Longtime donor Annette Beus: 'Scholarships always have my heart'
Annette Beus (pictured at a March 5 luncheon with students who received the Beus Family Scholarship, an established scholarship for incoming first-year honors students) and her late husband, Leo, are longtime supporters of ASU. Their generosity has reached across the university to improve the lives of others and provide access to higher education. Photo by Loren Anderson
A $5 million gift from longtime Arizona State University donor Annette Beus and her family will help provide scholarships for 72 students in the new School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering, part of ASU Health.
The gift will be leveraged to solicit an additional $15 million in scholarship funds, with the goal of raising $20 million by July 2026. Find out more about the challenge on the ASU Foundation website.
The full $20 million would cover scholarships for the first two cohorts of students in the School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering, whose goal is to produce physicians who blend medicine, engineering, humanities and technology, such as artificial intelligence and data science.
The school is expected to welcome its first class in fall 2026, contingent on accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.
“The Beus family has been a tremendous supporter of Arizona State University, and they have been particularly generous on some of the boldest, cutting-edge initiatives the university has pursued,” ASU President Michael Crow said.
“As we launch a new medical school, one focused on fusing the disciplines of medicine and engineering to produce a new kind of medical professional, we are extremely grateful to Annette Beus for making a gift that will directly impact the students who choose this path and doing so in a way that will encourage others to support this effort.”
This investment is part of ASU’s Changing Futures campaign.
ASU is committed to providing inclusive educational access and innovative solutions to the complexities of modern life. Fueled by philanthropic investment and unique partnerships, the university’s Changing Futures campaign is committed to raising resources to have a direct and significant impact on the communities we serve.
The campaign focuses on six key areas: enhancing education access, developing leaders, promoting sustainability, strengthening communities, advancing health and developing impactful technology.
Sarah Hollingsworth Lisanby, founding dean and professor in the school, said the scholarships will be a game changer for students.
“Words cannot convey what it means for a student to be able to fulfill their dream of becoming a doctor by removing the financial barrier of tuition,” she said. “This gift will enable the best and brightest students to pursue careers as physician-engineers who will change the future of health care through technology and innovation.
“Lifting this financial burden for our students gives them more freedom to select their future specialty and career focus without the degree of student loans that many physicians face.”
Annette Beus and her late husband, Leo, are longtime supporters of ASU, and their generosity has reached across the university to improve the lives of others and provide access to higher education.
In 2022, the Beuses made an endowed gift to ASU to establish the Beus Center for Cosmic Foundations in the School of Earth and Space Exploration to study the history of early stars, galaxies and black holes in an effort to better understand the universe.
In 2014, the Beuses helped change the face of downtown Phoenix when they gave a gift to establish the Beus Center for Law and Society, home of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.
The Beuses also donated $10 million in 2019 to establish the Beus Compact X-ray Free Electron Laser Lab in ASU’s Biodesign Institute, which houses the world’s first CXFEL, making cutting-edge research accessible to more institutions.
“We as a family have been supportive of education for young people,” Annette Beus said. “And with all the donations we have made, I think scholarships always have my heart.”
Beus said she believes ASU Health and the School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering can help improve health outcomes for people not only in Arizona but in the United States and around the world.
“I know it will take great effort and resources to get ASU’s new medical engineering school moving forward,” Beus said. “And I also know how important it will be to get the most gifted and achievement-oriented students in our entering classes. It is my hope that by making these scholarships available to our students they will be able to immerse themselves into their learning and their research and make a difference in medicine as it is today.
“I know health in this state and many other places in this country and in the world for sure is in trouble. And with this new approach to advanced engineering in medicine, we’re going to find some great ways to treat people.”
Gretchen Buhlig, chief executive officer of the ASU Foundation for a New American University, said the gift is a testament to the Beus family’s commitment to education access.
“This latest gift to support medical school scholarships will not only alleviate financial burdens for medical students but also empower them to pursue their dreams of becoming physicians with a strong emphasis on engineering skills, advanced technology and AI,” Buhlig said. “The Beus family’s philanthropy will have a lasting impact, fostering a new generation of leaders who will contribute to the well-being of our community and beyond.”
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