By Wendy Sarubbi | May 10, 2013 3:41 pm

Millican Lunch 1In gratitude to donors whose generosity “transcends life,” the College of Medicine held a luncheon May 9 for UCF’s Millican Society, those who have designated a place for the university in their last will and testament.

Society members toured the $65 medical education building at Medical City, many for the first time, and learned how the Lake Nona area has transformed from cow pasture to an emerging hub of medical education, research and patient care. “The UCF College of Medicine is here today because of people like you,” Dr. Deborah German, vice president for medical affairs and founding dean of the college, told Society members.  In thanking donors for their contributions, Dr. German noted that the community’s generosity had provided full four-year scholarships for each member of the college’s charter class. That class graduates May 17 debt-free, thanks to Central Florida’s philanthropic spirit. She noted that she was inspired to create the scholarship effort because of her gratitude for her own full scholarship to Harvard Medical School

Millican Lunch 2During the tour, members saw the college’s state-of-the-art technology in action. They saw how students learn from iPads and a library that is 98 percent digital, allowing them to access information 24/7 from any location and any electronic device. They saw how the Clinical Skills and Simulation Center helps students develop their patient-care skills through the use of computerized mannequins and virtual patients.

Thursday’s luncheon was organized by Donald Hale, director of gift Planning at the UCF Foundation. Through his work, Hale knows first-hand the impact of committed donors. “Our Millican Society members know that education transforms lives,” he said. “Their commitment to the university is not only larger than life, it transcends life.”

The Society was named for the late Charles N. Millican, the founding university president who is affectionately known as ‘The Father of UCF.’ “Today our luncheon provides the UCF Community an opportunity to say three things,” Hale said. “We are grateful. We will remember. We are Knights.”

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