Dr. Walton Li, MD ’74 (RES ’78, FEL ’79) made a $2-million gift to establish the Walton Li Chair in Cornea and Uveitis at the Jules Stein Eye Institute (JSEI). The chair will support the teaching and research activities of the division chief in perpetuity, as well as help create novel programs.
Dr. Li’s connection to UCLA has spanned nearly four decades. He earned his medical degree from UCLA in 1974, and he completed his residency (1978) and fellowship (1979) at JSEI. In 1980, he established and has since been head of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital. In 2005, he was elected chairman of the board of directors of the hospital and was also appointed its medical superintendent. The Li chair is a fitting testament to his commitment to advance ophthalmology and fight blindness.
The Mary Oakley Foundation, Inc. pledged $1 million to establish the Mary Oakley Foundation Chair in Neurodegenerative Diseases at the Jules Stein Eye Institute (JSEI). The chair will be awarded to a distinguished faculty member in the areas of neuro-ophthalmology or glaucoma. For nearly a decade, the foundation has awarded grants to JSEI in support of senescent (biological aging) organ research. The establishment of the chair was facilitated by Dr. William C. Stivelman, CEO/medical director of the foundation and associate clinical professor of ophthalmology at JSEI.
 Joan and Jerome Synder.Photo: Courtesy of Joan and Jerome Snyder |
Joan and Jerome Snyder pledged $1 million to create the Joan and Jerome Snyder Chair in Cornea Diseases at the Jules Stein Eye Institute (JSEI); it will be awarded to an eminent faculty member in the area of cornea. The Snyders have been loyal donors to UCLA for more than 20 years, and in 2007, they established the Jerome and Joan Snyder Chair in Ophthalmology to support the activities of the director of the Ophthalmology Residency Program. Mr. Snyder is the founder and senior partner of the J.h Snyder Company, one of the largest privately held real-estate-development firms in Los Angeles.
