Anonymous Donor Honors Former Dean With 8 Million Gift

The SOhe SOAR (Southern AstrophysicalResearch) consortium – in whichMichigan State University is a keypartner – will play a major role in the“Supremely andblessedideally pnext generation of astronomy research inwith anerchedathigh inmcosphericovetedlarge part due to the development of athe Chilby astroambieean Andnncomers –e of drydow nostate-of-the-art telescope to be locatedes andthe SOAt only tand infroR telescared airexploreof galaxin the mountains of Chile. Few peopleo– soptheies beyoe mysteoffers aries of ond. Wesupof scienerbunderstand the benefits the telescopeur ownare invitwintific progalaxy bed to bebes seekverse, sut thatcome ining to uwill provide quite like Dr. Miltonome woterestednravel tuld sayspectatothe cosmhe mystto carryMuelder, a professor and vice presirsos. Theerieussobfse are eack virtthe uniRepercundeavorudent emeritus who has enriched theally to thessions hs of macreationyears agave notjestic prMSU community for over sixty-fiveofo whichceased froportionsom thats.et the cmotion,years as a teacher, administratorosmos agiganticincludinnd all itbang 13g the eaalreadys constitbillionrth andand benefactor. He believes in thedied, souenittsmpsoaerlaantsrsetwinsaystem. Ste of flugalaxiesvalue of SOAR so much that hex. Natuome galahave behumanrexies hav De’snstformed,orecently finalized an irrevocablere of secmind. We r. Miltonand othrets inve have bsMuelderenesrs are bitees contineen infothat we 305,000 estate gift in supporteing forrmed thas yet huous exmnent paeave nod. All aat 90%ploratioof the telescope. Universityrts of thway tore inof mattens ande atom,detect itcrunivershoafllenges totbhut whate unive. We hae continDevelopment asked Dr. Mueldertherse is mve goneof the cue to exultimateissing inomponefar in opand into express in words the imporly collapuntrhdteseparts ofearch fofinitely,se backthe univr the coremainIn an esupon ittance of support for the project,ampoebprssoeeeculf? And wiat?lly creatthe samspectacuill thee, or sloed viewlar scienand he graciously supplieding roomw downtific prospontanandon cambes of oeous digthe following at right:pus, weur trulyital tranthe SOAcaenminentsmissiohave a frR telescMSU scns fromont rowope in tscientisieCnhtseat to tisilhtees.ts in phb–Freethwaheadnks to tresearchth of itsysics anaudienchaeedunmagic odience adeavorsastronoe and efmy andppeal ancan matven thetheir grch thatd particgeneralI harboaoipdr the arfpuaublic.ate studtion, nodent besignificaents but only folief thatntly totrthewider amendeavoraking liing andcademics emanafe for ueven msting froearthlinore highgeneralm this tgs morely valuepublic oelescopmdebaningfuyfe will coorauisrinsl, moretatus ing our inSOAR isntributeexcitinga fascindividuaa multiMichiga,altminainwogsrat,eitrmovingeness asutionalinterestn Stand eveenterprwell asmiss this ate University)isrthecha(taCrnof theheopportuging unquiringile, Braziverse.nity tojoint finil, Univmake aersity oFor more information onquantum ancial fundingf North. It is imCarolinadvanceDr. Miltosupporting the SOARa andperativein its asn Mueldthtronomat MSUertelescope, contact SuzetteEast Lany studienotsing, Mics.”Hittner, Director ofhiganAR TelescopeDevelopment for theCollege of Natural Science,at (517) 353-9855.Roger Smith (AURA/NOAO/NSF)TWindowOf Oppo s And More Windowsrtunity:Former Trustee Turns Love Of Woodwinds Into Lasting LegacyPat Carrigan, long time music lover,cat lover, budding author and MSUdonor, has found yet another way tosupport Michigan State University. Motivated by her affection for woodwind music,the former MSU Trustee, retired manager ofthe General Motors Powertrain plant in BayCity, and former high school clarinet playerhas created the Pat Carrigan EndowedWoodwind Scholarship. “The WoodwindScholarship was created to attract and retaintop-notch musical talent on an ongoingbasis,” Carrigan said. This scholarship is thefirst of its kind at MSU to benefit onlywoodwind performance majors.What Carrigan didn’t realize was