Spotlight on the Hafer Family

Martha Hafer ’02 and her family have a strong connection to Kutztown University, and giving back to KU has always been one of their philanthropic priorities.

Martha and her husband Fred co-chaired the 2007 Kutztown University Capital Campaign, and Fred received an honorary juris doctorate in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the community. He was a former president of the Kutztown University Foundation Board of Directors, and he delivered the commencement address to the class of 1996. Two of their sons earned degrees from KU: Fred Jr. ’86 majored in physics, and Craig M ’00 earned an MBA. Fred Jr. was involved with KU’s Business and
Industry Campaign and served on the 2007 Capital Campaign Committee in its second phase with his mother.
 
This fall, Martha made a transformative gift that enabled KU to acquire a scanning electron microscope that will be used by the biology, chemistry, geology and physics departments, and also for research in the anthropology and art departments.

“A scanning electron microscope is an incredibly powerful instrument that can magnify to the order of two million times,” said Dr. David Beougher, Dean of KU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “This gift significantly advances opportunities for Kutztown students to participate in relevant, inter-disciplinary research and moves that work to an even higher level of potential.”

The Fred and Martha ’02 Hafer Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Laboratory was unveiled and dedicated on Saturday, November 2.

https://youtu.be/wdO8xrN7AGo

“We are so grateful to the Hafer family for this extraordinary gift,” said Alex Ogeka, Executive Director of the Kutztown University Foundation. “The addition of The Fred and Martha ’02 Hafer SEM Lab is expected to increase recruitment and solidify retention, increase scholarly productivity among students and faculty, and build bridges between Kutztown University and regional technology-focused industries.