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$10 million gift from Brody family will expand medical scholarships and rename ECU medical education center

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published March 11, 2026 at 7:25 AM EDT
ECU Health chief experience officer Dr. Julie Kennedy Oehlert said it’s gratifying to know that the hospital’s focus on creating safe, healing environments is affirmed by those patients.
ECU Health Medical Center
File: ECU Health chief experience officer Dr. Julie Kennedy Oehlert.

East Carolina University is celebrating a transformational $10 million gift from the Brody family that will expand medical scholarships and rename a massive new facility. University officials said the Brody Center for Medical Education will carry the family name when it opens for the 2027 academic year.

This latest contribution directly supports the Brody Scholars Program, allowing more medical students to graduate debt free so they can focus on serving rural and underserved communities across North Carolina. Chancellor Philip Rogers says this generosity ensures the school can grow its class size to 120 students while utilizing state of the art labs and simulation spaces.

For nearly fifty years, the Brody family has partnered with the university to address the state’s primary care shortage. The family has now given more than $35 million to the university over the decades, cementing their legacy in the future of rural healthcare.
Annette Weston
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
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