howmuch enjoyment she would receive as adirect result of the scholarship. Pat explainedthat donors could learn many things fromscholarship recipients and from the entireexperience as they get involved. She alsomentioned that creating this kind of scholarship is an opportunity to help a person attaintheir goals or achieve a dream that otherwisemight be out of reach. The scholarship hasafforded her the opportunity to becomefriends with a special person that she mightnot otherwise have known: the first recipientof her scholarship, Jonathan Biccum, abassoon player. “Jonathan is a delight – a veryspecial, talented, young man. We enjoy eachother’s company and will be friends always!”she said.The special relationship between Carriganand Biccum has also motivated Pat to delveinto the world of writing children’s books.She has created a feline hero, J-Cat, inspiredby Jonathan.Biccum, a senior from New Glarus,Wisconsin, started playing the bassoon in 7thgrade. “I’ve always been involved in musicand my mom has been encouraging and verysupportive of me,” he said. Biccum hopes toplay in an orchestra some day or teach at auniversity. “The award goes way beyondthe monetary value involved. Pat is anamazing person, and I’m just so thankfulthat I got to meet her,” said Biccum.Endowed scholarships are perpetualgifts, which require an initial commitmentof 30,000, payable over five years. If youare interested in creating an endowed scholarship or would like additional informationabout other giving opportunities, please callCheryl Armstrong, Director of Special andAnnual Giving at University Development,517-355-8257 or 800-232-4678, ext. 285.Left to right: Bassoonist Jonathan Biccum and Pat Carrigan pose together after his recital.w w w. g i v i n g t o . m s u . e d u3

GE Fund Supports EngineeringPhase two of the College of Engineering’sReforming the Early Undergraduate Engineering Learning Experience program hasbeen funded with a grant of 300,000 from theGE Fund, the philanthropic foundation of theGeneral Electric Company. The grant, payableover two years, is part of the GE Fund’s Learning Excellence initiative which invests in thedevelopment of innovative, interdisciplinarycurricula and teaching methods in engineeringand business disciplines.“We are thrilled that the GE Fund has onceagain selected Michigan State University toparticipate in this exciting program,” notedMSU’s Dean of the College of Engineering JanieFouke. “The grant will allow us to continue tofocus on enhancing our core courses with innovative techniques which will benefit studentoutcomes as well as faculty development.”The purpose of MSU’s program is to revisethe instructional approaches in core engineering science courses, the foundation for degreerequirements in each engineering major. Inturn, the college will disseminate to others thelessons learned.“Every day we see the tremendous changesand opportunities brought about by technology,globalization, and other forces that requirecreativity and the ability to think withoutboundaries,” said Joyce Hergenhan, president ofthe GE Fund. “Learning Excellence grants likethe one we have now given to Michigan StateUniversity support the same kind of transformation of the teaching and learning process,with clear results in terms of student learning.”Phase one of the program, which ranfrom 1998 to 2000, focused on theaugmentation of two key introductorycore courses with innovative instructional approaches, including crossdisciplinary experiences in teamwork,design, and the use of advanced teachingtechnologies. “We demonstrated that we improved student learning outcomes,” said DavidFisher, professor of electrical and computerengineering and the project co-director.The GE Fund is recognized in MSU’s FrankS. Kedzie Society, one of the highest honorsawarded to donors to the university. “The GEFund grant will allow us to take the lessonslearned in our earlier work,” added Fisher, “anddisseminate it broadly through the college’s programs and to other institutions, thus extendingand sharing