A Magazine of Penn State Philanthropy
ROOTED IN GENEROSITY Philanthropy is providing solid ground today—and shining light on what’s possible tomorrow
Spring 2021
A TWIST ON TRADITION Since the first class gift of 1861—a portrait of University President Evan Pugh— the legacies of Penn State seniors have shaped campus landscapes and created beloved landmarks. Now, 160 years later, seniors are putting a new spin on a classic tradition.
Class gifts across the past decade have celebrated the individual student experience, serving as expressions of care for both current and future Penn Staters. On the heels of the class of 2016’s endowment to support Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), the class of 2020 reinforced student mental health and wellness as a continuing priority. Today, the class of 2021 is shining light on another priority—ensuring a diverse, inclusive, and equitable experience for all students. This year’s class gift, the creation of the Student Access and Equity Fund, will support individuals who contribute to the diversity of the student body and who are unexpectedly in need of help to afford educational expenses not covered through financial aid. It’s a legacy that Liam Parrish, executive director of the 2021 Class Gift Campaign, hopes will help to ensure “that every Penn Stater hears their name when we call out ‘We are Penn State.’”
To make a contribution to the Student Access and Equity Fund, visit raise.psu.edu/classgift2021.
A Message from Rick Sokolov At this time last year, COVID was sweeping the country, and the tragic impact and wide-ranging challenges associated with it were only beginning to emerge. Today, we are observing increasingly hopeful signs that the prolonged period of uncertainty, personal loss, and heartbreak is coming to an end. For a new class of Penn State graduates, this moment is a hopeful beginning as they step ambitiously into the world with a record of accomplishment and a drive to achieve that demonstrate their capability, character, and the constant support they have in alumni and friends like you.
On the cover: students working on the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Student Farm. Turn to the back cover to learn more about Dr. Ross’s $2 million gift to the farm and its impact on Penn Staters and sus-
In the face of the unprecedented challenges of this pandemic, the generosity and resilience of the Penn State community has been unprecedented, too. In this issue of We Are magazine, we acknowledge both how philanthropy continues to provide immediate support and create optimism about Penn State’s future. We showcase an investment in Penn State’s research enterprise, initiated decades ago, that is now empowering scientists and students in a collaborative COVID response effort. We highlight a new gift that will help students to lead the way in creating sustainable food systems for all of us. We celebrate the selfless response of the Penn State community to provide resources for students facing emergency hardship, and we underline the overwhelming impact that gifts have made. We introduce one of the University’s first recipients of a scholarship created through the successful Educational Equity Matching Program and show how this effort fits into a larger institutional commitment to building equitable, diverse, and inclusive communities across the Commonwealth. Finally, we feature examples of how today’s students are leading the way—investing together in a more equitable student experience, reimagining philanthropic traditions like THON and the Class Gift, and being inspired to continue the practice of generosity that has long been a Penn State tradition.
tainable food systems.
Many challenges have been met, but there are many more still in front of us. As we head into the final campaign year of A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence, your support is providing both a foundation and a framework for what can and will come next. We have accomplished incredible things, but our work is not finished. After all, “We are Penn State”—which means we are never done investing in our communities or in each other. Thank you for your continued dedication to Penn State, for believing in our students, and for being a most important part of what will always make Penn State great.
