Nancy K. Schlossberg: Expert on Transitions Makes Gift During One of Her Own

Nancy K. Schlossberg

Nancy K. Schlossberg

Some people talk about life's transitions - and then some people do something about them. Nancy K. Schlossberg, Ed.D., belongs to the latter group. As a professor of counseling psychology at the College of Education, she made a name for herself and the College as an expert on adult transitions, retirement, career development, adult learning, and intergenerational relationships. And a personal transition she went through led to a planned gift to the college.

"Had it not been for the personal and professional support that I received from the College, I would never have been able to research and publish about the new field of adult transitions," Nancy says. "My mission is to take the body of knowledge that I and others have created in this field and translate it into books that help people directly as they make their life transitions."

After 26 years at Maryland, Nancy had to learn to embrace retirement. She took action, penning numerous self-help books on coping with transitions, including Overwhelmed: Coping with Life's Ups and Downs and Revitalizing Retirement: Reshaping Your Identity, Relationships, and Purpose.

During another transition - the loss of her father - Nancy faced a new challenge. She inherited a piece of property that she and her husband struggled to manage from a long distance. On the advice of her accountant, she decided to donate the property to the College of Education and set up a charitable remainder trust - a planned-giving vehicle that provides tax and financial benefits to the donor during life and beyond.

"It is a win-win situation," Nancy says. "It's good for the person setting it up and for the institution."

Nancy continues to think and write about adult transitions. You can learn more about her work at www.transitionsthroughlife.com.