The John L. Gainer Fund

Those who knew chemical engineering professor John L. Gainer well describe someone who used ingenuity and humor in the classroom and in the lab, a community builder who viewed the University and the department as extensions of his own family, and an inventor who worked tirelessly to develop a drug to improve cancer treatments.
Prof. John L. Gainer with a group of students

Professor John Lloyd Gainer was known for his significant contributions to the University and the special bond he shared with students. When he retired initially in 2005, after nearly 40 years in UVA's Department of Chemical Engineering, students, staff and faculty showed up at the end-of-year picnic wearing blue "I Love Gainer" t-shirts, a testament to his impact on the department and its culture. 

Gainer received the 1981 UVA Alumni Association Distinguished Professor Award. Over his career, he advised 31 Ph.D. students, 70 master's students and countless undergrads. He published dozens of papers, broke new research ground and co-founded Diffusion Pharmaceuticals, which used his research discoveries to improve cancer treatments.

After Gainer's retirement, alumni also established an endowment in his name to support chemical engineering faculty, students, and the community culture he cherished. The John L. Gainer Fund fund typically supports first-year Ph.D. students but it has also been used for student-centered programs. Recent examples include a professionalism panel for graduate student orientation and a career development and planning boot camp for undergraduate students.

Make A Gift to the Gainer Fund

To make a gift to the John L. Gainer Fund, click the link below, select the “Chemical Engineering” designation and enter “John Gainer” in the “In Memory Of” field.

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John L. Gainer with graduating students
John L. Gainer in his lab
John L. Gainer with fellow faculty members
John L. Gainer
John L. Gainer in academic regalia at Final Exercises
Large group of people in Chemical Engineering amphitheater wearing "I [Heart] Gainer" shirts

Remembering the Late John Lloyd Gainer: A Beloved Educator

Chemical engineering professor emeritus John Gainer’s gift for teaching was all about caring, community and connection, say his former students.
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