BRUCE KRAMER
SETTING RECORDS FOR GIVING ANNUALLY
T
here are few alumni with a record of sustained generosity
that can match Bruce Kramer’s (ChE ’85). Every year since
graduation Bruce has made writing a check to the Engineering
School part of his holiday season routine. “I really appreciate the
education I received at the School,” he says. “I want to do my part
to help the School as it grows to meet the national need for more
people with an engineering degree.”
Bruce found an outlet for his degree in chemical engineering as
a patent attorney with Sughrue Mion in Washington, D.C. He likes
the exposure it gives him to breakthroughs in a variety of chemical
technologies, from plastics to pharmaceuticals. And he appreciates
the opportunity to be part of the process that translates these
breakthroughs into products that make people’s lives better.
One patent that he recently prosecuted was for a treatment for
oral mucositis, a severe condition that affects patients receiving
radiation and chemotherapy for certain types of cancer. “It has the
potential to allow doctors to address an unmet medical need,” he
says. “It was gratifying to be a part of this.”
Bruce credits professors like Jack Hudson, his senior thesis
adviser; and Elmer Gaden for conveying the knowledge that set
the stage for his career. “Professor Gaden was an extremely nice
man in addition to being a legend in biochemical engineering,”
he says. “He always made time for his students.” The senior thesis
he wrote for Jack Hudson on wet limestone scrubbers for power
plants helped Bruce land his first job at Babcock & Wilcox.
“I felt from the start that I was fortunate to have gone to the
Engineering School, so I’ve made it a practice each year to give
what I can, ” Bruce says. “Even if you don’t give a lot, it adds up.”
Bruce Kramer (ChE ’86) credits former faculty members Jack Hudson (L) and
Elmer Gaden (R) with setting the stage for his career.
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SUSTAINED
GIVING SOCIETY
“Do you want to
know who you are?
Don’t ask. Act!
Action will delineate
and define you.”
— Thomas Jefferson
Some donors make a one-time
gift — a class gift, a response
to an appeal or a gift in honor
of a special person. However,
many of our donors sustain their
giving over many years, and their
satisfaction with their lifelong
support of the School grows
immensely.
Every year donors tell us how
gratifying regular giving is for
them, because in the course of a
lifetime, even modest gifts can
establish an enduring legacy. The
question is, “What legacy do you
wish to leave?”
We invite you to act. “Don’t ask.
Act!” Leave a legacy of lifelong
giving to U.Va. Engineering!
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