This fund was established by Dr. Karen Krupen in memory of her father, Ira, who passed away following a heart attack in 1974 at the age of 51.
Ira Krupen was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, the second son of immigrant parents from Russia and Poland. Ira’s fascination with the physical sciences and his desire at an early age to study mechanical engineering, led him to study at one of the most prestigious speciality high schools in NYC (Brooklyn Poly Technical High School). He continued his education at the City College of New York. Ira’s studies were interrupted upon his service in the US Air Force as a communication ground operator in China during World War II. When the war ended, Ira returned home, completed his undergraduate studies at CCNY and married his childhood friend, Gertrude Federman. Together they raised three children in Queens, New York. Ira enjoyed being with his family, boating on their small boat in Jamaica Bay during summer months, dabbling in music (he played the banjo and harmonica), and fixing whatever was broken in and around the home. He also enjoyed his various employments as a mechanical engineer, most notably, at Grumman where he worked on the first space shuttle that landed on the moon.
Neither Ira nor Gertrude had any affiliations with Canada, but their middle daughter, Karen, had the distinct pleasure of becoming a colleague and friend of Dr. Rose Goldstein while they were both studying at the University of Texas at Houston Health Science Center in the mid-1980s. Dr. Goldstein was instrumental in Dr. Krupen’s decision to study law and develop a practice as a biotechnology patent attorney when the field was yet undeveloped.
At the time of establishment of this fund, Dr. Krupen remained a close friend of Dr. Goldstein, who was then the Vice Dean, Academic Affairs at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa. Through this friendship, Dr. Krupen, who is currently practising at Sanofi-Aventis in the U.S., decided to entrust this scholarship to the University of Ottawa.
The donor thanks the Government of Ontario, which helped create this fund through its generous matching contributions.
Purpose of fund
To provide financial assistance to University of Ottawa undergraduate medical students who are interested in pursuing a career in cardiology and who qualify under the terms established by the Ontario Student Opportunity Trust Fund.
Eligibillty Criteria
The applicant must:
- be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident;
- be registered as a full-time student in the final year of the MD program in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa;
- be an Ontario resident as per OSAP rules;
- demonstrate financial need, as determined by the Financial Aid and Awards Service of the University of Ottawa;
- have completed a cardiology elective in Year 4 of the MD program;
- submit a letter detailing a serious intent to pursue a career in cardiology, and an evaluation of performance during a cardiology elective, if available; and
- be in good academic standing.