USC, Keck School celebrate Broad family generosity
� Steve Cohn Photography
Faculty, staff and supporters of the Keck School of Medicine of USC gathered on March 29 for a dinner paying tribute to philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad. Their recent $25 million gift to the Keck School will create the Broad Institute for Integrative Biology and Stem Cell Research.
“This evening, we are celebrating the new Broad Institute for Integrative Biology and Stem Cell Research, and the way it has enhanced and invigorated our ‘View to the Future’,” said Keck School of Medicine Dean Brian Henderson in opening the evening and introducing its theme. “I have to say, from my own vantage point here at the Keck School, that view is pretty amazing.”
“The Broad Institute will be many things for this university, this community, this region,” added USC President Steven Sample.
“It will be an investment in the intellectual capital of our faculty and students. It will be a catalyst for groundbreaking medical research, which will enhance the lives of people around the world. It will be a magnet attracting the best and brightest doctors and researchers, scientists and students. It will be an economic engine for the city of Los Angeles. And it will be the nucleus of a vibrant biomedical park, which will grow and thrive in the decades ahead,” Sample said.
Eli Broad remarked, “It is only fitting that the Broad Institute is created here in Los Angeles to realize the full potential of this cutting-edge medical research.”“California has become a national leader in stem cell research because it has taken the initiative to provide funding, despite federal reluctance. It is our hope that the Broad Institute will be an attraction for the most brilliant scientists from around the world and especially those in our backyard. We need the very best facilities and technologies to attract and retain the top scientific talent.”
In addition to Sample and Henderson, the evening’s celebrated speakers included Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Keck School Board of Overseers Chair David Lee, former Paramount Studios CEO and current stem cell oversight committee member Sherry Lansing, and Eli Broad.
“All of us have a tremendous opportunity to be a part of something transformational, something much larger than ourselves, something that will improve the quality of life for millions of people around the world,” Sample said.
Added Henderson: “As you can see, we’ve already begun to plant our most promising scientific seeds in extremely fertile ground. Now is the time to nurture them, and watch them grow.”
