VCUV 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

Power of Personal Philanthropywww.support.vcu.eduWinter 2011

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

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On the cover Fountainhead Fellows Lacy Jane Roberts (left) and Andréa Keys Connell bring their artistic talents to the VCU School of the Arts.

Inside this issueChildren endow scholarship as Christmas present 5Single gift sparks support for building campaign 6Mike Hughes Hall honors Brandcenter champion 7Practice adds alumni membership to benefits list 8Gift from grateful patient furthers cancer research 9Elite Founders’ Society welcomes new members 10Scholarship dinner honors donors and recipients 11MCV Foundation recognizes scholarship donors 12Movers and Shakers near Parkinson’s center goal 13150-acre land gift expands VCU Rice Center 14Class endows scholarship for M.H.A. students 15

Power of Personal PhilanthropyThe

Winter 2011 www.support.vcu.edu

Winter 2011 | 3

✫ see Arts, continued on Page 4

“My current work merges craft with objects of violence and control to examine large structures of power and how they might be interrupted by ways of making that are often labeled as gendered, amateur, and low. By hand-weaving razor wire fences that have been ensconced with yarn knitted on children’s toy knitting machines and morphing seminal craft tools like spinning wheels into cyborg like creatures, notions of what it means to ‘master’ are thrown into question.”

That’s how artist Lacy Jane Roberts describes her work on her website.Now, students in Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts

Department of Craft and Material Studies have the chance to learn from Roberts, one of two Fountainhead Fellows spending this academic year in Richmond, Va.

The concept of the Fountainhead Fellowships was born in 2005, when Tom Papa, president of Fountainhead Development LLC, approached the late Gerald Donato, then professor emeritus in the Department of Painting and Printmaking, about devising a way to help support that department and bring in new talent.

Fountainhead Fellowships pro-vide artists the opportunity to gain valuable teaching experience while they continue their studio practice and participate in Richmond’s arts community.

“VCU has such inspiring, bright people, and we consider it a cross-pollination opportunity to get the best and brightest in one spot,” Papa said.

Last year, Sonya Clark, chair of the Department of Craft and Material Studies, collaborated with members of the Richmond arts community and a private foundation to facilitate the department’s inclusion in the Fountainhead Fellowships, which were already in place in the Department of Painting and Printmaking and the Department of Sculpture and Extended Media. The department needed outside assistance as budget cuts had made the cost of placing fellows into adjunct teaching positions too great, Clark said.

The foundation made a $150,000 anonymous gift to support 10 fellows over five years in the crafts department. Funds are divided into $15,000 stipends for living expenses per fellow over the course of each academic year.

For the department, the program brings two of the strongest recent national Master of Fine Arts graduates to campus for an academic year, Clark said.

The 2010-11 Fountainhead Fellowships were awarded to Roberts and Andréa Keys Connell.

“This fellowship allows the VCU School of the Arts to support the studio practice and developing teaching careers of two dynamic emerging craft artists while enriching the learning experience for undergraduate students,” Clark said.

Fountainhead Development continues to support the fellows by committing two apartments in its newest complex, New Manchester Flats. Papa and his partner, Rick Gregory, also included private studio spaces for each fellow at Plant Zero Art Center in Richmond, in addition to their on-campus studios, where fellows have a communal-style studio space that is open and accessible to students.

Connell took a leave of absence from her post as head of ceramics in the Art Department at Longwood University in Farmville, Va., where she teaches ceramics

Fountainhead Fellowships draw talent to school

A 40-foot razor wire and cyclone crank-knitted fence form Lacy Jane Roberts’ “Building it up to Tear it Down.”

4 | The Power of Personal Philanthropy

along with 2-D and 3-D sculpture. Last semester at VCU, she taught a senior critique class and advanced hand building.

Connell said she has already gained a wealth of experience from teaching advanced classes.

“I try to interact with students on a daily basis and go to their studios and critiques and really be a part of their work,” she said. “This opportunity is great preparation for my teaching career and also gives me the ability to focus in the studio.”

Connell’s VCU studio space is next to Mary Elkins, a second-year graduate student in the clay section of craft and material studies. Having Connell nearby has been especially fortunate, Elkins said.

