SOM Receives $2.4 Million Endowment For Research Chair; First Gift in South Jersey Matched by New Foundation of UMDNJ program

A gift of $2 million from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation in Columbus, Ohio, is the first to the UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford to qualify for a unique 20 percent matching program offered by the Foundation of UMDNJ, thus increasing the endowment to $2.4 million.

The gift to establish the Osteopathic Heritage Endowed Chair for Primary Care Research at the school will allow further research in the fields of aging and osteopathic principles and practices. Thomas Cavalieri, DO, the founding director of the Center for Aging, and professor and chair of the department of medicine, will be the first holder of the chair.

"The research advanced through this endowed chair will benefit individuals far beyond New Jersey, advance knowledge throughout the osteopathic profession and lead to improvements in osteopathic healthcare," said Rick Vincent, president and CEO of the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation. "The Foundation is impressed with the design of the endowment activities, the selection of Dr. Cavalieri to lead these activities and the commitments made to the endowment by Foundation of UMDNJ. We are very proud of this partnership."

As part of the 20% matching program, an additional $400,000 from the Foundation of UMDNJ will be added to this endowment. Gifts eligible for the match must be endowed gifts of $2 million or more, coming from a single donor, payable within two years and benefiting an individual, department, center or institute that is a UMDNJ entity.

"Through this new program, the Foundation of UMDNJ will be able to create partnerships to benefit the University, the Foundation and residents within our state," said Jim Golubieski, president. "A strong program dedicated to raising money for endowments helps to assure that these programs will continue in perpetuity."

The Center for Aging is a nationally recognized leader in geriatric education and is a unique center of clinical care for the elderly in South Jersey. For the past six years, U.S. News and World Report has ranked it among the top 20 geriatric education programs in the nation.