‘We need more doctors.’ Alumnus gives $22 million to UK for scholarships, new building
A 1980 graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine has donated $22 million to the state’s largest university, with the bulk of the money going to scholarships for financially struggling medical school students from rural Kentucky counties.
UK celebrated the donation of Dr. Michael Rankin at a ceremony Tuesday.
Rankin’s $22 million donation is the second largest one-time donation in the school’s history. In 2015, Tom and Jan Lewis donated $23 million for a new honors college.
Rankin has previously given $1.5 million, bringing the total amount he has donated $23.5 million, according to UK officials.
Of the $22 million contribution, $12 million will support the “Michael Rankin MD Community Scholarship Endowment.” The scholarship provides money to medical students from rural Kentucky counties that need additional financial support.
Rankin said he felt the need to fund the scholarship to attract more doctors from all parts of Kentucky.
“I felt strongly that it was important for me to step up and establish a scholarship so students could concentrate on their studies and not have to worry about food insecurity or where they were going to live,” Rankin said. “We need more doctors from all across the state, and if this helps support students who otherwise would have difficulty completing their studies, then we have accomplished our goal.”
The remaining $10 million will go toward funding a new health sciences education building. The UK Board of Trustees approved the design phase of the new building in early May.
The new building is expected to be more technologically advanced, which mirrors how medicine is practiced today.
The plan for the building includes approximately 380,000 square feet for classrooms, simulation suites, conference rooms, support for newer technologies such as distance learning, immersive video and telemedicine instruction as well as office and support space for the College of Medicine, College of Public Health and other health care colleges.
Total cost for the construction is not yet known. Rankin’s $10 million will pay for part of the building, UK officials said.
“When I was a student, we mostly sat in lecture halls, but as times have changed, I want to make sure our students have access to world-class and state-of-the-art technology,” he said.
After Rankin received his bachelor’s degree, he worked for six years as an electrical engineer, saving money to attend medical school. He graduated from UK Medical School in 1980. He eventually moved to the Atlanta area where he had a practice in primary and family medicine.
After he retired, he returned to Kentucky to a farm in Boyle County close to where he grew up, according to a release from UK.
“Rankin’s impact is felt through this gift, his scholarship fund and his all-around support of the university, and especially the College of Medicine,” said Dr. Bob DiPaola, UK acting provost. “We’re incredibly grateful for his work with the UK College of Medicine and his generous donations to the college, both financially and through his service.”
Rankin has been a familiar face on UK’s campus.
He has served as a member and past president of the UK Medical Alumni Association and associated board, as chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council and as volunteer faculty in the UK Department of Family and Community Medicine. In addition, he has served many years on the College of Medicine scholarship and admissions committees.
This story was originally published July 13, 2021 at 2:58 PM.