“When I’m trying to figure out which colors to use, she is right there to offer her opinion, which is great to have when you’re right there in your studio working,” she said.

Before coming to Richmond, Roberts taught resident workshops in the New York foster-care system for the nonprofit organization Leake and Watts Services Inc. and completed residencies at The MacDowell Colony and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York.

At VCU, she teaches a graduate-level seminar in craft studies theory and introduc-tion to textiles.

“I love being here at VCU –– it’s an amazing opportunity,” Roberts said. “I appreci-ate the wide spectrum of teaching here.”

Page Bond Gallery will feature the fellows’ solo exhibits, and a collaborative show will follow at Quirk Gallery in the summer. Both fellows will also present a public lecture about their work.

“Attracting talented craft artists to teaching positions requires a competitive level of support greater than the university is able to offer given current state budget constraints,” Clark said. “This program would not have been possible without the generosity of the local arts community and our anonymous donor.”

To make a gift to the School of Arts, contact Tom Burke (B.S. ’79, M.P.A. ’95), executive director of the VCU Foundation, at (804) 828-3958 or tcburke@vcu.edu.

Arts, continued from Page 3

Andréa Keys Connell’s “Un-Home-Like” mixes metaphors of the home, a flood and the subconscious to explore how suppressed memories of traumatic experiences affect relationships within the home.

Winter 2011 | 5

Patrick, Timothy and Terrence O’Toole, along with their sister, Erin O’Toole-Lyon (B.S. ’00, M.S.W. ’05), surprised their parents on Christmas Day 2009 by creating a scholarship in their name.

Parents Deborah O’Toole (B.S. ’74) and Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business professor emeritus Dennis O’Toole, Ph.D., (M.S. ’68) said they knew the children had decided on a group gift but had no idea what it could be.

Christmas morning, Patrick and his wife, Melissa; Timothy and his wife, Caren Benjamin; and Erin and her husband, Andrew Lyon, presented the family gift. Judging the shape of the wrapped gift, Deborah’s guess was a family portrait.

The whole family was pres-ent for the opening; even son Terrence and wife Jeannie O’Toole, who live in Tennessee, were on speakerphone when the gift was presented.

Much to their delight, the O’Tooles unveiled a plaque cre-ated by the VCU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics that commemorated the endowment of the Dennis and Deborah O’Toole Scholarship.

“It was in fact a portrait — of how much VCU means to our family,” Deborah said. “Dennis and I were in tears. It was an extraordinary gift.”

The O’Toole siblings and their spouses let their parents select which VCU sport would benefit from the scholarship.

Deborah and Dennis selected the tennis team, Deborah said, because of their admiration for coach Paul Kostin and because they knew scholarships are needed for that sport.

The first recipient of the Deborah and Dennis O’Toole Scholarship for the VCU Tennis Program is 21-year-old sophomore Josefin Karin Hjertquist from Stockholm. The scholarship provides Hjertquist with financial support each year until she finishes competing for VCU. She is considering a degree from the School of Business and a career as a sports agent.

“I’m really honored to receive this scholarship,” Hjertquist said. “It means a lot to me, and I feel grateful that the O’Toole family cares about VCU tennis so much.”

VCU sports — especially men’s basketball — are a tradition in the O’Toole family.“I’ve been going to VCU basketball games since I was 5 years old,” said Erin, now

32. “When we were younger, we would travel to tournaments with our parents to cool destinations like Hawaii and Puerto Rico, and we got to know the team. It was a real positive experience.”

Victor Cegles, director of the Ram Athletic Fund, said the O’Tooles are longtime supporters of VCU and their children chose a great way to create a family legacy.

“With the cost of higher education increasing each year and with state support decreasing, the need to secure our student-athletes’ futures is more important than ever,” Cegles said. “The Dennis and Deborah O’Toole Scholarship will provide stable, long-term financial support to deserving student-athletes.”

The family plans to continue contributing to the scholarship over time, Deborah said.

To make a gift to the VCU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, contact Victor Cegles, director of the Ram Athletic Fund, at (804) 828-4771 or vpcegles@vcu.edu.

