculty and alumni in April. Dean Robert D. Holsworth moderated a panel discussion, which focused on Baldacci’s experiences as a writer and alumnus.

Baldacci is a member of the Virginia Commonwealth University Board of Visitors and has generously supported the Creative Writing Program in the VCU Department of English.

Celebrated author David Baldacci speaks at VCU

Top: Dr. Baxter Perkinson Jr. addresses the crowd gathered for the garden party. Bottom: Perkinson paints an original watercolor, which he donated to the school for display in Dean Nancy Langston’s office.

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Best-selling author and VCU alumnus David Baldacci greets one of the many students who attended a post-lecture book signing.

Spring 2008 | 15Spring 2008 | 15

More than 100 teams and nearly 2,000 individual runners and walkers raised $538,234 to help put “Cancer on the Run” as part of the of Massey Fundraising Challenge and the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k.

Team Connie ran in honor of cancer survivor Connie Madison, who served as an informal “grand marshal” to start the April race. Afterward, Madison camped out along the course on Monument Avenue where each of the 34 members of Team Connie stopped for a hug and a photo with her. The team, led by Madison’s son and daughter-in-law, raised more than $18,000.

This year, a new Friends Asking Friends online fundraising program made it easy for teams and individuals to encourage donations. All money raised will support research of all forms of cancer. Massey partnered with the Richmond Sports Backers and Ukrop’s for the event. The Massey Fundraising Challenge was sponsored by Anthem.

More than 350 Massey staff and volunteers supported the race effort by stuffing race packets, manning water stations and more. This year, the VCU Alumni Association participated, hand-ing out water and VCUAA wrist bands at the corner of Broad and Hancock streets.

With 30,000 participants, the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k has become the fourth-largest 10k in the U.S.

‘Asking friends’ program pays off for cancer research

In April, the Virginia Commonwealth University College of Humanities and Sciences welcomed the Rev. Edward A. “Monk” Malloy, C.S.C., president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame, as the speaker for the Bishop Walter Sullivan Inaugural Lecture in Catholic Studies.

A large group of donors, friends and alumni gathered in the University Student Commons to hear Malloy’s talk, “Terrorism, Counter Terrorism and the Ethics of Warfare.” Malloy is a professor in Notre Dame’s Department of Theology and holds a doctorate in Christian ethics.

R. Andrew Chesnut, Ph.D., selected as the Bishop Walter F. Sullivan Chair in Catholic Studies, also was in attendance. Chesnut, a leading international author-ity on Christianity in Latin America, will join the VCU School of World Studies’ faculty in the fall.

The Sullivan lecture and the Sullivan chair have been generously funded through donations from alumni and friends of VCU.

Inaugural Sullivan lecture discusses ethics, religion

Members of Team Connie — including Mark Madison (front left), Steve Nuckolls (with Stuart the dog), Dean Madison, Connie Madison, David Madison and Kristina Reiss — gather at the Nuckolls home on Monument Avenue. The 34-member team raised more $18,000 in honor of Connie, who is a patient at the VCU Massey Cancer Center and was selected as the official starter of the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k.

College of Humanities and Sciences Dean Robert Holsworth (left) welcomes the Most Rev. Walter F. Sullivan and the Rev. Edward A. “Monk” Malloy to the VCU Scott House for a reception and dinner.