University of Missouri veterinary school receives record gift

A university alumnus and his wife have donated $11 million to establish an imaging center at the veterinary college.

The University of Missouri (MU) has announced its largest endowment to date. MU alumnus Glenn Linnerson, DVM, and his wife, Nancy Linnerson, donated $11 million to the College of Veterinary Medicine to establish the Dr. Glenn R. and Nancy A. Linnerson Imaging Center, the intent of which is to further comparative and translational medicine research at the university.

“Together with the MU Research Reactor and the upcoming NextGen Precision Health Building, these facilities will help accelerate new pharmaceutical drugs and biomedical devices to improve patient care,” says MU President Mun Choi in a university press release. “Mizzou is home to world-class medical imaging resources, and now, with this gift, we can honor the Linnerson’s legacy by taking our research to the next level.”

The Linnersons shared a mutual passion for comparative and translational medicine, with a special focus in prostate cancer and comparative oncology. According to Carolyn J. Henry, dean of the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, she and Mrs Linnerson spent much time discussing how this contribution will benefit not only veterinary medicine but also biomedical discoveries for both animals and humans.

“The Linnerson Imaging Center will do just that by equipping the College of Veterinary Medicine to play an essential role in translational medicine at MU and beyond. We are so grateful to the Linnersons and this estate gift, which is the single largest gift our college has ever received,” Henry says.

Both Linnersons are MU graduates, with Dr Linnerson earning his DVM and Mrs Linnerson earning a degree in human environmental sciences. They met at the university and remained connected to their alma mater throughout their lives. Dr Linnerson passed away in 2014 and Nancy in 2018.

“Estate gifts such as the one so generously provided by the Linnersons help ensure that our faculty and students have the tools they need to conduct groundbreaking and innovative research for generations to come,” says Jackie Lewis, vice chancellor for advancement at MU. “Their legacy will only grow with every breakthrough and every life saved because of the work done at the Linnerson Imaging Center.”

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