Krishnan Family Establish Second Endowed Chair At UT

India-West News Desk

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TX – In their continued support of advancing healthcare in South Texas, Drs. Subram G. and Elizabeth G. Krishnan have established their second endowed chair at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) School of Medicine. The latest endowment, announced on July 15, marks the first-ever endowed chair in orthopedic surgery at the institution.

Named the Subram G. Krishnan M.D. and Sumant “Butch” Krishnan M.D. Endowed Chair for Orthopaedic Surgery, the gift aims to attract top-tier orthopedic faculty and strengthen clinical and surgical training for medical students and residents.

The chair will also support research into innovative surgical techniques and bolster community outreach in musculoskeletal care across the Rio Grande Valley.

“This is a transformative philanthropic gift for our institution,” said UTRGV President Guy Bailey, who highlighted the chair’s potential to empower the next generation of physicians and elevate the standard of care in the region.

The endowment honors Subram Krishnan, a retired board-certified orthopedic surgeon, and his son Sumant “Butch” Krishnan, currently the medical director of the shoulder service at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.

Subram Krishnan described the endowment as “a commitment to healing, to education and progress,” and said it reflects his family’s belief in medical science’s power “to restore lives and livelihood – not just bones and joints.”

Elizabeth Krishnan, a retired OB-GYN, emphasized the educational impact of the gift: “It will fund research and education for the next generation of orthopaedic surgeons.”

Sumant Krishnan underscored the regional significance. “With the capacity and growth of the Valley and through the UTRGV School of Medicine and this first endowed chair, Valley residents won’t need to come to Dallas or San Antonio to receive the care they need,” he said, while also acknowledging his parents’ enduring contributions to the region.

This latest endowment builds on the Krishnans longstanding philanthropic legacy at UTRGV. In 2016, they established the Sujata G. Krishnan Endowed Chair in Neurosciences and the Krishnan All-Around Physician Scholarship.

In 2022, they introduced the Sumant “Butch” Krishnan M.D. Award for Outstanding All-Around Fourth-Year Medical Student, covering full tuition for a student’s final year. In 2024, the university’s simulation hospital in Harlingen was renamed the UTRGV Drs. Subram G. and Elizabeth G. Krishnan Simulation Hospital in their honor.

UTRGV School of Medicine has already launched a search committee to appoint the inaugural holder of the new orthopedic surgery chair, signaling a major investment in specialized care and academic excellence across the Valley.