Stories of Giving

Inspirational words from UMass Chan Medical School’s most recent Nobel laureate Victor R. Ambros, PhD, brought added poignancy to the 40th annual meeting of the Hudson Hoagland Society (HHS) on May 21 amid a challenging moment for science. 

Alumni from celebrating classes, which included those ending in 0s and 5s, returned to UMass Chan Medical School on May 3 for Reunion 2025. The Class of 1975 commemorated their 50th Reunion, while the Class of 2000 stood out for having the highest attendance, with more than half the group reconnecting on campus. 

Five marathoners. Months of intensive training—in winter and early spring weather. Fundraising to support leading-edge ALS research. 26.2 miles raced along the most iconic marathon route in the world. Ever closer to curing a devastating disease. On April 21, it all came together at the Boston Marathon. 

While firefighters risk their lives each day on the job responding to emergencies, they also face long-term health risks due to repeated exposure to toxic chemicals and other hazards. To help care providers better recognize, understand and treat the distinct physical and mental health impacts of the profession, UMass Chan Medical School is partnering with the Last Call Foundation in a research and education effort aimed at building stronger connections between the medical and firefighter communities. 

The Department of Family Medicine & Community Health at UMass Chan Medical School is celebrating its 50th anniversary—and an impactful legacy in family medicine education and patient-centered primary care. Illuminating the milestone year is a new fund honoring the department’s former chair, Daniel H. Lasser, MD, MPH, which will boost efforts to train the next generation of family physicians and pursue innovations in medical education and practice. 

As executive director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center at UMass Chan Medical School, Jean A. Frazier, MD, led the center’s innovative work to improve the quality of life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder and/or behavioral health disorders, and their families, for nearly a decade. 

On March 28, second-year students in the T.H. Chan School of Medicine at UMass Chan Medical School packed the multipurpose room in the Albert Sherman Center and got a crash course in leadership from Gerard R. (Gerry) Cox, MD’83, MHA, who led a distinguished medical career in government and military service. 

As a veteran critical care nurse and dean of the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing, Joan Vitello-Cicciu, PhD, is passionate about the role of nurses as leaders and transformational change agents in health care settings. It’s a belief she shared with her late husband, Gerald (Jerry) Cicciu, an innovator in medical device sales and development who worked closely with hospitals and medical practices for close to 50 years. 

While a devastating diagnosis, the outlook for Duchenne muscular dystrophy—including quality of life and hope for a cure—has improved dramatically over the last two decades, thanks in large part to fierce advocacy and philanthropy from the patient community. 

Melissa Harris and John Harris, MD, PhD'05, have endowed a scholarship at UMass Chan Medical School to bring more opportunity to aspiring physicians. Established in both of their names, it honors the couple’s shared life, a joint dedication to John’s prolific career as a dermatologist and physician-scientist, and their belief that a student’s financial situation should never prevent them from pursuing a medical degree.