A $3 million gift to the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has established the Joseph and Loretta Law Auditorium in the Henry A. Jordan, M’62, Medical Education Center, slated to open in 2015. Drs. Dennis, Ronald, Christopher and Jeremy Law, who between them hold seven degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, have come together to honor their parents and their alma mater.

“It’s inspiring to see how strongly our alumni, far and wide, support our innovative education spaces that will support the training of future generations of doctors, scientists and health-care leaders,” said Dr. J. Larry Jameson, Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine. “We are extremely pleased to have such support from a remarkable Penn family.”

The gift by the Law brothers is the second largest from an alumni family to support the Jordan Medical Education Center, currently under construction atop the Ruth and Raymond Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine. Also adjacent to the Smilow Center for Translational Medicine, the Jordan Center will be among the first in the United States to integrate learning spaces with active research and patient care facilities.

The Jordan Center will feature wired classrooms, an information commons, big screens and small learning spaces, all to support the collaborative and self-directed style of current medical education. Other new enhancements include integrating the space for 24-hour, 7-day-a-week availability and round-the-clock food options.

The Joseph and Loretta Law Auditorium, to be situated in the northern end of the Jordan Center and overlooking Civic Center Boulevard, will offer state-of-the-art technology, including recording and simulcast capabilities to support global conferences, telemedicine and creation of online courses. “This is beyond anyone’s imagination,” Dr. Jeremy Law said, after touring the Jordan Center construction site in September.

“Graduates of the Perelman School of Medicine are prepared to be not only exceptional physicians but also leaders. The Henry Jordan Center is designed to keep us at the forefront of medical education, and we are very proud to have the interest and generosity of the Law family support this one-of-a-kind facility,” said Senior Vice Dean Gail Morrison.

The Law brothers, all of whom are based in Colorado, have each staked their own territory within medicine. The eldest, Dennis, is a retired vascular and thoracic surgeon. Ronald is a cardiologist, Christopher is a plastic surgeon and Jeremy is an orthopedic surgeon.

“We are proud to participate in Penn’s forward-looking strategy in medical education,” said Dr. Christopher Law. The Law brothers contribute to various health, civic and cultural institutions and have supported the University of Pennsylvania in various impactful ways through efforts supporting student financial aid. “The time felt right for us to give back to our medical school, and at the same time honor our parents for their love and the sacrifices they made for us,” added Dr. Ronald Law.

In addition to practicing medicine, the Law brothers operate real estate investment and development companies as well as Four Brothers Entertainment, specializing in live-show productions in Chinese performing arts. “Since retiring from medicine I have found fulfillment in helping Chinese performing arts through programs and training to reach international standards of artistic excellence,” said Dr. Dennis Law. “In the same way, I’m pleased to support medical education at a place that means so much to me and my family.”

The Law brothers’ philanthropic streak was inspired by the principles instilled by their parents, Joseph and Loretta Law, who overcame political hardship. Mr. Law became a successful industrialist in southern China while Dennis and Ronald were medical students at Penn and Christopher and Jeremy were undergraduates at Penn and the University of Colorado, respectively.

When the Joseph and Loretta Law Auditorium and Henry A. Jordan M’62 Medical Education Center open in 2015, that will coincide with the 250th anniversary of the Perelman School of Medicine.

Source: University of Pennsylvania