The gift began with curiosity. While visiting the North Coast with his wife, Rhonda Rundle, Thacher stumbled upon the Marine Lab during a walk in Trinidad.
What he found was a welcoming public space, thoughtful exhibits, and students and staff eager to share the lab’s work. After an impromptu visit, he emailed the lab’s director to ask how he could make a small contribution. Less than an hour later, the director had arranged a behind-the-scenes tour for the following morning. That inside look changed the scale of his giving.
“We went behind the displays to see how they were built, and how they worked, and how they were maintained,” Thacher says. “After that, I said, ‘I’ll up the ante.’”
What began as a planned $100 gift became $1,000, and later, after more visits with faculty, staff, and students, a named endowment for the marine lab.
Thacher has long supported education and science. A lifelong learner with a background in philosophy, business, and corporate communications, he has spent years auditing astronomy, planetary science, geology, and atmospheric science courses through UCLA’s Senior Scholar Program. He is drawn to big questions, but also to practical knowledge.
During the visit to the marine lab and an additional campus tour, he witnessed the students' practical focus firsthand.
“The students seemed very workmanlike to me,” Thacher says. “They were students who wanted to master technical skills and go out into the world and make a difference.”
That hands-on, applied approach made an impression. Whether students were studying forestry, marine environments, energy, or engineering technologies, Thacher saw a university focused on preparing students for meaningful work.
“They were very hands-on, and I appreciated that a lot,” he says.
The marine lab, in particular, aligned with his interest in science and his concern for the planet’s oceans. In the long term, Thacher hopes the endowment will help future marine scientists and conservationists develop skills to better understand and care for coastal and ocean environments. So rather than narrowly defining how the endowment must be used, Thacher chose to give the marine lab flexibility. He hopes the funding can help students access the experiences, tools, and opportunities they need as marine science evolves.
“I just hope that it gives them the opportunity to learn skills and things that will bode well for their future effectiveness in terms of understanding and caring for the oceans, and particularly the marine environment along coastal areas,” Thacher says.
Thacher’s wife, Rhonda, has been an important partner in his philanthropy. He describes her as a trusted consultant—someone who helps him think through what fits, what makes sense, and what can benefit an institution. Together, they decided to create the endowment that now bears both their names.
For others considering a gift to Cal Poly Humboldt, Thacher points to the value of supporting education, science, and technology in ways that create real-world impact.
“I’m a big one for supporting education when it’s done smart,” Thacher says. “I think it all starts with the science and technology that can be applied in a way that really make a practical difference in the world.”
Support students' experiential learning by joining Michael Thacher and Rhonda Rundle. Your gift will enhance student learning, research, and future opportunities at Cal Poly Humboldt. For more information, contact the Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation at giving@humboldt.edu or (707) 826-5200.