Larry Marks, MD, Chair, Radiation Oncology and the Dr. Sidney K. Simon Distinguished Professorship of Oncology Research at UNC Lineberger, and Caryn Hertz, MD. Caryn M. Hertz, MD, associate professor of Anesthesiology at UNC School of Medicine, say they have always made philanthropy a part of their family’s lives, including their financial support of UNC Lineberger.
The old saying that, ‘great minds think alike’ is particularly true in the case of Larry Marks, MD, and Caryn Hertz, MD. The two met as students at The Albert Nerken School of Engineering at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in Manhattan. “We were both chemical engineers, and after finishing at Cooper Union, we mutually decided to attend medical school,” says Hertz, an associate professor of anesthesiology at UNC. “We were fortunate to have that opportunity.”
‘Fortunate’ is a word Hertz and Marks use frequently when referring to their lives as a family and as physicians. “We’ve got three healthy sons, careers we love, and a wonderful network of friends and loved ones here in Chapel Hill,” explains Marks, a UNC Lineberger member and chair of Radiation Oncology at the UNC School of Medicine. “We have been blessed, and we feel a responsibility to give back in gratitude.”
Hertz and Marks are extremely active in a variety of non-profits and charities, serving on various boards and offering financial support to their alma maters, public radio, the MS Society, and their local synagogue, just to name a few. “We both grew up in New York, back when there was a sense of community and people helped each other,” Hertz says. “We’ve tried to pass that mentality on to our boys, to show them the power of volunteerism and philanthropy and to practice what we preach.”
Not long after joining the radiation oncology faculty at UNC, Marks was invited to a UNC Lineberger fundraiser, where he was introduced to many of the donors who support our cancer center research. “They are a very committed group, and it only made sense that Caryn and I would join them in giving to the institution that employs us, provides state-of-the-art cancer care, and treats all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. You know, Caryn and I are very lucky to do what we do, and after working with cancer patients all day, I’m humbled and grateful at the same time. We’re just happy to be able to help.”