San Antonio’s UT Health School of Medicine has received a huge financial gift that the school’s president describes as “transformative.”
On their 59th wedding anniversary, Joe R. and Theresa Lozano Long of Austin are celebrating by giving $25 million to the School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio. The money will be used to fund $4 million in student scholarships, endow the dean’s chair with $1 million, and provide $20 million in faculty recruitment.
UT Health San Antonio President William Henrich, MD, said that money will make the school more competitive in hiring the best and brightest.
"The faculty teaches our students. They take care of our patients. They are engaged in the mission of discovery," Henrich explained. "And the fact that we have endowments to support their work means that we have the ability compete on a more level playing field and bring these outstanding people to San Antonio."
The impact of the Longs’ gifts to UT Health San Antonio over the last 17 years exceeds $60 million.
The couple met as young schoolteachers in Alice, Texas. They’ve committed their charitable giving to promoting the achievement of educational dreams.
San Antonio’s medical school consistently ranks in the top five medical schools in the country for Hispanics, a priority for Henrich.
"Our school should reflect the diversity of this population," he commented. "We need more economic opportunity for these talented students, these gifted students. This lifts everybody up."
In light of their gift, UT Regents renamed the school the Joe R. And Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine.