Rick Sokolov ’71 Lib Chair, Executive Committee, A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence
Spring 2021 — we are
1
TAKING ACTION TOGETHER Fueled by philanthropy, Penn State scientists are informing COVID-19 response efforts—and modeling new possibilities for public health research. In March of 2020, the novel coronavirus upended expectations for the spring semester—and set in motion the far-reaching challenges that continue today. As the University and its supporters mobilized to support students through gifts made to the Student Care and Advocacy Emergency Fund (see page 4–5) and other urgent needs, an interdisciplinary team of researchers from units across the institution began working behind the scenes. Their goal: to help the local community cope with the crisis and develop a model for future pandemic prevention and mitigation efforts. Philanthropy would be at the heart of it all. The product of their collaboration is the ongoing Centre County COVID-19 Data 4 Action Research Project (Data 4 Action), a partnership between Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute, the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute to track the spread and impact of COVID-19 at Penn State and in the Centre region. The study uses biological samples collected from students 2
we are — A Magazine of Penn State Philanthropy
and community members as well as findings from comprehensive community surveys to understand the virus’s impact on human health, emotional and social wellbeing, economic vitality, and educational success. Data 4 Action got a jumpstart from the COVID-19 grant program, which was established by the University in March of 2020 to offer rapid support for projects confronting the virus. The grant program itself was fueled with funds from an endowment created by the late Lloyd and Dottie Huck in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. Empowered by the Huck’s decades-old investment in the potential of Penn State’s research enterprise, Data 4 Action quickly began investigating the impact of the virus in ways unseen at any other major institution and on an unprecedented timeline. The Data 4 Action team recruited initial study participants before the pandemic’s bleakest months, resulting in findings that track the impact of COVID-19 on the local and student community through a full and continuing map of the virus’s peaks and valleys.
Providing a vision of the true depth and breadth of its lasting impact at Penn State and in the Centre region, the work of the Data 4 Action team has already assisted local community leaders and government officials in bringing much-needed relief for the community. And in addition to the meaningful application of their research, the project’s collaborative “team science” approach is putting Penn State on the map as a leader in public health research. Meg Small, director of social innovation at the Prevention Research Center and of the Health and Human Development Design for Impact Lab, is a principal investigator for Data 4 Action, helping to head the project’s social and behavioral research. “We knew that the impact of the pandemic wouldn’t be limited to physical health, so we had to take a cross-disciplinary approach,” she explains. “Penn State’s unique research infrastructure helped us to make it happen. We were able to bring together experts from all backgrounds to develop a novel way of understanding a global pandemic through the dual lenses of human behavior and infectious disease biology and prevention.” As faculty members at Penn State forge new pathways for pandemic preparedness and response, they are modeling innovation and excellence for the next generation of public health leaders. Fourteen undergraduates serve as research associates with Data 4 Action, and Gillian Somerville, a senior studying Biobehavioral Health and a research associate for the project, notes its impact on her own career trajectory. “It’s been invaluable to see the Data 4 Action principal investigators and staff collaborate to respond to rapidly changing information about COVID-19,” says Somerville. “I’ve been exposed to so many different minds and mindsets, and I’ve learned that collaborative science can lead to quick and efficient solutions. This lesson will serve me well in my public health career.” As the University moves into the final year of its fundraising campaign A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence, Data 4 Action embodies the imperative to Impact the World through innovation in human health. Matt Ferrari, associate professor of biology and a Data 4 Action principal investigator, notes the importance of philanthropy in Penn State’s continued pursuit of leadership in pandemic response efforts. “This project is giving us a great opportunity to become a leader in complex, collaborative science, which really underlies public health and prevention broadly speaking,” he says. “Continued investment is going to help us look at the
long-term biological, social, and behavioral impacts of the pandemic in ways that other institutions cannot. We are hoping that this project is a model for how to conduct interdisciplinary research for maximum societal impact.” For more information about how to support Data 4 Action, please contact Eric Reinhard, director of strategic initiatives, at ereinhard@psu.edu.
I’ve been exposed to so many different minds and mindsets, and I’ve learned that collaborative science can lead to quick and efficient solutions. This lesson will serve me well in my public health career.’’ — Gillian Somerville, a senior studying Biobehavioral Health
Spring 2021 — we are
3
HELP FROM THE
HEART Since its inception in 2019, the Student Care & Advocacy Emergency Fund has provided financial support for Penn Staters facing unexpected hardship—support that has been essential for those navigating their college careers through a pandemic. Fueled by gifts from thousands of Penn State alumni and friends, the fund has helped students in crisis to afford housing, groceries, utilities, medical bills, technology for remote learning, and more. And it’s been an expression of care, reminding Penn Staters that when times get hard, there’s a University family waiting to help. Students who have benefitted from support share their gratitude:
I am honored and grateful. Now as a proud alumna, I hope to one day help others as I was helped when support was needed.”
Knowing that I can rely on my University to be there for me in a time of need is a relief I can’t explain.”
