On November 4, Larner College of Medicine Dean Richard L. Page, M.D., was joined by University of Vermont President Suresh Garimella, E.L Amidon Chair and Professor of Medicine Polly Parsons, M.D., and other UVM and UVM Medical Center leaders for the investiture of Randall Holcombe, M.D., M.B.A., as the inaugural J. Walter Juckett Chair in Cancer Research.

Made possible by a $3 million gift from the Juckett Foundation, a longtime major supporter of the UVM Cancer Center, this endowed position represents the organization’s investment in the Cancer Center’s goal of improving the lives of cancer patients and families across the region.

Dr. Holcombe, who began his tenure as director of the UVM Cancer Center and chief of hematology/oncology in August, has a reputation for applying innovative thinking to researching and treating cancer within high-risk populations, from September 11 responders to rural Hawaiians. Prior to joining UVM, he was director of the University of Hawai’i Cancer Center, which he led through a successful National Cancer Institute redesignation. His main goal is to build excellence in the research, education, community outreach, and clinical care components of the Cancer Center over the next several years.