Howard Brown Health announced a $1 million gift from George and Juanita Shapen to establish the Gregory Shapen Public Health Fellowship Endowment Fund.
The largest private gift Howard Brown has received in its 46-year history, the endowment fund will support the Gregory Shapen Public Health Fellowship within Howard Brown's Center for Education, Research and Advocacy.
By supporting paid internship opportunities for under-represented LGBTQ undergraduates, the Shapen Fellowship will encourage the professional development of future leaders with interests in LGBTQ health.
Shapen was a Howard Brown employee who died of AIDS-related complications 30 years ago. His parents, George and Juanita, wanted to ensure that their son's contributions were remembered, and so established the endowment and fellowship to keep the memory of their son alive in perpetuity.
The Shapen Fellows program will start the summer of 2021 and will support six fellows from underrepresented populations, with a focus on LGBTQ students of color, providing summer employment and learning in order to encourage students to pursue careers in public health or community medicine.