Children endow scholarship as Christmas present

Deborah (left) and Dennis O’Toole spend time with VCU tennis player Josefin Karin Hjertquist, the first recipient of a scholar-ship endowed by the O’Tooles’ children in their honor.

6 | The Power of Personal Philanthropy

When Dr. Bruce “Al” Baber (M.D. ’57) came to campus for Reunion Weekend in April 2010, he talked with some impressive Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine students. One of the students was about to receive top honors at graduation and go into family prac-tice. That encounter brought back Baber’s memories of his own days on the MCV Campus.

“I remember very well the old A.D. Williams Clinic and our sessions there. Tuition was $675 per semester, which is really something compared to what they have to go through now,” he said. “I thought that one way I could help, in some small way, was to make a contribution back. It’s great to see these students with intelligent minds going onward. When I look at the gift I made, I consider myself a small fish in a big pond really.”

Baber, a retired anesthesiologist in Newport News, Va., has made a finan-cial commitment in support of a new School of Medicine education building, which is slated for completion in spring 2013. The gift is divided between a $10,000 pledge and a $50,000 bequest. By structur-ing his gift in this manner, he is contributing critical cash to the campaign now as well as leaving a future gift of significant impact.

His gift will help the school reach its $37 million private-gifts goal of the public-private partnership to construct the new building, which will provide new instructional and simulation space and will allow for expanded enrollment.

Baber took his commitment a step further after attending a dinner featuring School of Medicine Dean Jerome F. Strauss III, M.D., Ph.D., who shared his vision for the future of medical education on the MCV Campus. Baber decided to encourage seven of his classmates to participate in the campaign, too, by sending personal letters.

“I’ve never been much of a solicitor. It’s not my usual customary operation at all,” he said. “I’ve never been a good salesman and have resisted these things all my life.”

His letters, though, clearly illustrated his desire to give back and why it’s important for others to consider:

“Looking back upon my years in medicine, I think of the ways in which MCV guided me into a profession in which we can all be extremely proud. Therefore, I can think of no better way to help the future students than contributing to the construction of the new MCV School of Medicine educational building. This capital campaign needs and deserves the support of all our alumni.”

Baber drew some support from his classmates and he hopes the alumni giving will continue.

“I had considered giving back to MCV in the past, but it struck me as something more urgent at this point in my life,” he said.

By including the medical school in his estate plans, Baber also joins the ranks of the MCV Society, whose members have provided future support to the MCV Campus through their planned gifts. In addition to charitable will bequests, such as Baber’s, planned gifts include charitable remainder trusts, gift annuities and pooled income funds.

“This is the first major campaign for a capital building project in the School of Medicine’s history, and it has been enormously gratifying to see so many alumni

Single gift sparks support for building campaign

Planned gifts from alumni such as Dr. Bruce “Al” Baber make a lasting impact on the School of Medicine.

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Winter 2011 | 7

Single gift sparks support for building campaignMartin Agency President and Creative Director Mike Hughes thinks he’s received

way too many awards in the past year.In January 2010, the Martin Agency was named “Agency of the Year” by Adweek

magazine. In March, Hughes was the 47th person to be inducted into the prestigious One Club Creative Hall of Fame.

His most recent honor was the formal dedication of the building that houses the Virginia Commonwealth University’s Brandcenter as Mike Hughes Hall.

Hughes’ business associates say he’s earned every accolade.Brandcenter Director Rick Boyko, along with Martin Agency Chairman and CEO

John Adams; Brad Armstrong, partner and group account director; and Chairman Emeritus Harry Jacobs, together raised $1.95 million to name the Brandcenter in Hughes’ honor.

Hughes was instrumental in helping the program’s founder, Diane Cook-Tench, create and build a graduate program in advertising and marketing communications that is recognized as one of the premier advertising programs in the world.

Hughes has served as the chairman of the VCU Brandcenter board of directors since 1995.

“I think people are defined not simply by what they do, but by what they care about and by the quality of that caring,” Adams said. “My partners and I care a great deal about the brilliant job being done by the VCU Brandcenter to bring new talent into our industry, and we care about our dear friend Mike Hughes. Helping to dedicate and name the Brandcenter building was a great thing for us –– it was a wonderfully articulate way to express two of the things we care about most.”

