Faculty Who Inspire: Sarah Brownlee, Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Geology

Dr. Sarah Brownlee goes the distance, and we don't just mean in the classroom. For her 40th birthday on September 10, she ran 40 miles to raise money for the Environmental Science and Geology Field Trip fund. She utilized WarriorFunder, the university's crowdfunding platform, to raise more than $5,000 for the fund. Many current and former WSU colleagues, friends, family members and even students contributed to her fundraiser. Dr. Brownlee shared that it felt amazing to see so many people donate to a cause that was significant to her.

An associate professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Geology, Dr. Brownlee knows the importance of field work, and knows the main barrier between students and that experience is often financial. "I work directly with these students, and I see how hard they work, and how they sometimes struggle to stay full-time due to lack of funds." She saw her 40th birthday run as an opportunity to help reduce that barrier by raising money for the field trip fund.

Dr. Brownlee also personally supports the fund, which places her among the nearly 900 Wayne State employees who inspire from within by financially supporting their chosen area of the university.

"I choose to give because I know there are not always enough resources to support all of the amazing programs at Wayne State, and I want to do what I can to help give our students the education and experience they deserve."

To learn more about Dr. Brownlee's run, read the Today@Wayne story here.

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