The Dr. Michael J. Auerbach “Do Science” Scholarship was established in honor of Dean Emeritus Mike Auerbach and his generosity and exuberance for undergraduate research in the sciences, mathematics, engineering, and technology fields. Thanks to the generosity of Mike's beloved wife Nitsa and son Danny, and the gifts of Mike's former students, colleagues, and friends, the memorial scholarship was endowed in 2021. In Mike's memory, the scholarship provides support for deserving students conducting research in the School of Sciences and Mathematics.

Mike Auerbach was a distinguished Professor and Dean of the School of Sciences and Mathematics from 2010 until his retirement in July 2018. He was the driving force behind the completion of the School of Sciences and Mathematics Building, located at 202 Calhoun Street, the $60-million renovation of the Rita Liddy Hollings Science Center, located at 58 Coming Street, and the programming of the College’s Fields Stations at Stono Preserve. He also served as Chair of the Department of Biology from 1996 to 2000.

Upon his retirement, the Michael J. Auerbach Faculty Award for Excellence in Student Research Mentorship was created to honor his strong belief in providing students with opportunities to conduct hands-on research projects with the ultimate goal of presenting at professional meetings and/or being published in a peer-reviewed journal. This award is given annually to a faculty member demonstrating a sustained track record of mentoring student research over a three-year period.

Prior to his tenure at the College, Mike served on the faculty of the Department of Biology at the University of North Dakota from 1983 to 1996. Additional contributions to the science community include serving as Executive Director of the Division of Earth and Ecosystems Sciences at the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nevada; Program Director of Ecological Studies for the National Science Foundation; and Lady Davis Postdoctoral Fellow in Field Plant Ecology at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel. Mike passed away at age 66 on October 10, 2019, after a battle with lung cancer, and is survived by his beloved wife Nitsa Dagan-Auerbach and son Daniel Auerbach.

Mike was a fierce advocate for the School of Sciences and Mathematics and its students and faculty, and his intellectual and monetary contributions will benefit generations to come. Friends and colleagues are encouraged to send condolences and their stories and memories of Mike to ssm@cofc.edu.