Like many others who have lost homes and family during wars, Margarete Lubach immigrated to the U.S. from postwar Germany in 1954 with her 6-year-old daughter. She taught herself many things, including how to speak, read, and write English. Throughout her life, Margarete was an avid learner, reading newspapers daily, to keep up with the world.
Margarete shared her love of learning with her daughter, Dr. Gabriele Lubach, a Scientist III Emerita at the Harlow Center for Biological Psychology. Margarete was never able to finish school, so she encouraged her daughter to get a good education. In honor of her mother and her support, Gabriele established the Margarete E. Lubach Undergraduate Research Award to help other students continue their education.
Gabriele obtained her doctorate in the Department of Anthropology at UW–Madison after receiving her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in anthropology at Iowa State University.
She went on to work with Professor Emeritus Christopher Coe, researching factors impacting early development at the Harlow Center for Biological Psychology. Their research explored interactions between biology, cognition, and behavior, such as how prenatal stress affects the immune system, and how early-onset anemia affects development.
At the Harlow Center, Gabriele enjoyed mentoring the many undergraduate students who worked in the lab. The annual Margarete E. Lubach Award fund supports undergraduate students contributing to the Harlow Center’s research.
“I wanted to support research at the Harlow Lab because there’s the opportunity to learn so many things there,” Gabriele says. “I know from the students I worked with that they loved the work with the animals. They learned a lot. They also valued the research and the experience. And I know what a financial drain college can be. At one point, I worked three jobs. Every little bit helps.”
Gracie Zeller x’25, a psychology and anthropology student, received the Margarete E. Lubach Award last spring. Working as an enrichment student at the Harlow Center deepened her passion for psychology and primatology. The funds provided by the award allowed her to take pre-veterinary coursework over the summer and dedicate more time to collecting data for her senior thesis.
Gracie’s senior thesis investigates whether rhesus monkeys understand one-to-one correspondence, a logic that we know adult humans use in judging numerical equality. If non-linguistic animals like monkeys understand one-to-one correspondence, it suggests learning to count, which requires language, may not be needed for developing this logic. This finding could influence how we understand how children develop mathematical skills.
After graduating, Gracie plans to pursue a doctorate to continue studying animal cognition.
“If you asked me last year, I would have said that the Lubach award enabled me to pay for summer courses that contributed to my veterinary school prerequisites. Now, I plan to pursue a PhD,” Gracie says. “My thesis has been a huge part of this decision. In the process of conducting my own research, I have discovered a passion for research, writing, and experimental design.”
Gabriele hopes the award will pay forward the encouragement and financial support she received from her mother, who helped make her education possible. Margarete instilled in Gabriele a love of learning and encouraged her to work toward the goals she set for herself. By establishing this award fund, Gabriele hopes to encourage other students to achieve their educational goals and make fulfilling contributions to society.
Written by Sara Stanislawski