Hardin Foundation pledges $2.5M for “once-in-a-generation” UMMC cancer center expansion
Published on Tuesday, September 2, 2025
By: Danny Barrett Jr., dlbarrett@umc.edu
Photos By: Melanie Thortis/ UMMC Communications
The Phil Hardin Foundation, a statewide education philanthropy organization based in Meridian, has pledged $2.5 million for a new building for the UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute over the next 10 years, continuing a tradition of giving to the University of Mississippi Medical Center that stretches back more than three decades.
The education of future generations of health care professionals working to improve outcomes from and access to advanced cancer care fits the foundation’s focus on enhancing educational opportunities and communities. The Phil Hardin Foundation has supported UMMC on other projects, including the capital campaign for the Kathy and Joe Sanderson Tower at Children’s of Mississippi, the Base Pair program and other academic areas.
“It’s a once-in-a-generation type of project that will do so much good for health care in Mississippi on so many levels,” said Lloyd Gray, executive director of the foundation. “The fact it’s also a top-tier educational project makes it particularly attractive to us.”
The Meridian-based foundation’s gift is the latest in a series of donations that will further support the construction of a pioneering, 250,000-square-foot facility to promote research and enhance patient access to life-saving care while educating the next generation of scientists and health care professionals. The new facility will be designed to provide a welcoming, interdisciplinary space that enhances patient care, improves access and offers a seamless health care experience for patients and caregivers.
“We are deeply grateful to The Phil Hardin Foundation for their generous gift in support of our new cancer center at UMMC,” said Dr. Rodney Rocconi, director of the CCRI and Ergon Chair for Cancer Research, who appeared earlier this year before the foundation’s board along with others on the capital campaign team to garner the panel’s support. “This transformative investment will elevate cancer care for all Mississippians — bringing world-class treatment, research and prevention efforts closer to home.”
The gift also furthers the Medical Center’s broader goal to transform cancer care and outcomes in Mississippi, which has the highest cancer mortality rate in the nation. A critical piece of the overall expansion plan is for UMMC to receive National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation, which would be the first for Mississippi. Nationwide, 72 NCI-designated centers are in operation. UMMC is the only health care institution in the state with an active research mission, which is required for NCI designation.
Gray, a former longtime editor of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, said the foundation also recognizes the benefit the project will have in informing patients and the general public on issues surrounding cancer. He credited the CCRI’s capital campaign team for making a compelling case to the foundation’s board to support the expansion.
“We’ve been a supporter of UMMC in various ways and have quite a few investments in state-level entities in Jackson,” Gray said. “It’s not unusual for us to be involved outside Meridian. The planned expansion of the cancer center will have an impact on the numbers of people involved in cancer education and research. And we want to be associated with people and institutions who we have confidence in and we know will do a great job in whatever they undertake. That’s been our observation and our experience with UMMC. They’re a top-tier performing institution and have been for many decades.”
The Hardin Foundation’s commitment to education aligns “hand-in-glove” with the Medical Center being Mississippi’s only academic cancer center, Rocconi said.
“Together, we are training the next generation of cancer physicians and researchers, and laying the groundwork for future STEM careers that will strengthen our region for decades to come,” he said.
For more information about the CCRI capital campaign, visit https://abouttime.ms/ or contact Suzanne Thigpen at sfthigpen@umc.edu.