Dr. Barbara Arnold ’82, ’85g, ’89g is a professor of practice in mining engineering at Penn State and an avid supporter of the University. Her first volunteer experiences at Penn State were as a student at Penn State New Kensington. She was a member of the Student Government Association (SGA) that raised funds for events and is designed to give students a voice on campus. In her sophomore year, became president of the association. She also helped with the planning and execution of an American Cancer Society Walk, spanning from the New Kensington campus to University Park. In 1989, having completed a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and a doctoral degree in mining engineering, she joined the Penn State New Kensington Alumni Society, where she led a fundraising effort for new theater chairs for the Forum Theatre. Ultimately, she became active on the advisory board at New Kensington, where she chaired one of the committees during the Grand Destiny campaign.
Throughout the years, Barb has continued to be engaged by serving in roles on various committees. She chaired Penn State New Kensington’s 50th Anniversary committee and co-chaired the campus’ campaign committee during the For the Future campaign. She was a member and served as chair of Graduates of Earth and Mineral Sciences (GEMS), the alumni society for the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Before she became a faculty member, she joined the Penn State Mining Engineering Industrial and Professional Advisory Council, a select group of industry, government, and academic representatives who advise the college on academic issues, current trends, and future directions in engineering. Today, she is still an active member of New Kensington’s Alumni Society, recently assisting with the society’s Bowl-A-Thon, an annual event where all proceeds benefit the Alumni Society’s scholarship fund. Barb continues to serve on New Kensington’s advisory board as an associate member. While she has taken a more limited role in recent years, she continues to help where she can, offering her “two cents” when asked.
As a student, Barb received scholarships to help with her undergraduate tuition and the financial costs of room and board. “Since I benefitted from philanthropy, I wanted to be able to help other students in the future.” In 1999, Barb established the New Kensington Student Leadership Development Fund, and in 2008, established the Barbara J. Arnold Global Initiatives Program Support Fund. “It costs a lot of money to attend Penn State now. Anything that can be done to help students with the cost of attendance is important. I think it’s also important to add to the experience for the students when they are at Penn State. I suspect that might be part of why I currently have so many undergraduate students working on various research projects with me.”
When asked how she’s seen her time and treasure pay off, Barb recalled her first contribution as an alumna, which was to the Robert Stefanko Memorial Scholarship, a fund in memory of Dr. Robert Stefanko, a former professor of mining engineering and associate dean for continuing education in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. “My name is on the donor plaque and is also on a wall in Deike Building as a donor to another fundraising effort.” She believes that if other people see those names on display and are inspired to give, her giving has paid off. “As far as my time goes, it’s also about what you get back in friendships. I’ve always enjoyed working with other Penn State alumni and find that it is always fun!”
During her time as a Penn State volunteer and philanthropist, Barb has learned a great deal, but one key lesson has stood out. “I never wanted to receive recognition for any gifts that I made until someone told me that it’s important to be recognized so that other people may be inspired to also give. I learned that to be the case when other volunteers told me specifically that they gave because I had given.” She shared this lesson with a fellow volunteer at a recent event. “Just recently, at the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration annual meeting, I was speaking with the wife of one of our foundation volunteers. They had been recognized the evening before for their philanthropy at the Foundation Gala, and she said that she really didn’t want to go up on stage and be recognized. I told her the impact that her recognition could make. She said that she had never thought about it that way and would be happy to be recognized in the future.” For Barb, she sees stewardship as a way to both help others see the possibilities of philanthropy and volunteerism and to envision their own potential to have an impact on Penn State. She shared, “This is why I believe that those who give—whether it be time, talent, or treasure—should try to inspire others to do the same.”
Inspired by Barbara’s service to Penn State?
Give to the Penn State New Kensington Student Leadership Development Fund