December 22, 2020
Dear colleagues,
I’m writing to share some really good news about our MIT’s Summer Research Program in Biology, or as most of us know it, MSRP-Bio. The simple take-home message: we now have endowed funds from Mike Gould and Sara Moss that will support about a dozen MSRP-Bio students each summer, for a very long time!
In 2015, Mike and Sara established the Bernard S. and Sophie G. Gould Fund to support students participating in MSRP-Bio. This gift was to provide opportunities to deserving students and to honor the memory of Mike’s parents.
Mike’s parents were both MIT alumni, and his father Bernie was a professor in the Biology Department from 1934 – 1987. Bernie and Sophie both committed their lives to supporting and counseling young students, and Mike and Sara chose to establish this fund to honor Mike’s parents and their deep and shared commitment to mentorship. Indeed, Mike and Sara share that commitment to support students and provide them with opportunities that could change their lives.
Mike and Sara have been remarkably dedicated to MSRP-Bio. Beginning with the first cohort of Gould Fellows in 2016, they visited each summer to meet and get to know these talented students. The first four meetings were in person, and then in the summer of 2020, the meeting was virtual due to the pandemic. Mike and Sara insisted on having the meeting, and even attended all of the student talks that summer. They have kept in touch with several of the Gould Fellow alumni and have gotten together with those who are in their hometown (NYC).
Mike and Sara have been so touched by the impact of their initial gift that they decided recently to provide additional support. To acknowledge this support and their commitment to our students and program, we are renaming MSRP-Bio the Bernard S. and Sophie G. Gould MIT Summer Research Program in Biology: BSG-MSRP-Bio, in honor of Mike’s parents.
We are deeply grateful to Mike and Sara for their commitment to and support for our community, their willingness to enable opportunities for students, irrespective of their specific research interests, and for the many talented individuals who will benefit from the experiences afforded by their generous gift.
This gift is a great way to end the year. Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season and a Happy Healthy New Year!
Best wishes,
Alan Grossman, Department Head