As a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force, Michelle Cunningham ’09 spends her days troubleshooting what she describes as “complex human-machine interfaces”. But when she and her husband, Aaron, looked for a way to give back to St. Olaf College, they turned their attention to a different kind of problem-solving: expanding access to the undergraduate research opportunities that helped launch her own unique medical career.

Last year, the Cunninghams established the Paul Howard ’77 Endowed Fund for Student Research to support students participating in faculty-mentored research in the natural sciences. The fund is named in honor of Cunningham’s father, a St. Olaf alum who passed away while she was a student at St. Olaf.

“Growing up, I remember hearing about St. Olaf all the time because he went there,” she says, adding that her dad was happy to volunteer to drive her back to campus whenever she visited her hometown of  Rochester, MN. “He was a physics and math major, and I’m science as well, which is why we wanted to gear this toward science research.” 

“At St. Olaf, I had a lot of fantastic opportunities, and everything I wanted to do was possible. I want to make sure that other people can have the same kind of opportunities.”

Michelle Cunningham ’09

For Cunningham, the decision to support research was deeply personal. As a student, her research experience at the Mayo Clinic and her semester abroad through Biology in South India provided a strong foundation.    

“Having that summer research experience was very helpful in medical school applications and understanding how the process works,” she notes. “The study abroad experience made me an independent traveler—someone who likes to meet different people and experience different cultures.”

Those experiences proved critical. After graduating from St. Olaf with a bachelor’s in chemistry, Cunningham joined the U.S. Air Force and used its scholarship opportunities to complete medical school at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. 

From there, she went on to become a flight surgeon in the Air Force, which is a highly specialized physician role tailored to the specific needs of Air Force pilots. She and her family, which includes her and Aaron’s two children, ages 11 and 13, have been stationed in California, Greece, and the United Kingdom before recently relocating to Texas. 

Now, Cunningham is training to become a pilot physician – a title held by just over a dozen others in the Air Force. 

“You’re basically a problem solver,” Cunningham says of the pilot physician role. “I’ve been a doctor for 13 years now, and I’ve gotten to fly as a flight surgeon, but not as a pilot. Once I’m actually a pilot, I will be able to do so much more.”

Cunningham had been giving through the St. Olaf Fund every year since she graduated in 2009. Recently, Aaron encouraged her to consider doing something more for the college. 

“I was excited when she had the idea for summer research,” he says. “And to honor her dad, of course, we couldn’t be more thankful that we can do something like that.” 

Cunningham knows firsthand how research can shape vocation, and support is vital to expanding access. In 2026, more than 100 students participated in a summer research project. But demand outpaces availability, with positions available for about one-third of Oles who apply.

“Student research is important because it teaches technical skills as well as soft skills such as teamwork; helps students clarify their vocational interests; and fosters lasting mentorship relationships with faculty,” says Jill Dietz, Director of Collaborative Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (CURI). 

Cunningham is excited to play a role in helping bridge that gap. 

“At St. Olaf, I had a lot of fantastic opportunities, and everything I wanted to do was possible,” she says. “I want to make sure that other people can have the same kind of opportunities.”