During the building’s renovation in late 2007, Boyko approached Jacobs and Armstrong with the idea of raising a gift to name the building after Hughes. The pair, along with the other Martin Agency partners, all participated in making the gift.

“When we were first in the forming of the design of the building, knowing we were going to raise funds, there were infinite naming possibilities,” Boyko said. “The one that seemed logi-cal was Mike.”

Jacobs said that Boyko and Armstrong approached him about organizing a committee. He then asked Adams to direct the group.

A lead $1 million gift was designated by Michael Roth, chairman and CEO at Interpublic Group of Companies, the holding company that owns the Martin Agency.

The dedication of Mike Hughes Hall was held Oct. 27 at the Brandcenter.

“When I arrived on that evening, it was so cool to look up and see the sign in big letters that read ‘Mike Hughes Hall,’” Armstrong said. “Finally, there was the recogni-tion and the tribute to a guy who has worked so selflessly over the years.”

Hughes recently made a $100,000 gift to the Brandcenter that will fund the Wall of Inspiration, comprising plaques honoring those who inspire students.

At the ceremony, Hughes said the Martin Agency has hired about 60 Brandcenter graduates, and he offered words of advice for the students in the room. “If I have one lesson for students here today, it’s to be attentive to and active in society’s smart

Mike Hughes Hall honors Brandcenter champion

Martin Agency President and Creative Director Mike Hughes and his wife, Ginny (B.S.W. ’82, M.S.W. ’83), stand in front of the building that now carries his name.

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8 | The Power of Personal Philanthropy

Working for W. Baxter Perkinson, Jr., D.D.S. and Associates Ltd., the largest dental firm in Virginia, just got a little sweeter.

Alumnus and Board of Visitors member Dr. W. Baxter Perkinson Jr. (D.D.S. ’70) and his practice’s executive board have decided to make a special gift to employees who are fellow Virginia Commonwealth University alumni: Payment of the annual membership dues for the MCV Alumni Association of VCU is now an employment benefit.

The idea, Perkinson said, was prompted by partner Dr. Kit Tucker Sullivan (D.D.S. ’83), who serves on the MCV Alumni Association’s membership committee. Perkinson recalled Sullivan’s announcement made during a Perkinson and Associates’ annual office lecture this past October.

Sullivan discussed the importance of joining the alumni association and was very active in trying to recruit new members, he said.

“Graduates are enthusiastic about giving back to their alma mater,” Perkinson said. “Advancement of the alumni association has improved because of these efforts.”

The goodwill won’t stop with this year’s memberships. Paying for employee memberships is a new, permanent benefit, Perkinson said. Current association

members can look forward to having their member-ships renewed and future employees will receive memberships upon hire.

“We tend to hire at least one hygienist and dentist out of each class, each year,” he said.

One recent alumnus who is a new MCVAA member thanks to his employer, Dr. Michael V. Catoggio (D.D.S. ’08), joined the practice in July 2008.

“I graduated in 2008, so being an alumnus is still pretty new to me,”

Catoggio said. “Many of us who just got out of school don’t even know the benefits of becoming a member.”

Offering membership to doctors and staff creates a great opportunity to become more involved, Catoggio said.

“Alumni membership will allow me to network with other alumni, stay in touch with my classmates and get to know others in the field,” he said.

Catoggio is also looking into the variety of insurance benefits available to alumni members. Other benefits include a subscription to the semiannual alumni magazine, Scarab, career services programs, special events and much more.

Perkinson is thrilled to offer the benefit. “I consider promoting VCU as important as the work I’m doing,” Perkinson said.

And he hopes other companies will follow suit. For the VCU and MCV alumni associations, new members means more opportunities to bolster all alumni activities.

“Membership dues are vital to supporting the many programs that are sponsored by the alumni associations,” said MCVAA President Dr. Jim Revere (D.D.S. ’65), director of planned giving for the VCU School of Dentistry. “Publication of our alumni maga-zines, association-sponsored scholarships, events for graduating students, career resources and programs for currently enrolled students all are made possible by funding through our dues program.”

To learn more about the alumni associations, contact Gordon McDougall, assistant vice president of alumni relations, at (804) 828-8192 or gamcdougall@vcu.edu.