a successful program beyond MSU.”Students in core engineeringclasses benefit from theGE Fund gift.Connecting To The West Of Us West Coast Alumni SupportScholarship ProgramsThe trek back to campus is over 2,500miles, but many Spartan families living inCalifornia make that trip often to stay connected to life at the university. Three such familiesrecently made gifts that will provide scholarship support for students at MSU.Benefiels Increase ScholarshipRichard and Joyce Benefiel created ascholarship fund ten years ago to benefitstudents from Benton Harbor High School attending MSU’s College of Natural Science.They have now increased their commitment,raising the total fund to 250,000. The scholarship will provide full tuition for two or morestudents each year.Dick (Geology, ’52) is a graduate ofBenton Harbor High School, and wants tosupport students from the school, many ofwhom cannot afford the cost of a college education. Benefiel stated, “The scholarship isrooted in my desire to give that opportunity totalented, deserving students to expand theirhorizons to help make that next step cometrue at my alma mater.”Dick, a retired General Electric executive,and Joyce, a retired nurse and current volunteer teacher of English to immigrants, residein Anaheim, California. In retirement, theymanage their real estate, including an 80-acrepistachio farm.Schultzes Create Scholarships inEngineering and Human EcologyTop—Left to right: College of Natural ScienceDevelopment Director Suzette Hittner, Richardand Joyce Benefiel, and Dean George Leroi posetogether.Middle—College of Human Ecology Dean JuliaMiller stands between Roger and Priscilla Schultz.Bottom—Donna and Dan McCombs, withdaughter Taylor, hold their Beaumont TowerSociety plaque.4“Charity is the rent you pay for your timeon earth” is a quote that Priscilla Schultz(Human Ecology, ’56) said she and her husband Roger (Engineering, ’56) heard at acharity function. “It has stayed with us andtruly been an inspiration,” she said. As evidence, the Schultzes have committed 50,000each to the Colleges of Human Ecology andEngineering.Like so many couples, Roger and Priscillamet and graduated from MSU. In semiretirement, Priscilla is the owner of SchultzInteriors, and Roger, who describes meetingPriscilla as his most memorable MSU experience, is a charter member of the West CoastRegional Council.w w w. g i v i n g t o . m s u . e d u“Michigan State University has been, andis, so very much a part of both of us,” Priscillasaid. “The friendships formed and lessonslearned have been the backbone of our livesever since. We feel strongly that it is importantto share our love for MSU and our chosenschools with others.”McCombses Initiate L.A. CountyAlumni Scholarship FundIt has been exactly ten years since DanMcCombs (Business, ’91) graduated fromMSU and headed for the west coast to seek hisfortune. Dan, a native of Michigan, becameinvolved with the Los Angeles Alumni Club,serving as its president for two years.When he and his wife Donna made their 25,000 Beaumont Tower Society commitment, they decided to use a portion of theirgift to initiate a scholarship fund for the L.A.Alumni Club to encourage students from theLos Angeles area to enroll at MSU. Dan, a vicepresident for Morgan Stanley, Dean Witter anda charter member of the West Coast RegionalCouncil stated, “The bottom line is that I feltthat I got so much out of Michigan StateUniversity, that I have to give back.”The importance of a supportive spouse isnot lost on Dan either. Donna is a CPA and taxmanager with Arthur Andersen and a graduateof California State University, Long Beach. “Iam extremely fortunate that she understandsmy passion for MSU,” Dan said. “Donna and Iboth feel very strongly about the difference aquality education can make for a person andfeel fortunate that we had the ability to make afinancial commitment to MSU.”For more information about West CoastRegional activities, contact Venice Peek at theWest Coast Regional Development Office,858-385-0472 or peekv@msu.edu.

