DONOR SPOTLIGHT

Photo: Honorees Anthony Baumann (l., large photo) and Syllissa Duncan (right, large photo), celebrated with Carol Cannon (center, large photo) at the inaugural scholarship announcement. Scholarship recipient Mairim Avila (inset photo) was unable to attend, due to an academic commitment.

THE JAY A. GERSHEN SCHOLARSHIP FOR UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES

BY ELAINE GUREGIAN

Building a culture of inclusivity was always important to Jay A. Gershen, D.D.S., Ph.D., the sixth president of NEOMED. When Dr. Gershen passed away in November 2020, a year after his retirement from a distinguished decade-long tenure, his widow, Carol Cannon, decided to advance Dr. Gershen’s legacy by establishing a scholarship endowment for underrepresented minority (URM) students through the NEOMED Foundation.

Each year, underrepresented minority students at NEOMED will be eligible to apply for the Jay A. Gershen Memorial URM Scholarship. One student from each of NEOMED’s three Colleges (Medicine, Pharmacy and Graduate Studies) will be selected annually for a nonrenewable $1,000 award. “Jay felt very strongly that health care professionals should re ect the diversity of our community,” said Cannon. “He always encouraged students of color, and I think he would be extremely pleased to see the direction that NEOMED is taking with this scholarship as well as other important initiatives to promote diversity, inclusivity and opportunity. Jay wanted NEOMED to lead in this direction, and this URM scholarship award both honors his wishes and advances them in a meaningful way.”

In October, students — including members of the Black Student Association and Student National Medical Association — faculty, sta and NEOMED friends, including members of President John Langell’s Diversity and Equity Advisory

Council, gathered in the Jay A. Gershen Atrium of the NEW Center for an announcement and celebration of the rst recipients of the new scholarship:

• Anthony Baumann, a rst-year College of Medicine student

• Syllissa Duncan, a rst-year Modern Anatomical Sciences student in the College of Graduate Studies

• Mairim Avila, a fourth-year College of Pharmacy student

“Receiving the award makes me feel appreciated and seen, that e orts will be made so that I won’t be forgotten about or left behind. I feel like I have the support behind me I need to get through school,” said Duncan. “ is scholarship shows that NEOMED is willing and able to invest in all of its students in any way it can.”

“It feels wonderful to know that NEOMED is committed to supporting minorities and has many resources to help students lower their burden of debt,” said Baumann, adding, “I am also honored many of the people associated with NEOMED would donate their resources to help the next generation of medical professionals. I feel very blessed to have received this award.”

“I am thrilled to have received this award,” said Avila, who sees receiving the scholarship as putting her one step closer to ful lling her aspirations. She said, “ e contributions of Dr. Gershen demonstrate the culture of inclusivity he strove to build at NEOMED. e scholarship provides me with an additional layer of nancial support and motivation; thus, I feel that I am not left behind, nor are other underrepresented students. NEOMED is a shining beacon of inclusivity that shows care and appreciation for all its students.”

Gifts from Cannon, the rockmorton Foundation and a number of generous in-

Jay felt very strongly that health care professionals should refl ect the diversity of our community.” – Carol Cannon

Photo: Carol Cannon and Jay Gershen share a moment during former President Gershen’s retirement party at NEOMED in 2019.

dividuals enabled the Foundation to create a permanent endowment that will provide annual scholarships in perpetuity for NEOMED students in each College.

Donations are tax-deductible and will help the scholarship endowment to grow. To make a gift, visit neomed.edu/give/bluefund and select Gershen Scholarship from the dropdown menu or send a check payable to the NEOMED Foundation at 4209 State Route 44, Rootstown, OH 44272. Please be sure to indicate on the check that it is a gift in memory of Dr. Gershen.

4209 ST. RT. 44, PO BOX 95 ROOTSTOWN, OHIO 44272

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