Lisa Yang, a 1974 Cornell University alum, has established a record-breaking $35 million endowment to support the veterinary college’s Center for Wildlife Health.
“Supporting and endowing the Center for Wildlife Health helps send a message that wildlife and human life, conserving our natural environment and abiding by more mindful economic practices are critical if we are to leave a viable planet for our children,” Yang said.
The facility was renamed the Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health.
The gift is the largest in the history of the College of Veterinary Medicine and will support faculty, staff and students in three key ways:
- A fellows program will create opportunities for 14 veterinarians, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students interested in wildlife.
- The Catalyzing Conservation Fund will provide seed money for critical wildlife health programs.
- The Student Support Fund will allow veterinary students to participate in wildlife health-related experiences and research.
Dr. Steven Osofsky leads the center, which was launched in 2020 and employs more than 25 wildlife health professionals across a wide range of disciplines.
“Our fundamental goal is to help humanity make more holistic, better-informed decisions in terms of land- and ocean-use planning, public health policy and environmental conservation,” Dr. Osofsky said. “We will utilize the opportunities this incredible gift provides to work on tilting the scales back toward the type of environmental stewardship we ourselves need to survive as a species.”
The center’s work includes projects such as:
- Applied research in southern African countries to reconcile conflicts between livestock and wildlife.
- Canine distemper virus tracking in wild tigers and other big cats in Asia.
- Addressing health threats to wildlife in New York State.
- Improving and sustaining aquatic ecosystem health.
Yang is a long-time Cornell University supporter who previously funded research in neuroscience and autism, workplace equity and international health, according to the Cornell Chronicle.