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UAB supporter’s extra generosity brings his total gift to school to $100 million

The University of Alabama at Birmingham announced one of its most generous donors has once again made a significant contribution to the school.

Dr. Marnix E. Heersink of Dothan has already given $95 million to the university.

Heersink is the namesake of UAB’s Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, Marnix E. Heersink Institute of Biomedical Innovation, and the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health. This past December, Heersink made an additional donation of $5 million, bringing the overall naming gift total to $100 million.

Heersink’s donation is the single largest philanthropic commitment in UAB history.

“The initial Heersink gift has been transformational in expanding our ability to improve and save lives at home and around the world, and this generous additional investment will build on our unprecedented momentum in profound ways,” said UAB President Ray L. Watts.

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“The new gift will target a variety of programs for immediate investment, including strategic recruitment efforts, and it will bolster our Research Strategic Initiative – Growth With Purpose, which is establishing a road map to multiply the positive impact our research enterprise has on people and help us reach $1 billion in research expenditures.”

Dr. Anupam Agarwal, senior vice president for Medicine and dean of the Heersink School of Medicine, said that the university is grateful for the support.

“His initial naming gift has already opened many new avenues of growth for us. With this new gift commitment, we will be able to pursue excellence across our mission areas of medical education, clinical care, and biomedical research, with the ultimate goal of improving the health and well-being of all those who come to us for care.”

The Heersink naming gift will eventually support the creation of up to 20 new endowed positions to grow the recruitment of elite faculty. In the first year of the gift alone, the Heersink School of Medicine established and awarded five Heersink Endowed Chairs and one Heersink Endowed Professorship.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.

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