Spring 2006

THE CAMPAIGN FOR MSU

MSU PARTNERS

CORPORATE & FOUNDATION RELATIONSAT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

or the next three years, anew residency in theCollege of Veterinary

Medicine will be supported in part bya grant from Fort Dodge AnimalHealth (Fort Dodge).

The Fort Dodge Resident Scholarin Dairy Production Medicine will

receive an annual salary paid by FortDodge, with benefits, insurance andgraduate school tuition covered byMichigan State University.

The veterinary resident will workprimarily at the MSU TrainingCenter for Dairy Professionals atGreen Meadow Farms, Inc. in Elsie,

CAMPAIGN GOAL: $1.2 BILLIONSTATUS TO GOAL: $1.117 BILLION

As of May 1, 2006

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FOREST AKERS TRUST ENDOWS SCHOLARSHIPS

Forest Akers scholars will work and study around the world in places like Münstermaifeld, Germany.

Fort Dodge Sponsors VeterinaryResidency in Dairy ProductionMedicine

n February of 2006, theForest Akers Trust formal-ized an agreement to give

$1 million to Michigan StateUniversity to establish the ForestAkers Study Abroad EndowedScholarship Fund.

“This endowment gives a tremen-dous opportunity for students whootherwise would have to forgo StudyAbroad due to financial constraints.Because of the support and generosityof the Forest Akers Trust, studentswho demonstrate a need, yet are

I financially ineligible for federal PellGrant assistance, will now be able toparticipate in an important compo-nent of the total Michigan StateUniversity experience,” said MSUPresident Lou Anna K. Simon.

“Michigan State University is a leaderin Study Abroad because we havemade it a priority to give our studentsthe opportunity to gain an interna-tional perspective and cultural under-standing that will help them be better

prepared to work, to lead and to makea difference in an interconnectedworld.”

“We try to make the internationalexperience comparable in cost to asemester on campus,” added KathleenFairfax, director of the Office ofStudy Abroad. “Nevertheless, manystudents hold jobs while attendingschool to help cover expenses. Inorder to make it affordable for themto go abroad, they need to replacethat income. The grant from theForest H. Akers Trust is a tremen-dous boost to the Study Abroad pro-gram. This grant enables MSU tomake the international opportunityavailable and affordable to more students each semester.”

Forest Akers was elected by thepeople of Michigan to three terms onthe MSU Board of Trustees where heserved from 1940 to 1958. In theearly 1960s, Mr. Akers established theForest Akers Trust to support the faculty, staff and students ofMichigan State University andOakland University (a branch ofMSU at that time).

Over the years, the trust has pro-vided substantial support to projectswith broad appeal to the MSU com-munity including two golf courses;J.A. Hannah Professorships; theWharton Center for the PerformingArts; the Jack Breslin Student EventsCenter; the Evans Scholars program;Beaumont Tower renovations; theClara Bell Smith Student-AthleteAcademic Center; and most recently$1.7 million for two capital projects—improvements to Forest Akers WestGolf Course near the James B. HenryCenter for Executive Developmentand the Alfred Berkowitz BasketballComplex expansion at the BreslinCenter. In 2001, the trust was induct-ed into the Joseph R. WilliamsSociety in recognition of its morethan $5 million in contributions toMSU.

Today’s Forest Akers Trustees—Roger Wilkinson, Stephen Terry,Brian Breslin and Nancy E. Craig—continue the tradition of giving toMSU that Forest Akers initiatedmore than 40 years ago.

Michigan. This is an active dairyoperation that milks approximately3,200 cows. Green Meadow Farms isideally suited for this programbecause of its advanced health man-agement and data management capabilities, including a farm-wideintranet and comprehensive, comput-erized animal health records.

The Fort Dodge Dairy ProductionMedicine Resident will work activelyon the farm and be involved in ani-mal health management, teaching,and research. The resident will pur-sue a graduate degree while workingunder the supervision of faculty in theMSU Training Center for DairyProfessionals and the Center forComparative Epidemiology. In addi-tion, the resident will receive trainingand experience as an adjunct memberof the Professional Services veterinarygroup at Fort Dodge Animal Health.

