Some people enter your life as doctors and stay as lifelong friends. I first met Dr. Subram Krishnan over 30 years ago as his patient, when a back injury in my citrus orchard sent me to his care. Since then, both Dr. Krishnan and his wife, Dr. Elizabeth Krishnan, have become more than outstanding physicians — they have been trusted friends, community pillars, and inspiring role models.
Recently, the UTRGV School of Medicine announced a historic milestone: the establishment of its first endowed chair in orthopedic surgery, named the Subram G. Krishnan, M.D., and Sumant “Butch” Krishnan, M.D. Endowed Chair for Orthopedic Surgery. An endowed chair is one of the highest honors in academia. It is a permanent faculty position supported by an endowment fund. The interest ensures that the university can attract and retain the very best professors and doctors, while supporting education, research, and patient care. For UTRGV, this endowed chair means Valley residents can access world-class care right here at home.
Together, these three endowed chairs form a remarkable legacy that will serve generations of students, physicians, and families at UTRGV.
At the press conference, UTRGV President Dr. Guy Bailey expressed the significance of the moment: “What this chair does is enable us to recruit the very best physicians and keep them here — the very best orthopedic surgeon. What it does is enhance the quality of health care, the quality of the physicians we have in the Rio Grande Valley.”
When one thinks about donating, two things are essential: having the resources in the bank and having the heart to give. True giving means setting aside what is in your possession for the benefit of other people and your community — even long after you are gone. For physicians, it is natural to think of a medical school. For the Krishnans, the answer was clear: the new UTRGC School of Medicine, serving a growing population with pressing healthcare needs. As members of the UTRGV Presidents Circle, their commitment was both natural and profound.
On a personal note, I want to share how much I, too, value what UTRGV represents for families like mine in the Rio Grande Valley. I came to the Valley in 1988 as an assistant professor at Texas A&M University–Kingsville Citrus Center in Weslaco, and I have lived in the Edinburg-McAllen area ever since. In those early years, I worked hard to save enough so
my children could attend nationally recognized schools. My son Ron graduated as valedictorian from McAllen Memorial High School and was selected into the Pan Am–Baylor Medical Program — a tremendous opportunity right here in our Valley. His mother dreamed of our children becoming physicians, while I reminded them I was content as a plant scientist and entrepreneur.
Ron excelled, graduating with distinction, making the Dean’s List, and ultimately becoming a double-board-certified physician. My daughter, Amy, also achieved great success, graduating as number three out of nearly 500 students in her class at Memorial High School. At her graduation dinner, Ron gave a speech I will never forget. With his sister admitted to Harvard, he said, “Well, my sister is going to Harvard — and that is why we are here. But I’ll tell you, I didn’t go to Harvard. I went to Harvard in South Texas.” The entire room, with about 250 people in attendance, stood in applause.
There is another family twist. My daughter, Amy, also applied to the Pan Am–Baylor program but was not admitted. Yet Harvard accepted her. That irony speaks volumes: while one door may close locally, another can open globally. For me, it underscored a truth I hold deeply — that UTRGV and its medical school are not just institutions, but gateways to opportunity and enduring symbols of our region’s potential.
I also carry a rare personal distinction. As a Purdue- trained Plant Pathologist and now Professor Emeritus in the Texas A&M System, I was invited just before COVID to serve as a member of the Advisory Team to the Dean of the College of Sciences at UTRGV. It was humbling and proud — a Boilermaker Aggie professor emeritus advising the UTRGV School of Science — a testament to how deeply I value and support UTRGV’s mission.
I truly cherished attending the UTRGV Distinguished Speaker Series. Out of respect for the student community, I chose to stand at the back of the room throughout the sessions rather than take a seat that was meant for them. For me, the experience itself was the reward—the chance to listen, learn, and witness the inspiration being shared with the next generation.”
The Krishnans’ tradition of service extends beyond medicine. In 1995, Dr. Krishnan’s sister- in-law, Visalam Subram, was honored as Texas Teacher of the Year while serving in the Weslaco Independent School District. This family legacy of education and service continues to lift others. Together, the Krishnans represent decades of medical excellence and community giving.
Their endowed chairs will benefit generations of students, physicians, and families in the Valley — strengthening UTRGV as a true academic and medical home for South Texas.
Editor's Note: The above guest column was penned by Dr. Mani Skaria, a famed citrus research scientist. Skaria moved to South Texas in 1988 to work for the Texas A&M Citrus Center. He had previously developed a citrus program for the Kingdom of Jordan with USAID and then was a professor at Washington State University working with the apple industry. In 2019, Dr. Skaria was made Professor Emeritus at Texas A&M-Kingsville for his contributions to the Texas citrus industry. He was also awarded the prestigious Pott's Award.
Skaria says his vision is to create a trusted global platform where the wisdom of decades of university faculty work, science, resilience, and lived experience come together—sharing insights that inspire growers, students, policy makers, entrepreneurs, families, and communities to thrive in harmony with nature and one another.
“An endowed chair is not a chair at all—it’s a root system. It anchors great teachers, feeds new ideas, and keeps a university standing tall through every season,” Skaria says.
