John and Linda Jonides

Jonides Graduate Research Fund

As an esteemed cognitive neuroscientist and University of Michigan faculty member for 48 years, John Jonides knows that opportunities for graduate students to secure funding for their own research are limited. That’s why Jonides, Edward E. Smith Collegiate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and co-director of the Functional MRI Laboratory, and his wife, Linda, chose to focus their planned giving on supporting graduate student research in LSA's Department of Psychology through the Jonides Graduate Research Fund.

“As research assistants, graduate students are limited by the resources of the grant-funded labs in which they work,” noted Jonides, whose research on short term memory and cognitive control has examined major depressive disorders and ADHD. Recently he led an NSF-funded study of people's misconceptions about the widespread incidence of COVID-19, and how their behavior affects the spread of the disease.

“The Jonides’ gift provides much-needed support for our exceptional graduate students to undertake pioneering research in psychology, expand their skill sets, and hopefully gain recognition for their individual research achievements,” said Nestor Lopez-Duran, interim psychology chair. “We are beyond grateful for their generosity and excited about the significant impact their gift will have on the careers of countless graduate students.”

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What makes the gift more notable is that it was the first to qualify for a $10,000 cash match from the LSA Legacy Match Challenge, a limited opportunity that will match 10% of each qualifying documented planned gift, up to $10,000, until the match pool is exhausted. Match dollars can be directed to any expendable LSA fund. John and Linda Jonides are using theirs to kick-start the Jonides Graduate Research Fund.

Read the complete article by Kristen Loszewski at LSA