Having experienced the support of the University community when I needed it most, I can proudly say that enrolling at Penn State was the best decision that I could have ever made.”
Here’s a look at how the Student Care & Advocacy Emergency Fund has benefited Penn Staters since March 1, 2020.
1,300+ students have received support
To hear “We Are” is to be reminded that Penn Staters are defined by commitment to community. In response to the ongoing crisis of the pandemic, artist and class of 1994 graduate Jonathan Cramer
3,413
has produced six-inch replicas of University Park’s iconic We Are statue (see photo above). Only a limited number of statues remain, and $600 of the $1,000
donors have made gifts to the fund
purchase price goes directly to the Student Care & Advocacy Emergency Fund—a one-of-akind combination of art to live with, words to live by, and help for students when they need it most.
100% of Penn State’s colleges and campuses have received funds to distribute
$915k+
Express your pride and show your support by purchasing a statue at psu. bncollege. com
has been distributed
Spring 2021 — we are
5
THE US IN JUSTICE Penn Staters join together to create a more diverse and equitable institution—and nation When the national conversation about race and justice intensified last summer, Penn State deepened its own commitment to communities historically underrepresented in higher education. Announced by President Eric J. Barron on June 29, 2020, the Educational Equity Matching Program offered University matching funds for gifts to endow new scholarships for students who contribute to the diversity of the institution and who face financial challenges in earning their Penn State degrees. The response from the Penn State community was instant and overwhelming. An initial pool of $10 million in matching funds was rapidly claimed by donors who wanted to invest in the vision of a more inclusive, equitable, and welcoming institution. President Barron expanded the program, and by the time it concluded on December 31, 2020—just six months after it began—the Educational Equity Matching Program had secured: n n
n
166 new endowments, including several funds that reflected widespread support and collective giving from Penn State faculty and staff; $10.8 million in support from donors—both longtime philanthropic leaders and alumni and friends who were inspired to give for the first time; a total impact—private gifts plus University matching—of more than $23.9 million in new endowed funds for scholarships that will benefit Penn State students in perpetuity.
The Educational Equity Matching Program is just one element in the University’s fight against racism, injustice, and inequality, both on its campuses and in the larger world. A revised Student Code of Conduct has been implemented for the spring 2021 semester, making discriminatory harassment a violation subject to sanctions and introducing other changes to affirm diversity and inclusion as Penn State values. Police officers at all twenty-two campuses have been equipped with body-worn cameras to ensure accountability and transparency. A $3.1 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to the College of the Liberal Arts will expand a set of programs focused on Black studies and racial justice. The University will also be pursuing recommendations from the Select Presidential Commission on Racism, Bias, and Community Safety, including a review of historic and current policies, and mounting a search for a chief diversity officer who will coordinate efforts across the institution and report directly to the President. Learn more at actiontogether.psu.edu. 6
we are — A Magazine of Penn State Philanthropy
Six years ago, when Camilo Andrés Rojas Balli was a high school student who had just arrived in the U.S. with his family from Bogotá, Colombia, he wasn’t sure what the future would hold. “I didn’t know how I could pay for college, and I didn’t know about scholarships,” says the Schreyer Scholar, who will be graduating in May with a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering. With support from donors to the honors college and the College of Engineering, Camilo has devoted much of his time at Penn State to helping other students from underrepresented communities to find their way to and through the University. He is one of the first recipients of support through the Educational Equity Matching Program, the Lauryn Mary Sutton Educational Equity Honors Scholarship.
FACES OF PHILANTHROPY:
CAMILO ANDRÉS ROJAS BALLI What has been your biggest challenge as a Penn State student, and what has been your best experience? They’re actually related. During my first semester here, I was too focused on academics and research, and I didn’t find a supportive community that understood my experience, a community where I felt comfortable. That changed when I joined organizations like the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers and became more involved in the Multicultural Engineering Program (MEP). Without a doubt, my best experience has been serving as a program coordinator for the MEP orientation and helping other students to find their own community. When you see people who look like you, you feel like you belong here. What does it mean to you to be a recipient of one of the first scholarships created through the Educational Equity Matching Program? It means that there are people who care about the challenges that students like me are facing. Through my Penn State experience, I had been very concerned about tuition payments and living expenses overall. I thought I had to figure it all out on my own, to work harder and more hours to be able to pay for everything and not put so much pressure on my mother’s finances. It makes me happy to know people who were or are experiencing a similar situation will benefit from this scholarship as much as I did.
