Eileen and Larry Tietze: Backing promising scientists, one award at a time

Investing in people and great ideas has been a hallmark of Eileen and Larry Tietze’s philanthropy for over 20 years.

Their philosophy was shaped by Larry’s father, John Herman Tietze. John was an ardent advocate for education and helped to sponsor scholarship funds at Kansas State University. In his later years, John supported biomedical researchers at the Mayo Clinic. Eileen recalls John’s reflections on philanthropy: “My one wish is to back the young men and women at the bench. They have big ideas, energy, and enthusiasm.”

That is precisely what Larry and Eileen have done through the Tietze Family Award for Vision Sciences since 2010. After an introduction to Bucey Memorial Chair Russell Van Gelder, MD, PhD, the Tietzes have made annual gifts from their family foundation in the form of an award to support the work of an early-career or mid-career scientist in the UW Department of Ophthalmology.

Bergy Professor Jennifer Chao, MD, PhD, vice-chair of research, says, “Many new investigators require bridge funding until they obtain major grants. Sources of philanthropic funding like the Tietze Family Awards are critical in filling in the gaps for scientists beginning their careers.”

“A grant of $30,000 or $40,000 may seem modest,” Eileen Tietze notes, “But it is significant if you are a researcher at a crucial point in your career and need funding.”

The Tietze Family Awards have supported several vision science researchers, including:

• Jennifer Chao, MD, PhD, studying stem cell approaches to studying macular degeneration disease process;
• Jay Neitz, PhD, and Maureen Neitz, PhD, exploring gene therapy methods to treat macular degeneration and color blindness;
• Andrew Stacey, MD, MS, leveraging machine learning to detect rare eye cancers with imaging at earlier stages of disease and
• Ethan Buhr, PhD, understanding photoreceptors in the visual system.

“We are willing to fund riskier projects or ideas. At the very least, the scientists will learn something after trying a new method or approach. We have been impressed by the quality of the research scientists and their important discoveries that could improve care for patients suffering from blinding eye diseases,” Larry and Eileen Tietze say.

“If we had one wish that could be granted, it would be that more people would recognize this model of philanthropy can be effective. Leveraging seed money gives gifted scientists a real chance to make progress at the bench and compete for major grants. And it has been rewarding to see our grants yield more investments.”

The Tietze Family Awards' initial investments have helped vision science researchers earn subsequent government, foundation, and private donor funding.

In addition to their support in the UW Department of Ophthalmology, Larry and Eileen Tietze have also directed generous gifts to support research in the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine and the Department of Allergy and Infectious Disease.