Low said that the two endowment holders will be charged with developing joint educational and research endeavors among the two schools and developing a Program in Population Health. Low envisions the new program to be a collaborative effort to include faculty from various UT-Houston schools, Rice University Baker Institute, the University of Houston, Baylor College of Medicine and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research Program in Population Health. Traditionally, schools of public health focus on prevention and health promotion, while medical schools focus on diagnosis and treatment. Since becoming president of UT-Houston, Low has encouraged the integration of prevention and health promotion strategies across all school units. He has been a strong advocate for collaborative and interdisciplinary activities as well.
Endowments are one of the most important ways universities have to build and retain faculty.
Endowments provide funds for research and cover other expenses for the faculty holder. Because only the income is used, the principal remains intact to provide ongoing support.