Bob and Kathy Burke

As UCSF's Global Health Sciences (GHS) fills its classes with bright and eager students, the roster of instructors available to teach them remains noticeably sparse.

This void caught the eyes of Bob Burke and his wife, Kathy. They saw an opportunity to help an undertaking that they both consider crucial — tackling the world's most daunting health challenges. A gift from the Burkes will enable GHS to recruit and develop innovative, young faculty.

"I've always felt that the success of a new program is directly proportional to the quality of the key human resources pushing the effort on the inside," says Burke, co-founder and director of AMB Property Corp. "The success is not created by an outside advisory group; the key is the people who show up day in and day out and get the job done. The idea of being able to supplement those people strikes me as a meaningful contribution at this point."

Launched in 2003, GHS aims to better the health of millions worldwide through programs that include academic twinning with a university in Tanzania and a new master's degree in global health. GHS is in the second phase of planning for the UC School of Global Health, which will encompass all 10 UC campuses.

Burke serves as a board member of the UCSF Foundation and, with Bill Rutter, PhD, as a co-chair of the Global Health Sciences Advisory Council. A mix of academic and business influentials, the council is helping guide GHS development efforts and the establishment of the UC School of Global Health.

"All of us — whether we're Americans or Europeans or Japanese or from any part of the developed world — have a stake in the whole world being raised by its bootstraps," Burke says.

Half of the Burkes' $1 million gift will go toward developing young, talented faculty. Beginning in July, one junior faculty member will receive $166,500 over three years to support work that contributes to a GHS priority. A total of three professors will be competitively selected over the next three years for this funding. "This will give the scholars time to focus on how they contribute to the broader global health activities," says Chuck Smukler, GHS director of administration, finance and operations.

The other half of the Burkes' donation will go toward recruitment of a senior faculty member for a global health professorship.

"Bob and Kathy's gift shows a real understanding of the importance of bringing new people and new energy into a growing program like this," says Haile T. Debas, MD, GHS executive director. "Their willingness to help build the pool to recruit and retain faculty will be instrumental in the success of Global Health Sciences."

For more information about Global Health Sciences, contact Leilynne Fong at 415/514-1646 or LFong@support.ucsf.edu.