A Transformational Investment in the Future of Public Health

Colleagues,

We are pleased to share an announcement that marks a defining moment in the evolution of our unified university and a historic commitment to the health of South Texas. The Kate Marmion Charitable Foundation has made a transformational $30 million investment in support of our School of Public Health. In recognition of this extraordinary partnership and generosity, The University of Texas System Board of Regents has approved the naming of the Kate Marmion School of Public Health.

This gift strengthens the foundation of who we are: a university built on the belief that education, discovery and community are inseparable, and that expanding knowledge expands opportunity. The Kate Marmion School of Public Health now stands as a symbol of that belief and of the future we are building together for our region.

A Vision Rooted in Access, Excellence and Purpose
From our earliest joint conversations about this school, we understood that public health must be central to our university’s mission. Education remains the most powerful health intervention society can make, and this gift accelerates that work. It enables us to prepare a diverse, future-ready public health workforce and deepen research in chronic disease, rural health access and the factors that shape community well-being. Once more, it strengthens partnerships with the communities whose resilience defines South Texas.

The challenges we address here, along with the solutions we develop, will inform public health practice in Texas and expand our capacity to meet those challenges with compassion, scientific rigor and a commitment to excellence.

Accelerating a Unified University’s Momentum
This gift comes at a pivotal time in our history, as UT San Antonio continues its transition into a comprehensive model of a 21st-century public research university serving a rapidly growing region. The Kate Marmion School of Public Health represents the convergence of that vision: a university where education and healthcare advance together; where access is widened and barriers are removed; where research and service respond directly to community needs; and where excellence is shared broadly across all who call South Texas home.

Strengthening Our Commitment to Communities
The Foundation’s generosity enables the school to expand faculty expertise, invest in scholarships and fellowships that cultivate tomorrow’s leaders and elevate community-engaged research across South Texas. It will enhance our ability to improve chronic disease outcomes, expand rural health initiatives and advance prevention strategies.

The impact of this work will be felt in homes, clinics, classrooms and neighborhoods across our region and carried forward by students, faculty and staff choosing public health as their way to make lives better.

A Future Defined by Service and Transformation
We are deeply grateful to the Kate Marmion Charitable Foundation for believing in the power of education, science and community to transform lives. Their investment strengthens our capacity to serve South Texas and honors a legacy of generosity that will shape and support generations to come. We are also grateful to each of you for your continued dedication and service to UT San Antonio. Your commitment is essential to advancing our mission and to realizing the full impact of this transformative time in our institution’s history.

With appreciation,

Taylor Eighmy, PhD
President

Francisco Cigarroa, MD
Senior Executive Vice President for Health Affairs and Health System