Peter J. Landers ’83 (MS) and Kathleen E. Landers ’82 establish an endowed professorship in translational oncology at Wilmot Cancer Institute

As part of For Ever Better: The Campaign for the University of Rochester, Rochester business leaders Peter J. Landers ’83 (MS) and Kathleen “Kathy” E. Landers ’82 have committed $2 million to establish the Peter and Kathy Landers Professorship in Translational Oncology at University of Rochester Medicine Wilmot Cancer Institute. The endowed professorship will enable Wilmot to recruit and support a physician-scientist and team whose work accelerates the translation of laboratory discoveries into innovative treatments, giving patients faster access to new therapies.

This gift comes from a profound sense of gratitude for my health and a desire to give back to the institution that has had such a meaningful impact on my life,” says Kathy Landers. “Peter and I have witnessed firsthand how medical discoveries can change and save lives.” Kathy Landers

“Our wish is that this professorship will accelerate new treatments, improve outcomes for patients and families facing cancer, and ensure that future generations benefit from the same excellent care that Kathy has received,” adds Peter.

“University of Rochester Medicine Wilmot Cancer Institute has given me more time with my family, more hope for the future, and confidence that I am receiving world-class care close to home,” Kathy says. “Supporting their mission is a privilege and a meaningful way for Peter and me to express our enduring gratitude.”

Expanding discovery at Wilmot

For patients facing aggressive, rare, or treatment-resistant cancers, a clinical trial is currently the best—and sometimes the only—treatment option. Wilmot Cancer Institute is expanding its ability to offer that option through a strategic initiative called developmental therapeutics: rapidly moving laboratory discoveries into personalized approaches and first-in-human treatments for patients, years before they become available anywhere else.

In 2025, Wilmot was designated a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Center, placing it among the top 4 percent of cancer centers in the nation. This distinction expands Wilmot’s ability to collaborate with other NCI centers and pursue groundbreaking research. A dedicated developmental therapeutics program at Wilmot will nurture cancer-focused research among laboratory researchers, oncologists, and clinician-scientists from a wide range of disciplines. As the busiest cancer center in New York State outside New York City, Wilmot serves a diverse, largely rural region of more than three million people—a community with an alarmingly high incidence of cancer and a profound need for expanded access to leading-edge care.

Since 1992, cancer deaths in the United States have dropped more than 30 percent, due in large part to breakthroughs made possible by clinical trials. The Peter and Kathy Landers Professorship in Translational Oncology will help Wilmot build on that progress—recruiting and retaining the physician-scientists who design and lead early-phase trials, translate discoveries into treatments, and bring hope to patients and families across the region and beyond.

“Kathy has been a phenomenal partner and ambassador for Wilmot,” says Jonathan Friedberg, MD, MMSc, director of Wilmot Cancer Institute. “This gift truly aligns with our strategic vision. Both she and Peter understand the potential impact of building a developmental therapeutics program around translational research, and I feel incredibly humbled and appreciative for their support of our work.”

Rooted in Rochester, committed to its future

The Landers have spent decades supporting the Rochester community—both as business leaders and as committed partners to the institutions that define the community. More than 30 years ago, they founded Landers Communities, a full-service local real estate company that develops, owns, and manages high-quality senior housing, apartments, and commercial properties across the Greater Rochester area.

Both Peter and Kathy earned degrees at the University of Rochester, and their philanthropic support reflects a deep and enduring commitment to the institution. The couple serves as co-chairs of the University of Rochester Medicine campaign committee as part of the For Ever Better fundraising and engagement campaign and they recently made a leadership gift naming the new adult waiting room in the soon-to-be-expanded emergency department as part of the Strong Memorial Hospital Expansion Project.

Over the years they have generously supported the Wilmot Cancer Institute, Golisano Children’s Hospital, the Eastman School of Music, the Memorial Art Gallery, and University of Rochester Athletics. Peter serves on the board of University of Rochester Medicine and the Memorial Art Gallery, while Kathy serves on the board of the Wilmot Cancer Institute and on the gallery’s council. They are also members of the University’s Rochester Philanthropy Council, serve on the Strong Expansion Steering Committee, and will co-chair the 2026 Toast To Your Health Wine Auction. In 2020, the University honored the Landers with the John N. Wilder Award in recognition of their exemplary service.

For Kathy, this gift is also deeply personal. Since 1985, she has been diagnosed with cancer three times—and has been treated at University of Rochester Medicine and Wilmot Cancer Institute. “Thanks to the skill, dedication, and compassion of the physicians, nurses, researchers, and staff, I have been cured of cancer twice and have been given hope, strength, and outstanding care throughout my journey,” she says. That experience—and a conviction that others deserve the same—is at the heart of the Landers’ commitment to Wilmot’s future.

—Emily Gillette, July 2026