TYLER, Texas — Editor's Note: The attached video is from November 2021.
To support mental and behavioral health education in East Texas, the UT Tyler medical school received a $10 million gift from The Robert M. Rogers Foundation.
The university announced the donation Monday and that because of the gift, the department of psychiatry will be named The Robert M. Rogers Department of Psychiatry.
“Transformational is the word that comes to mind when reflecting on this wonderful gift,” said UT Tyler President Dr. Kirk A. Calhoun. “Medical schools thrive on transformational gifts that can have a real impact on our students, our community and our state. This gift is an opportunity to impact the improvement of mental health across the Northeast Texas region, and The Rogers Foundation Department of Psychiatry is going to be something very special.”
Last month, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education granted preliminary accreditation to the medical school, which will be the first for Northeast Texas and the seventh for the University of Texas System. The upcoming medical school is set to welcome its first class next summer.
According to UT Tyler, a part of the donation will go toward establishing the Robert M. Rogers Scholarship and mental health curriculum in the School of Medicine.
The gift will also fund faculty positions in the School of Medicine, School of Nursing, and Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy. The announcement notes the need for mental health education.
Robyn Rogers, president of the foundation, said having a medical school in East Texas will help address the area's mental health needs.
“We hope we will have a lasting impact,” Rogers said. “The board voted unanimously to provide this gift to help our region, and anywhere else it is needed, in the mental health area.”
Dr. Brigham Willis, founding dean of the UT Tyler School of Medicine, noted one of the school's missions is to improve behavioral health throughout East Texas.
“This gift is transformational for the School of Medicine,” Willis said. "This gift allows us to have the educational, research and clinical resources throughout the region, and we can’t thank The Rogers Foundation enough.”
Those wanting to donate to UT Tyler, or the School of Medicine specifically, can contact UT Tyler University Advancement at 903-566-7110 or visit uttyler.edu/give.