Fort Dodge Animal Health, a divi-sion of Wyeth, is a leading manufac-turer and distributor of animal healthcare products for the livestock, swine,poultry, equine and companion ani-mal industries in the United Statesand international markets. FortDodge Animal Health has successful-ly secured USDA registration fornumerous vaccines, received FDAapproval for many pharmaceuticals,and enjoys an impressive history of“firsts”—the world’s first four-way,single-dose, adjuvanted, modified-livevaccine for cattle, the first West Nilevirus vaccine for horses, and the firstMycoplasma vaccine for swine. FortDodge Animal Health is located inOverland Park, Kansas.

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Forest Akers continued from page 1 Fort Dodge continued from page 1

The Fort Dodge Dairy Production MedicineResident will work with MSU dairy herds.

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n 1959, in his first presiden-tial address as head of theMichigan Association of

Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons(MAOP&S), Dr. Alan Pottsannounced that Michigan would bethe home of the next College ofOsteopathic Medicine. The challengeto the MAOP&S membership wasdirect and daunting, particularly sinceno new osteopathic school hadopened anywhere in 30 years.

Michigan’s osteopathic physiciansresponded to the challenge by creat-ing the Michigan OsteopathicCollege Foundation and by voting totax each member of the MAOP&S$2,000 to create the corpus of thetrust fund. The members’ dedicationand continued financial support led tothe establishment in 1969 of theMichigan College of OsteopathicMedicine in Pontiac. Two years later,the College of Osteopathic Medicinebecame part of Michigan StateUniversity and moved to the MSUcampus.

The Michigan OsteopathicCollege Foundation has remained animportant private supporter of thecollege throughout its history, withgifts that have supported scholarshipsand program needs, such as theKobiljak Computer Center, theOsteopathic Manipulative MedicineFellows Program, graduation, and theCommunique magazine.

Culminating its relationship withMSUCOM, the MichiganOsteopathic College Foundation in2005 made a gift of its entire assets—$3.5 million—to establish the

Michigan Osteopathic CollegeFoundation Endowment. “We arevery proud of our role in establishingand partnering with the MichiganState University College ofOsteopathic Medicine,” said EugeneOliveri, D.O., president of theMichigan Osteopathic CollegeFoundation. “We not only achievedDr. Alan Potts’ vision of building anosteopathic college in Michigan, butwe have seen it grow into one of thefinest medical schools in the nation.”

Today, MSUCOM is nationallyrecognized and respected. The 2007edition of America’s Best GraduateSchools from U.S. News & WorldReport ranks MSUCOM fourth inthe nation for primary care training.“Since 2000, we’ve been the top-ranking osteopathic college and in thetop 10 of all medical schools national-ly for primary care education,” saidWilliam Strampel, dean of theCollege of Osteopathic Medicine.“To achieve fourth of 144 institutionsis a great honor, a nice recognitionamong our peers.”

“We are very aware of and gratefulfor our partnership with theMichigan Association of OsteopathicPhysicians and Surgeons and theMichigan Osteopathic CollegeFoundation,” said Dean Strampel.“Their forethought, determinationand support through the years havecontributed exponentially to thehealth care profession in our state andregion.”

The Michigan OsteopathicCollege Foundation will continue to

operate in order to process outstand-ing loans and collect future gifts,which may periodically be made tothe Michigan Osteopathic CollegeFoundation Endowment in MSU-COM. The Foundation board willcontinue to advocate for MSUCOMand the profession in the state ofMichigan.

In 2005, the foundation wasinducted into MSU’s Joseph R.Williams society in recognition of $5 million in contributions to MSUCollege of Osteopathic Medicine(MSUCOM).

