Honoring a classmate’s memory
Image: Suzanne Camarata
The Class of 2010’s 15th Reunion was both a celebration and a tribute, as classmates gathered to remember Lauren Gray Gilstrap, MD ’10, MPH ’17, who died in 2022. To honor Gilstrap’s legacy as an extraordinary cardiologist, educator, and researcher, the class raised funds to dedicate a chair in the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center Amphitheater at HMS. “We hope she knew how much we universally admired her unabashed authenticity, tenacity, and passion for medicine,” says Julia T. Krankl, MD ’11 (Class of 2010), a Reunion Committee member and close friend of Gilstrap’s.
Donors can dedicate a chair with an outright gift or multiyear pledge of $10,000 or more. The Class of 2010 far surpassed that total. “Seeing so many classmates generously supporting this gift demonstrated the deep commitment of HMS alumni to giving back to Harvard, an institution that has given us all so much,” says Krankl. About 50 classmates contributed, including members of the Dean’s Council, HMS’s leadership annual giving society. In addition to paying tribute to Gilstrap, the gifts supported two of the School’s top fundraising priorities: financial aid and unrestricted giving—flexible funding for the dean to allocate where it is most needed.
The chair dedicated to Gilstrap serves as a lasting reminder of her impact on the HMS community. “When HMS classmates see this chair in the amphitheater, we will remember her as a person with boundless curiosity who loved to sit in the front row and ask thoughtful questions in her signature Texas accent,” says Krankl. “We hope others will be inspired by her rare blend of equal parts brilliance and exceptional kindness and are reminded that their HMS community is right there to support them—all they need is the courage to reach out and ask.”
Answering the call
For Kalon Ho, MD ’87, SM ’95, supporting the School is both deeply personal and timely. Grateful for the education, mentorship, and friendships that have shaped his life and career, Ho feels especially motivated to give back now, as HMS faces significant federal funding cutbacks and increased scrutiny. A member of the Dean’s Council and the Federman Loyalty Circle, which honors alumni who have made consecutive annual gifts for five years or more, Ho made substantial contributions to both research and scholarship in FY 2025 through his donor-advised fund (DAF).
The bonds formed at HMS run deep for Ho and have stood the test of time. “My class seems like a large, cohesive family,” he says. That spirit endures in the way classmates regularly reach out to one another, offering advice, celebrating milestones, and providing support during difficult moments. “The supportive messages on our class listserv in response to inquiries or requests for help, sad personal news, and congratulatory announcements are evidence of how closely knit this cohort is,” says Ho, who has volunteered on his Reunion Committee.
Ho views alumni involvement as more than financial. He serves on the HMS Alumni Council, promoting and supporting activities that connect alumni with each other, the School, and current students. As an HMS assistant professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, he also teaches in pre-clinical and post-clinical courses and on the wards.
“Alumni have many opportunities to help HMS and its future alumni enhance the health of all humanity,” Ho says. “That can start with MD Connect,” an innovative platform linking alumni with current students and fellow alums seeking advice on an array of topics. Whether through teaching, mentorship, or philanthropy, he encourages other alums to get more involved with HMS: “Try it, you’ll like it!”
Championing the HMS community
Sean Wright, MD ’00, and Charmaine Wright, AB ’99, MD ’03, have made it a priority to stay connected to HMS and give back in ways that benefit both current and future generations. In June, Sean celebrated his 25th Reunion after co-chairing his Reunion Committee and leading his class’s Reunion fundraising efforts. For this milestone, the Wrights continued their tradition of dedicating a chair in the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center Amphitheater with a multiyear pledge to provide flexible support for the School.
“Whatever you need, wherever you need it—this is our hope for the unrestricted funding we’ve shared,” Sean says. “Parts of what we hold dear seem to be under attack, and though we are removed in the geographic sense, we are not removed in our loyalty and love of HMS.”
Over time, Charmaine and Sean, both members of the Dean’s Council and the Federman Loyalty Circle, have found their appreciation for HMS growing stronger. Charmaine, also a member of the Alumni Council, reflects, “We are lucky to be part of an institution that we believe is on the right side of history, one that nurtures the gold standard in scientific research and best practices in patient and population care, and one that is at the forefront of every cutting-edge advancement.”
Charmaine, like Sean, has volunteered on her Reunion Committee, and both find satisfaction in sustaining the connections they’ve built through HMS. “It is a privilege to have dear friends both as curbside consults and thoughtful companions in our life journey,” Charmaine says. “We’re happy to give time and treasure to keep this community thriving.”
Chair dedications hold special significance for the Wrights. Sean shares that, for their family, it embodies a motto: “Most of the time on the path to achievement, there has to be some ‘butt in chair’ time—it represents the unglamorous work required to study your craft and soldier on.” Honoring family members, teachers, and mentors in this way is also a reminder that “we never enter a room alone,” Sean says. “We enter with the strength of those who came before us.”
Empowering the next generation
Image: Clare McLean
The Class of 1975 employed a two-pronged 50th Reunion fundraising strategy, encouraging classmates to support the Class of 1975 Scholarship Fund while also promoting creative ways to give, such as bequests, beneficiary designations, stock gifts, and pledges.
Paul G. Ramsey, AB ’71, MD ’75, who served on his 50th Reunion Committee, spoke passionately about why student financial aid drove his giving. He highlighted how rising student debt discourages students from pursuing careers in lower-paying fields, such as primary care. “I hope that the Class of 1975 Scholarship will enable HMS to recruit outstanding students who will be able to make career choices that are not based on future compensation,” says Ramsey, a Dean’s Council member.
Tobin N. Gerhart, AB ’71, MD ’75, and Laura L. Tosi, MD ’77 (Class of 1975), also supported the Class of 1975 Scholarship Fund, via a bequest intention and a deferred charitable gift annuity, respectively. A bequest intention is a gift made through one’s will or trust, while a deferred charitable gift annuity is an arrangement in which the donor makes a gift to HMS in exchange for lifetime income payments beginning at a later date, with the remaining funds supporting HMS after the donor’s lifetime. Gerhart and Tosi are members of the Dean’s Council and the Ezekiel Hersey Council, HMS’s legacy giving society. Tosi also belongs to the Federman Loyalty Circle.
Both Gerhart and Tosi volunteered on their 50th Reunion Committee alongside Ramsey, who recalls: “My best memories of HMS all relate to the people—classmates, faculty, and others. Serving on the Reunion Committee provided the chance to reconnect with friends with whom I had lost contact, and attending Reunion triggered many wonderful memories.”
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