Stories of Change

On October 29, 2025, the University of Colorado Anschutz welcomed more than 220 distinguished guests to the Anschutz Health Sciences Building for one of its most cherished traditions: the Endowed Chair Celebration.

CU Anschutz celebrated its first endowed chair in pharmacy, honoring alumna Debra Devereaux and naming Dr. Christina Aquilante to lead precision medicine efforts that translate research into real-world patient care.

The Colorado School of Public Health hosted its annual Partners in Public Health event, celebrating the transformative impact of philanthropy on students, faculty and community health initiatives. Through powerful stories and inspiring connections, the evening honored those shaping a healthier, more equitable future.

After undergoing a life-saving liver transplant, Bryan Breuer and his family turned their experience into purpose, helping to advance transplant care and offer hope to others.

CU Anschutz honored Penny Burke’s legacy with a new endowed chair in behavioral neurology, appointing Dr. Samantha Holden to advance research and care for memory disorders like Parkinson’s and dementia.

The 2025 CU School of Dental Medicine’s annual reception celebrated philanthropy’s impact on education, research and care, highlighting AI tools, 3D dentures, scholarships and student stories that shape dentistry’s future.

After years of misdiagnosis, Stacey Huelsing-Dhein found answers at CU Anschutz, underwent life-changing surgery for Cushing’s syndrome and now supports research to help others get diagnosed sooner.

ColoradoSPH celebrated the establishment of the Stephen Berman, MD, Endowed Chair for Global Health, honoring Dr. Berman’s lifelong commitment to equity and compassion in healthcare.

A memorable celebration honored the Mandelbaum family’s legacy and Dr. Martin McCarter’s appointment to a new endowed chair in melanoma research.

Longtime supporters of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, the LGA Family Foundation and Frank Atherton are turning hope into action through the establishment of a new endowed chair in loving memory of Emily Coe Atherton.

The Slingsby family, with three generations of doctors who trained at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, supports the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center’s mission to advance eye health care.

New initiative will harness AI and next-generation technologies to uncover treatment breakthroughs and improve patient outcomes.

A heartfelt celebration marked the establishment of the Cockerill-Wittmus Endowed Chair in Neurology, honoring Dr. Maria Nagel’s pioneering neurovirology research and the enduring legacy of Janis McReynolds.

Joanna Sakata hopes the Rural Program will continue to cultivate influential leaders and innovators who advance rural healthcare.

We are pleased to share the news that Agneta Albinsson, PhD, and Mats Wahlstrom have established the Albinsson/Wahlstrom Endowment in Cardiac Electrophysiology Research through a generous gift of $1 million.

Joanne Posner-Mayer, PT ’73, has never forgotten the opportunity that changed her life. As a first-generation college graduate and the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, her time at the University of Colorado’s Physical Therapy Program laid the foundation for a remarkable career and a lifelong commitment to philanthropy.

On the evening of Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 40 guests gathered in the Reilly Fireplace Lounge to celebrate the powerful partnership of philanthropy and medical research through the establishment of the Interventional Cardiology Endowed Chair.

On the evening of Monday, June 2, 2025, guests came together to honor the establishment of the Lucas Family Endowed Chair in Diabetes and Endocrinology. Held in the Reilly Fireplace Lounge in the Anschutz Health Sciences Building, faculty, community members and the Lucas family celebrated the transformative power of philanthropy and medicine and recognized the inaugural chair holder, Mike McDermott, MD.

As the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center headquartered in and serving the state of Colorado, the CU Cancer Center stands as a beacon of hope for the thousands of patients who come to the CU Anschutz Medical Campus looking for answers.

Distributions from this fund will provide support for the new faculty chair in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery in the Department of Surgery within the CU School of Medicine, assisting with research expenditures, conference participation, curriculum development and more.