Media Advisory: U of A to celebrate $14.2M gift to the College of Medicine – Tucson prior to Match Day Event

• What: Members of the media are invited to attend the announcement of a $14.2 million gift benefiting College of Medicine – Tucson scholarships prior to the Match Day event in the same location.
• When: Friday, March 21, 8 a.m.
• Where: Old Main, west side near the fountain
• RSVP: RSVP to Sarah Beaudry, sarah.beaudry@uafoundation.org, 520-626-7100 or 520-591-7446

TUCSON, Ariz. – A San Francisco woman is fulfilling the wishes of her late husband and his late brother by donating $14.2 million from her husband's estate to the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson to provide scholarships for students bound for medical school.

Pat Gerleman made the gift in the memory of James Anthony "Jim" Gerleman, her husband of 41 years, and John Edward Gerleman, who graduated from the U of A in 1962.

"The gift is not a portion of a large estate. It is a sum of years of hard work and of lives without luxury," Pat Gerleman said. "Both Jim and John shared an ideal: to make a difference in the lives of their family and in the lives of future doctors, to help those who need it most. Now that I am the trustee, I am honored and humbled to follow through on their inspiration by gifting this small fortune to the College of Medicine – Tucson in the name of John Gerleman and James Gerleman."

Participants will include:

• Suresh Garimella, President and University Distinguished Professor, University of Arizona 
• J.P. Roczniak, CEO and President, University of Arizona Foundation
• Dr. Michael M.I. Abecassis, inaugural Humberto and Czarina Lopez Endowed Dean, College of Medicine – Tucson
• Patricia Gerleman, Donor

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The University of Arizona, the state's flagship university, is a land-grant institution with two independently accredited medical schools and ranks among the nation's top institutions, according to U.S. News & World Report. Established in 1885, it is a research powerhouse widely acknowledged for its commitment to student access and success. Led by President Suresh Garimella, the university is a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education and is recognized by the Military Times as one of the nation's best universities for service members. As a leading Research 1 institution, the U of A ranks in the top 20 among all public universities, with $955 million in total research activity for fiscal year 2023 according to the National Science Foundation. The U of A advances the frontiers of interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships as a member of the Association of American Universities, which is composed of the 71 leading public and private research universities in the U.S. and Canada.