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MICHIGAN OSTEOPATHIC COLLEGEFOUNDATION GIVES $3.5 MILLION

“We not only achieved Dr. Alan Potts’ vision of building an osteopathic college in Michigan,but we have seen it grow into one of the finestmedical schools in the nation.”

—Dr. Eugene Oliveri, president,Michigan Osteopathic College Foundation

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ncreasing the number ofengineering graduates,especially women and

under-represented groups, is thefocus of the 3M EngineeringStudent Retention Initiative. Inthe 2004-05 academic year, the3M Foundation awarded grantsto four Big Ten universities,including Michigan StateUniversity, to recruit and retainstudents in their colleges of engineering.

“The awards address the loom-ing shortage of engineers andtechnical workers by helpinginterested students stay and suc-ceed in the sciences,” said BarbaraKaufman, manager, EducationGiving, 3M Foundation. “Thegrant to Michigan StateUniversity enables the College ofEngineering to build upon exist-ing programs, it encourages col-laboration between students, fac-ulty and administrators, and itprovides support for the collegeto connect with middle and highschool educators.”

“We are very grateful for thesupport from the 3M Founda-tion,” said Dr. Aurles U. Wiggins,director of the Diversity Pro-grams Office, MSU College ofEngineering. “With the first yeargrant of $100,000, we have takensteps to increase the intensity ofour efforts to recruit and retainstudents admitted to the Collegeof Engineering, especially under-represented minorities andwomen.”

The first step was the hiring ofTheodore D. Caldwell, a 1996MSU graduate in Communica-tion Arts and Sciences, in theposition of Recruitment andRetention Coordinator. Mr.Caldwell started in his new jobon April 24, 2006.

“Theo has outstanding attrib-utes that are ideal for this posi-tion,” said Dr. Wiggins. “He hasa background in marketing, anexcellent grasp of what the posi-tion is about, tremendous enthu-siasm, and a talent for connectingwith young people.”

“His assignments will revolvearound activities that engage firstand second year students in theCollege of Engineering environ-ment and the instructional support services that addressbehaviors and habits that lead toacademic success. By the end ofhis first year, Theo will know 100percent of the students in theprogram,” said Dr. Wiggins. “Hewill also be my teaching assistantin Engineering 160, an orienta-tion seminar for freshmen andsophomores that addresses transitional problems, identifiescareer options, and teaches communication skills.”

Mr. Caldwell’s recruitmentactivities will include extensiveoutreach to middle and highschool educators and to commu-nity leaders involved in pre-college activities that promoteproficiency in science, technology,engineering and math. One

objective is to increase the visibili-ty of the MSU College ofEngineering to pre-college stu-dents who have an interest inmath, technology and the sciences.

“By the second year, we willadd more layers to the outreachcomponent,” said Dr. Wiggins.The Summer Math IntensiveBridge Program will provide stu-dents with an on-campus summerexperience prior to entering col-lege. The Bridge Program willhelp to prepare students for firstyear college level math classes,build study and classroom skillsto facilitate academic success, andenhance student achievement andretention levels in their first yearof college.

The 3M FoundationEngineering Student RetentionInitiative is a four-year programwith an annual applicationprocess. Continued funding, up toa maximum of $650,000 pergrantee over the four-year period,is dependent upon an annual pro-gram impact report submittedeach year by the participatinguniversities.

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3M ENGINEERING STUDENTRETENTION INITIATIVE

Theodore Caldwell (3rd from right) startedmeeting engineering students on his first day asRecruitment and Retention Coordinator.

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ast October, MichiganState University alumnaJulie Fasone-Holder (B.A.,

General Business Administration)become a member of the Office ofthe Chief Executive for DowChemical Company and assumed theposition of Corporate Vice Presidentof Human Resources, Diversity andInclusion and Public Affairs. OnMarch 10, Ms. Fasone-Holderreturned to campus in another newrole for her at Dow—MSU KeyExecutive.