What should Penn State and Penn Staters do to promote justice and equity? When Penn State students engage in racist behaviors and attacks that make other students feel uncomfortable and unsafe, it’s not enough to broadcast messages condemning racism. We need more than that. Leaders and alumni must connect on a personal level and develop more awareness of the challenges faced by students, faculty, and staff from underrepresented communities at a predominantly white institution. Listen to our experiences. Support our success. It doesn’t have to take money. Be a mentor, connect us with your companies, spread the word to high school students in your own community about the opportunities and programs that Penn State offers, like MEP orientation and Educational Equity Scholarships. Why is it important for Penn State to work toward a more diverse and inclusive community? When people think of Penn State, they think of challenging curriculum, amazing research, and excellent networking opportunities. Imagine Penn State also being recognized for an incredible, diverse body of students. Being celebrated by students from underrepresented groups because of its leading actions toward equity and social justice. Penn State must create a community where every single one of its students feels safe, secure, and supported.
Spring 2021 — we are
7
Under challenging circumstances, Penn State’s hallmark student-run philanthropy finds a new home—and maintains the same extraordinary impact.
THENNOW
It’s no secret that Penn State’s tradition of
February. The first THON weekend took place
philanthropy extends to its students. And there
in the Hetzel Union Building (HUB) Ballroom,
is perhaps no greater testament to their com-
and, eventually, the event migrated to the White
mitment to make a difference than THON.
Building and then to Rec Hall before finding its largest stage yet at the Bryce Jordan Center
“We’ve danced in the HUB. We’ve danced in the White Building. We’ve danced in Rec Hall and the BJC. Tonight, THON takes its fifth stage: we dance everywhere!” Nick Vicidomini, dancer relations director, kicking off the THON 2021 livestream
In 1973, a group of Penn State student-volunteers
in 2007.
held the University’s first dance marathon, where seventy-eight individuals danced to raise $2,000
This year, due to COVID-19, THON Weekend
for charitable causes. Nearly fifty years later, the
embraced a virtual home on screens around the
organization and its signature event have only
world. Undeterred by the pandemic’s challenges,
grown—and so have their impact.
student volunteers danced safely at home and adopted virtual fundraising tactics to reach
Today, more than 16,500 students volunteer their
another astonishing milestone, ultimately raising
time to fundraise for THON’s sole beneficiary,
more than $10.6 million to support children and
Four Diamonds, which supports pediatric cancer
families fighting cancer. THON 2021 volunteers
treatment and research at Penn State Hershey
also brought a renewed focus to enhancing
Children’s Hospital.
diversity, equity, and inclusion, and created new avenues for engagement around the organiza-
8
As the organization has evolved, so has the
tion’s mission. To learn more about the evolution
setting for its annual dance marathon each
and impact of THON, visit thon.org.
we are — A Magazine of Penn State Philanthropy
116 Old Main University Park, PA 16802
W E
A R E
P E N N
S T A T EE
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce. U. Ed DEV 21-03
Why I Give
“
I’m striving to live a life of giving in all ways— of my time, my love, and my financial resources.
”
As a first-year student, Carissa Brewton ’18 HHD helped to launch the Student Farm Club—a defining part of today’s Student Farm at Penn State, which grows more than 15,000 pounds of produce for the Penn State community each year and welcomes students from all backgrounds to engage in hands-on learning about the food system. After Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross made a $2 million gift in 2020 to expand the project’s size and capacity for community outreach, it was renamed in her honor, and Carissa is excited about what’s ahead for the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Student Farm. Now the community food program coordinator for Retreat Farm in Brattleboro, Vermont, Carissa is helping to build equitable food systems and striving to live generously—goals inspired by her experience at Penn State. “The student farm changed me as a person,” she said. “It’s an experience that will continue to shape me for the rest of my life.”