November 2007

HOST Program: Final Call for Volunteers for 2007

We encourage you to participate in our HOST (Help Our Students Travel) Program that matches students with alumni volunteers during the M4 residency interview process. By participating, you can provide one or more students with a place to stay, while at the same time sharing with them the value of your career experience. As a volunteer, you will also have an opportunity to renew your personal sense of pride in the U-M Medical School by getting to know one of our exceptional medical students.

Even if you have participated in the past, we encourage you to register again. This year, we particularly need hosts in the Chicago, New York, Pittsburgh, Providence and St. Louis areas. If you wish to participate, please visit our HOST registration page, or contact HOST Program Manager Mary Morency by phone at (734) 998-7584, or by e-mail at: marymore@umich.edu.

Reunion ’07 Wrap-Up

On October 26 and 27, more than 400 Medical School alumni from classes ending in “2” and “7”, and their guests, enjoyed an opportunity to meet old friends — and make new ones — during Reunion ’07. Sponsored by the U-M Office of Medical Development and Alumni Relations, and the Medical Center Alumni Society (MCAS), Reunion ’07 provided an enjoyable opportunity for alumni/ae to reconnect and reminisce during dinners, campus tours and tailgate parties, as well as during the Michigan Wolverines’ victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers. To see additional photos from Reunion ’07, or to find out how you can participate in next year’s Reunion activities, visit our Reunion ’07 Wrap-Up.

Reunion ’08 will take place September 26-27, and alumni from classes ending in “3” or “8”, as well as emeritus alumni/ae, are welcome to participate in planning for this event by contacting Assistant Director of Alumni Relations Julie Antis at (734) 998-7703 or antisj@umich.edu.

Jim and Elizabeth Woolliscroft and Jeri and Bob Kelch show their loyalty along with other alumni at Reunion ’07. By Call Photography

MCAS Presents Distinguished Alumni Awards

The University of Michigan Medical Center Alumni Society (MCAS) annually bestows awards on alumni/ae who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in their careers. At an elegant awards dinner held in conjunction with Reunion ’07, the following MCAS awards were presented:

A Distinguished Service Award to Neal A. Vanselow (M.D. 1958, Residency 1963), chancellor-emeritus and professor-emeritus of medicine at the Tulane Health Sciences Center.

A Distinguished Achievement Award to Walter C. Willett (M.D 1970), Ph.D., who is a professor of epidemiology and nutrition, and chair of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Neal A. Vanselow	Walter C. Willett

MCAS is currently accepting nominations for next year’s Distinguished Alumni Awards. See our Web site for a complete list of all MCAS Award winners, as well as information about Award Criteria and Nominations.

PLEASE NOTE: Nominations must be postmarked by January 31, 2008.

MCAS Welcomes New President and New Board Members

Reunion weekend also marked the fall meeting of the Medical Center Alumni Society (MCAS) board of directors, during which the board thanked outgoing President Clifford L. Craig (M.D. 1969), and welcomed incoming President James C. Hays (M.D. 1977). The board also welcomed new members Jean Holland (M.D. 1977) and James K. Sobeski (M.D. 1993).

James C. Hays	Jean Holland	Jim Sobeski

Ways of Giving: Three Great Opportunities to Maximize Your Medical School Gift

Maintaining and enhancing the quality of our Medical School depends upon our ability to recruit the very best medical students, and to provide them with the finest training. Support from generous benefactors that fosters the very best in medical research and education is playing an increasingly crucial role in making that possible.

Right now, the U-M Medical School is highlighting three outstanding giving opportunities, including:

President’s Scholarship Challenge: To encourage additional support for graduate/professional scholarships — including Medical School scholarships — University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman recently committed $20 million in President’s Office discretionary funds to provide a 1-to-2 match for all new scholarship gifts made between September 1, 2007, and December 31, 2008 (or until matching funds are depleted). Since the President’s Challenge was established, the Medical School has benefited from the following new scholarships which have a cumulative value of over $2.2 million:

The Dr. and Mrs. Rudi Ansbacher Scholarship
The Dr. George and Joyce Blum Scholarship
The Brehm Medical Scholars
The Evani Scholarship in Memory of Robert E. Balster
The Dr. and Mrs. Stephen E. Higgins Family Scholarship
The Kelch-Parker Medical School Scholarship
The Margaret B. Pittman-Hadley Scholarship
The Thomas G. And Marilynn Varbedian Family Scholarship
The Dr. Richard and Virginia Wineland Scholarship

For more information about the President's Scholarship Challenge, please contact B.J. Bess at (734) 998-6044 or bjbess@umich.edu, or visit Ways of Giving.

IRA Charitable Rollover for 2007: Until December 31, 2007, alumni/ae who are preparing to withdraw their 2007 Minimum Required Distribution, and also would like to support the U-M Medical School, can realize additional benefits by making a gift of their IRA withdrawals to the U-M. For more information, visit our Charitable IRA Rollovers Web page.

Michigan Endowment Return Strategy: The U-M has received special permission from the Internal Revenue Service to invest charitable remainder trust assets alongside its endowment funds within its highly diversified, long-term portfolio. This new program will provide Medical School benefactors an opportunity to increase the power of their philanthropy, while enhancing personal returns from their planned gifts. For more information, visit the U-M Office of Planned Giving Michigan Endowment Return Strategy Web page.

 

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