Longtime Lebanon philanthropists Virginia and Dr. Albert Alley have established a new program at Dickinson College to help aspiring health professionals apply their learnings in the field – possibly at no cost to them.

In addition to having a long and distinguished career in ophthalmology, Dr. Alley, a 1960 graduate of Dickinson College, founded World Blindness Outreach (WBO) in 1990. The Lebanon-based nonprofit works to alleviate preventable and treatable blindness for patients who cannot afford or access eye care.

According to a press release about the donation, the Alleys were inspired to establish the service-trip program by their granddaughter, Laney Herndon, a 2022 Dickinson graduate and former neuroscience major, who became interested in medicine while volunteering with WBO and thought that similar service opportunities would enrich and educate her fellow students.

The Virginia & Albert Alley, M.D. ’60 Fund for Health-Focused Service Trips will allow eight to ten Dickinson students to participate in a health-studies-focused domestic or international service trip, regardless of their families’ ability to cover associated fees.

The program launches this fall and will be run by Dickinson’s Center for Civic Learning & Action.

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