Aru family endowment will support future UMMC medical students
Published on Monday, July 21, 2025
By: Rachel Vanderford, rvanderford@umc.edu
Photos By: Joe Ellis/ UMMC Communications
Dr. Giorgio Aru and his wife, Jan Aru, have spent the last several years sailing across oceans and exploring some of the most remote regions of the world. With each new shore they reached, the Arus found themselves reflecting more on the roots they planted in Mississippi.
The couple, both retired from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, have established the Aru Family Scholarship Endowment to support future medical students who demonstrate both academic excellence and financial need. The scholarship, which will begin awarding funds next year, reflects their hope to spark a ripple effect—helping one student rise so that countless others may benefit.
“This scholarship isn’t just about money,” said Giorgio, professor emeritus of surgery and former division chief and surgical director of UMMC’s heart transplant program. “It’s about multiplying kindness. Help one student become a doctor, and that student may go on to help thousands.”
The Arus created the endowment after a lifetime in medicine and several years spent witnessing the extremes of global disparity firsthand. Since Giorgio’s retirement in 2018, the couple has lived aboard their sailboat, SV Jan—named for Jan, a registered nurse who worked part-time at UMMC for 15 years. Their travels opened their eyes to the wealth and resource disparities within communities across the world.
“In some of these island communities, people drink rainwater or coconuts because there’s no clean water source,” Giorgio said. “Seeing that kind of hardship reminded us how much we’ve been given—and how important it is to help others.”
“Jan and I are fortunate,” he added. “We’re living a comfortable life, our sons are thriving, and we’ve seen parts of the world where people have nothing. That kind of contrast makes you reflect on what you can do to help.”
Their decision to give was also deeply personal. Over nearly two decades at UMMC, Giorgio performed nearly 100 heart transplants, served as chief of general thoracic surgery at the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center, and developed innovative surgical tools and techniques still used in practice today. Jan helped support both his career and their family while caring for patients at the Medical Center.
Their two sons, Robbie and Marco, are both graduates of the UMMC School of Medicine. Robbie is now a vascular surgeon and assistant professor at Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Marco, a radiologist specializing in breast imaging at the University of Washington, will practice at Kaiser Permanente in Portland, Oregon. Because Giorgio was a full professor during their sons’ time at UMMC, both received tuition benefits—an act of generosity that left a lasting impression on the family.
“I told my children, ‘You received a gift; now you give back,’” he said. “We’ve also asked them to continue supporting UMMC after we’re gone.”
Gratitude—for their careers, their opportunities, and the Medical Center’s unwavering focus on patient-centered care—drives their philanthropy.
“In all my years at UMMC, not once was I told to cut costs or limit care,” Giorgio said. “That kind of mission is rare. It allowed me to do what I loved—take care of people—without compromise.”
The scholarship will be awarded to students who not only excel academically, but also demonstrate empathy, resilience and a history of service. What matters most, Giorgio said, is character and the potential to make a meaningful impact.
“The scholarship should go to someone who’s worked hard, shown compassion and just needs a little help to cross the finish line,” he said.
Jan echoed that spirit of giving and called her time at UMMC—alongside her ability to raise their children— “an honor.”
“I was able to be present for my family and still serve patients,” she said. “That balance was a gift, and I’ll always be grateful for it.
Together, Giorgio and Jan credit one another for the sacrifices and support that made their shared life possible.
“I owe Jan everything,” Giorgio said. “I made it because she supported me—through training, through tough times, through everything.”
As they look ahead to more adventures at sea, the Arus hope their gift will help ensure that future doctors are equipped not only with knowledge, but with compassion and purpose.
“Helping others gives us joy,” Giorgio said. “And if our gift helps one student become the kind of doctor who listens, who heals, who cares—that’s the legacy we want to leave.”
“Giorgio and Jan both devoted their lives to caring for others, and their generosity continues that mission in a meaningful and lasting way,” said Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine. “Through this scholarship, they are helping shape the future of medicine, not just by supporting education, but by investing in the kind of physicians we need most.”
“The Aru Family Scholarship represents a profound investment in the future of health care, and we are honored to witness its impact on students who are driven to serve their communities through medicine,” said Melissa Robinson, senior director of principal gifts in the Office of Development and Alumni Engagement. “Thanks to the generosity of the Aru family, students at UMMC School of Medicine can pursue their calling with fewer financial barriers and greater focus on excellence, compassion, and service."
To support the UMMC School of Medicine, contact Brad Ewing, director of development, at (601)815-5893 or gewing1@umc.edu.