Practice adds alumni membership to benefits list

Dr. W. Baxter Perkinson Jr. (left) offers employees a new benefit — membership in the MCV Alumni Association of VCU — thanks to a suggestion from Dr. Kit Tucker Sullivan (right).

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Winter 2011 | 9

When Ray Slabaugh was diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma in 2009, he and his wife, Lynn, knew they’d travel anywhere for the best possible treatment.

They quickly learned they wouldn’t have to go far. The Massey Cancer Center at Virginia Commonwealth University expertly treats even the most difficult cancer cases, such as Slabaugh’s rare form of aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Dr. Gordon Ginder, the Eric and Jeannette Lipman Chair in Oncology and director of Massey Cancer Center, anticipated the Slabaughs’ concern for having access to the latest treatment options. Before meeting with the couple, he had called peers across the country to confirm that the treatment plan he was bringing to the table was the best option.

“We went in to meet with Dr. Ginder and to our amazement, we found that he had done the legwork for us,” Slabaugh said. “It gave me so much peace of mind to have that kind of personal care. It’s reassuring to know your physician puts the patient first.”

Lymphoma is treated in Massey’s Hematological Malignancy Clinic by a staff of spe-cialists that include physician-scientists who translate research results into patient care.

The Slabaughs created the Slabaugh Family Research Fund for Clinical Trials in honor of Ginder. The fund will support the advancement of promising research at Massey. In October, the couple was inducted into VCU’s Founders’ Society, which honors the university’s most generous donors.

“Private support is critical to advancing the promising research being conducted at Massey,” Ginder said. “Ray’s treatment was successful because others before him saw the value in supporting scientific research — this gift from the Slabaughs helps continue the scientific advancements that lead to more effective treatments.”

Slabaugh is also grateful that he received his treatment locally because he could count on the support of his friends. He endured six months of treat-ment, including 95 days in the hospital. When he wasn’t in the hospital, he was required to visit the Dalton Clinic every other day.

To help out, friend Dave Wilson coor-dinated “Ray’s Taxi Service,” a network of more than 30 friends who took turns driving Slabaugh to and from his clinic visits.

“That was the value of having excep-tional care available in my hometown,”

Slabaugh said. “To have that daily support from our friends during such a long treat-ment made everything so much easier.”

Slabaugh’s treatment was successful, and today he is enjoying remission and a return to his active and full life, with a profound sense of gratitude for the care he received at Massey.

“Dr. Ginder and his staff are my heroes,” Slabaugh said. “They made it so much easier to be sick.”

To make a gift in support of cancer research at the VCU Massey Cancer Center, contact Lee Boykin, director of major gifts, at (804) 827-0600 or lboykin@vcu.edu.

Gift from grateful patient furthers cancer research

Because Ray Slabaugh (first row, left) received his cancer treatment locally at Massey, he could count on his friends in “Ray’s Taxi Service” to get him to and from appointments.

The Slabaugh Family Research Fund for Clinical Trials, created by Ray and Lynn Slabaugh, promotes promising research at Massey.

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10 | The Power of Personal Philanthropy

Virginia Commonwealth University’s most loyal donors gathered Oct. 21 at the Commonwealth Club to induct 20 new members into the Founders’ Society.

The VCU Founders’ Society is a university-wide giving club that honors those generous individuals, corpora-tions and foundations who have made cumulative commitments of $100,000 or more to the university or its affili-ated foundations.

VCU last held this event in 2005, inducting 24 new members at that time. Membership is now about 250 living individuals and corporate representa-tives with a total membership of more than 600.

VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., thanked the crowd of 185 for their numerous generous contributions, outlining how these gifts have helped transform

the university. He stressed the need for scholarships to help deserving and motivated students and underscored the university’s focus on research and service.

“Those research dollars represent enormous potential for groundbreaking work across all disciplines, as well as advances in patient care and support for jobs in the Richmond region,” he said. “I know we can count on you as we strive to become that great research university, changing the lives of our students, our faculty, our patients, our community and the world.”

Elite Founders’ Society welcomes new members

Dr. Pam Keicker-Royall and Bill Royall (center) are welcomed into the Founders’ Society by Michael and Monica Rao. The Royalls are major supporters of the Massey Cancer Center and the School of the Arts.

