The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan will establish the Martha Darling and Gilbert Omenn Research Fund for Early Childhood Education with a generous $500,000 commitment from Martha A. Darling and Gilbert S. Omenn.
“We are incredibly grateful to Martha and Gil for their unwavering support of the Ford School,” Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes said. “Their generosity will enhance the school’s capacity to conduct impactful research in early childhood education policy to make a significant difference for children and families.”
“If we want a population that is universally educated, we can’t wait until kids get to kindergarten,” said Martha Darling. Early in her career, 50 years ago, Darling developed a 10-nation study to understand the role of women in the economy for the international Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Through that project, she learned about early education models and practices from a sample of countries with more advanced economies and found that the U.S. lagged far behind many of its counterparts in this policy area.
The Fund is designed to advance policy development through robust research efforts and bridge the gap between research and policy application, particularly within the State of Michigan and other U.S. localities. Its range of support includes maintenance of the Education Policy Initiative’s Michigan Education Data Center (MEDC), fostering collaborations with education organizations, facilitating essential research-related travel, and encouraging cross-campus collaboration. The Fund is intentionally structured to provide scholars with flexibility to adapt their research initiatives to stimulate and adapt to dynamic policy environments.
“Some cities, like Boston and DC, are doing early childhood education really well. I would love this work in Michigan to be bolder and more widespread. Research can help us bring about systemic change by taking on big questions about what works and how to fund initial implementation.”
Ultimately, Darling would like the government to consider creative options to fund universal high quality early childhood education so that all children have a strong start. This, she said, is the lever to reshape how we teach K-3—and ensure that by the 4th grade, kids are reading to learn, rather than still learning to read.
“Talented Ford School researchers like Christina Weiland and Kevin Stange have the focus and eagerness to pursue these questions,” said Darling. “It gives me hope for the future.”
Martha Darling and her husband, Dr. Gilbert Omenn, are long-time supporters of the Ford School. In addition to Darling’s service on the national Ford School Committee, the couple has supported a number of health policy initiatives, outreach activities, and internships. Darling served as a senior executive at Boeing, a senior legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Bill Bradley and as a White House Fellow in the Department of Treasury. Omenn is former executive vice president for medical affairs and chief executive officer of the University of Michigan Health System. He served as a White House Fellow in the Atomic Energy Commission (during the Nixon/Ford years) and as deputy science advisor and associate director of the Office of Management and Budget in the Carter Administration.