A Legacy of Science, Education, and Giving

We are beyond grateful and proud to have come together as a branch to honor the legacy of scientist and philanthropist Mike Cox. His passing was a profound loss to the community, and especially to our AAUW Morgan Hill branch, where he was a steadfast supporter of youth, science education, and our mission.

The idea for a remembrance project in Mike’s honor began with the Afternoon Books Interest Group, when member Misao Michelfelder suggested creating a special scholarship to celebrate his contributions. Partnering with Suman Ganapathy, the Mike Cox Memorial Project was born.

After thoughtful conversations with Mary Cox – Mike’s loving wife, former branch president, and current chair of the Lauren Jenkins Healthcare Scholarship -as well as Tech Trek California (with special thanks to Carol Holzgrafe), we chose to enhance the Camp-Carson TechTrekkers experience by funding reusable science kits. These transformative tools, typically beyond the program’s reach, aim to spark curiosity and provide hands-on learning opportunities – exactly the kind of impact Mike cherished.

An open call to our branch members encouraged everyone to contribute to this vision, and Mary Cox graciously pledged to match every donation. The response was overwhelming! We are thrilled to announce that, including Mary’s generous match, our branch raised an incredible $8,050 for TechTrek California.

A huge thank you to our branch members and Mary Cox for their generosity! And a very special thank you to Misao Michelfelder, whose dedication and hard work brought this project to life. We look forward to sharing updates on its implementation in the coming months!