UTHealth Houston’s ambitious philanthropic effort, Many Faces. One Mission. campaign, raises $534.4M

UTHealth Houston surpassed its original $500 million fundraising goal, raising $534.4 million to improve the health of Houston and beyond by educating health professionals, advancing research, and providing the best practices in clinical care. The Many Faces. One Mission. campaign was publicly announced in April 2021 and is the university’s most ambitious philanthropic effort yet.

“The success of the Many Faces. One Mission. campaign enriches the academic experience of our students and trainees while advancing lifesaving research and outreach programs that directly impact our communities,” said Ransom C. Lummis, chair of the UTHealth Houston Development Board and a member of the Campaign Cabinet.

This achievement was made possible through the generosity of 11,315 donors, including community supporters, alumni, faculty, and staff, who gave primarily to the campaign’s three impact areas:

• Training the Next Generation of Health Professionals to help address shortages in critical health professions by supporting future practitioners—as well as the experts who educate them.
• Improving Houston’s Health by amplifying collaborative research, encouraging a passion for learning, and promoting patient care and public health initiatives.
• Advancing Brain and Behavioral Health by developing better treatments for neurological conditions and making mental health care more accessible.

Scholarships and fellowships created during the campaign are enabling students and trainees—many of whom might not be able to nurture their talent without the benefit of financial assistance—to become the health care professionals, researchers, biomedical informatics specialists, and public health experts who guide our communities to better health.

Campaign commitments to endow professorships and chairs are allowing experts to pursue discoveries that expand our understanding of disease, address public health challenges, and improve patient outcomes. For example, the John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Distinguished Chair provides funding for Gustavo S. Oderich, MD, to pioneer minimally invasive surgical techniques to treat complex aortic aneurysms. Similarly, support from the Gene C. Stevenson Distinguished Professorship in Dental Education is helping Ana C. Neumann, DDS, PhD, create a curriculum that promotes evidence-based dentistry and tackles public health concerns.

Research funds totaling $232 million are providing critical resources to advance the understanding and treatment of disease and injury. Among the research initiatives bolstered by the campaign is the collaboration between Sunil A. Sheth, MD, and Luca Giancardo, PhD, who are investigating how artificial intelligence can speed up the diagnosis and treatment of stroke.

“This is an historic time for UTHealth Houston, and the success of this campaign will have meaningful impacts for generations to come,” said Giuseppe N. Colasurdo, MD, president and Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair. “I am grateful to all of our donors who, through their support of the Many Faces. One Mission. campaign, have demonstrated a deep commitment to UTHealth Houston and our shared vision of solving the most complex and critical health care challenges in our city and beyond.”

During the campaign, the university’s endowment grew from $303 million to $870 million, and 338 new endowments were established to reinforce research, education, and community outreach programs in perpetuity.

Several transformational gifts made during the Many Faces. One Mission. campaign are also providing strategic investments in education and research in key areas.

• Kicking off the campaign in 2015, the John P. McGovern Foundation dedicated resources that placed renewed emphasis on humanism, ethics, research, and scholarship to help train generations of future physicians. In honor of this support, the school was renamed the John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School.
• In 2017, Jane and Robert “Bob” Cizik made a foundational commitment to nursing education and research at UTHealth Houston to help ensure communities across the state have the highly trained and compassionate nurses they need. In recognition of this investment, the nursing school was renamed the Jane and Robert Cizik School of Nursing.
• In line with the campaign’s focus on advancing brain and behavioral health, the John S. Dunn Foundation made an extraordinary gift in 2021 to support behavioral health initiatives at McGovern Medical School. In 2022, a new academic psychiatric hospital opened under the name of the John S. Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center at UTHealth Houston.

UTHealth Houston celebrated the close of its first comprehensive campaign with donors on Thursday, April 20, at The Revaire. There, Kevin J. Foyle, senior vice president for Development and Public Affairs at UTHealth Houston, announced the capstone campaign gift made by business leader and UTHealth Houston Development Board member D. Bradley “Brad” McWilliams. His $22 million transformative commitment to the School of Biomedical Informatics will help drive human health through data science. In honor of his gift, the school has been renamed to D. Bradley McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston.

“With the momentum and resources generated by the campaign, we will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in the future of health care with bold initiatives and an unwavering commitment to our community,” said Colasurdo.

An overview of the campaign’s achievements can be found at uth.edu/many-faces-one-mission, and stories about the impact of philanthropy can be read at go.uth.edu/impactstories.