Serving Those Who Serve

“Doing what it takes” for military Families

When Bob Houston became a captain in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, the 1969 zoology graduate and ROTC student was the third generation in his family to serve in the armed forces. He credits both his Penn State education and his military experience with a lifetime of success—and he’s opening the doors of opportunity for other veterans, ser­vice members, and their children to pursue their ambitions, too, through the Robert J. Houston Military Excellence Scholarship in the Eberly College of Science.

“I wanted to endow scholarships for ROTC students, military veterans, and children of military veterans because there’s a willingness to do what it takes to serve the country that’s embedded in military families,” says Houston, who has early-activated a seven-figure estate commitment with gifts that made it possible to award the first scholarships in his name this year.

Aubrianna Navaroli, a biochemistry and molecular biology major and the daughter of a Vietnam veteran, was among the first re­cipients. The support has not only eased the financial burdens on her family—Navaroli’s two brothers are also college students—but it has also deepened the connection between her father’s past and her own future. She says, “When I told my dad that I got this scholar­ship, it was a really nice bonding moment for us to both have had these experiences because of what he’s been through.”

“Penn State and Penn Staters have a long and proud tradition of answering our nation’s call in time of military conflict and national need,” says Eugene McFeely, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel as well as a 1989 electrical engineering graduate and, now, senior director of veterans affairs and services at the University. “Bob’s scholarship is a tremendous way to give back to our military community and help them achieve their goals in higher education.”

The courage and sacrifice of military servicemembers and their families have inspired other donors to step forward with their support this year:

• A $1 million endowment to support career services for student veterans was created by a donor who has chosen to remain anonymous. The gift will fund a position, housed in the Student Veteran Center, that is dedicated to easing the transition from Penn State to post-college careers or graduate education.
• After receiving a rejection letter from University Park, U.S. Coast Guard veteran E.J. Long got his Penn State start at Penn State Scranton—and he’s helping other military servicemembers to find an aca­demic home there with his support for a Veterans Lounge in the Study Learning Center.
• The 1st Lt. Jeffrey F. DePrimo Military Award has been endowed by the friends and family of the Pittston Pennsylvania, native, who was killed in action during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The award will support military students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre and honor DePrimo’s passion for education.
• PENN Entertainment is continuing its tradition of supporting and celebrating military service with an endowed scholar­ship for veterans, active-duty members, reservists, or National Guard members who demonstrate financial need and are enrolled at Penn State Berks, the campus closest to the company’s headquarters in Wyomissing.

Better Teacher Training = A Better World

The educational experiences offered to K-12 students can impact their values and actions for the rest of their lives—and Penn State graduates Victor and Dena Hammel want to ensure that a commitment to human rights is at the core of those experiences. Through the $5 million Hammel Family Human Rights Initiative endowment, the Reading, Pennsylvania couple is supporting the work of the University’s Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Education Initiative. Led by Boaz Dvir, associate professor of journalism in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, the education initiative provides training and resources to help educators teach their students about a wide range of difficult topics, from slavery and the Holocaust to contemporary issues students encounter in the news, their communities, and their lives. Victor Hammel says, “Dena and I believe that the initiative’s innovative approach to building empathy and critical thinking among schoolchildren can serve as a powerful antidote to the anger, division, and close-mindedness that plague our society. This initiative aims to make a profound difference that carries down through the generations.”

Innovation for Education

College of Education graduate Gay Krause believes in the power of technology to enhance teaching and learning. The Krause Center for Innovation at California’s Foothill College, which she founded in 2000, has offered professional training to more than 23,000 educators in the effective use of classroom technology and more engaging, high-quality instruction. At Penn State, Gay and her husband, Bill Krause, established the Krause Studios for Innovation in the College of Education, creating a vital hub for collaboration and experimentation. This year, they built upon those achievements with a $1.2 million gift for the Pedagogy Innovation Lab, which will extend the capabilities of the Studios into hands-on creative activity and embodied learning. Gay Krause says, “The Krause Studios and Pedagogy Innovation Lab will allow the College of Education to introduce our next generation of teachers to new and emerging technologies and approaches to teaching and engaging their students. Educated students are critical to an educated democratic society, increasing the potential for peace around the world.”

