Volunteer’s death inspires new Nichols Arboretum projectANN ARBOR—On Saturday (March 17), volunteers will undertake a community service project to commemorate the life and contributions of Natalie Waldinger, a University of Michigan alumna who died recently while completing a two-year assignment with the Peace Corps in Tanzania. Friends, family and U-M staff members who knew Waldinger will celebrate her commitment to community service by restoring a trail at the University’s Nichols Arboretum in Ann Arbor. Volunteers will meet at the Geddes entrance of the arboretum at 9:30 a.m.

In addition to restoring the trail, the group plans to construct a staircase and install a railing on an outlook at the 123-acre arboretum, located on the U-M Central Campus. A bench and plaque also will be installed later this year. Nichols Arboretum was one of Waldinger’s favorite places in Ann Arbor and the frequent site of her many volunteer hours.

In the evening following the project, Waldinger’s memory will be honored at the College of Engineering’s Student Leadership Recognition Dinner. Her father, Paul Waldinger, will be presented with a sketch of the Arboretum project, a collage of photos of her at U-M and a check for donations from students, which will be used to establish a scholarship fund in her name.

Waldinger died on Jan. 6, 2001, while touring Ruaha National Park in Tanzania. Her death cut short a promising career in public service. In addition to teaching mathematics and physics to secondary school students in Tanzania, Waldinger had been a strong advocate of community service at home. While earning her bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering (1999) from the U-M, she served as vice president of the U-M Engineering Council. She also founded U-M’s Engineering Service Day, which has grown to service 30 community agencies and involves more than 300 students, staff and faculty members from the College of Engineering. Her other humanitarian efforts included girl empowerment projects and AIDS awareness activities.

The U-M College of Engineering is consistently ranked among the top engineering schools in the world. Each year, the College enrolls over 6,000 students and grants about 1,000 undergraduate and 600 master’s and doctoral degrees.

Nichols ArboretumEngineering CouncilCollege of Engineering