DMU Honors Individuals Who Give the Ultimate Gift to Medical Education

WEST DES MOINES, IA (05/04/2026) Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences honored 48 individuals, including 13 veterans, at this year's Body Donation Remembrance Ceremony. The annual service took place at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 2, in the Olsen Center at the DMU 32 Health and Business Complex in Des Moines.

DMU faculty, staff, students and families gathered to remember those who generously donated their bodies to advance medical education.

DMU's Body Donation Program directly supports the university's mission by allowing future health care professionals to gain in-depth knowledge of human anatomy and learn techniques that improve and save lives. The program also instills compassion, respect and gratitude in students for the individuals who made this selfless contribution.

"The individuals we honor during the remembrance ceremony have given an extraordinary gift in support of medical education," says Donald Matz, PhD, chair of DMU's anatomy department. "Their decision to contribute to learning allows our students to develop a meaningful, hands-on understanding of the human body - an experience that will guide them throughout their careers. We are sincerely thankful to our donors and their families for their generosity and trust."

Speakers at the service included students representing four DMU degree programs and the military, as well as DMU President and CEO Angela L. Walker Franklin, PhD, and Matz. Musical selections were performed by the DMU Chamber Ensemble and DMU Choir, and the Iowa Army National Guard Honor Guard performed "Taps" during a flag-folding ceremony to honor donor veterans.

DMU relies on voluntary body donations for anatomical and surgical study. As of April 1, 2026, 3,240 individuals have donated their bodies to DMU since detailed recordkeeping began in 1955.

For more information about DMU's Body Donation Program, please contact Edward Christopherson, FD, BS, body donation coordinator, at 515-271-1481 or bodydonor@dmu.edu, or visit the program's website.

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