The Helen G. Schlaack and Susan A. Kinder-Haake Fund was established by their family to support students pursuing an education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Helen Schlaack was an active member of the Brunswick community, where she raised her family and was an integral part of the town’s social and political institutions. She served as the chairwoman of the Brunswick Town Council, was a former health clinic manager and was very active in numerous other civic duty positions and on other civic boards. In addition, she was an avid fly fisherwoman, a voracious reader, highly intelligent and could debate with the best.
Susan Kinder-Haake, DMD, MDentSc, PhD, a Brunswick High Class of 1972 graduate, was a stellar student and athlete. Sue’s love of science and education is reflected in her many advanced degrees. After college, she earned a DMD at the Tufts School of Dental Medicine, a MS in Dental Science at the University of Connecticut and eventually a PhD in Microbiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center.
Sue joined the faculty of the UCLA School of Dentistry, where she was a professor in Periodontics and Oral Biology, bringing together a love for knowledge with a desire to help people. After establishing her own lab, she used her unique perspective as both a microbiologist and a periodontist to discover insights into the roles of bacteria in human health and disease. Sue was also a leading investigator in the Human Microbiome Initiative of the National Institutes of Health that characterized the human microbial flora involved in human health and disease.
Beyond the degrees and positions, Sue was a beloved teacher and mentor and a great photographer. She loved running, biking, hiking and especially loved swimming in the ocean along the coast of Maine. Above all she was a wonderful mother, wife, sister, daughter and friend. She had many gifts and shared them freely.