In Pursuit of Precision - University of Alabama at Birmingham

The Campaign for UAB
Letter from John Lankford
The progress never stops here at the School
of Medicine, and the building projects currently
under way are concrete evidence of this.
Addressing the needs of our faculty, students,
and friends in the new century, the UASOM
has undertaken an extensive building program
designed to serve those who come to us for
both education and health care.
One of these projects is the renovation and
expansion of Volker Hall. Renovation of the
existing facility will upgrade outdated lecture
halls and bring the latest educational technology
to faculty and students. The construction of
a new six-story academic tower—which will
house classrooms, faculty offices, computer
labs, and student services—will greatly expand
the facility. Such improvements will further the
UASOM’s mission as a premier site for medical
education and residency training.
We also recently broke ground on Biomedical
Research Building I, the Richard C. and Annette
N. Shelby Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research
Building, named for Senator and Mrs. Shelby.
This 12-story, 340,000 square-foot building will
house three research programs—Autoimmunity
and Immunobiology, the Brain Initiative, and
Biomedical Engineering and Bone Matrix
Research—and it represents tremendous growth
for UAB and the UASOM. Construction will be
completed in 2004.
Another important construction project is
Biomedical Research Building II. This new
interdisciplinary research building greatly
enhances our already-significant biomedical
research strengths and provides the additional
space required for the UASOM to achieve its
goal of being ranked in the top ten medical
schools in National Institutes of Health funding
by 2010. The School of Medicine is also
building a new office tower that will include
offices for Department of Medicine divisions
(Rheumatology and General Internal Medicine),
Surgery (Urologic and Plastic), Orthopedics,
Neurosurgery (with neuro-oncology included),
and a dean’s floor that will house the school’s
administrative offices. All of these buildings are
now under construction, and all are in need of
support from private donors.
We are currently in the midst of the second
year of our annual giving campaign, which is
focused on “The Importance of You.” In
choosing this theme, not only do we acknowledge
the importance of your financial and public
support of the UASOM and its projects, but
we also acknowledge the contributions of our
graduates—and their outstanding reputations
as physicians—to the school’s growing reputation.
The annual giving campaign supports
three of our most vital areas of need: student
scholarships, technological enhancements, and
curriculum development.
The Campaign for UAB is closer than ever to
reaching its goal, with more than $300 million
raised from private, corporate, and foundation
support as of July 1, 2002. However, we still
have $40 million to raise toward our goal in the
School of Medicine. I’d like to take this opportunity
to personally thank each of you who has
generously given of your time and financial
resources so that the School of Medicine can
continue to work for excellence in health care,
research, and education. If you would like information
concerning any of the projects currently
under way at the University of Alabama School
of Medicine, or if you want to know how you,
too, can support the school and its work, please
contact me at (205) 975-7341.
Contact Information:
The University of Alabama
School of Medicine
Office of Medical
Development
1801 Building
1801 14th Avenue South
Birmingham, Alabama
35294-0023
(205) 934-4469
Fax: (205) 975-7305
John C. Lankford
Senior Director of
Development
Mark D. Belcher
Director of Development
Natalie D. Hausman-Weiss
Director of Development,
Gene Therapy Center
Rebecca J. Lark
Director of Development,
Department of Medicine
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