The Kroeff Family
When Cathy and Gene Kroeff’s daughter, Maggie Kroeff Streiff (PH ’19), began her undergraduate studies in public health at Saint Louis University, they recognized that she was starting a transformative journey toward a successful future. Today, Kroeff Streiff is the director of quality and population health at the Indiana Primary Health Care Association.
In gratitude for the University’s profound impact on their daughter and in honor of her graduation, The Kroeffs established the Kroeff Family Endowed Scholarship Fund in 2019 to support future undergraduate students majoring in public health at SLU. The scholarship reached endowed status this academic year and provides essential financial student support.
“Many undergraduate public health students at SLU take on extensive coursework, community-based service projects, research opportunities and more to achieve their goals,” said Kroeff Streiff. “I hope this scholarship provides students with the breathing room necessary to fulfill all these important obligations and still have a fulfilling and enjoyable college experience without added financial stress.”
Additionally, in 2025, the couple created the Kroeff Family Endowed Award in Teaching Excellence and the Kroeff Family Term Award in Teaching Excellence to recognize outstanding faculty in SLU’s College for Public Health and Social Justice.
“The College for Public Health and Social Justice is incredibly grateful for the generous support from the Kroeff family,” said Dean Leslie McClure, Ph.D. “Our vision of promoting health through justice for everyone cannot be achieved without the means to train students in public health, regardless of their backgrounds. The Kroeff Family Endowed Scholarship enhances all students' access to SLU education.”
The Kroeffs recently shared their thoughts on the importance of giving to SLU:
Why is it important to you to support Saint Louis University?
Our family has a strong relationship with the Jesuits: Gene is a graduate of Marquette University, and we are supporters of the Jesuits USA Midwest Province. Gene has served on a number of boards at Marquette, and we have established an endowed scholarship fund there to support undergraduates majoring in chemistry. We likewise feel deeply about SLU’s Catholic, Jesuit education and wanted to create a scholarship to enhance the work of the College for Public Health and Social Justice and its students. We feel blessed to be able to provide financial support to the University.
I hope this scholarship provides students with the breathing room necessary to fulfill all these important obligations and still have a fulfilling and enjoyable college experience without added financial stress.”
Maggie Kroeff Streiff (PH ’19)
Why would you suggest others consider supporting Saint Louis University financially?
SLU provides a high-quality education in the Jesuit tradition and, in order to maintain this level of excellence, the University will need resources beyond what tuition and grants can provide. For those who have benefited from a Jesuit education, the privilege to be able to give back and make the experience affordable for more students is a real blessing.
About Gene and Cathy Kroeff
Gene and Cathy Kroeff live in Carmel, Ind., and are both retired from Eli Lilly and Company, where they each worked for nearly 30 years. Gene Kroeff is a chemist who was involved in the development of several of Lilly’s biotherapeutic products, including human insulin. He has authored numerous scientific articles and holds several processing patents. Cathy Kroeff is a pharmacist with an MBA in marketing and was involved in new product development, marketing compliance and corporate philanthropy while at Eli Lilly.
The Kroeffs actively give back to their community by volunteering as lectors at their Catholic parish and have served on several committees. Cathy sits on the board of the Mother Theodore Catholic Academies, a group of under-resourced schools in Indianapolis, and she and Gene tutor in the schools. They also support the local Providence Cristo Rey High School. Additionally, Gene Kroeff tutors for the United Way of Central Indiana’s ReadUP program to help students improve their literacy levels, and Cathy Kroeff serves as a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) and guardian ad litem (GAL), advocating for children in foster care.
Learn more about how you can help support Saint Louis University.