Kirksville, Mo. (October 2009)―Greg A. Gerhardt, one of the nation’s foremost researchers on Parkinson’s disease, continues to make his mark on Truman State University by giving back to his alma mater. Noting his appreciation for the preparation he received at Truman, Gerhardt recently made a generous gift commitment to boost the undergraduate research experience for Truman students. Gerhardt's multi-year pledge of $500,000 made through the University’s “Bright Minds Bright Futures” campaign will fund the Greg A. Gerhardt Summer Science Research Fellowship for Excellence.

Truman prides itself on the research opportunities available to its undergraduates, and the fellowship established by Gerhardt will augment summer research projects for undergraduate science students. Designed to perpetuate a tradition of engaged student-faculty undergraduate research, the endowed fund will support investigative, creative, and scholarly activities designed to advance the knowledge and understanding of targeted science projects.

A 1979 alumnus, Gerhardt received his bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Truman magna cum laude, and he was honored as Truman's 2009 Alumnus of the Year.

Inspired by the mentoring and encouragement he received from Truman professors such as Dr. Kenneth Fountain and Dr. Russell Baughman, Gerhardt decided to give back to his alma mater. Last year, he made a major investment in the University with a $1 million gift commitment through his estate to create the Greg A. and Paulette C. Danielle-Gerhardt Endowed Professorship dedicated in memory of his late wife, Paulette.

Gerhardt, who received additional training in chemistry and neuroscience at the University of Kansas where he earned his Ph.D. with honors in 1983, received training as a postdoctoral fellow from 1983-1985 in pharmacology and psychiatry at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. He remained at the University of Colorado from 1985-1999 where he rose through the ranks to professor of psychiatry, pharmacology and The Neuroscience Training Program.

Gerhardt resides in Nicholasville, Ky., and is a professor in the Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Neurology, Psychiatry and Electrical Engineering at the University of Kentucky. Since 1999, he has served as director of the Morris K. Udall Parkinson’s Disease Research Center of Excellence at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center, Lexington, Ky., and he is the director of the Center for Microelectrode Technology.