Along with her Dow colleaguesand fellow MSU graduates—MikeMcDonald (Supply Chain NewBusiness Development), PetePendergast, (marketing manager,Specialty Chemicals), and PatrickSmith (Research and Developmentscientist)—Ms. Fasone-Holderdevoted a full day to a series of meet-ings with university faculty andadministrators, with the primaryfocus on academic programs andresearch activities in the fields of busi-ness, chemistry and engineering.MSU President Lou Anna K. Simonalso met with the Dow executives totalk about the university’s extensiveglobal activities.

“Dow Chemical Company is thefourth largest employer in Michiganand is a very important partner forMichigan State University in acade-mic and research endeavors and as arecruiter for our graduates,” saidLucille Fallon, director of Corporateand Foundation Relations for MSU.

“We look forward to working closelywith Julie Fasone-Holder to define anew strategic relationship that alignsthe university’s strengths with thecompany’s interests.”

Michigan State University alsorecently welcomed to campus on sep-arate occasions executives from theRobert Bosch Corporation, SiemensCorporation, Honeywell, and GeneralElectric Company, who have beenassigned by their companies to therole of Key Executive for MSU.

In 2005, MSU traded site visitswith General Electric. In July, EannPatterson, director, Department ofMechanical Engineering, led a smallgroup from MSU on a visit to theGE Aircraft Engine headquarters inCincinnati. In October, KeyExecutive Brett BeGole, generalmanager, Global LocomotiveOperations, GE–Transportation, andMSU Campus Recruit Leader BrianGreen, GE–Infrastructure–Aviation,Military Inlet & Exhaust Systems,were hosted on campus, where theyhad a chance to talk with the presi-dent and provost, as well as to discussmatters of interest with faculty andstaff in Engineering, Business, Laborand Industrial Relations, and CareerPlacement Services.

Representing Honeywell, KeyExecutive Mary Anne Robinson, vicepresident for corporate human rela-tions, and John Martinson, generalmanager, Honeywell Automation andControl Solutions, met with facultyand staff in Engineering, Business

and Labor and Industrial Relationsduring their campus visit in lateJanuary.

From the Robert BoschCorporation, Key Executive LeeManduzzi, executive vice presidentfor automotive sales, Rick Puchalski,director of automotive sales and program management, and JaimeButtigieg, corporate recruiting anddiversity, met with leading faculty andadministrators in academic andresearch areas of interest to the company during a visit in April.

MSU was pleased to host a three-day visit in early April by SiemensCorporation representatives CurtEstes, director of procurement,Siemens VDO, Troy; Maureen Conn,staffing manager, Siemens VDO,Auburn Hills; Peter Olfs, seniordirector emeritus, Siemens AG; MaryKordys, Siemens USA university rela-tions manager; Ozzie Smith, seniormarketing specialist, Siemens PowerGeneration, Orlando; and Scott Lee,engineering support restraint systems,Siemens VDO, Troy. The extendedcampus visit provided great opportu-nities for the Siemens contingent totour research facilities, enjoy in-depthconversation with teaching andresearch faculty from Engineeringand other academic areas of interest,and to interact with the university’sCareer Services and Placement professionals.

MSU WELCOMES CORPORATE KEY EXECUTIVESVisits to Campus by Dow Chemical, Honeywell, Siemens, Bosch, & GE

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Distinctive features of the newresearch complex include two enginetest cells, a cold start room for sub-zero testing and an existing power-train research laboratory that will berelocated from MSU’s Hulett Roadresearch facility.

“Once completed, EARL will beone of only a handful of these typesof research facilities in the nation,”said Eann Patterson, chairperson ofthe Department of MechanicalEngineering.

EARL will house a world-classcenter for synergistic research and

roundbreaking ceremonieswere held November 18,2005 for the Energy and

Automotive Research Laboratories(EARL), a 29,000-square-footresearch complex. In the new labora-tories, researchers will identify waysto realize greater fuel efficiency,determine how to collect waste heatand convert it to electricity, and workto develop new biobased fuels.

