Planned Gift Provides for New Generation of Engineers

Stephen and Ginger Carr create charitable remainder trust to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion at Northwestern Engineering

“By making engineering and science accessible to more students, we can move frontiers,” says Stephen Carr (’01, ’06 P), professor emeritus of materials science and engineering and of chemical and biological engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering. During his 51-year career as a faculty member and administrator at Northwestern Engineering, he has worked tirelessly to attract and cultivate engineers and scientists from historically underrepresented groups. Stephen’s wife, Ginger Carr ’71 MS, ’76 PhD (’01, ’06 P)—a neurobiologist who worked in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences for 25 years and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine for another 8 years—shares his passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion in education. Earlier this year, the Carrs established a charitable remainder unitrust (CRUT) with Northwestern, which will allow them to extend their equity work to future generations.

Through their CRUT, the couple will create the Carr Family Opportunity Fund, which will support programming for students from diverse backgrounds as they pursue careers in engineering and science.

“To solve the world’s most pressing problems, we need a wide range of ideas, and diverse ideas only emerge from a diverse community,” says Julio Ottino, dean of Northwestern Engineering. “The fund will serve as an extension of the impactful work that Steve and Ginger have done during their combined 80-plus years of service to the University.”

The Carrs arrived on campus in 1970, after Stephen was offered an assistant professor position at Northwestern Engineering. Ginger seized the opportunity to study at the University and earned a PhD in biology. She joined her husband on the Evanston campus, working as a researcher specializing in olfaction in the Department of Neurobiology. The couple’s two daughters, Rosie Carr ’01, ’03 MA and Louisa Carr ’06 MS, knew Northwestern from their earliest years. Stephen spent his early career focused on research and teaching. His work on polymers, both natural and synthetic, spanned a broad range of applications, from medicine to manufacturing. “My work was fascinating and irresistible,” Stephen says. “I was always looking for ways to make new information available.”

Positive Outcomes from Hard Work

In 1992, Stephen transitioned into a leadership role, becoming dean of undergraduate engineering. He made a strong push for equity at Northwestern Engineering, recruiting women and students from underrepresented groups and supporting them throughout their academic careers. “There are many prominent women engineers who studied at Northwestern during my time as dean,” Stephen says. “Although cultivating equity and diversity is hard work, we continue to see the positive outcomes of our efforts.”

Over the years, Stephen and Ginger came to appreciate the impact that gifts, including planned gifts, can have at Northwestern. The Carrs chose to establish a CRUT because it allows them to make a gift to Northwestern, receive an income stream, and enjoy tax benefits. At the end of the trust term, the funds remaining in the CRUT pass to Northwestern to fulfill the donors’ intended purpose.

The Carrs’ gift reflects the couple’s faith in the University and its future. “We are confident that our money will be used in a way that makes us proud,” Stephen says.

Create Opportunities for Future Students

If you would like to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University, Northwestern Gift Planning can help you create a gift to achieve that goal. Contact Northwestern Gift Planning at 800-826-6709 or giftplanning@northwestern.edu.