Kate OstrowskiHarry C. Knipp, MD, FACR, has a long and distinguished history with the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB). A 1976 graduate of the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), he is fourth in a line of five consecutive generations of his family who have graduated from UMSOM, dating back to his great-grandfather in the class of 1887 and through his son who graduated in 2014.
A diagnostic radiologist, Knipp is a founding member of Advanced Radiology, the largest provider of medical imaging in Maryland. He is a past president of the Medical Alumni Association and chairs the editorial board of the association’s Bulletin magazine. After serving on the University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation (UMBF) Board of Trustees and the UMSOM Board of Visitors since 2009, he was appointed UMBF board chair in 2018.
During his membership on the UMBF and UMSOM boards, he and his wife Nora have committed philanthropic resources to provide scholarships, assist in the preservation of historic Davidge Hall, and support the University’s community engagement initiatives.
“UMB has a rich history in higher education dating back to 1807,” Knipp said. “We have since built on that foundation with superior scholarship, excellent teaching, stewardship of our city and community, and service to mankind worldwide, all the while developing a sense of family within ourselves for this diverse urban university.”
Which causes at UMB do you feel have a special impact?
As we are first and foremost a health sciences and human services university, our major impact is in those areas, particularly with our current research and vaccine development efforts for the COVID-19 pandemic. That said, we have not forgotten our roots and are working with our neighbors by listening to their vision for a community of trust. UMB’s role in this vision is to assist by providing access to the tools and opportunities to gain education, employment, and health.
What motivates you to give to UMB?
I feel an affinity to UMB because of our deep family heritage with the University going all the way back to the 1850s. Aside from our unique five straight generations of Knipp School of Medicine graduates mentioned above, I have two great-uncles and three cousins who are graduates of the School of Medicine and the School of Law going back as far as 1858. I’m also Baltimore City-born and entirely educated here, with my final nine years at UMB, and I feel responsible to do right by my hometown.
What is your hope for the $750 million Catalyst Campaign?
I’d like to see us achieve the ambitious fundraising goal we’ve set, and we have wonderful campaign leaders and development team members who will take us there to the best of their abilities. Personally, I would like to see our campaign break out of its local confines and reach a larger audience throughout Maryland and the entire country. Our research and scholarship benefit people worldwide, and I would like to see us reach potential donors who recognize and want to support our efforts.
Do you have any advice for current students or recent alumni?
Never stop learning. Challenge yourself to take on new roles and duties that might expand your horizons. Remember that progress is best achieved when everyone’s point of view is heard and respected, so that all have some ownership of the consensus moving forward. And don’t forget to be generous to your alma mater, the University of Maryland, Baltimore!
UMBF serves as the fiscal agent for the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), Maryland’s only public health, law, and human services university. UMB is composed of six professional schools (dentistry, law, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, social work) and the interdisciplinary Graduate School. Its mission is to improve the human condition and serve the public good of Maryland and society at-large through education, research, clinical care, and service.
