$1 Million Gift Supports Lavery Library Renovation

When the newly renovated and modernized Lavery Library reopens in 2025, its new atrium space will bear the name of St. John Fisher University alumnus, the late Dr. Christopher Ullrich, thanks to a $1 million gift given by his wife, Betsy.

The gift will support the multimillion-dollar library modernization and renovation project, the largest capital project both in scope and investment in the institution’s history. The design includes the creation of a bright, welcoming public lobby and lounge space, which will be named for Ullrich.

“We are grateful to Dr. Ullrich and Mrs. Ullrich for their generous philanthropy in support of this historic project, which will be enjoyed by generations of future Fisher students,” said Dr. Gerard J. Rooney, president of the University. “Through his contributions to the field of radiology and to the patients in his care, Dr. Ullrich embodied our values of goodness, discipline, and knowledge. By naming the atrium in his honor, we keep alive his memory and his legacy.”

A member of the Class of 1972, Ullrich studied chemistry before earning his medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, New York. Upon completion of his residency at SUNY Upstate, he then engaged in a neuroradiology fellowship at Johns Hopkins Medical Institution in Baltimore, Maryland. He and Betsy, who were married in 1973, moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where Ullrich became a partner at Charlotte Radiology.

He became a noted researcher and lecturer and respected voice for patients and the profession, making an indelible impact on the patients he served through privileges at Carolina Healthcare System University Medical Center and Carolinas Healthcare Northeast. He was called a “tireless advocate for excellent radiologic patient care” by the North Carolina Radiological Society. 

Throughout his career, Ullrich was a member of several professional societies, including the American Medical Association, Radiological Society of North America, and the North Carolina chapter of the American College of Radiology, among other organizations. He was also a senior member of the American Society of Neuroradiology and served on the board at Hospice and Palliative Care Charlotte Region, which offers end-of-life care to 11 counties in North and South Carolina.

In 2016, he was inducted into the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine, presented by the Governor of North Carolina to individuals with a proven record of service to the state. In 2019, Fisher inducted Ullrich into its Science and Technology Hall of Fame, recognizing his noteworthy service to the community.

Ullrich passed away in 2021, at the age of 70.