Univ of Calgary receives $18-million donation

The Univ of Calgary has received the largest individual donation in its history to establish an Institute of Public Health. The $18-million donation from Dr Allan Markin, chairman of Canadian Natural Resources, will help to create an institute that focuses on health promotion and disease prevention. Dr Ron Zernicke, dean of the faculty of kinesiology, will serve as a special advisor to the president and lead consultations to determine the institute’s structure and focus. The institute will initially be composed of six research chairs. The first chairholder is Dr Penny Hawe, who currently holds the Markin chair in health and society. Markin has donated another $4 million to the university in the past for initiatives such as an undergraduate student research program in bone and joint health, research fellowships in sports medicine and a distinguished writers program….