Supporting Inclusive Excellence

Dartmouth Health has received a $2.5 million gift from Dick and Barbara Couch to establish the Couch Endowed Fund for Inclusive Excellence Faculty Fellowships at Dartmouth Cancer Center. The Couches’ gift is magnified by matching funds from Dorothy M. Byrne’s recent gift establishing the Byrne Family Cancer Research Institute, bringing the total endowment for Inclusive Excellence Faculty Fellowships to $5 million.

This historic gift is the largest philanthropic investment to date in support of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at Dartmouth Cancer Center and Dartmouth Health.

The fund will support the recruitment and retention of up-and-coming cancer clinician-scientists from underrepresented-in-medicine groups—particularly those exploring health disparities and healthcare inequities.

“This gift was inspired by our belief that the educational and research mission of Dartmouth Health and Dartmouth Cancer Center is greatly enhanced by a diverse faculty,” said the Couch family. “The hospital is committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment necessary to retain the diverse faculty that this gift is designed to recruit and support.”