Stories of Giving

The last time we caught up with Donna Grogan, MD, R'87, P'18, in fall 2022, she and her husband, Paul Grogan, had recently endowed a scholarship for students in the T.H. Chan School of Medicine. Three years later, the Grogans have endowed a second scholarship that, when combined with their first, will fully offset the annual tuition of an in-state medical student, starting with the 2025-2026 school year. 

Two key priorities were front of mind when Dan Sullivan, MD’86, MPH, and his wife Anne Melvin considered how they could make a meaningful philanthropic impact. One was profound concern about the growing shortage of primary care physicians (PCPs) in Massachusetts. The other was gratitude to UMass Chan Medical School, the institution that made Dan’s fulfilling career in medicine possible. 

For David B. FitzGerald, MD’00, R'04, a global health experience in Vellore, India, forever changed his view of medicine. Two decades later, it also galvanized the creation of his family’s fund for international education at UMass Chan Medical School—giving aspiring physicians improved access to learning and discovery through travel. 

Accentuating an extraordinary career in public service, Carolyn Clancy, MD’79—recent recipient of an honorary degree from UMass Chan Medical School—has established a scholarship alongside her husband, Bill Kaplan, to help medical students at UMass Chan pursue their own dreams of serving others through compassionate health care. 

Satish P. Gupta, MD, who has witnessed the devastating toll of cancer on several close family members, has established an endowed annual award to support UMass Chan Medical School students engaged in cancer research. The award honors the memory of his wife, Sudha Gupta, MD, who died in 2020.

Inspirational words from UMass Chan Medical School’s most recent Nobel laureate Victor R. Ambros, PhD, brought added poignancy to the 40th annual meeting of the Hudson Hoagland Society (HHS) on May 21 amid a challenging moment for science. 

Alumni from celebrating classes, which included those ending in 0s and 5s, returned to UMass Chan Medical School on May 3 for Reunion 2025. The Class of 1975 commemorated their 50th Reunion, while the Class of 2000 stood out for having the highest attendance, with more than half the group reconnecting on campus. 

Five marathoners. Months of intensive training—in winter and early spring weather. Fundraising to support leading-edge ALS research. 26.2 miles raced along the most iconic marathon route in the world. Ever closer to curing a devastating disease. On April 21, it all came together at the Boston Marathon. 

While firefighters risk their lives each day on the job responding to emergencies, they also face long-term health risks due to repeated exposure to toxic chemicals and other hazards. To help care providers better recognize, understand and treat the distinct physical and mental health impacts of the profession, UMass Chan Medical School is partnering with the Last Call Foundation in a research and education effort aimed at building stronger connections between the medical and firefighter communities. 

The Department of Family Medicine & Community Health at UMass Chan Medical School is celebrating its 50th anniversary—and an impactful legacy in family medicine education and patient-centered primary care. Illuminating the milestone year is a new fund honoring the department’s former chair, Daniel H. Lasser, MD, MPH, which will boost efforts to train the next generation of family physicians and pursue innovations in medical education and practice.