Endowments, Major Gifts, and Other Naming Opportunities

Pictured: Dr. Barry Lembersky, Dr. Pervais Rahman, Dr. Rashid Awan, Amada Awan

Endowment funds play a fundamental role in supporting and helping to advance the mission of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. Endowment funds are permanent legacies that provide significant donor recognition as well as vital annual income in perpetuity for UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.

For more information on endowments, major gifts and other naming opportunities, please call our Development Office at 412-623-4700 or email givetohillman@upmc.edu.

Endowed Chairs

Creating endowed chairs has proven to be particularly effective in recruiting, supporting, and retaining top leadership in a medical discipline. Endowed chairs are cornerstones for an academic organization such as ours — an organization where individuals' careers encompass myriad responsibilities. For the individuals whom they support, endowed chairs lend prestige, visibility and, most importantly, greater flexibility for the chair-holders to rapidly achieve their goals.

The Bernard Fisher Endowed Chair in Surgical Oncology
Established in 1990 with a donation from the ICI Pharmaceutical Group.

The Claude Worthington Benedum Endowed Chair in Radiation Oncology
Established in 1990 by a gift from the University Radiotherapy Associations, Inc.
William D. Bloomer, MD 1990-1993
Joel S. Greenberger, MD 1993-

The Hillman Endowed Chair in Oncology
Established in 1993 with a gift from The Hillman Company.
Ronald B. Herberman, MD 1993- 2009
Nancy E. Davidson, MD 2009-2016
Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD 2017-

The Richard M. Cyert Endowed Chair in Molecular Oncology
Established in 1996 with a gift from the H.J. Heinz Company Foundation, in honor of Richard M. Cyert, PhD, a former President Emeritus and Professor of Economics and Management at Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Cyert played a leadership role in increasing the awareness of the importance of private funding for cancer research.
Richard D. Wood, PhD 2001-2008
Bennett Van Houten, PhD 2008-

The Lawrence Ellis Endowed Chair in Hematology and Oncology
Established in 2000 with a gift from John F. and Rhodora J. Donahue to honor Lawrence Ellis, MD, who earned his degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1958.
Donald L. Trump, MD 2000- 2002

The Giant Eagle Foundation Endowed Chair in Cancer Genetics
Established in 2003 by a donation from the Giant Eagle Foundation.
David C. Whitcomb, MD, PhD 2005-

The Sampson Family Endowed Chair in Thoracic Surgical Oncology
Established in 2004 by a gift from The J. Faye and Myles D. Sampson Family Foundation to support leadership in thoracic surgical oncology.
James D. Luketich, MD 2006-2007
Blair A. Jobe, MD 2010-2012
Arjun Pennathur, MD 2014-

The Arnold Palmer Endowed Chair in Cancer Prevention
Established in 2005 with a donation from the Arnold D. Palmer Charitable Trust to enable UPMC Hillman Cancer Center to continue to grow and thrive as an outstanding national leader in cancer prevention, early detection and risk assessment, believing that providing perpetual support for experts in those areas in a critical step forward in transforming cancer from a life-threatening disease into a non-life threatening, chronic and relatively manageable illness.
Emanuela Taioli, MD, PhD 2005-2008
Jian-Min Yuan, MD, PhD 2013-

UPMC Endowed Chair in Head and Neck Cancer Surgical Research
Established in 2005 with a donation from UPMC.
Jennifer R. Grandis, MD 2005- 2015

The Sandra and Thomas Usher Endowed Chair in Melanoma
Established in 2006 by a gift from Sandra and Thomas Usher to provide support for the University’s efforts in education and cancer research in melanoma.
John M. Kirkwood, MD 2006-

UPMC Endowed Chair in Lung Cancer Research
Established in 2007 by a donation from UPMC to support innovative research, research fellows, and other key initiatives of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.
Jill M. Siegfried, PhD 2007-2013
James G. Herman, MD 2016-

The Gregory T.H. Davies Endowed Chair in Brain Tumor Research and Physician Education
Established in 2004 in honor of Gregory T.H. Davies, the former Wabtec president and chief executive officer.

The Jane and Carl Citron Endowed Chair in Colon Cancer
Established in 2008 with a gift from Tamco, Inc. in honor of Jane and Carl Citron.
Kenneth K.W. Lee, MD 2008-

The Pittsburgh Foundation Endowed Chair in Innovative Cancer Research
Established in 2012 with gifts from a number of generous donors.
Patrick S. Moore, MD, MPH 2013-

UPMC Endowed Chair in Cancer Virology Research
Established in 2013 by a gift from UPMC.
Yuan Chang, MD 2013-

UPMC Endowed Chair in Cancer Prevention Research
Established in 2013 by a gift from UPMC.
Shivendra V. Singh, PhD 2014-

UPMC Endowed Chair in Advanced Oncological Head and Neck Surgery
Established in 2012 by a gift from UPMC.
Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD 2014-2017

Stanley M. Marks, MD-OHA Endowed Chair in Hematology/Oncology Leadership
Established in 2016 by donations from physicians of the Oncology Hematology Association (OHA) in addition to UPMC.
Edward Chu, MD 2017-

Family Legacy Society

Often, a personal experience with cancer or loss of a loved one to the disease spurs a family or others to establish funds that honor a patient or caregiver through support of continuing efforts to better detect, prevent, and treat cancer.

