The Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia and the Copernicus Center for Polish Studies at the University of Michigan have established the M. Teresa Poggi Italy and the Mediterranean Fund and the Stefan Augustyniak Fellowship in Polish Studies.

Both are possible through a $1 million gift from sisters Stephanie T. and Suzette A. (Sue) Augustyniak in honor of their parents, Stefan Augustyniak and M. Teresa Poggi, who shared a lifelong love of learning and a respect for higher education that they passed on to their daughters.

Stefan Augustyniak grew up in Poznan, Poland, but left for Warsaw at age 16 to join the Polish Underground during World War II. After being liberated from a German prisoner-of-war camp at the end of the war, Stefan went on to receive an undergraduate degree before joining his brother in Detroit in 1949.

Teresa Poggi was born in Gaggio Montano, a mountain village near Bologna, Italy, that experienced fierce fighting during World War II. She left home after the war when she was 16 and eventually found her way to Detroit with cousins.

Stefan and Teresa met while attending night school classes in Detroit, married in 1952, and built a life together in Michigan with their three daughters who all pursued advanced degrees at U-M. They loved to read, travel and learn about other cultures. Stefan and Teresa also cared deeply about peace, justice, equality, and treating others with respect — values that their daughters’ generous gift promotes through cultural exchange and education.

The M. Teresa Poggi Italy and the Mediterranean Fund will support learning opportunities related to Italy and the Mediterranean, including a lecture series designed to focus on contemporary and historical issues related to the region, relevant film series, exhibits, visits to campus by artists and public figures, and undergraduate and graduate student summer research projects or internships in Italy. 

The Stefan Augustyniak Fellowship in Polish Studies will provide support to outstanding Masters in International and Regional Studies students engaging in research and training in Polish studies, as well as outstanding doctoral students working on a dissertation related to the field. The fund will also help support Copernicus Center programmatic initiatives, including students pursuing summer research projects or internships in Poland.

“We are thrilled to receive this very generous gift that will enhance U-M’s reputation as a leader in Polish Studies and allow us to sharpen our focus on Italy and the Mediterranean, a region ripe for closer examination,” said Geneviève Zubrzycki, Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia and the Copernicus Center for Polish Studies director and the Weiser Family Professor of European and Eurasian Studies.

“I thank Stephanie and Sue Augustyniak on behalf of all the students and scholars who will benefit from their vision and generosity.”