MSU President Lou Anna K.Simon, MSU Trustees, and facultyleaders were joined in celebrating thestart of construction by major con-tributors to the facility, includingrepresentatives of the Ford MotorCompany, General MotorsCorporation, Consumers Energy,and individual donors Richard H.Brown, Roy and Dawn Link, andJohn and Dortha Withrow.

RESEARCHFOCUS INNEW LAB:ALTERNATIVEENERGYSOURCES,ENGINEEFFICIENCY,VEHICLEEMISSIONS

(l to r) Roy H. and Dawn I. Link, RichardBrown (individual donors); Vance Zanardelli,Ford Motor Company; Eann Patterson, chair-person, Department of Mechanical Engineering;Satish Udpa, acting dean, College of Engineer-ing; MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon; MSUTrustee Dolores Cook; Jeri Ojeda, GeneralMotors Corporation; MSU Provost Kim Wilcox.

Robert Bonner, engineering manager, Large Truck& SUV Manufacturing, Ford Motor Company, andchairperson, MSU Department of MechanicalEngineering Visiting Board, spoke after the ceremony.

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development, bringing together inone facility the researchers and stu-dents who are working to addresstoday’s and tomorrow’s energy con-cerns. “For instance, test cells willallow for further development ofhybrid technologies, the creation ofmore efficient combustion engines

and the pursuit ofbiobased fuels,”Patterson said.

“Activities withinthe new energy labswill also complementresearch programs inelectric drives andpower electronics thatare taking place else-where in the college,” said SatishUdpa, acting dean of the College ofEngineering.

“This first-class research facilitywill allow us to enhance our researchpartnerships and put us in a muchbetter position to respond to theneeds of the energy and automotiveindustries,” Udpa said.

In addition to the new labs, thefacility will include control rooms,fuel rooms and research preparationrooms. It will also house faculty andgraduate student offices, along with aconference room for lectures, semi-nars and industry meetings.Construction of the new facility—which will be connected via a walk-way to an existing research complex—will more than double the currentautomotive and energy researchspace.

The new facility is going up nextto the existing Engineering ResearchComplex located at Service Roadand Bogue Street, south of theClinical Center and the LifeSciences Building on the MSU cam-pus. The building is scheduled forcompletion this year. After equip-ment installation, a dedication cere-mony is planned for summer 2007.

Lynn Bechtel, team coordinator at MSU,General Motors University Relations, and chairperson, College of Engineering AlumniBoard, spoke at the post-ceremony lunch.

Eann Patterson, chairperson, Department ofMechanical Engineering, described theresearch to be conducted in the Energy andAutomotive Research Laboratories.

Artist’s rendition of EARL

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ultivating leadership thatbridges diverse and some-times competing interests

is the focus of a new academy beinglaunched by the Michigan StateUniversity College of Agriculture andNatural Resources and the Eli BroadCollege of Business with help fromthe W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

The Kellogg Foundation has award-ed a $390,000 startup grant to fundthe first two years of operation of theGreat Lakes Leadership Academy(GLLA), an outreach initiative thatwill help current and emerging leaders

from Michigan’s manufacturing, agri-culture and natural resources sectorsdevelop collaborative relationships andenhance leadership skills. The academywill initially offer two leadership con-centrations—the Leadership SkillsDevelopment program and theLeadership Advancement program.

“The Great Lakes LeadershipAcademy brings together leaders fromkey sectors of the economy to honetheir leadership skills and develop relationships that promote positivechange, economic vitality, resourceconservation and enhanced quality oflife in Michigan,” said JeffreyArmstrong, dean of the College of

Agriculture and Natural Resources.“We are excited because we are seeingstrong support across industries forleadership development efforts thatadvance leadership for the commongood.”

“I am delighted that the W.K.Kellogg Foundation is supporting aleadership development program atMichigan State University,” said GailImig, program director for food sys-tems and rural development at theKellogg Foundation. “We are confi-dent that this program will assist cur-rent and future Michigan leaders in

addressing critical issues to assure abright future for the state.”

