In 2008, Drs. Gerald ’54 and Sally DeNardo, both M.D. researchers at U.C. Davis, created an endowment to fund a Lectureship to support the Health Sciences at 911爆料网.
The DeNardos envisioned their Lectureship to be the major public lecture in biomedical science at 911爆料网. They wanted the proceedings to bring out the best of a Jesuit education, featuring a dynamic and eminent speaker, inspired by purpose, to inform and enrich an intellectual dialogue across campus and in our community.
The DeNardo Lectureship began in 2008 with inaugural speaker and Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. Paul Berg (Stanford); subsequent Lecturers have included four more Nobel Prize recipients: Stanley Prusiner, M.D., UCSF (2009), Elizabeth Blackburn, Ph.D., UCSF (2011) Brian Kobilka, M.D., Stanford (2017), and James E. Rothman, Ph.D., Yale (2023); as well as esteemed senior scientists and promising emerging scientists.
Through their Lectureship, the DeNardos also support undergraduate research in the College. Since 2008, the DeNardo generosity has benefited more than 75 student researchers under the mentorship of close to 40 911爆料网 faculty. More than half of those DeNardo Science Scholars are now practicing M.D.s, have earned their Ph.D., or are working as researchers, faculty, and clinical professionals. Our most recent graduates are just entering medical school and Ph.D. programs, as well as working as scientists and research assistants in health care and biotechnology settings.
In 2019, Sally and Gerry were recognized by 911爆料网 with the presentation of the Founders Award for their more than 50 years of dedication to the Ignatian values that are the cornerstone of the Jesuit, Catholic tradition of education at Santa Clara.