From left: USC President C. L. Max Nikias; chair and CEO of the W. M. Keck Foundation Robert Day, and Senior Vice President and CEO for USC Health Tom Jackiewicz.
Amid festive Trojan fanfare, USC faculty, staff and friends gathered on
the university’s Health Sciences campus on Jan. 30 to celebrate the W. M. Keck Foundation’s recent, transformative $150 million naming gift.
The donation serves as the lead gift for the Keck Medicine Initiative,
which was announced by USC President C. L. Max Nikias at the event on
the Harry and Celesta Pappas Quad.
The Keck Medicine Initiative is among the most critical priorities of the
Campaign for the University of Southern California
and aims to raise $1.5 billion—25 percent of the overall campaign
goal. The initiative focuses on four priorities within USC’s
academic medical enterprise: advancing research, enriching medical
education, enhancing patient care, and strengthening
infrastructure.
“With this historic gift, the Keck Foundation has helped create a firm
foundation for the future of this school and for our medical
enterprise, has given us the momentum to launch the Keck Medicine
Initiative, and has given us the confidence to move boldly in the
direction of our destiny. Today medicine truly has a new name: Keck
Medicine of USC,” said Nikias, who presented Robert Day, chair and CEO
of the W. M. Keck Foundation with framed, full-page copies of the
advertisement published in the
Los Angeles Times,
New York Times and the
Wall Street Journal announcing the historic gift.
The Keck Foundation gift, announced in June, is accelerating USC’s
groundbreaking medical, clinical and translational research, and
education efforts.
“We think that USC is moving in the right direction as it builds a
great medical research institution,” said Day. “We’re very proud
as a family to be involved and we’re very proud as a foundation.”
USC’s partnership with the Keck Foundation dates back many
decades. With the gift, the W. M. Keck Foundation and members of
the extended Keck family have donated nearly $300 million to USC,
placing them among the university’s most generous and visionary
benefactors. In recognition of the Keck Foundation gift, USC’s
academic medical enterprise was named Keck Medicine of USC in
perpetuity. It comprises the Keck School of Medicine and the
Keck Medical Center of USC, which includes Keck Hospital of USC, USC Norris Cancer Hospital and USC’s faculty physician practice.
At the celebratory event, USC Provost and Senior Vice President for
Academic Affairs, Elizabeth Garrett, said, “As our new Strategic Vision
calls the entire university community to action, so that our deeds do
in fact meet our ambitions, the Keck Foundation has provided USC’s
medical initiatives the solid foundation to accelerate breakthroughs in
thought and research that improve society by improving our quality of
life.”
Garrett introduced Edward P. Roski, chairman of the USC Board of
Trustees, who described the impact of the recent Keck Foundation gift.
“This gift will be a catalyst for new ideas, new innovations and new
cures. It will support the doctors and the researchers who have
dedicated themselves to discovery. And it will enhance the quality of
care we provide to our patients and their families.”
During the presentation, Nikias, Garrett, Roski and Day were presented with Keck Medical Center of USC lab coats by
Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center residents.
Keck School of Medicine Dean Carmen A. Puliafito welcomed guests at a
luncheon following the presentation. “This gift will help us continue
to attract world-class physicians and scientists who are making
extraordinary advances against a full range of diseases,” he said. “The
Keck Foundation gift that we celebrate here today will make a
significant difference for everyone on this campus: the students,
researchers, physicians and nurses and, of course, the patients we
serve.”
Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer for USC Health Tom
Jackiewicz commented on the Keck Foundation gift’s impact on the Keck
Medical Center of USC. “It will come as no surprise to all of you that
there is real passion here. Our patients experience quality care
and compassion at both our Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer
Hospital, and we want to be even better. We are dedicated to
fulfilling the vision of improving human health, not only here in
Southern California, but also around the world. We are grateful
for the support of the W. M. Keck Foundation to help make that vision a
reality.”
At the close of the luncheon, Nikias commented on his intentions for
the campaign and the Keck Medicine Initiative, saying, “To succeed, we
will need every individual to join us in this collective effort—the
doctors and the researchers, the satisfied patients and grateful
families, our alumni and our loyal supporters. Together, we will not
only rewrite the history of this school, we will also reshape the
future of medicine.”
He then presented Day with a painting depicting the day’s ceremonies to commemorate the Keck Foundation’s transformative gift.