Member Spotlight: Michael ’73 PhD and Mary Goodkind ’70 MS, ’81 MBA

Posted on Thursday, January 4, 2018

Michael and Mary Goodkind each came to Northwestern after completing their undergraduate studies at other institutions. Decades later, both continue to use Northwestern as an avenue to learn, build friendships, and grow.

Michael arrived in Evanston in 1967 in pursuit of a PhD in civil engineering. Early in his second year of study, he met Mary, who had just begun a master’s program in radiation health physics.

The pair’s first one-on-one conversation took place on a beach near the Technological Institute, on the Evanston campus. They began dating soon after, and eventually married and decided to remain in the Chicago area because of strong job prospects and the Northwestern-centered community they’d enjoyed. In fact, they spent the first 20 years of their marriage in Evanston before moving to Chicago proper.

The couple still cultivates the love of learning that first brought them to the University—now by exploring classes at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), run by Northwestern’s School of Professional Studies. Mary has taken courses in data analytics and the future of artificial intelligence. Michael has focused on the humanities, with classes on history and British mystery writers. They’ve also taken a number of trips organized by the Northwestern Alumni Association, including through the Panama Canal and to London and Paris.

“Northwestern has been a great community for us,” Mary says. It’s clear that finding that community—including each other—contributes to their many years of support for Northwestern: both are platinum-level members of NU Loyal, with 37 consecutive years of giving. Their philanthropy is primarily focused on Northwestern Engineering, though they’ve also supported other parts of the University that are important to them, including Athletics and the School of Professional Studies. “Northwestern was a part of our lives,” Michael explains. “We feel fortunate to be in a situation where we can give back. It’s important, for everybody who can, to support the areas that keep the University moving forward.”