Marshall D. Gayheart Jr. (B.S. ’53) and Nancy L. Gayheart (B.S. ’53) (center) are congratulated by Monica and Michael Rao. The Gayhearts support the School of Pharmacy, where they earned their degrees.

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine Dean Jerome F. Strauss III, M.D., Ph.D., hosted an alumni gathering in Cary, N.C., in October. Strauss spoke about the school’s plans for a new medical education building, which will allow for expanded enrollment and more hands-on learning. The building is slated to open in spring 2013.

The dean travels regularly through-out the country to meet with alumni and share news about their alma mater.

Dean updates N.C. alumni about building project

Dean Jerome F. Strauss III, M.D., Ph.D., (left) talks with Dr. Robert E. Kanich (M.D. ’62), Dr. Preston H. Gada (M.D. ’63, H.S. ’68) and Dr. Catherine A. Matthews (H.S. ’01). Ph

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More than 300 Virginia Commonwealth University students, donors, faculty and staff packed the Commonwealth Club in November for the 12th annual Monroe Park Campus Endowed Scholarship Dinner.

The dinner was sponsored by the School of Business Foundation, the School of Engineering Foundation and the VCU Foundation.

Student speakers Thomas Reich, who’s pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry and is the recipient of an Altria Graduate Assistantship in Chemistry and the Gerald and Susan Bass Scholarship, and Hilary Steinitz, a graduate student in the School of Social Work and the recipient of the Martin S. Schwartz Scholarship, told how scholarships have made a difference in their lives.

VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., thanked donors for their commitment to excellence at the university and reiterated the importance of the scholarships.

“Scholarships have always made a big difference. Often scholarships determine whether a student attends VCU or not,” he said. “Conversely, scholarships often determine whether we can lure the best and the brightest, the students who arrive with all the talent and motivation built in, ready to go out and make their mark on the world.”

Scholarship dinner honors donors and recipients

Jack Boykin, Ph.D., (left) enjoys dinner with Bisi Adesalu, recipient of the James H. Boykin Endowed Scholarship, which was established in 1990 by Virginia real estate and mortgage-lending executives to honor Boykin.

Victor P. Cegles III

Director, Ram Athletic Fund Department of Intercollegiate Athletics (804) 828-4771 • vpcegles@vcu.edu

Formerly assistant director of ticketing and development, VCU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics

Jessa Nelson (B.S. ’10)

Development Assistant School of Education (804) 828-3715 • nelsonj@vcu.edu

Formerly advertising support specialist, Richmond Times-Dispatch

R. Scott Rash

Vice President for Business Development School of Engineering Foundation (804) 828-1475 • rsrash@vcu.edu

Formerly vice president for institutional advancement, Greensboro College

New staff members join development team

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12 | The Power of Personal Philanthropy

Richmonders with a passion for fashion and an interest in supporting local women’s cancer research celebrated at Saks Fifth Avenue’s Key to the Cure in October. The 2010 event was sponsored by U.S. Trust and marked the eighth year of the popular fundraiser, which benefits women’s cancer research at the VCU Massey Cancer Center.

The event featured tastings from a selection of Richmond’s finest restaurants, a trunk show by Virginia-born jewelry designer Temple St. Clair and live music by local favorite Emme St. James and Her Jazz Gentlemen. This year’s runway showcased White Coats for the Cure, a fashion show featuring cancer survivors and researchers as well as hometown favorite and current Major League Baseball player Justin Verlander as models of lab coats creatively designed by local artists.

In addition to proceeds from event ticket sales, a portion of Saks’ sales throughout the week-end benefited Massey, as did sales of the much-anticipated annual commemorative T-shirt designed by Donna Karan. The event is projected to net more than $30,000 for women’s can-cer research at Massey.

Saks hosts fashion-inspired Massey fundraiser

The MCV Foundation hosted its sixth annual MCV Campus Endowed Scholarship Brunch on Oct. 24. The event brought together scholarship recipients and their gen-erous donors for an afternoon of conversation and appreciation.

