Yale has created a $14 million endowment to support Yale women in science in honor of the late Michele Dufault ’11, a double major in physics and astronomy who passed away in 2011 after an accident in Sterling Chemistry Laboratory.

The Michele Dufault Endowment for Yale Women in Science will promote a range of initiatives related to women in the STEM disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math, including undergraduate and graduate scholarships, summer research opportunities and efforts to increase the number of women studying the sciences.

The endowment will be managed by Provost Benjamin Polak, with the assistance of Dufault’s parents and four members of the Yale science faculty.

“I’m looking forward to working with Michele’s parents and the other members of the advisory committee to support women in science at Yale and encourage younger students to pursue study in the STEM fields as we honor Michele’s example and achievements,” Polak said in a statement.

Last year, friends of Dufault created the Michele Dufault Summer Research Fellowship and Conference Fund, with the goal of raising $100,000 for an endowment to support women in science at Yale.