MSU’s faculty and staff are known for their hard work and dedication to Michigan State, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the ways they invest their treasure in the same place they invest their time and talents.
Last year, 5,103 MSU faculty, staff and retirees gave over $14.3 million to programs and causes across the university.
Their support was celebrated at the annual Thanks for Giving Luncheon in October, underwritten by another significant donor to MSU: the MSU Federal Credit Union.
MSU’s current and former employees are among the most generous in the nation ranking in the top two of the Big Ten and the top 12 among universities nationwide for faculty, staff and retiree giving. Additionally, 272 of MSU’s faculty, staff and retirees have documented a future gift to MSU in their estate plans.
At this year’s Thanks for Giving luncheon, attendees heard from President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D., Vice President of Advancement Kim Tobin, MSUFCU CEO April Clobes, in addition to a special presentation from the Director of the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Laurel Ofstein, and Madison Marsh, an MSU honors student studying environmental economics and entrepreneurship who is this year’s recipient of the James Ian Gray Scholarship in Entrepreneurial Studies.
James Ian Gray spearheaded the creation of the Innovation Center and served as vice president for Research and Graduate Studies at MSU for nearly a decade. The scholarship bearing his name was established, in part, by another former faculty member who wished to pay tribute to Gray’s impact on the culture of entrepreneurship at MSU.
With the support of the Burgess Institute, Madison launched her own business, The Cut, MI and is the proud author of The Cut Cookbook.
“Madison, has gone above and beyond in making the most of opportunities, learning from setbacks, and succeeding in a variety of settings—the characteristics of the entrepreneurial mindset—during her time at MSU,” Ofstein said at the event, noting: “This scholarship is an example of how donors like you are supporting the next generation of Spartans.”
Photos captured the event.
LEARN MORE about how you can support MSU students like Madison Marsh by contacting Assistant Director for Annual Leadership Giving Jesse Klinger at jklinger@msu.edu or by calling (517) 884-1124.
