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| Vol. 21, No. 13 |
| July 15, 1999 |
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`Investment in Discovery Campaign' Positions Baylor as Global Leader in Biomedical Research and Health Care by DOREY ZODROW Baylor College of Medicine The $500 million "Investment in Discovery Campaign," announced in June by Baylor College of Medicine, is an investment in human capital that will increase the school's ability to overcome devastating diseases that cause injury and death around the world.
The campaign is the largest fund-raising effort ever mounted in the Texas Medical Center and will support the school's endowment and key programs on the cutting edge of medical research and technology. Four strategic areas - faculty development, student support, research infrastructure, and programmatic initiatives - will be targeted during the campaign. "Our goal is to advance medical cures," says Baylor trustee Corbin J. Robertson Jr., chairman of the campaign. "Attracting the very best faculty and the finest students to Baylor, enhancing collaborative opportunities, and obtaining private research support will generate scientific advancements that significantly improve medical treatments and cures and help to prevent disease." More than 10,700 contributions and pledges have been received since the five-year initiative began in 1996, Robertson says. Current commitments total more than $359 million. "This campaign will enhance the outstanding reputation of Baylor College of Medicine," says Dr. Ralph D. Feigin, Baylor president and CEO. "The Investment in Discovery Campaign will propel the College into the new millennium by providing the resources for a wide variety of high-impact medical discoveries." The school intends to push forward with its groundbreaking research into the genetic causes of and cures for chronic and hereditary disease. As one of three U.S. sites for completion of the international Human Genome Project, Baylor is positioned to be a leader in this area of research, which will lead to cures for heart disease, neuromuscular disorders and cancer. The college has received major contributions from many members of the community, including the Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation, The Brown Foundation, the Cullen family and their Foundation and Trusts, and The DeBakey Medical Foundation. "Community support will expedite Baylor College of Medicine's continual search for scientific discoveries," says Daniel C. Arnold, chairman of the Baylor board of trustees. "The extremely generous gifts Baylor has received during the early phase of this Campaign reflect the community's confidence in the extraordinary work being done at the college. We are very grateful to have friendships with so many individuals, corporations, and foundations sincerely interested in improving health care for everyone." Baylor-affiliated institutions are also contributing to the Investment in Discovery Campaign effort. Texas Children's Hospital, the largest pediatric hospital in the country and Baylor's primary pediatric teaching hospital, and The Methodist Hospital, Baylor's primary private adult teaching hospital, are strengthening their long-standing partnerships with the college to enhance their collaborative efforts. The Honorable Roy M. Huffington and Robert C. McNair are honorary chairs for the Investment in Discovery Campaign. Also serving in Campaign leadership positions are Wallace S. Wilson, Beth Morian, Constantine S. Nicandros, J. Hugh Roff, Jr., and Robert H. Allen.
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