  • Suzanne Hill Alfano Endowment for Lung Cancer Research
  • Nathan S. Arenson Fund for Pancreatic Cancer Research
  • Adriane R. Aul Memorial Fund
  • The Keith F. Barket Mesothelioma Research Fund
  • Beckwith Family Foundation Endowed Research Scholars Program
  • Donald Blechman Lecture in Surgical Oncology
  • The Heidi Browning Endowed Ovarian Cancer Research Scholars Fund
  • Ruth C. Brufsky Fund for Clinical Research on Pancreatic Cancer
  • Patti Burns Fund
  • Al Copeland Memorial Fund for Merkel Cell Carcinoma Research
  • Merrill J. Egorin MD Scholars Program
  • Wayne Fusaro Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund
  • Sadie Gerson Distinguished Visiting Scholar Program
  • Stuart Goodman Brain Cancer Memorial Fund
  • Peter E. Hackney Fund for Pancreatic Cancer Research
  • Harvey G. Herberman, MD Memorial Cancer Research Fund
  • Dr. George W. Hiett Foundation Fund
  • Dr. Herbert E. Jacob Memorial Fund
  • Hyman I. Katz Cancer Research Fund
  • Barbara Klump Memorial Scholarship Fund
  • Frank W. Knisley Memorial Fund
  • Albert P. Knowles Research Fund
  • David C. Koch Memorial Fund
  • The Kramer-Neiderhiser Endowed Fund in Blood Cancers Research
  • The Kramer-Neiderhiser Endowed Fund in Ovarian Cancer Research
  • Mario Lemieux Patient Care and Cancer Research Fund
  • Sally M. Levin Endowed Fund for Innovative Cancer Research
  • Scott Limbach Entrepreneurial Center
  • Robert J. Mann Memorial Fund
  • Stanley M. Marks, MD Endowed Research Fund
  • The Liliana Muhlmann Masoner Cancer Fund
  • Drew Mathieson Entrepreneurship Fund
  • James A. Mollica Jr. Research Endowment Fund
  • Parada Family Liposarcoma Research Fund
  • Michael J. Parada Research Fund
  • Pasquerilla Cancer Genomics and Proteomics Research Fund
  • Mark E. and Leah M. Pasquerilla Women’s Cancer Research Fund
  • PNC Innovation Fund
  • Linda Saulle Endowed Memorial Fund
  • Frieda G. and Saul F. Shapira BRCA Cancer Research Program
  • The Spang Translational Research Core Facility
  • Joseph and Giovanna Tarquinio Memorial Fund
  • Edward Thaw Blood Research Fund
  • Edward Underhill Memorial Fund for Colon Cancer Research
  • Dr. Leonard S. Zombek Memorial Fund

Visionary Society

These dedicated partners have given or helped to raise a cumulative total of $1 million or more in support of cancer research and care.

  • American Cancer Society, Inc.
  • Family and Friends of Nathan S. Arenson*
  • Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
  • The Breast Cancer Research Foundation
  • Susan and Alan Citron
  • Carl Citron*
  • DSF Charitable Foundation
  • Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute
  • Giant Eagle Foundation
  • Teresa Heinz and The Heinz Endowments
  • Harriett L. and Ronald B. Herberman, MD*
  • Highmark Foundation
  • Elsie H.* and Henry L. Hillman*
  • Hillman Foundation
  • Henry L. Hillman Foundation
  • Family and Friends of Albert P. Knowles*
  • New Era Cap Charitable Foundation and Family and Friends of David C. Koch*
  • Susan G. Komen
  • The Mario Lemieux Foundation
  • The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
  • McCune Foundation
  • James S. McDonnell Foundation
  • The James W and Frances Gibson McGlothlin Foundation
  • Richard King Mellon Foundation
  • Metanexus Institute
  • New Era Cap Foundation
  • N.S.A.B.P. Foundation, Inc.
  • The Tom W. Olofson Family Foundation
  • Arnold D. Palmer 2003 Charitable Trust
  • The Pittsburgh Foundation
  • PNC Financial Services Group and PNC Foundation
  • Myles D. Sampson* and Family
  • Sanofi-Aventis
  • The David S. and Karen S. Shapira Foundation
  • The Shear Family Foundation
  • Gayle Tissue and Yiannis Kaloyeropoulos
  • Sandra and Thomas Usher
  • The V Foundation for Cancer Research
  • Debi Wheeler
  • Wheeler Family Charitable Foundation
  • Pete Wheeler

* deceased