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Vatche and Tamar Manoukian |
Building on their previous philanthropy to UCLA, Tamar and Vatche Manoukian have made a landmark gift to the Division of Digestive Diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA that will provide unrestricted funds to accelerate research, innovative clinical care and educational priorities. This generous effort has inspired additional anonymous pledged support, bringing the total of the gift on behalf of the Manoukians to $30 million to benefit the division and crucial initiatives in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. In recognition of the Manoukians’ leadership philanthropy, the university will name the division in their honor, making this the first division naming in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. In addition to the UCLA Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, the university has named 100 UCLA Medical Plaza the Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Medical Building.
“Visionary philanthropy can alter the course of science,” said Dr. John C. Mazziotta (RES ’81, FEL ’83), vice chancellor for UCLA Health Sciences and CEO of UCLA Health. “The remarkable generosity of Tamar and Vatche Manoukian will be instrumental in positioning the division for the future.”
“It is Tamar’s and my hope that our gift will not only change medical science, but also will be a model for others,” Manoukian said. “We hope it will inspire young people to give and to become engaged with causes that matter.”
A leader in the Armenian community, Vatche Manoukian has been involved in a wide range of businesses, including property investment, retail, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, entertainment and renewable energy. He and his wife, who have four children, have continued his family’s tradition of charitable work throughout the world, with a particular emphasis on education, medicine, culture, the environment and Armenian causes. The Manoukians’ scholarship funds have enabled several thousand students who lacked financial resources to further their education, and postgraduate programs established by the Manoukians at universities in the United States, the United Kingdom and Lebanon have helped provide essential skills for tomorrow’s community leaders. The couple also support many children’s charities around the world, including the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, on whose board Vatche Manoukian serves.
“Tamar and Vatche’s exceptional philanthropy will help ensure that UCLA can continue to unravel the mysteries of digestive diseases, make transformative scientific discoveries and develop the physician leaders of the future,” said Dr. Eric Esrailian (FEL ’06), co-chief of the Division of Digestive Diseases and Lincy Foundation Chair in Clinical Gastroenterology in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
The UCLA Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases is renowned for its comprehensive research. Ranked No. 5 in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report 2016-2017 survey, the division has become a model for coordinated care that empowers patients and improves their lives.
For more information, contact Laurel Zeno at: (310) 825-1980
