The previous donor recognition wall was inaugurated in 2009.
The University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry began the renovation of its "donor wall," a space for the recognition of those philanthropists who have contributed to the faculty's research.
The wall is located on the second floor of the 112th street entrance of the Walter C. Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre (WMHSC), on the pedway that connects the WMHSC to the John W. Scott Health Sciences Library and the Zeidler Ledcor Centre. The faculty expects to unveil the new wall in the fall of 2018.
The original donor wall was inaugurated in 2009. Learn more about the motivations for this project in this brief interview with the faculty's Dean, Richard Fedorak.
What prompted you to pursue a new donor recognition wall?
The previous donor wall was created to recognize those who had supported a fundraising campaign in 2008. While the names that were included then are still relevant and recognizing the outcomes of their giving is still extremely important, we need to refresh it with what has happened over this decade and honour the people who are so generous to our faculty today.
I walk by that wall every day. Hundreds of people-in fact, thousands of people-probably walk by that wall. That location is a remarkable place to profile the incredible giving of our faculty, our alumni and the donors from our community in the city of Edmonton, our supporters and friends throughout Alberta, Canada and the world.
How is the new wall different from the old one?
Although the old donor wall was beautiful, it was listing donors from the specific 2008 fundraising campaign only; our new donor wall, which is under construction now, will recognize the lifetime giving of our donors to the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry.There are hundreds of these people who have really changed the face of our faculty through their generosity, providing student awards and bursaries, stipends, research chairs, operational research grants… There has been tremendous giving, and we want to honour those individuals. Their names will be there for their families to see, for the people of Alberta and the thousands of people to view and recognize as they walk by and pause to view the wall.
What would you like this new project to accomplish?
We need to tell the story of the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. We have great stories to tell, and I am proud of the discoveries that happened right here within these walls. The donor wall will help us tell those stories, express our pride and gratitude, and point forward to future giving through electronic visuals that we can update regularly. I am very excited by this new concept of a 'living' wall.