Ken Fasola is the inaugural Lehrich HPA executive in residence (center panelist).

Learning from Leaders

As one of the top programs of its kind in the world, the Department of Health Policy and Administration draws exceptional students and faculty to the College of Health and Human Development. Now, thanks to a gift from 1993 alumni Darren and Ellen Lehrich, who used their education as the foundation for their own successful careers in the healthcare sector, the HPA community will receive an influx of expertise and experience from industry leaders. The Darren and Ellen Lehrich HPA Executive in Residence Endowment has welcomed its inaugural holder, Kenneth Fasola, a Penn State graduate and an executive vice president with managed care company Centene Corporation. Department Head Christopher S. Hollenbeak says, “The Lehrichs’ gift will help us to elevate the program to even greater heights. We really appreciate that we have such fantastic alumni that continually give back and help us provide even better programs for our students.”

Hitting a new High(mark)

Penn State Cancer Institute is central Pennsylvania’s only academic and clinical cancer research center, offering access to world-class treatment and care for 3,000 new patients each year. As it pursues designation as a National Cancer Institute, support from insurance industry leader and longtime partner Highmark Blue Shield is ensuring that top researchers and clinicians have the resources and support to lead the fight against cancer, both in our region and beyond. Three endowed faculty positions, funded as part of a $25 million grant, were appointed for the first time last fall.

• As the Endowed Chair in Cancer Clinical Research, Dr. Mitchell Machtay brings expertise in radiation oncology to teams focused on cancers of the brain, head and neck, lung, and more.
• Dr. Cheryl Thompson, the Endowed Chair in Cancer Population Sciences Research, is a genetic and molecular epidemiologist who studies the causes of cancer development and progress.
• The Endowed Professor in Cancer Clinical Investigation, Dr. Monika Joshi, investigates therapies targeting cancers of the bladder, prostate, and kidney.

Meeting the need for Nurses

When the 2023 Philanthropists of the Year Ross and Carol Nese made their landmark gift to name Penn State’s College of Nursing, it underscored the couple’s understanding of the growing need for medical professionals—and their faith in the University’s ability to prepare the next generation of nurses. Other donors stepped forward this year to invest in the future of frontline health care.

• A $2 million grant from the Bedford Falls Foundation will fund the Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship and offer ap­proximately thirty-eight undergraduates a total of $40,000 dispersed annually over four years, easing their financial burden and clearing the path for them to focus on developing skills in the field of nursing.
• Longtime Penn State supporters Earl and Kay Harbaugh made a gift to the nursing program at Penn State Mont Alto for state-of-the-art training technology, emergency funds, and travel stipends for third- and fourth-year students training at facilities around the region. Kay, herself a retired nurse, says, “We knew this kind of assistance would really matter to nursing students.”
• For almost 40 years, the late Susan Nehring helped women and their babies as a nurse, including a five-year stint at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. This year, her husband, John Nehring, made a new gift and an estate commitment to the scholar­ship he created in 2021 to honor Susan and support students in the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing.
• Nursing students enrolled in the Schreyer Honors College have a new source of support: the scholarship created by Schreyer alumnus Ben Denkin and his wife, nurse and University of Pennsylvania graduate Blair Kraus Denkin. “I want nursing students to know that the training they receive is invaluable,” Blair says. “Coupled with some experience at the bedside, there are endless paths for really interest­ing and meaningful careers.”
• Nursing can be one of the most expensive college majors, with fees for uniforms, stethoscopes, and other equipment required for clinical rotations, as well as lab and licensing exam fees. To offset this imbalance, Toni Ardabell, a 1976 Penn State nursing graduate, has grown the Ardabell Open Doors Scholarship with a new $50,000 commitment to support those with financial need.