Giving and Donations

Generous donations to the Department over many years have been crucial to our ongoing success. The loyal alumni and friends of the Department and the College of Human Ecology have supported students through scholarships, fellowships and support of programs. In this time of diminishing state support and increasing economic pressures on students and their families, private support means so much. It is wonderful to see the smiles and gratitude on the faces of our student scholarship and fellowship recipients each year.

Gifts to the Department can be made by mail, telephone, or online. Gifts can be designated to a specific fund, endowment or can be unrestricted to the Department to support discretionary funding needs and opportunities. If you are interested in speaking with someone about your current or future giving to Michigan State University, or wish to create your own named endowment, please contact the Development Office toll free at (866) 678-2005 or via email at development@ssc.msu.edu.

Donations by Mail

University Development at Michigan State University
300 Spartan Way
East Lansing, MI 48824-1005

Please make check payable to “Michigan State University” and include the fund designation on the memo line of your check (see examples below).

Donations by Telephone

Call toll free: (866) 678-2005

Donations Online

Visit the University Development Donations and Gifts website and enter the Department name or specific fund name in the blank area. The complete title will appear and double-click on it to designate your gift to that specific fund.

Endowment News

Kostelnik Fund Endowed  

The purpose of the Marjorie Kostelnik Endowment is to support student learning and professional development outside the formal classroom. The fund underscores the importance of students having the experience of meeting professionals, exchanging information, and presenting at professional conferences. The fund is intended to enhance programs and materials related to the professional development of students.

Dr. Kostelnik served MSU as a beloved teacher from 1970 to 2000. She taught students every year of her career, including during her tenure as Director of the Child Development Laboratory and Chair of the Department of Family and Child Ecology. She was deeply engaged in the education of undergraduate students and emerging professionals through her teaching, mentoring, and the textbooks she co-authored with her colleagues. Currently, Marjorie is Dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska where she continues her important work of educating the next generation of leaders.

Tom Luster Scholarship Endowed

Thanks to the generosity of numerous friends, family members, colleagues, and students, the endowment is open to HDFS graduate students with preference given to those students who are studying diversity or low income communities.   Tom was a beloved faculty member at MSU until his death in March 2009.  In his 24 years of service to MSU, he touched the lives of students, his professional colleagues, the communities in which he worked, and the global community.  Tom's passion for the most vulnerable citizens led him to study resilience and positive developmental outcomes among diverse groups including adolescent mothers, Japanese youth, and especially Sudanese refugee youth known as the "Lost Boys" of Sudan. Tom was known for his intelligence, quiet leadership, modesty, passion for teaching, generous mentoring, and excellent scholarship.  

 

Kristine Ann Scholarship is intended to assist HDFS students preparing for professional roles in family and child ecology. Students who demonstrate above average academic achievement are particularly eligible for this scholarship. This award is intended to encourage students to achieve their academic and professional goals.

Helen Takken Brink Endowment Fund was established to provide assistance to HDFS undergraduate/graduate students who demonstrated a capacity to achieve their academic goals. Other uses of the fund are to assist the Child Development Labs and other research ventures in the HDFS department. William (and Carol) Brink and Marilyn (and Nickolas) Bridges established this endowment in honor of their mother (Helen Takken Brink) who graduated from the College of Human Ecology.

Agnes Hunt and Claude Marshall Cade Endowed Scholarship is to help students in both engineering and family studies. Students who demonstrate exceptional ability to achieve academic and professional goals are eligible for this scholarship.  Agnes and Claude were both former faculty members at MSU, Agnes in the department of Home Economics, and Claude in the Engineering Department.

Arizona Bonanza Belle Wimple Calkins Endowed Memorial Fund wants to recognize HDFS students in programs that pertain to the original study of home economics. The fund is named after the mother of Mary Lou Van (Paul) Keuren, a former faculty member in the College of Human Ecology. This fund was established to honor the memory of Arizona, who was a pioneer in the study of Human Ecology (originally Domestic Science).

MSU Child Development Laboratories Endowment Fund honors the legacy of Child Development pioneer Betty Garlick and will support the MSU Child Development Laboratories in the form of the Betty Garlick Teacher Excellence Award. The Award will be given to one CDL teacher at the annual Teacher Appreciation Luncheon to promote professional development efforts for Child Development Laboratories teachers. The endowment also provides funding to support areas of opportunity within the CDL and provides tuition assistance to economically disadvantaged families who wish to attend the CDL.

