The School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) and the Law School are working to endow a graduate fund for students enrolled in the schools' dual-degree program.

The Joseph L. Sax Graduate and Professional Student Fund honors the career of Professor Sax, a world-renowned environmental law expert. He taught at the University of Michigan from 1966-86. The schools already have an annual award named after Professor Sax that recognizes the program's top graduating student.

"I felt that if we could have a chair at Michigan, we could feature the best of ecology, the best of economics, and the best of environmental problem solving."
-Peter M. Wege

The Wege Foundation's $1.5 million gift to the University of Michigan endows the Peter M. Wege Chair of Sustainable Systems at the School of Natural Resources and Environment. With this chair, the School hopes to take a leadership role in the application of life-cycle-design methodology needed to achieve a sustainable global society.

Erb Family Gives U-M $10 Million to Develop Ecologically and Socially Responsible Business

“If we can raise the next generation of business leaders to think about environmental protection as an essential long-term investment – not a cost to be avoided – we will have taken a major step forward.” - Frederick A. Erb

“We want to create a new generation of leaders who will consider the big picture of our world and who have the protection of the environment as a primary part of their thinking and planning.” – Barbara M. Erb

The $10 million gift in April 2005 builds upon two earlier gifts of $5 million each from the Erbs, representing the largest known commitment to a university for interdisciplinary teaching and research in the area of global sustainable enterprise. This field explores how organizations throughout the world can achieve long-term success by harmonizing economic, environmental and social interests.