Cancer has touched the lives of Richard and Susan Rogel multiple times, and now, the couple is making a massive donation to help fight cancer at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The university announced Thursday that Richard and Susan are donating $150 million to the cancer center, the largest gift to Michigan Medicine.
Richard, a UM alum, lost his father to pancreatic cancer. Susan lost both of her parents to cancer and five years ago, her 50-year-old daughter died from an aggressive form of lung cancer.
“The problems we face in health care today are phenomenally complex. We need different minds looking at the same problem in different ways,” Richard said in a news release.
On Thursday, the university's regents will be asked to approve a new name for the cancer center - the Rogel Cancer Center - in honor of their many years of giving and service.
The donation will break down into six components, according to the university. Those are:
- Pioneering cancer research and technology:
Provide competitive grants to collaborative research teams developing new approaches and technologies to advance early cancer detection, monitoring and treatment. - Collaborative networks:
Establish a signature program that brings international luminaries in the cancer field to U-M for six to 12 months. They will develop new projects that will continue after they leave, creating a collaborative network focused on advancing and applying cancer knowledge. - Cutting-edge scientists:
Provide support to retain or recruit dynamic researchers to pursue high-risk, high-reward projects. - Scientific freedom:
Create a suite of endowed professorships in cancer research, tied to research funds that will convey U-M’s commitment to discovery and innovation. - Promising new researchers:
Support the development of independent research careers for a cohort of highly motivated, advanced postdoctoral cancer research scientists whose work shows signs of great promise. - Scholarship support:
Offer scholarships to enable medical students and other predoctoral trainees to develop the skills and knowledge they need to make lasting contributions to the health of individuals and populations, including those with cancer.