Verna Lee and John R. Hildebrand Dissertation Fellowship provides awards in HDFS primarily when a doctoral student’s dissertation is focused on social justice issues (e.g. status of women and minorities, pay equity, family planning). John R. Hildebrand taught in the social science department while Verna Lee Hildebrand taught in the Human Ecology department. Verna Lee Hildebrand was the recipient of the distinguished faculty award in 1986. Doctoral students who have an interest in social justice issues are highly encouraged to apply for this fellowship.

Human Ecology Legacy Endowment Fund provides funding in three ways. 1) to assist undergraduate students in the completion of research projects; 2) by recognizing a HDFS undergraduate/graduate student who has demonstrated leadership in areas that provide a direct impact on the community through programs and research related traditional home economics (e.g., family, parenting, nutrition) and 3) funding to support strategic areas of opportunity in the HDFS Department.  Dr. Margaret (Peg) Bubolz demonstrated leadership in writing and scholarly work while Dr. Linda Nelson is an exemplary leader in teaching and qualitative methodology. Both Dr. Bubolz and Dr. Nelson served as department chairs and mentored many scholars in this area.

Knorr/Mentzer/Byers Scholarship was established by three former faculty members of the College of Human Ecology. Amy Knorr, James Mentzer, and Trish Byers wanted to establish a fund whereby HDFS undergraduate/graduate students who demonstrated exceptional academic achievement and potential to accomplish their academic and professional goals, could receive financial assistance.

Jacobs Family Scholarship was established by Dr. Lee and Mrs. Joy Jacobs (HDFS Specialist Emeritia) in honor of Lee's mother, who was a Home Economics teacher and is given to a student with interest in the area, a non-traditional student and also has demonstrated academic achievement.

Jeanette Lee Scholarship was established to assist HDFS undergraduate/graduate students in financial need. Jeanette Lee taught at MSU for nearly forty years. Her involvement in the College of Home Economics led to the name change to the College of Human Ecology to better reflect the mission of the college. This scholarship will be given to candidates whose research interests and career goals are the betterment of children and families. Preference is given to returning students.

Doctors Robert E. Lee and Patricia A. Ball Scholarship is available to HDFS doctoral level students in the CFT specialization. This scholarship is used to assist students of under-represented groups who demonstrate strong academic and clinical achievement. Financial need may also be considered in the distribution of these scholarship funds.

Mary Lewis Endowment provides research awards in HDFS, primarily when the research is focused on child development. Mary Lewis received the distinguished faculty award in 1961 in what was then the College of Home Economics. She was dedicated to research programs that had significant potential for ‘real world’ application. As such this fund is to support research that will benefit in some way the positive development of children.

Evelyn Mansfield Endowed Fund is provided to HDFS undergraduate/graduate students with financial need and who demonstrated the capacity to achieve their academic goals apply for this endowed scholarship.  Evelyn Mansfield taught at MSU for 22 years. She had a strong desire to help and encourage students to better their lives by furthering their education.

Jean Robinson Page Memorial Fund was established to assist HDFS students who are attending a professional meeting or conference in which FCE/HDFS is the main topic of study and discussion. Students need to apply for this fund as soon as they are aware of the conference schedule and their intention to attend.

Beatrice Paolucci Memorial Scholarship is used to help HDFS graduate students in financial need.  Bea received the distinguished faculty award in 1968, and also received the great honor of having a campus building named after her and now a sculpture outside of the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum.

Eugene O. Peisner Scholarship is available to HDFS graduate students who have demonstrated academic achievement and are in financial need. This award is intended to encourage students to achieve their academic and professional goals.

Jean Davis Schlater Dissertation Fellowship Endowment is to be used by HDFS doctoral students whose dissertation topics focus on human values, family decision making, family resource management, or quality of life. Applicants should include a letter of recommendation from their chairperson.

Alice Cutler Thorpe Graduate Scholarship is given to HDFS graduate students who demonstrate exceptional scholarship ability. This scholarship award is primarily for use in promoting research and education in a family oriented field of study.

Monica Herflicker Waltz Scholarship is for HDFS undergraduate students and is intended to encourage students to achieve their academic and professional goals.

Monica and Jonathan Wylie Scholarship is available to incoming HDFS students who have demonstrated academic achievement and have competed for the MSU alumni Distinguished Scholarship. This award is intended to encourage students to achieve their academic and professional goals.