At the event, 280 guests filled the Grand Ballroom at The Jefferson Hotel. Virginia Commonwealth University President Michael Rao, Ph.D., spoke about the important role scholarships play in the lives of students on the MCV Campus.

Scholarship recipient Brad Martin, who is student body president for the School of Pharmacy, shared the scholarship recipient perspective and thanked all of the donors for their generosity on behalf of the many grateful recipients.

MCV Foundation President Bill Kotti, Ph.D., acknowledged the nine new schol-arships established this year and reported that the total number of endowed scholar-ships for the MCV Campus has reached 184.

The MCV Foundation’s mission is to inspire and stew-ard philanthropy throughout the MCV Campus of VCU. Chartered in 1949, the MCV Foundation works in partner-ship with alumni and friends of MCV Campus schools, hos-pitals and the Massey Cancer Center.

MCV Foundation recognizes scholarship donors

Gary Gore (left) of sponsor U.S. Trust and Massey Advisory board member Christy Gore (center) congratulate their daughter, Ally, who modeled in the show.

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Jim and Charlotte Roberts (seated, center and right) catch up with student recipients of the Theresa Thomas Scholarship in the School of Nursing. Jim Roberts is a trustee for the Theresa Thomas Foundation.

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At the end of September, 75 donors, friends, political representatives and members of the Virginia Commonwealth University community gathered for an open house reception at the new VCU Parkinson’s Disease Center. The event celebrated the opening of the center’s administrative offices and laboratory space.

The Parkinson’s Disease Center was conceptualized and became a reality with the help of the hard work and dedication of the self-named Movers and Shakers, a group of local Parkinson’s disease patients, caregivers and friends who came together to raise funds for the center. The Movers and Shakers are close to reaching their initial fundraising goal of $5 million. VCU School of Medicine Dean Jerome F. Strauss III, M.D., Ph.D., has agreed to match that effort dollar for dollar with funds from the school.

Speakers at the event included Dr. Jim Bennett, center director, and VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., who expressed gratitude for the generosity of the Movers and Shakers and other donors and highlighted the center’s translational research goal. In addition, Charles F. Bryan, Ph.D., a member of the Movers and Shakers, described what the new center means to his group and the Richmond Parkinson’s disease community.

The center’s administrative offices are located in Old City Hall, with laboratory space in the Hermes A. Kontos Medical Sciences Building.

Movers and Shakers near Parkinson’s center goal

Dr. Jim Bennett (left) talks with Charles F. Bryan, Ph.D., a supporter of the new Parkinson’s Disease Center.

Years of hard work paid off for a tight-knit, dedicated community in southern Chesterfield County when last fall’s Highlands-Massey Classic surpassed an ambi-tious goal of raising $1 million over the course of five years for cancer research at the Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center.

The Highlands-Massey Classic began in 2006 as a golf tournament arranged by George Emerson (B.S. ’79), developer of The Highlands community and five-year cancer survivor. He organized the event as a way to bring neighbors together while raising awareness and money for a cause about which he is pas-sionate. Since then, the event has expanded to include a 5k run, bridge tournament, dinner and auction event, and a holiday house tour. A faithful committee, led by Janice Radcliffe, coordinates the activities.

“It’s unfortunate that cancer has had such a tremendous impact on nearly every member of this community,” Emerson said. “But I’m enormously proud that we’ve been able to make such a significant impact at Massey Cancer Center. The dollars we’ve raised are being put to work finding cures, and I can’t think of anything more important.”

Massey benefit reaches million-dollar mark

Highlands-Massey Classic attendees include Laura Lee Chandler (left), Ted Chandler, Becky Massey, Darlene Emerson, George Emerson (B.S. ’79), Chris Swank, Peggy Crowley, Cathy Plotkin and Anne West.

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14 | The Power of Personal Philanthropy

A new tax law allows donors who are at least 701/2 years old to make direct transfers of up to $100,000 per year from traditional IRA accounts to qualified charities. These transfers will not be included in taxable income and no adverse income tax conse-quences result from this transaction.

The legislation expires Dec. 31, 2011. The direct charitable transfer will count toward minimum distribution requirements.

For more information, contact Tom Burke (B.S. ’79, M.P.A. ’95), executive director of the VCU Foundation, at (804) 838-3958 or tcburke@vcu.edu.

