UNC-NC State collaboration, UNCW receive large donations to advance health-related programs
This article originally appeared on the NCBiotech website and was written by Kyle Marshall, NCBiotech Writer.
This article originally appeared on NC Biotech's blog.
Two large philanthropic efforts announced this month are expected to boost healthcare research and education at North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
The Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, a collaboration between NC State and UNC-CH, received a $20 million contribution from Ross W. Lampe Jr., an NC State graduate. The funds will be used to further the department’s mission of combining engineering and medical research to improve lives, the department said in a statement.
Separately, UNCW received a $25 million donation from Yousry Sayed and his wife, Linda Sayed, to support healthcare programs and teacher recruitment and retention. According to a UNCW news release, the bulk of the contribution—$20 million—is earmarked for healthcare, including developing an academic health sciences center and enhancing public health throughout southeastern North Carolina.
Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering
-Photo from NC State /
Lampe Family
Founded in 2003, the biomedical engineering program shared by NC State and UNC-CH includes 600 undergraduate and graduate students and 50 faculty members. The program prepares students for careers in the biomedical workforce across five focus areas: biomedical imaging, biomedical microdevices, rehabilitation engineering, regenerative medicine, and pharmacoengineering.
As a result of the donation, the department will be named the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at NC State University and UNC-Chapel Hill. Lampe founded SMD Software Inc. in 1998 and later sold the company.
“The naming investment Ross Lampe has dedicated to the Joint BME Department will help fuel the innovative work done by our scholars for many generations to come,” NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson said.
UNC-CH Chancellor Lee Roberts added: “The generous investment to the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering will empower our faculty and students to drive groundbreaking innovations in health care.”
UNCW
The university said the Sayeds' donation represents UNCW's biggest philanthropic commitment ever. It follows a $5 million contribution from the Sayeds in 2017, which was designed to support pharmaceutical sciences and chemistry programs.
The new donation will advance UNCW’s professional workforce programs and research initiatives in healthcare, including medical education, clinical care, research, and healthcare accessibility. The remaining $5 million of the donation is intended for programs to recruit and educate prospective teachers.
Yousry Sayed is president and CEO of Quality Chemical Laboratories in Wilmington and a former professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UNCW. Linda Sayed is an attorney and partner at Block, Crouch, Keeter, Behm & Sayed in Wilmington.
“Their gift commitment will position UNCW to expand programs, enhance our facilities and provide even greater opportunities for our students for generations to come,” UNCW Chancellor Aswani Volety said.
