Leading the Way
With the help of alumni and friends, our institution is pioneering innovative programs and unique opportunities to fuel the success of our students, tap the expertise of our faculty and staff, and enhance the strength of the Penn State community.
Penn State vs. Michigan State, November 26, 2022 in Beaver Stadium.
Poetic Session and Stephan Spolski.
Skills for Success
When Stephan Spolski began his college career at University Park last fall, he knew almost immediately that it wasn’t the right fit for him, and three weeks later, he transferred to his hometown campus, Penn State Schuylkill. He quickly found his footing thanks to an innovative program that helped him to connect with a supportive community and thrive in his studies as a biology major. The Zuber Slocum Academic Success Program paired Spolski with a peer coach as part of his first-year seminar course and gave him resources to understand his own learning style and develop a personalized academic plan.
“The peer coach helped me to identify what my strong study tools were and what habits I need to pick up to improve my studying,” says Spolski. “I was a procrastinator in high school. So it was rough coming here my first year. I was a little shaken up, but after speaking with my peer coach and having him encourage me to make a set schedule and set aside time and get ahead of things before letting it all catch up with me, then that really helped me to excel.”
The Zuber Slocum Academic Success Program was launched last year thanks to support from Helene Zuber Slocum, a 1985 College of Engineering graduate, and her husband, Jeff Slocum. “We saw how beneficial and powerful it was for our kids to understand how they learn best and how to advocate for themselves,” says Helene. Jeff adds, “They developed the critical skills to be able to articulate specifically what they needed to be successful academically.”
Led by Darlene Young, instructor of mathematics and tutoring coordinator, and Paige Waddell, special programs specialist, the Zuber Slocum Academic Success Program offers both peer coaching and workshops on a wide range of topics, including time and stress management. Above all, it helps students to feel that they’re supported as they face the challenges of a Penn State education. “I see the impact on students every single day, and they know that they’re not alone,” says Poetic Session, a peer coach who is majoring in psychology. “I think that’s one of the most beneficial things you can do for a student.”
Now that he’s on the path to success at Penn State Schuykill, Spolski is hoping to become a peer coach himself. “The idea is really exciting to me because I experienced the program firsthand and saw how I excelled from it,” he says. “Now I want to do the same thing for other students.”
Innovation for the Real Estate Industry
Every community and company, every family and individual, is impacted by the real estate sector, and its complexities and possibilities can have effects across the economy, from the housing market to the energy industry. Thanks to a visionary gift from longtime Penn State supporters Peter and Sharon Cocoziello, the University will be on the cutting edge of research and education through the activities of the Cocoziello Institute for Real Estate Innovation, administered by Invent Penn State and housed at the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub in downtown State College. “We created the institute to spur continuous learning and foster entrepreneurism—but most importantly, we saw a way to finally break through silos with cross-disciplinary conversations,” said Peter Cocoziello, a 1973 Smeal College of Business graduate who has more than four decades of experience in the real estate industry. “Right now, these complex considerations get walled off in their respective academic fields, but Invent Penn State gives us a platform for dynamic engagement that lets us think about carbon emissions, supply chain logistics, architectural innovations and so much more, all at the same time. That’s an enormous leap forward.”
Last November, Sean Clifford, former Penn State quarterback and founder of Limitless NIL, spoke at Happy Valley Launchbox powered by PNC about the impact an individual’s digital footprint can have on their personal and professional success.
Students, Athletes, Entrepreneurs
As seen at the Rose Bowl this January and in competition throughout the year, the University’s student-athletes represent the Penn State community with dedication and drive, and thanks to a 2021 ruling from the NCAA, they now have the opportunity to represent their own personal brands and secure their financial future through sponsorships, endorsements, public appearances, and more. To help these young people and other Penn Staters to navigate the complex world of name, image, and likeness (NIL), an anonymous donor has pledged a gift of $2.5 million to create the Wally Triplett Brand Academy Endowment in support of the Brand Academy, a joint project of Intercollegiate Athletics and Invent Penn State. The donor’s gift activated $2.5 million in University matching funds through the now-concluded Economic Development Incentive Matching Program, creating a $5 million permanent fund supporting the academy and honoring Wallace Triplett, one of the first African Americans to play for the Nittany Lions and the first Black draftee to play for an NFL team.
“World Changers and Global Leaders”
This fall, the Millennium Scholars Program marked ten years of cultivating a diverse community of undergraduates with the talent and the drive to succeed in STEM disciplines. Each cohort of participants forms close bonds with each other and receives scholarship support, research opportunities, and mentoring to help them succeed both at Penn State and beyond. The program has sent more than half of its 177 alumni directly to advanced degree programs, including Wezi Mkandawire, a 2023 chemical engineering graduate who will be pursuing a Ph.D. at MIT this fall.
“My last four years in the Millennium Scholars Program have been really integral in my success as an undergraduate researcher, and they’ve done such a great job of preparing me for graduate school,” says Mkandawire, who received multiple scholarships during his time at Penn State. “We’re connected with a group of professors and professionals who take us into their labs and allow us to do cool and exciting research, and I look at my friends in the program and know that they will all be world changers and global leaders.”
The Art of Giving
As construction of the new Palmer Museum of Art nears completion, another important milestone has already been reached: The project has passed its fundraising goal of $22 million in private support for the state-of-the-art facility. Located adjacent to the H.O. Smith Botanical Gardens at The Arboretum at Penn State, the museum will open to the public in 2024, and it features an innovative design (seen in the sunrise image above, courtesy of Holder Construction, from August 22, 2023) that includes a series of interlocking pavilions clad in regional sandstone, evoking the geology of central Pennsylvania.
The Broadhursts at Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland.
The Long Game
More than 60 years have passed since Suzy Williams—then captain of the women’s golf team—got the better of Jim Broadhurst when they first teed off together on a Penn State fairway. The couple’s passion for the sport has continued through their married life, and last year, the longtime philanthropists and volunteer leaders made a new commitment to endow a program fund in the Penn State Golf Teaching and Research Center and scholarships for students in the Professional Golf Management program, both part of the College of Health and Human Development. The state-of-the-art center, which offers a popular online course in the biomechanics of golf and year-round training opportunities for students in the professional golf management program, has now been named in their honor.
“When I first toured the center some years ago, I was so impressed by the quality of the facilities,” says Suzy Broadhurst. “This was sophisticated digital technology being operated by knowledgeable faculty and staff who cared deeply about students, and from that point onward I knew that this was an area we would be proud to support.”
Photo: THON Public Relations/Penn State
Setting a New Record—For the Kids®
When this year’s THON™ came to an end on February 19, hundreds of dancers found one last burst of energy to celebrate the news they had been awaiting for 46 hours: the annual event had hit a new high, raising more than $15 million for Four Diamonds and the fight to conquer childhood cancer. THON’s support and Four Diamonds’ partnership have helped to welcome Giselle Saulnier Sholler, MD, an internationally known physician-scientist, as the new division chief of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital and as the director of pediatric oncology research at Penn State College of Medicine. Sholler brings with her the Beat Childhood Cancer Research Consortium, a 55-member worldwide network of universities and children’s hospitals. Together, they will provide greater access to groundbreaking pediatric cancer care and research, including clinical trials, for Penn State Health patients and surrounding communities.