Mike and Katie Valentine Charnoff

Gifts for the Greater Good

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UMW Alumni Couple Support Sociology and Anthropology Students with Scholarship

When Mike Charnoff ’95 and Katie Valentine Charnoff ’04 met in 2015, they discovered they both had attended Mary Washington and majored in related fields—sociology and anthropology, respectively.

A married couple with the husband in the tuxedo and the wife wearing a blue velvet dress with sparkly bows.
Mike Charnoff ’95 and Katie Valentine Charnoff ’04 majored in sociology and anthropology, respectively, and established a scholarship to help students in those majors pursue their passions. Photo courtesy of the Charnoffs.

“Sociology is an ideal platform to learn about and incorporate insights from all the social sciences,” said Mike, who practices civil and commercial litigation with Charnoff Simpson PLLC.

“And through anthropology—the study of other cultures across time—we can illuminate a better path forward for ourselves,” said Katie, who also earned an M.Ed. from Mary Washington in 2012 and taught elementary school before raising their two sons.

Mike and Katie established the Mikhael ’95 and Katherine Valentine Charnoff ’04 Scholarship to help students like      Emma Greer ’27 use their UMW education to solve complex societal and cultural issues and contribute to the greater good.

The couple felt compelled to fund a scholarship in the social sciences, knowing that there is more pressure on students today to choose a major based on future salary. “We hope this scholarship will help clear the path for students who wish to explore their interests first and career second,” Katie said.

After graduation, Mike worked in UMW’s Office of Admissions before attending the University of Virginia School of Law. “I was remarkably prepared to practice law because Mary Washington taught me how to write, speak, and think clearly,” said Mike, who began giving back to his alma mater through his donations and service.

Mike Charnoff (standing, fourth from left) with President Troy Paino (standing, first from left), Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement and UMW Foundation Executive Director Katie Turcotte (standing, sixth from right) and other members of the UMW Foundation Board of Trustees. K Pearlman Photography.
From left: Mike Charnoff with UMW Chief of Staff and Vice President of Strategy Jeff McClurken ’94, Alumni Association Board of Directors President-Elect Colette Strawn Johnson ’97, and UMW Foundation Board of Trustees Vice Chair Michael Johnson ’96.
Mike Charnoff (right) with Dan Clendenin ’07 and Ginny Tapscott Clendenin ’08, M.Ed. ’09 during a Mary Washington First Campaign celebration.
Mike Charnoff with fellow former Alumni Association Board of Directors members (from left) Angela Mills ’01, Donna Sheehan Gladis ’68, and JB Blair ’82.
Mike and Katie Charnoff with their eldest son and UMW mascot Sammy D. Eagle during Reunion Weekend.

He joined the Alumni Association Board of Directors and served as its president, supported capital campaigns, and helped students interested in pursuing law careers, and is a current member of the UMW Foundation Board of Trustees.

Mike and Katie also made a generous naming gift for the Charnoff Production Studio in the Hurley Convergence Center.

“I spent the ’90s living the transition from analog to digital and want our students to be able to keep up,” Mike said. Their contributions help UMW students hone their digital storytelling skills and learn how to use emerging technologies.

A couple with the husband in a blue suit and yellow tie and the wife in a red dress with sparkly bows looking at the husband and two young boys in light suits. They're standing on a deck and palm trees and the water is in the background.
Mike and Katie Charnoff with their sons.

“There are many reasons to stay connected,” he said. “But most important to me is to show appreciation for what Mary Washington gave to develop me intellectually, ethically, and professionally.”

Katie agreed. “Our donations can help ensure that current and future students can succeed,” she said, sharing a quote from James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits:

“We are all connected. The way you choose to live ripples into the future. Your decisions today can be a blessing or a curse for your descendants. Strive to live in such a way that the world will gain from your time here.”

For information about supporting student success through scholarships now and through your estate plans, email Jeremy Vaughn, executive director of gift planning and major gifts, at jvaughn@umw.edu or call 540-654-2063.

Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04 for the Fall 2026 Gift Planning Connections newsletter.