The Howard University College of Medicine has received $12 million in grant funding from author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, whose grant giving this year has reached 360 organizations nationwide, according to The Dig. Since the gift is unrestricted, Howard and the College of Medicine can determine how to use the donation money best.

In collaboration with the College of Engineering and Architecture, the College of Medicine will use the donation to establish an innovation center. In this facility, medical and engineering students will be able to learn about medical technology and develop new devices to improve patient care.

“The center will allow Howard University students, through the support of MacKenzie Scott, to be leaders in medical technology innovation,” Dean Andrea A. Hayes Dixon said. “We intend to capitalize on the diverse knowledge base of our students—knowledge that could change how medicine is practiced throughout the world.”

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As a former Howard alumna Toni Morrison student, Scott donated $40 million to Howard University in 2020, the largest donation by a single donor in school history. The College of Medicine retains the best talent in the industry, according to President Ben Vinson III, Ph.D.

“My hope is that this gift will further solidify our College of Medicine as a world-class institution that attracts and retains future leaders in the field of medicine,” Vinson III, Ph.D., said. “We are extremely grateful to Ms. Scott for her amazing generosity and know that this gift will only strengthen us and, ultimately, the future of healthcare as our students learn to provide care that improves patient outcomes.

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