New tax law extends IRA charitable rollovers

of the school step forward with generous gifts in the early stage of the campaign,” said Tom Holland, associate dean for development in the VCU School of Medicine.

– Contributed by Nan JohnsonTo learn more about tax-wise planned giving options or the campaign for the VCU

School of Medicine, contact Tom Holland, associate dean for development in the school, at (800) 332-8813 or teholland@vcu.edu.

Medicine, continued from Page 6

The Virginia Commonwealth University Inger and Walter Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences has received a major land gift of about 150 acres along the James River that encompasses critical nesting areas for bald eagles and habitat for a variety of flora and fauna.

The property, part of the Meadowville Tract in eastern Chesterfield County, is a gift of an environmentally conscious group of individuals who make up the Meadowville Trust.

Acquisition of the property will increase the size of the VCU Rice Center by nearly half. The center, VCU’s biological field station, is a 343-acre site in Charles City County overlooking the James River, with a primary mission of enhancing science, education and public outreach related to large river ecosystems and their riparian landscapes.

“This remarkable gift expands the reach of the VCU Rice Center as we enter Phase II of our development plan, enriching research and educational opportunities for both faculty and students,” said Thomas F. Huff, Ph.D., VCU’s vice provost for life sciences.

For researchers, the Meadowville Tract provides an extensive area of bottom-land hardwood forest that complements the habitat at the Rice Center in Charles City County and opens many new opportunities for research and educational opportunities while preserv-ing critical habitats along the James River.

150-acre land gift expands VCU Rice Center

The VCU Rice Center will expand its riverfront research thanks to an additional gift of land from the Meadowville Trust.

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Members of the Master of Health Administration Class of 2005 have endowed a scholarship to provide need- and merit-based funds for graduate students in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Allied Health Profession’s Department of Health Administration.

To reach this goal, classmates organized fundraising projects while they were still students and then continued to give to the scholarship fund after graduation.

Special thanks are extended to Master of Health Administration Class of 2005 President Samuel Seifert (M.H.A. ’05) and Master of Health Administration Class of 2005 fundraising committee Chair Jennifer Valentine Boyd (M.H.A. ’05).

About 90 alumni and friends gathered Oct. 27 to enjoy a members-only gallery reception hosted by the VCU and MCV alumni associations.

The event honored W. Baxter Perkinson Jr. (D.D.S. ’70) and his wife, Elaine, who over the years have given freely of their time and treasure to VCU. The Perkinsons’ artwork — watercolors by Baxter and sculptures by Elaine — was on display at The Gallery at the United Network for Organ Sharing.

The associations’ presidents presented a resolution of appreciation to the couple. A former university rector, Perkinson has a long record of VCU service and currently is a member of the Board of Visitors. In 2006, the family made a $2.5 million gift to the VCU School of Dentistry, the largest gift in its history.

Guests enjoyed tours of UNOS’ National Donor Memorial, led by former TV anchor Lisa Schaffner, now director of public relations and marketing for UNOS. The associations periodically offer spe-cial events as a benefit to active, dues-paying members.

Class endows scholarship for M.H.A. students

New tax law extends IRA charitable rollovers

Gallery reception highlights couple’s contributions

Elaine Perkinson and Dr. W. Baxter Perkinson Jr. attend a gallery reception in their honor at UNOS.

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discussions and debates,” he said. “There’s no one right way to build a brand or an ad or a department or an agency or a media company or a branding school. There’s no one right opinion of your work. Learning isn’t what’s served up to you — it’s what you go out and get.”

Boyko is grateful that Hughes and the industry as a whole stepped up to support the Brandcenter.

“The collected gifts that contributed to the dedication of the Brandcenter build-ing in honor of Mike Hughes represent a milestone for our school,” he said. “The Brandcenter has grown to be considered the premiere graduate program of its kind and could not have become what it is today without the combined effort of so many who have invested their time, money and talent. Gifts like this ensure that our students will continue to become leaders in the industry and continue to add diversity to the field.”

To make a gift to the VCU Brandcenter, contact Director Rick Boyko at (804) 827-8860 or rboyko@vcu.edu.

Brandcenter, continued from Page 7