Goshen College’s Maple Scholars program receives support via establishment of Merle E. and Elizabeth Jacobs Endowment Fund

Goshen College recently announced the establishment of the Merle E. and Elizabeth Jacobs Endowment Fund, funded by an estate gift, to support and enhance research opportunities at the school, including its Maple Scholars program.

According to an article on Goshen College’s website, Rebecca Stoltzfus, the president of Goshen College, offered her thoughts on the estate gift and endowment fund, saying, “Collaborative research by students and faculty across the disciplines is a hallmark of academic excellence at Goshen College. This generous gift from Merle and Elizabeth Jacobs will secure and expand our Maple Scholars program into the future, affecting the lives and careers of many students. We are immensely grateful.”

Merle and Elizabeth Jacobs were both Goshen College alumni, and Merle was a biology professor at Goshen College two separate times, from 1953-1954 and from 1964-1985. He went on to receive a doctorate in zoology and was a researcher in a number of topics including animal behavior. He passed away in 2008. Elizabeth was an elementary school teacher who was also devoted to environmental education. She passed away in 2023.

Goshen College launched the Maple Scholars program in 1998, a groundbreaking program at the time that offered research opportunities to undergraduate students that were usually reserved for graduate students at other colleges. The Maple Scholars program is a summer program that allows students to participate in research projects across the spectrum of fields with faculty that culminates in a public presentation of said research.

The $1.4 million estate gift from the Merle E. and Elizabeth Jacobs Endowment Fund will continue to fund the Maple Scholars program and other research opportunities at Goshen College.

For more information about Goshen College, visit the school’s website.