A giving spirit: Alumni family generously support USask

Throughout their careers, the family has remained connected to the institution that shaped their medical training and helped make a lasting difference for future generations. 

Born in Hong Kong, Drs. Yip and Jen met in the 1950s as undergraduate medical students at USask’s College of Medicine, establishing a lifelong connection to the university. Their time there was shaped by positive memories and a particularly strong appreciation for Dr. J. Wendell MacLeod (MD), who was dean at the time, along with his secretary, Sydney Inskip.

After graduating, Drs. Yip and Jen built successful careers as physicians in Saskatoon – Suzanne as a radiologist and Ivan as a dermatologist – while raising their children, Stephen and Leslie. The couple also became faculty members in the College of Medicine, teaching both undergraduate medical students and postgraduate residents.

Over the years, the family’s philanthropy has meaningfully impacted the university and broader Saskatoon community. While early giving to USask was more generalized, the family later directed their giving to areas that were most important to them through numerous donations to the health sciences and main library, and the establishment of several awards and endowments in the College of Medicine that support medical education and achievement: the Drs. Ivan Jen and Suzanne Yip Award in Medicine honours the graduating student with the highest average in all the courses relating to student/patient interaction and the refinement of basic clinical skills; the Sydney Inskip Service Award recognizes non-academic staff members who have provided extraordinary service to the USask College of Medicine; and the J.W. MacLeod Faculty Enhancement Fund is a legacy contribution intended to provide exclusive financial support to the Dean of the College of Medicine for faculty retention and recruitment efforts.

The family’s most recent gift, the Drs. Ivan Jen and Suzanne Yip Fund in honour of Dr. Oli Laxdal, was inspired by Dr. Jen’s colleague and fellow physician, the late Dr. Olafur (Oli) Eggert Laxdal (MD). He was a pioneer of medical education in Saskatchewan and founded the college’s Division of Continuing Medical Education. The funds will go towards supporting the existing Saskatchewan Emergency Medicine Annual Conference (SEMAC), an annual continuing medical education event for physicians and health-care teams across the province.

As Dr. Jen was a strong advocate and practitioner of continuing medical education, dedicating much of his time to teaching in various communities across the province, this donation reflects the couple’s commitment to supporting the college in a personally significant way. In 1988, Dr. Jen received the college’s Continuing Medical Education Award of Merit for his outstanding contributions to advancing medical education in Saskatchewan, particularly in rural and remote areas.

The family’s dedication to ensuring USask’s continued success means that their support for the College of Medicine is widely felt across the medical education community and Saskatchewan.  

"On behalf of the Department of Continuing Medical Education, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the Yip-Jen family for their remarkable generosity. Your support strengthens our ability to provide high-quality, accessible educational opportunities for physicians and health-care professionals across the province,” said Dr. James W. Barton (MD), clinical professor of medicine and associate dean, continuing medical education.

“The impact of your commitment will be felt for years to come, as it directly enhances our capacity to foster lifelong learning, advance clinical excellence, and ultimately improve patient care. Thank you for your meaningful investment in the future of medical education.”

For Dr. Yip, the family’s spirit of giving comes full circle, reflecting a lifelong connection with USask – first as students, then as alumni and faculty.

"Ivan and I have always been deeply grateful to the College of Medicine for giving us a foundation on which to build our lives. It is a privilege to give back."