The Leadership Advancement con-centration is a two-year commitmentdesigned for individuals preparing forsenior leadership roles. It includesclassroom and experiential learning, aswell as state and international travel.It is patterned after a KelloggFoundation supported agriculturalleadership program developed in the1960s at MSU, a program that becamea national and international model.

The GLLA Leadership SkillsDevelopment concentration isdesigned for potential and currentleaders seeking continuing professional

development. It is an extension of theNatural Resource Leadership Projectconducted by the MSU Departmentof Fisheries and Wildlife since 2002.The program focuses on developingindividual and organizational leader-ship skills and applying those skills in acollaborative fashion to the commonissues of diverse communities.

Mike Kovacic, director of theGLLA, says the academy will likelyadd more programs over time, includ-ing an alumni network for programgraduates.

“We feel there is a significantopportunity to stimulate increased networking and industry leadershipthrough our leadership developmentprograms and an active alumni net-work,” said Kovacic, who is also direc-tor of stakeholder relations for theCollege of Agriculture and NaturalResources. “It is our intent to supportgraduates by providing opportunitiesto communicate and collaborate onkey issues facing their industries andthe state.”

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation wasestablished in 1930 “to help peoplehelp themselves through the practicalapplication of knowledge and resourcesto improve their quality of life and thatof future generations.” Its program-ming activities center around the com-mon vision of a world in which eachperson has a sense of worth; acceptsresponsibility for self, family, commu-nity and societal well-being; and hasthe capacity to be productive and tohelp create nurturing families,responsive institutions and healthycommunities.

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NEW LEADERSHIP PROGRAM LAUNCHED WITHKELLOGG GRANT

“We are seeing strong support across industriesfor leadership development efforts that advanceleadership for the common good.”

—Dean Jeffrey Armstrong,College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

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upported by a $67,000 giftfrom the Shell OilCompany, the Shell SITES

(Students Interested in Technology,Engineering and Science) Program atMichigan State University offers newopportunities for K-12 students toexplore the fascinating world of science and technology.

“This program aligns with ourworkforce development initiative,aimed at cultivating prospective engi-neers and geoscientists to ensure ourindustry has the skilled workforcerequired for the future,” said WilliamFitzpatrick, executive vice president,human resources and administration

for Shell Trading, and Shell’s KeyExecutive for MSU.

The MSU College of Engineeringreceived $33,000 of the Shell gift toexpand the presence of FIRSTLEGO League (FLL) at MSU. FLLis the result of an alliance betweenFIRST (For Inspiration andRecognition of Science and

Technology), a multinational non-profit organization, and the LEGOCompany. An international program,FLL challenges youngsters aged ninethrough 14 to build, program and testfully autonomous robots made exclusively from LEGO blocks.Shell’s support will increase the number of MSU-sponsored teamsrepresenting elementary and middleschools in the Greater Lansing Areafrom two to ten.

The Shell gift also makes it possi-ble for MSU to become a site for oneof the regional tournaments held eachfall. A portion of the Shell contribu-tion will be available as travel stipendsfor the winning teams to attend thestatewide FLL competition in Novi,Michigan.

Drew Kim, director of recruitmentand K-12 outreach for the College ofEngineering, said, “The Shell grant isvery timely. It’s a great way for us toreach out to the community and col-laborate with area school students,teachers, and parents in order to pro-duce well prepared future engineers.”

The other part of the Shell gift,$34,000, will be used by the MSUCollege of Natural Science to estab-lish Shell Scholars Day as part of theannual Science, Engineering andTechnology (SET) Day at MSU. Upto 20 students in the 10th and 11thgrades from winning teams in theMichigan Science Olympiad in April2006 will be invited to campus onSET Day in February 2007 to partic-ipate in programs and activities.

The Shell Scholars Day funds willalso be used to award up to four$5,000 scholarships to studentsaccepted to the MSU College ofNatural Science, with preferencegiven to those majoring in geologicalsciences.