President andProvost GainValuable InsightDuring 2001Florida SwingBuilding on what has become a successful annual trek to the SunshineState, this year’s Florida Swing alsoplayed a critical role in the planning phaseof MSU’s upcoming capital campaign. Withroots in the five year old Naples AlumniReception, the annual Florida Swing hasgrown into a week-long opportunity forPresident McPherson and Provost Simon tomeet with MSU Alumni Association members at evening receptions, and also to meetin more intimate settings with long-timemajor financial supporters of MSU.This year’s visits were actually splitinto two separate trips. Provost Simonfirst spent three days in late Januarymeeting with small groups of donors andattending receptions for the Miami andFt. Lauderdale Alumni Groups. PresidentMcPherson followed in early March, alsospending three days meeting with smallgroups of long-time donors and friends ofMSU, as well as attending the fifth annualNaples reception.The one-on-one meetings with friendsand donors took on added significancethis year, as the President and Provost usedthe meetings as an opportunity to gainvaluable insight regarding the university’supcoming capital campaign. After reviewingPresident McPherson had the opportunity totalk with Max Goodwin (left) and other alumniand donors during his trip to Florida in March.a working draft of the president’s visionfor the future of MSU, the guests wereasked to comment on the priorities setforth in the document. “We had a lovelylunch and a good discussion with Peter,”said Dottie Withrow, a part-time Naplesresident and member of the class of ’55.“We really appreciated his vast knowledgeof the subject matter and his willingness tolisten to our ideas.”The information gathered during thesetrips is being used to refine the goals andobjectives of the campaign, which willpublicly launch in September 2002.Endowments EnhanceMSU LibrariesThe Michigan State University Libraries consist of a Main Library, located on West CircleDrive, and 14 branch libraries at various campus locations. The Libraries’ collectionsinclude more than: 4,000,000 volumes, 28,000 serial subscriptions (in print and electronicform), 5,000,000 items in microfilm and microfiche, 200,000 maps and 40,000 sound recordings.The Libraries’ collections support teaching and graduate-level research in the sciences, socialsciences, humanities, fine arts, and applied and interdisciplinary fields.Paulins EndowmentGerald Paulins, library assistant in theMSU Libraries Special Collections for sevenyears, has established an endowed fundthrough current gifts and accumulated TIAACREF assets totaling approximately 250,000to benefit the Michigan State UniversityLibraries.Income generated from the GeraldPaulins Endowment for the MSULibraries Special Collections ReadingRoom will help support ongoingmaintenance and needed purchasesfor the Reading Room. A possible firstuse of this money will be for improvedreading lamps.“I created the endowment becauseI wanted the environment there to be apleasant and welcoming place for students, faculty and others to study. Whenall is said and done, I want to know that,upon my retirement, I will have contributedsomething to the MSU Libraries that will beeverlasting,” remarked Paulins.Prior to working in Special Collections,Paulins worked in the MSU Main LibraryTechnical Services Department for fifteen years.During his 22 years, Paulins has always beenhappy to help community members use andlocate materials. He recalls that he was amember of the MSU Libraries Diversity Teamthat produced the DiversityCookbook, a copy of which islocated in Special Collections.Gerald Paulins poses with his Abbot memento inthe Special Collections Reading Room.Squires EndowmentThis will grow with additional family contribuThanks to Mary Lou Rooney, alumnations and with the support of individuals interand long time supporter of MSU, a six-figureested in helping the staff’s educational process.”endowment through a charitable bequest wasRooney received her B.S. in Generalcreated to benefit the MSU Libraries. TheClothing and Textiles from the College ofMargaret R. Squires Endowment forHuman Ecology. She recently retired from 3MProfessional Opportunities was created inProduct Materials Division in St. Paul, Minnesota.honor of and in memory of Rooney’s lovingRooney has been an active board member formother, who was a dedicated teacher and comsuch organizations as the Minnesota Republicansmitted librarian. The endowment will benefitand the International Furnishings & Designthe professional and support staff of the MSUAssociation. She also served as president toLibraries.the Minnesota MSU Alumni“Creating this endowment is important toAssociation in the earlyme and to my entire family. We wanted a way1980s.to remember a wonderful person,” remarkedRooney. “Other factors went into my decision to create this