Vahlteich Family Honors Legacy of Research and Education with $3.5 Million Gift

Media Contact: Lindsay Groth, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, [email protected] 

[Ann Arbor, Michigan] — The University of Michigan College of Pharmacy has received a $3.5 million gift from Beverly Vahlteich DeLaney, the daughter of Drs. Hans W. Vahlteich and Ella McCollum Vahlteich to support research while honoring the legacy of her father’s impact in the field of medicinal chemistry. 

In recognition of this gift and the family’s profound lifetime generosity to the College of Pharmacy, the fifth floor of the new building on Huron Street will be named “The Drs. Hans W. Vahlteich and Ella McCollum Vahlteich Medicinal Research Floor.” The space will serve as a hub for student learning and discovery, reflecting the Vahlteichs’ shared dedication to scientific inquiry and education. 

A portion of the gift will be added to the existing Ella and Hans Vahlteich Research Fund. Additionally, another portion of the gift will establish the Beverly Vahlteich DeLaney Research Fund, which supports research efforts across the College.

“This gift is about honoring my parents and the opportunities they were given as researchers,” said DeLaney (pictured left). “They were fortunate to be able to learn, research and build meaningful careers. I hope that this research floor will provide students and faculty with a wonderful place to study, think creatively and pursue discoveries like my father.” 

Beverly has maintained a lifelong connection to the University through her father, Hans W. Vahlteich (pictured right), who earned his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1920 and Master of Science in 1921 from the University of Michigan. A pioneering chemist and inventor, Dr. Vahlteich holds the patent for the first industrial-scale hydrogenation process used in the production of margarine and shortening — an innovation that helped transform food manufacturing and contributed to the success of Hellmann’s Mayonnaise. 

“Dr. Hans Vahlteich was a creative thinker and researcher who used chemistry to find solutions to problems. It’s that spirit that lives on and motivates our students and faculty to solve really big problems facing humanity, from cancer and infectious diseases, to blindness and healthy aging,” said Dr. Robert Cichewicz, Chair of the Medicinal Chemistry Department.

Dr. Vahlteich met his wife, Ella McCollum Vahlteich, while both were pursuing doctoral degrees in chemistry at Columbia University. Dr. Ella Vahlteich earned her PhD and enjoyed a career in academia. Together, the Vahlteichs lived by the values of curiosity, humility and philanthropy — principles that were handed down to Beverly. “My parents were very generous, and I am grateful to be able to make this gift to the College and continue to fulfill the values instilled in me by my wonderful parents.”  

The family’s relationship with the College was further strengthened through decades-long friendships, including with the late Dean Emeritus Ara G. Paul and his late wife, Shirley. 

“Ara was like a second father to me,” Beverly shared. “He and my dad loved talking about science and the College. Ara encouraged me to think about how I might honor my parents and support Michigan. I have to give him a great deal of credit for planting that seed.” 

“The extraordinary generosity of the Vahlteich family continues to strengthen our research enterprise, to lead ahead of the curve and allow us to keep redefining what is next in healthcare, so that our students and faculty can pursue the discoveries of today that become the therapeutics of tomorrow,” said Dean Vicki Ellingrod. 

The College is also home to the Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, which is a key service core within Michigan Drug Discovery. This most recent gift builds upon a lifetime of giving from the Vahlteich family, whose support has helped advance research, education and innovation at the College of Pharmacy for decades. 

The College of Pharmacy is deeply grateful to Beverly and her parents for their longstanding loyalty and generosity. Their philanthropy advances the College’s mission and helps ensure that future generations of students and researchers have access to the spaces and resources they need to create, discover and improve health outcomes for all.

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About the College

The University of Michigan College of Pharmacy has been leading at pharmacy’s edge for 150 years. The first and oldest pharmacy school at a state university, the College — currently ranked #2 in the nation — has and continues to shape education in the field. Its faculty are internationally recognized and are innovators in drug discovery, development and delivery, precision pharmacotherapy, outcomes research, and clinical practice. More than 5,000 alumni are enhancing patient care and outcomes from the bench to the bedside, in boardrooms and communities, government agencies, and within healthcare companies.