SSHELL &MSU REACHOUT TOFUTUREENGINEERS,SCIENTISTS

MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon (center) met with and accepted Shell’s $67,000 check fromShell Oil Company executives (l to r) Paul DeWaele, business team manager, Shell GlobalSolutions; Frazier Wilson, social investment manager; Bill Fitzpatrick, executive vice president,human resources and administration, Shell Trading, and Shell Key Executive for MSU; andHouston Brown, manager, graduate recruitment and university relations.

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n February 2006, the DorisDuke CharitableFoundation announced

the results of its first OperationsResearch on AIDS Care andTreatment in Africa (ORACTA)competition. The goal of theORACTA program is to improvethe care and treatment of AIDSpatients in resource-limited settings,inform antiretroviral therapy (ART)policy and practice, and improveoutcomes of the roll-out and scale-up of ART in Africa.

“While significant new funding isavailable for delivering antiretroviraltherapy to African populations, littleresearch has been done to determinethe most effective means of doing soamid the diverse and often dauntingconstraints of individual Africancountries,” said Joan E. Spero, presi-dent of the Doris Duke CharitableFoundation.

The ORACTA competitionattracted 73 proposals from investi-gators working in 18 African coun-tries. The foundation selected 20teams to receive two-year grants of$200,000 each.

One ORACTA team is led byGretchen L. Birbeck, M.D.,M.P.H., associate professor of

epidemiology and neurology andopthamology, Michigan StateUniversity College of OsteopathicMedicine. Beginning in June 2006,Dr. Birbeck and her team will begindata collection for a study in Zambiato assess factors that may affectadherence/nonadherence to AIDStreatments among remote, ruralpopulations.

“More than 20 years into theAIDS epidemic in sub-SaharanAfrica, antiretroviral therapy is final-ly becoming available to the generalpublic. The initial roll-out primarilyserved populations near large teach-ing hospitals and other urbanhealthcare facilities,” said Dr.Birbeck. “Now, ART is slowlybecoming available in rural regions,where over half of the people livingin Africa reside.”

Dr. Birbeck will work out ofthree ART clinics in Zambia’sSouthern Province. The team willreview clinic records as well as inter-view and examine patients to deter-mine adherence rates and will assesspotential determinants including

• Demographics—age, gender, posi-tion in family unit, childcareresponsibilities, employment status,household location.

• Economic—food security, housingquality, income, wealth (includinganimal ownership), indirect cost of care.

• Medical—HIV stage, co-morbiddisease, pre-treatment nutritionalstatus, psychiatric co-morbidity,dementia, active substance abuse.

Adherence to ART treatment willbe characterized based on clinicattendance, patient report and pillcounts. ART treatment includes amonthly supply of pills. Patientswho fail to return for their sched-uled monthly follow-up will betermed “non-adherent” and willreceive home visits to ascertain why they are not continuing thetreatment.

“The biggest single cost for thisresearch project will be transporta-

tion so that we can get to the vil-lages and outlying regions where thepatients live,” said Dr. Birbeck. “TheSouthern Province is quite remotewith poor roads and limited vehicletransportation.”

“If we can identify barriers toadherence, we can help save livesand perhaps prevent the virus frombecoming resistant to the drugs,”said Dr. Birbeck. “Resistance is a

DORIS DUKEFOUNDATIONFUNDS MSUAIDSRESEARCH INZAMBIA

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“The biggest single cost for this research projectwill be transportation so that we can get to thevillages and outlying regions where the patientslive.”

—Gretchen L. Birbeck, M.D., M.P.H.,College of Osteopathic Medicine

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possibility if the patient does nottake the drug as prescribed orrepeatedly goes on and off the med-ication. If a resistant virus spreads inthe population, then the antiretrovi-ral therapy becomes ineffective andnew therapies have to be developedat greater cost in money and in lives.”