endowment,” addedRooney. “My classmate and good friendfrom MSU, Buff Glover Hirko, is a librarianin Washington; and my good friend fromhigh school is married to a librarian whotook over my mother’s job in the Milanschool system when she retired. So supporting professional development forlibrary professionals made perfect sense.”Family and friends of Rooney alsoLeft to right: Mary Lou Rooney, Audra Siebert (MSU class ofplan to contribute to the Squires2000), and friend Jan Greasharber celebrate Audra’s graduation.Endowment. Sara Siebert, team managerof Database Management and CatalogingIf you are interested in learning moreat the MSU Libraries, and Rooney’s sister,about either of these endowments or wouldremarked that, “Furthering the education oflike to make a gift to one of them, pleaseothers was important to our mother, and Marycontact Elizabeth Fields in the MSU LibrariesLou and I share that belief. When Mary LouDevelopment Office at (517) 432-2076 ordecided to make a bequest to MSU,” Siebertefields@msu.edu. Information about othercontinued, “we agreed that assisting libraryendowment opportunities for MSU Libraries isstaff with their professional developmentalso available.would be a unique use of an endowment.w w w. g i v i n g t o . m s u . e d u5

Keeping Score AndMore At MunnAlove affair with Michigan State Universityhockey that has spanned more than 40years has prompted a 100,000 giftfrom Don and Phoebe Griffin that every fan atMunn Arena will enjoy for years to come. Theirgift will help enhance the hockey entertainmentpackage even more.Starting next season, Munn Arena will besporting a new look with two giant videoboards. The opportunity to add this newdynamic to Munn presented itself, and theproject really came to life when the Griffinsheard about the proposal and got the ballrolling with their generosity.Don and Phoebe Griffin with granddaughter,Libby Block (Business ’97).The Griffins, who live in Okemos, havebeen faithful followers of the Spartan’s hockeyfortunes since they first wed in 1957. Don wasa minor ice official for 38 years, working undercoaches Amo Bessone and Ron Mason.“We have been supporting the hockeyprogram, its players, scholarships and banquet,”Don said. “Now, we just felt we would like todo something for the fans. The new videoboards, complete with instant replays andhighlights, should make the game that muchmore interesting and exciting.”Two boards, with dimensions of approximately 10 x 16 feet each, will be installedat both ends of the arena. The overheadscoreboard will be removed, and two newscoreboards will be installed in the corners.“With these new video boards coming onthe heels of our new suites and club seats atMunn,” Director of Intercollegiate AthleticsClarence Underwood said, “it makes our arenaonce again the premier college facility in thecountry, to go along with our stellar hockeyprogram.”Elliott EstablishesEducation ScholarshipGerri Elliott (Education, ’66) has established the Geraldine T. Elliott EndowedScholarship in Elementary Educationwith a generous gift of 100,000. The scholarship is designed to support students, especiallythose from underrepresented groups, who planan elementary education teaching career.“From my own teaching experiences, Ivalue the richness that diversity brings to theclassroom learning environment,” Elliott said,explaining why she chose to establish thisscholarship. “I hope this scholarship encouragesstudents from underrepresented groups to enterteaching by creating opportunities that mightnot otherwise be available.”A native of New Jersey, Elliott was the firstin her family to attend college. While pursuinga degree in elementary education, she embracedthe opportunities for involvement that abounded on campus. She has fond memories ofcampus, appreciating MSU’s size while stillbeing able to enjoy a feeling of communitywith her fellow students.Elliott began her teaching career in aninner-city school. She attributes her success asa teacher to the quality education she receivedat the College of Education. Now retired, sheis actively involved in initiatives designed forimproving education. These activities includeserving on the college’s National Advisory BoardGerri Elliott gets to know scholarship recipientTory Hoard.as well as its Capital Campaign DevelopmentBoard.The first recipient of the Geraldine T.Elliott Endowed Scholarship in ElementaryEducation is Tory Hoard. Tory is a seniormajoring in elementary education with minorsin English and communication.For more information about establishingan endowed scholarship in the College ofEducation, contact Sheila Steger at517-432-1983 or steger@msu.edu.MSU Black Alumni, Inc.Assists StudentsIn 1981, MSU Black Alumni, Inc.(MSUBA) was formed for the primarypurpose of promoting the welfare andinterests of African-American alumni,stude

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