Fall 2019 29
W
endy S. Davis, MD '81, and
Bonnie F. Offit, MD '87, met while
volunteering on the UVA Medical
Alumni Association's Board of
Directors. They discovered that they had
a lot in common beyond their ties to UVA.
Now, thanks to the University of Virginia's
Bicentennial Scholars Program, they also
share a common cause.
"Serving on the UVA Medical Alumni
Association Board has been extremely
rewarding. Throughout my tenure, I've met
so many fellow UVA med alums who have
been such a friendly and welcoming bunch,"
says Offit. "Wendy is one of those special
people. We are both pediatricians — Wendy
is in Burlington, Vt., and I'm in Philadelphia,
Pa., — creating yet another bond between
us. Making a joint contribution just seemed
logical. It feels great to be able to give
back to the school that offered both of us
such a superb medical education."
Davis and Offit chose to make a joint
gift to support the Bicentennial Scholars
Fund because doing so
resulted in matching
funds that increased
the impact of their
donation. Through the
program, contributions
of $100,000 or more for
new endowments fully
paid within five years
are matched $1 for each
$2 in gift funding and
support need- and merit-
based scholarships,
including those that help
students in the School
of Medicine.
"Supporting a
Bicentennial Scholarship with my friend
and pediatric colleague, Bonnie Offit, offered
a welcome opportunity to reflect back that
which we have been given by the University
of Virginia School of Medicine," says Davis.
"For me, it is also a chance to honor another
friend and mentor, William Drucker, MD — a
surgeon and dean of the School of Medicine
from 1972–1977 — whose commitment to
medical education continues to inspire me."
To learn more about establishing
a Bicentennial Scholarship, visit
UVAMedAlum.org/bicentennial-scholars-
fund/ or call 866-315-0947.
A Common Cause
"Supporting a Bicentennial
Scholarship with my friend and
pediatric colleague, Bonnie Offit,
offered a welcome opportunity
to reflect back that which we
have been given by the University
of Virginia School of Medicine."
P H I L A N T H R O P H Y I N A C T I O N
Bonnie Offit, MD, and
Wendy Davis, MD