Eastern Michigan Alumnus gives school $1 million for student aid

A couple from Charleston, South Carolina, is making a big difference in Ypsilanti Michigan.

George L. Cogar and his wife Dr. Darlene Shaw have pledged to bequeath $1 million to Eastern Michigan University. The money will provide aid to students in financial need.

Cogar grew up in Saline and received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from EMU in the 1970s. He is now clinical faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina where his wife is also a professor.

Cogar obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and did post-doctoral study in clinical psychology and neuropsychological assessment under the renowned Dr. Aaron Smith at the University of Michigan Medical School. He later founded the Behavioral Associates of the Carolinas and became a partner and director of Behavioral Medicine at the Carolina Spine Institute. Cogar’s research interests include investigating the effects of childhood psychological trauma as they relate to post-operative spine surgery outcome.

The gift is the third commitment of more than $1 million for EMU over the past seven months. The school just set a new fundraising record, bringing in $7.9 million.

Source: Eastern Michigan University
Writer: Jon Zemke