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Larry and Sandy Mahoney with their son Brendan Lawrence Mahoney, M.D., and daughter Caitlin Mahoney Spears, Ph.D. Image courtesy of the Mahoney family.
| LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has received a $100,000 gift from Larry and Sandy Mahoney to create the Brendan Lawrence Mahoney, M.D., Endowed Scholarship in the UAMS College of Medicine.
The scholarship was made in honor of their son Brendan Lawrence Mahoney, M.D., who is a 2020 graduate of the College of Medicine and is currently practicing emergency medicine in Kansas City, Missouri. It is their hope that the scholarship will make advanced degrees in health care more affordable and accessible, helping to keep highly qualified students in Arkansas.
“This generous gift from Larry and Sandy Mahoney will have a lasting impact on our mission to train the next generation of physicians in Arkansas,” said Ryan Cork, MSHA, vice chancellor of the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus. “Scholarships like the Brendan Lawrence Mahoney, M.D., Endowed Scholarship are vital to ensuring that the UAMS College of Medicine continues to provide an opportunity for talented students to train and build their careers to benefit our community and Arkansas.”
The scholarship will be awarded each year to a College of Medicine student with preference given to a student who is a resident of Benton County. Selection of the recipient will be made by the College of Medicine Scholarship Committee.
Larry and Sandy Mahoney, longtime residents of Benton County, have been leaders in their community for many years. In 2017, the couple founded The Mahoney Family Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the ongoing education and training of those in the nursing and teaching professions. The family created the foundation to ensure promising professionals could receive advanced education to pursue their dream of helping others. Through the foundation, Larry and Sandy Mahoney have supported various education institutions including the recent creation of a scholarship in the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville’s College of Education and Health Professions that honors their daughter Caitlin Mahoney Spears, Ph.D.
“We believe that investing in the education of health care professionals and teachers assures quality care and education for future generations,” said Sandy Mahoney. “Educators and medical professionals must stay up to date on the latest pedagogy and best practices. It is our belief that making funds available for advanced education through our scholarship program helps remove financial barriers that may otherwise prevent qualified individuals from growing their knowledge base.”
“Most of us have been in a position during our lives where we needed the help and support of others,” added Larry Mahoney. “We hope to set an example for others in recognizing the importance of investing in people and that those who find themselves in a position to help will begin to establish their own path toward philanthropy.”
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,485 students, 915 medical residents and fellows, and seven dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.
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The scholarship was made in honor of their son Brendan Lawrence Mahoney, M.D., who is a 2020 graduate of the College of Medicine and is currently practicing emergency medicine in Kansas City, Missouri. It is their hope that the scholarship will make advanced degrees in health care more affordable and accessible, helping to keep highly qualified students in Arkansas.
“This generous gift from Larry and Sandy Mahoney will have a lasting impact on our mission to train the next generation of physicians in Arkansas,” said Ryan Cork, MSHA, vice chancellor of the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus. “Scholarships like the Brendan Lawrence Mahoney, M.D., Endowed Scholarship are vital to ensuring that the UAMS College of Medicine continues to provide an opportunity for talented students to train and build their careers to benefit our community and Arkansas.”
The scholarship will be awarded each year to a College of Medicine student with preference given to a student who is a resident of Benton County. Selection of the recipient will be made by the College of Medicine Scholarship Committee.
Larry and Sandy Mahoney, longtime residents of Benton County, have been leaders in their community for many years. In 2017, the couple founded The Mahoney Family Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the ongoing education and training of those in the nursing and teaching professions. The family created the foundation to ensure promising professionals could receive advanced education to pursue their dream of helping others. Through the foundation, Larry and Sandy Mahoney have supported various education institutions including the recent creation of a scholarship in the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville’s College of Education and Health Professions that honors their daughter Caitlin Mahoney Spears, Ph.D.
“We believe that investing in the education of health care professionals and teachers assures quality care and education for future generations,” said Sandy Mahoney. “Educators and medical professionals must stay up to date on the latest pedagogy and best practices. It is our belief that making funds available for advanced education through our scholarship program helps remove financial barriers that may otherwise prevent qualified individuals from growing their knowledge base.”
“Most of us have been in a position during our lives where we needed the help and support of others,” added Larry Mahoney. “We hope to set an example for others in recognizing the importance of investing in people and that those who find themselves in a position to help will begin to establish their own path toward philanthropy.”
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