In 2007, 28 years after leaving College Station, Kirchhoff returned to Aggieland with his wife, Denise, and their youngest son to tour the campus in hopes he might follow in his father’s maroon footsteps. While that plan didn’t pan out, the former student’s reconnection with Texas A&M planted a new thought: giving back. “That campus visit inspired my interest in supporting those who are passionate about the same technology, science and business research that drew me in as a student and that I still enjoy learning about today,” he shared.
Kirchhoff knew he wanted to use his IRA to fund a gift after his lifetime to support research. “I’m not an accountant, but the tax benefits of using an IRA made sense,” he said. “By funding the gift with my IRA after my lifetime, more money will go to work for the university and less to taxes since inherited beneficiaries’ withdrawals from a traditional IRA are taxed as ordinary income. When gifted to charities like the Texas A&M Foundation, the charity realizes the full value of the gift.”
What Kirchhoff wasn’t sure about was where to direct his gift. Working with the Texas A&M Foundation’s team, he researched numerous opportunities and returned to campus again in 2018 to meet with faculty, staff and department heads to learn more. “Visiting with professors helped me gain a firsthand perspective of what my gift would support one day,” he said.
After much consideration, Kirchhoff decided to divide his gift to support graduate student programs and research in computer science, electrical and biomedical engineering, and marine biology and finance—two additional areas he’s developed a passion for over the years.
