A ceremony on October 4, 2013, celebrated the naming of the Robert Larner, M.D. Medical Education Center at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. The dedication honored alumnus and Burlington, Vt., native Robert E. Larner, M.D.’42 and his wife Helen, who have supported the College for decades, helping to make medical education more affordable for a generation of students.

UVM President Thomas Sullivan, UVM College of Medicine Dean Dr. Frederick Morin, and UVM Foundation President Richard Bundy were on hand to dedicate the complex, which was completed in 2005 as a collaborative project between UVM and teaching hospital partner Fletcher Allen Health Care. Fourth-year UVM medical student Vanessa Patten, a Larner Endowed Loan Fund recipient, also provided remarks. Representing the Larners, who live in California, was the Larners' daughter Vivian Plagman, son-in-law Bernard Plagman, and son-in-law Peter Blacksberg.

The Larner Medical Education Center – the Concourse, Pavilion and Courtyard buildings – comprise 93,000 square feet of classrooms and lecture halls, including the Davis Auditorium at Fletcher Allen and UVM’s Carpenter Auditorium and Sullivan and Reardon Classrooms, as well as the Dana Medical Library, and additional teaching, learning and student support space that serve as the heart of the College.

Read more about the Larners and their gifts to the College of Medicine that have inspired the contributions of more than 1,700 donors.