This Is Why: Securing a Family Legacy

MDI Bio Lab’s long-running “Chalk Talk” seminars embody its spirit, an informal convening by a deeply inquisitive community sharing research, challenging conventional thinking and… just talking science.

The original format persists: held outdoors, no notes, no technology but chalkboard and chalk. Visiting scientists and laboratory faculty present to a lunchtime crowd, answering questions on the fly. Undergraduates and senior scientists alike freely participate in the non-hierarchical forums. They will continue in perpetuity, thanks to the generosity of Kenneth and Jeffrey Schultz. The siblings have set up an endowed fund to honor their parents, Stanley and Harriet.

Stanley G. Schultz, M.D., and his family spent their summers here during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He worked on the biomechanics of membrane transport — how substances are moved in and out of our cells.

“My dad saw these seminars as a way to encourage the highest levels of science,” Kenneth Schultz says. “The kinds of things the Lab is doing have evolved over time as the science has evolved, but the basic commitment and those basic values is what he would care about.”

The program will remain the same — a casual gathering for MDI Bio Lab’s entire community to come together and find out what’s going on inside the laboratories (and the scientists’ heads) — now with a name that honors one of its founders, The Stanley G. Schultz Seminar Series. By endowing this fund in their parents’ name, the Schultz’s philanthropic support, spurred by a love of place, culture, and science, will ensure that future generations experience these special moments, too.

Creating a Legacy at the MDI Biological Laboratory

Planned giving isn’t just for the wealthy — it’s for anyone who wants to make a lasting difference. These gifts can offer tax benefits, provide income to you or your loved ones, and ensure your values live on. With thoughtful planning, you can support your family and create a legacy that helps MDI Bio Lab thrive for generations to come.

Download a PDF of our Planned Giving brochure to learn more.