Georgia State University School of Public Health Receives Record $1.36 Million Gift from Alumnus

ATLANTA–Dr. John M. De Pasquale (M.P.H. ’07) of Brooklyn, N.Y., has committed to donating investments to the School of Public Health at Georgia State University totaling $1.36 million, the largest philanthropic commitment made by an individual and the first planned gift to the School of Public Health.

“With its emphasis on solving domestic, urban public health issues and the diversity of its students, the School of Public Health at Georgia State is where I feel my money can make the biggest impact,” said De Pasquale. “We’re seeing now the importance of effective public health messaging and communications. Diverse public health professionals, like those educated at Georgia State, will be increasingly essential to the successful management and communication of public health challenges.”

De Pasquale was a clinical pediatrician for 15 years prior to entering Georgia State’s Master of Public Health program. He decided to become a public health professional after years of working domestically and internationally, including multiple stints in Haiti over a five-year period, and realizing there was a need for people who could provide care at the community level.

"We are touched by Dr. De Pasquale’s extraordinary generosity and his commitment to supporting our public health research and practice and the training of our talented and diverse student body,” said Dr. Rodney Lyn, interim dean of the School of Public Health. “His gift will support incredible experiential learning opportunities for our students, preparing them for profoundly impactful careers in public health."

De Pasquale’s planned gift names the School of Public Health as the sole beneficiary to his retirement and investment accounts. De Pasquale will receive $10,000 in matching funds from the Georgia State University Foundation as part of The Legacy Challenge. In this program, the Foundation is giving 10 percent in matching funds (up to $10,000) to individuals who document a new planned gift to Georgia State for the donor to immediately apply to the university area of their choosing.

De Pasquale’s extensive experiences working internationally influenced his decision to direct the $10,000 he received in The Legacy Challenge to the School of Public Health Field Immersion Endowed Fund. This fund will provide experiential opportunities for students focusing on international research, study abroad programs and internships for the development of professional public health skills.

“Student experiences during their practicum or internship is so important and I was only able to afford to do mine internationally because I had been a clinical physician for 15 years,” said De Pasquale. “The matching funds that allow me to help students and lessen their debt burden while they pursue invaluable overseas practicums is the cherry on top of my overall gift, which I hope will help support the School of Public Health over the long haul and impact generations of students.”

For more information on the Georgia State School of Public Health, visit publichealth.gsu.edu. To learn more about the School of Public Health Field Immersion Endowed Fund and how to support it, visit giving.gsu.edu/sph. Information on the Georgia State University Foundation’s Legacy Challenge can be found at giving.gsu.edu/legacychallenge.