There can be many reasons fornon-adherence, and those reasonsincrease in rural settings where ARTtreatment is still a novelty.Education levels combined with tra-ditional beliefs can come into play.Subjects may not accept the ideathat their illness was created by anunseen virus. Perhaps the patient isthe sole caregiver in a family andcannot take the time to make thelong trip (often on foot) to go to aclinic. Or perhaps side-effects fromthe drug cause the patient to stopusing it. The challenge for Dr.Birbeck’s team will be to quantifythe factors that impact adherenceand non-adherence. With greaterunderstanding of the reasons fornon-adherence—whether education-al, socioeconomic, or other—the lessguesswork there will be in makingeffective adjustments for the provi-sion of ART therapy to rural sub-Saharan populations.

Dr. Gretchen Birbeck’s photograph of a typical remote village in rural Zambia, where her researchteam will interview and examine patients.

education. RCPD Director MichaelHudson said, “The DeLapas remindus all that many of life’s greatestaccomplishments begin with a help-ing hand somewhere along the way.The generosity shown here is incredi-bly significant to all of us.”

Judy and Jim hope that their initialgift to the new scholarship endowment

will inspire other members of theSpartan community to give back.Working with Mr. Hudson, theDeLapas will embark on an initiativeto encourage others to give to theSamaritan Scholar Awards. “TheDeLapas challenge each of us to fullyinvest in helping others reach theireducational goals, and this endow-

ment evidences their work towardthat outcome,” said Mr. Hudson.

For information about giving to theRCPD, contact Erin Slayter at (517) 355-7535.

Samaritan Scholar Awards continued from page 12

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MSU PARTNERSUniversity DevelopmentMichigan State University300 Spartan WayEast Lansing, MI 48824-1005

Non-profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDEast Lansing, MI

Permit No. 21

PARTNERSCorporate and Foundation RelationsUniversity DevelopmentMichigan State University300 Spartan WayEast Lansing, Michigan 48824-1005

Tel: (517) 884-1019Fax: (517) 432-1129E-mail: healya@msu.eduWebsite: http://www.givingto.msu.edu

Lou Anna K. SimonPresident

Charles H. WebbVice President University Development

Marti HeilAssociate Vice PresidentUniversity Development

Lucille FallonDirectorCorporate and Foundation Relations

Tim Wuchter Associate DirectorCorporate and Foundation Relations

Alisa HealyEditor

MSU Partners is a publication of Michigan StateUniversity Development, Office of Corporate andFoundation Relations.

MSU Partners Spring Edition, 2006

continued on page 11

Samaritan Scholar Awards Benefit Students with DisabilitiesSamaritan Scholar Awards Benefit Students with Disabilities

lumni Judy and JimDeLapa have supportedMSU for many years,

personally and through the SamaritanFoundation, which they established.Their most recent gift of $30,000 hascreated the endowed SamaritanScholar Awards to provide annualscholarships for MSU students withdisabilities.

Since 2002, through the SamaritanFoundation the DeLapas have provid-ed five annual scholarships to studentswith disabilities and financial need. Bychoosing now to endow the SamaritanScholar Awards, Judy and Jim DeLapawill ensure these important scholar-ships continue in perpetuity. “Over theyears, we have given to many differentcauses, and we shall continue to do so.

Increasingly, we make a point ofinvesting our charitable dollars asstrategically as we invest our otherresources,” said Judy DeLapa.

“How is an investment differentthan a handout?” Ms. DeLapa con-tinued. “An investment is somethingthat pays dividends. Each year when Ispeak at the awards ceremony for theResource Center for Persons withDisabilities (RCPD), I emphasize theexpectation that someday, when therecipients are in a position to do so, itwill be their turn to give back andhelp pave the way for those who fol-low. As for ourselves, we have foundno better investment than to providescholarships and opportunities forpersons with disabilities to maximizetheir potential.”

Judy and Jim DeLapa met whileattending MSU, where both receivedscholarship support for their

A

Judy and Jim DeLapa