In
2005, Dr. Kathryn A. Cunningham, the Chauncey Leake Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), made a $50,000 commitment to establish and endow the Elizabeth Fitzgerald Sporar Endowment for distinguished
research and educational initiatives in unlocking the mysteries of chronic diseases, such as addiction, mental illness and cardiovascular disease. For Dr. Cunningham, this was a way for her aunt’s legacy to live on, to inspire and reward important
research and educational advances in chronic disease that limit human life.
Elizabeth Fitzgerald Sporar was a vital presence in the Southeast Texas region’s technological progress. For more than three decades, she devoted her professional life to Monsanto, eventually culminating with her tenure at the helm of the company’s
Patent Department. It’s no surprise that she was active in many professional organizations, including the American Chemical Society. But those achievements are only a fraction of the measure this remarkable woman. Elizabeth Fitzgerald Sporar
was many things throughout her 88years: a dedicated servant to her community, a steward of her religious faith and a beloved family member.
The Elizabeth Fitzgerald Sporar Endowment will be awarded:
- To commemorate the distinguished contributions and commitment of Elizabeth Fitzgerald Sporar to excellence in science, distinction in education and the developments and protection of intellectual capital.
- To honor and celebrate an individual or a team of individuals for achievement in unlocking the mysteries of chronic diseases, including addiction, mental illness and cardiovascular disease, and advancing health.
- To honor and recognize individuals or a team of individuals who have spurred the interest of students in understanding, preventing and treating chronic disease through enlightening educational experiences; and
- To increase national and international awareness of the need for research advances in the mechanisms underlying chronic diseases and their implications for prevention and treatment.
Recipients: