New Gifts, Endowments, Bequests

Roger Ehrenberg (BBA ’87) and Carin Levine Ehrenberg (AB ’88) have established the Ehrenberg Fund for LEAPS, which will provide flexible support for the SOE’s new undergraduate major: Learning, Equity, and Problem Solving (LEAPS) for the Public Good. The Ehrenbergs’ generous contribution marks the first gift to the SOE’s new program. The support it provides will cover initial expenses for infrastructure, student scholarships, or other needs deemed critical by the dean to ensure a successful launch of LEAPS.

Carin Levine Ehrenberg, who currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council, met her future husband Roger while a student at U-M. At the time, both were close to finishing their degrees—she in psychology, he in business. Thirty-five years later, their reverence for the institution, and their shared love of Ann Arbor, remains strong—and they’ve passed it on to their sons, both of whom were eager to attend U-M for college.

“Being part of the SOE DAC means so much to me as someone who is passionate about engaged learning, the importance of wonderful teachers, and who cares about all children having access to the kind of education we were able to provide to our sons. It also is important to both Roger and me that we can support this work at our alma mater with the wonderful leadership of Dean Moje, who we are inspired by, and who we consider a friend,” says Carin. “We have spent our last 10-15 years as Michigan alums finding ways to give back to the university, and we also sit on other boards and are involved across the university. All of our gifts support learning, growing, diversity, and inclusion.”

Although neither of the Ehrenbergs attended the SOE as students themselves, Carin says they are both strong believers in the importance of education “helping to grow meaningful, active, and engaged lifelong learners.” Her hope is that their gift will inspire others to support the SOE.

Joan Eames (AM ’68) of Naples, Florida recently established the Peter and Mary L. Mahonchak Endowed Scholarship Fund, which will provide support to secondary teacher education students in the SOE who intend to teach in a STEM field. Eames’ professional teaching career spanned nearly 40 years, including over three decades as a reading specialist for students in elementary through high school. Eames established this scholarship fund in honor of her parents, Peter and Mary L. Mahonchak, who instilled in her the value of hard work and a good education; they suggested that she pursue a career in teaching.

SOE Professor and Assistant Dean Henry Meares established The Meares Scholars Fund, which will support current and future undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing a degree or certification from the SOE. In particular, Meares wishes to reduce the barriers to entry into the school, covering the costs associated with either applying to or matriculating into the school.

This fund was created to reduce disparities in education access by providing resources for students who might not otherwise have the financial support needed to pursue an education at the SOE. The focus of this fund is to promote the values of diversity and inclusion by encouraging the admission and funding of students who, for example, have financial need, come from minority-serving institutions, or otherwise represent a broad array of life experiences and perspectives. These students’ participation enhances the quality of the intellectual environment for all students.

A gift from the estate of John H. and Patricia W. Mitchell was given to establish an endowed fund named The John H. and Patricia W. Mitchell Fund for Arts, Media, and Communication Studies, which will support students and faculty who are studying and developing approaches to building robust arts, media, and communications programs at the university’s partnership school in Detroit, The School at Marygrove. The goal of the fund is to assist in teaching youth and their teachers how to use arts and media to communicate with power, artistry, and precision.

John Mitchell was an entertainment industry executive who served as president of Columbia Pictures television division from 1968 to 1977. Under his leadership, more than 100 television programs were produced, including The Flintstones and Bewitched. He also produced the five-time Emmy-winning movie Brian’s Song. Mitchell went on to serve three terms as president of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, beginning in the early 1980s.

As a proud alumnus, Mitchell recognized the powerful role his U-M education played in preparing him for his own successful career in the entertainment industry. A trustee of the Mitchells’ trust says the couple wanted to give that same power to future generations of brilliant and creative minds.

Barbara A. Palmer (ABEd ’64, TeachCert ’64, AMLS ’68) of Batavia, Illinois recently established the Barbara Longon Yaney Palmer Scholarship Fund, which will provide support to elementary and secondary teacher education students. During her 25-year career, Palmer served as a teacher and librarian for K-12 students in Indianapolis, Indiana; Wayne, Michigan; Lubbock, Texas; and Naperville, Illinois. She established this scholarship in honor of her parents, Jean Wetherell Longon and J. Russell Longon, and her late husband, Joseph P. Yaney (AB ’61, JD ’64, MBA ’64, PhD ’69), all of whom provided her with support during her undergraduate and graduate studies.

In recent years, the Barbara and her husband, Roger, have enjoyed returning to Ann Arbor for Maize and Blue weekends. Roger loves to count the “Go Blue!” greetings he gets when he wears his Michigan hat, even thousands of miles away from Ann Arbor. Roger and Barbara look forward to meeting the deserving and motivated scholarship recipients: “This is the best way to give back. We wish them all great success as they work with the next generation of students.”

Lesley (AB ’92) and Thomas Slatkin have established the Slatkin Family Detroit P-20 Partnership Fund. This fund will support critical needs related to the Detroit P-20 Partnership, including but not limited to efforts to create empowering educational experiences for Detroit children, youth, teachers, and leaders engaged in the partnership.

“I was looking for a personal way to give back to the university,” Lesley says. “After graduating from Michigan, I went to work for Teach for America and, of course, believe there is no more important profession than teaching. I was inspired to support the School of Education’s work in Detroit because without teachers there are no future students. I was also compelled to give to areas within the university that are not as well-funded as others. My family and I look forward to seeing this program grow and are proud to make an investment in both the University of Michigan and Detroit.”

The Florence M. Steinberg Scholarship Fund was established by generous friends and family in memory of the late Florence Steinberg (ABEd ’73,TeachCert ’73, AM ’80) of Huntington Woods, Michigan, who passed away in 2021. Steinberg was a longtime reading specialist and elementary school teacher in the Detroit area. The new scholarship fund will provide need-based support to elementary teacher education students in the SOE.

Joel Steinberg (BS ’73), her husband, says: “Florence lived a life of many loves: creating them, finding them, engaging in them, none of which surpassed her love of children, and all the education and practice it required to sustain and develop that love. She would be elated to know that the scholarship serves to facilitate and inspire the training of elementary school teachers, ensuring the future of quality elementary school education.”