The Ingrid Gumpel Memorial Endowment Fund was established in 2011 by Dr. Lajos Piko, a former Caltech researcher in biology. The purpose of the fund is to promote social, cultural, and general educational opportunities for international students and scholars during their stay at Caltech. Programs involving spouses of international students and postdocs are especially encouraged and supported.
Ingrid Gumpel was a native of Stockholm, Sweden and began working at Caltech in 1952. In 1966, she joined the International Desk, the precursor to today’s International Offices, and served there until her retirement in 1991. Ingrid helped many international students and their families get established upon arrival and coordinated many social events that helped establish a sense of community. Ingrid passed away on August 7, 2011.
Dr. Lajos Piko, Ingrid’s partner and executor of her estate, wished to establish a memorial fund in Ingrid’s honor that would commemorate her career-long interest in helping international scholars at Caltech. Dr. Piko consulted with Ingrid’s good friend and Y board member, Gunilla Hastrup, who suggested the Caltech Y and the Institute’s International Scholar Services as most appropriate for that purpose. As a result, Dr. Piko created 2 funds in Ingrid’s name, one at Caltech and one at the Caltech Y. Today, the Caltech Y Ingrid Gumpel Fund is also the beneficiary of Dr. Piko’s estate.
Click here to read a tribute to Ingrid written by Gunilla Hastrup. This tribute was originally published in the Caltech Y’s newsletter in December 2011, which Gunilla edited and produced with her husband, Rolf Hastrup.
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