Ameritas Group Helps Fund Dental College Oral Cancer Research

Ameritas Group, a division of Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., has made a $250,000 gift commitment to the University of Nebraska Foundation to establish a permanent endowment in support of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Dentistry. The fund will provide annual support for research focused on preventing, detecting and treating oral cancer.


In December 2010, Ken VanCleave, president of Ameritas Group, presented the first installment of the endowment.


"This gift is another outstanding example of Ameritas' strong commitment to improving education at the College of Dentistry and improving the health of people in Nebraska and beyond," said Dr. John Reinhardt, dean of the UNMC College of Dentistry. "We're delighted to accept this generous support, which will significantly strengthen our developing oral cancer research and educational activities."


This endowment augments nearly 10 years of charitable support from Ameritas for the UNMC College of Dentistry. Past gifts from Ameritas have provided significant resources to help underwrite the college's annual Dental Day for children, rural externships for dental students across Nebraska, pre-clinic lab renovations, faculty and student research, and the dental hygiene department's Sealant Program.


"This is a natural partnership," said VanCleave. "We completely support the college's research, and have no doubt that our investment in this program will lead to improvements in oral cancer prevention and treatment."


The gift from Ameritas Group also supports the university's current fundraising initiative, the Campaign for Nebraska: Unlimited Possibilities, and one of the College of Dentistry's goals to strengthen its oral cancer programs.