CMU College of Medicine establishes first-ever endowed chair with generous gift from retired faculty member

Marilyn Haupt, M.D., a distinguished former faculty member of the CMU College of Medicine, has enhanced her legacy with a significant gift that will benefit generations of medical students and researchers.  Dr. Haupt is an internist who specialized in critical care medicine and has over 45 years of experience in intensive care unit-based practice, clinical research and teaching.  She received her medical degree from Cornell University Medical College in New York and trained in internal medicine and critical care medicine at North Shore University Hospital, Memorial-Sloan Kettering and Albany Medical College.

Dr. Haupt joined the CMU College of Medicine in 2011, bringing a wealth of administrative, research and clinical experience to the institution.  During her tenure, she also practiced critical care medicine at the hospitals in Saginaw.  In 2017, Dr. Haupt made a substantial contribution to fund the Dr. Marilyn Haupt Endowed Scholarship, which is awarded to qualifying students who reside in central or northern Michigan.  Even in retirement, Dr. Haupt continues to engage with the College of Medicine as an instructor and student advisor.

Dr. Haupt says she has always wanted to be a scientist and that passion was fueled by scientific endeavors in her youth, such as the launch of the Sputnik satellite.  She received encouragement from her teachers and her father who assisted in her science fair project demonstrating Archimedes Principle.  “Now that I am retired,” said Haupt, “I want to maintain that fascination with research and the medical sciences.  I hope that the students get the spark for medical research that I have always had and that they can develop it throughout their careers.”

With this gift, the College of Medicine has established the Marilyn T. Haupt, Chair in Medical Research and Marilyn T. Haupt Student Research Endowment to support student and faculty research opportunities that address the mechanisms of disease and methods to mitigate the progression of disease. It will also provide significant discretionary funds to support the growing portfolio of research endeavors of the College and encourage the incorporation of medical students who wish to supplement their training and future careers with medical research.

“One of the best parts of my job is celebrating people,” said George Kikano, M.D., dean of the College of Medicine.  “Dr. Haupt’s immense generosity is a gift from the heart.  The establishment of the College’s first endowed chair will elevate our ability to make breakthroughs in medical research and will contribute to advances in medical education and health care delivery for years to come.”