Schreyer Honors College Updates

Scholar alumna sworn in as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs

Chris Arbutina, Coordinator of College Relations — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:36:33 GMT

Mary Beth Long, who graduated with honors from Penn State in 1985, was sworn in as the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs on December 21 during a ceremony at the Pentagon. She is the first woman to be sworn into an assistant secretary position in the policy organization.

Long said she was honored to be appointed by President Bush to this position.

"I feel privileged to have been selected by the President for this appointment, and I am grateful for the secretary's confidence in my ability to serve in this position," she said. "I look forward to serving the men and women of our great military and the Defense Department."

Prior to her confirmation, Long served as the acting assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs and the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs. She also served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for counter narcotics. Long has also worked for the Central Intelligence Agency and practiced law with Williams and Connolly LLP. A graduate of Washington and Lee University School of Law, she received her bachelor's degree in Communications from Penn State and was a University Scholar.

Long received the Schreyer Honors College's inaugural Outstanding Scholar Alumna Award in 2006. She currently serves on the college's External Advisory Board.

College's founder named honorary chair for Penn State capital campaign

Chris Arbutina, Coordinator of College Relations — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:20:52 GMT

Schreyer Honors College benefactor William A. Schreyer, chairman and chief executive emeritus of Merrill Lynch & Co., is one of four Penn Staters named an honorary chair of the University's new capital campaign, For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students.

Joining Schreyer are Edward R. Hintz, founder and president of a money-management firm; Arthur J. Nagle, private equity investment manager; and Joseph V. Paterno, Nittany Lions head football coach. All have participated as volunteer leaders in previous Penn State fundraising efforts.

The honorary chairs will serve as advisors to Campaign Chair Peter Tombros and will help to identify major gift prospects, according to University President Graham Spanier.

"These four leaders bring an incredible amount of collective wisdom and experience to the campaign," Spanier said. "They are also visionary philanthropists in their own right. Their generosity has especially helped to create new and more varied educational opportunities for students, and that is the essence of the For the Future campaign."

The campaign began Jan. 1. Its highest priority is to ensure that a Penn State education remains accessible to students regardless of their financial means, and to strengthen the qualities that make Penn State a student-centered university. A dollar goal will be determined at a later date.

"Each of our honorary chairs has a unique perspective on Penn State and is a proven leader who enjoys widespread esteem throughout the University community," said Tombros. "They've played key roles in previous University fundraising efforts, all of which have met with great success. I'm delighted that they will be involved with the For the Future campaign."

William A. Schreyer, a native of Williamsport, joined Merrill Lynch as a management trainee in 1948, the year he graduated from Penn State. He rose through the ranks and was named the firm's chairman in 1985. He is widely credited with making Merrill Lynch a global financial giant. He became chairman emeritus in 1993. He served on Penn State's Board of Trustees from 1986 to 1996, and was board chair 1993-96. Schreyer headed the Campaign for Penn State and served on the executive committee of the Grand Destiny campaign. In 1997 he and his wife, Joan, established an endowment that created the Schreyer Honors College and related scholarships and programs. The Smeal College of Business, the University Libraries, and Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center also have been recipients of major gifts from the Schreyers. The Schreyers reside in Princeton, N.J.

Edward Hintz, a Reading native and 1959 Penn State graduate, is president of New Jersey-based HHR Asset Management, a private money-management firm specializing in investment management for endowments and individuals, which he founded in 1974. He chaired the Grand Destiny campaign, which secured $1.37 billion in gifts for the University between 1996 and 2003, and was a vice chair of the Campaign for Penn State, which raised $352 million over a six-year period ending in 1990. He and his wife, Helen, committed the lead gift in 2001 to help build a new facility for the Penn State Alumni Association. The Hintzes have directed their Penn State philanthropy toward a variety of programs and purposes, including the Smeal College of Business, College of Health and Human Development, University Libraries, Penn State Berks, and Trustee Scholarships. Edward Hintz has served on Penn State's Board of Trustees since 1994 and was board chair 2001-03.

Arthur Nagle, a member of Penn State's class of 1961, is managing director of New York-based Vestar Capital Partners, a private equity investment firm, and has served as a director of more than 25 major business firms. As volunteer chair of the National Council on Penn State Philanthropy, he headed the University's Investing in People fundraising initiatives that followed the Grand Destiny campaign and secured private gifts for a wide range of purposes, including student financial aid, faculty endowments, and

CNN terror analyst and presidential scholar to deliver honors college's spring lectures

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 20:06:30 GMT

Two news-making topics—terrorism and the presidency—are the subjects of Penn State’s Schreyer Honors College’s 2008 Spring Lecture Series. CNN terror analyst and author Peter Bergen and Hofstra University professor of presidential studies Dr. Meena Bose ’90 Lib will be the guest lecturers.

Bergen will present “An Insider’s Look at the Changing Terror Threat” at 7:30 p.m. Monday, February 11, in Schwab Auditorium on the University Park campus. “How Do We Define Democratic Leadership in the Twenty-First Century?” is the topic of Bose’s lecture being held at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 20, in Schwab Auditorium. Both lectures are free but tickets, available in advance or at the door, will be required for seating.

Bergen’s appearance is being co-sponsored by the Penn State Dickinson School of Law, the Rock Ethics Institute, and the Department of Political Science in the College of the Liberal Arts. Bose’s presentation is being co-sponsored by the Dickinson School of Law and the Rock Ethics Institute in the College of the Liberal Arts.

In addition to his reporting duties for CNN, Bergen is a Schwartz senior fellow at the New America Foundation in Washington D.C.; an adjunct professor at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University; a research fellow at New York University’s Center on Law and Security; and the author of the New York Times best-seller “Holy War, Inc.: Inside the Secret World of Bin Laden” and “The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda’s Leader,” named by The Washington Post as one of the best non-fiction books of 2006. Bergen begins teaching at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University this month.

A book signing will immediately follow Bergen’s lecture in Schwab Auditorium. Copies of “Holy War, Inc.” and “The Osama bin Laden I Know” will be available for purchase.

Bose will deliver the 13th Annual Mark Luchinsky Memorial Lecture, which was established in memory of Mark Luchinsky, a University Scholar and biochemistry major who died in 1995 at age 20. In addition to being a Scholar, he was a member of the Penn State Golden Key Honor Society and the Alpha Epsilon Delta Premedical Honor Society. Although he was a science student, Luchinsky loved the study of a wide range of subjects, including classics, sports, poetry, history and geography. Even at his young age, he was known for intellectual honesty and personal integrity. Through this lecture, the community gathers annually to honor his memory through support of a speaker who exemplifies those characteristics.

Bose, an alumna of Penn State’s University Scholars Program, holds the Peter S. Kalikow Chair in Presidential Studies at Hofstra. Bose returned to Hofstra in fall 2006 having been an assistant professor of political science there from 1996 to 2000 and acting director of the university’s honors program from 1999 to 2000. From 2001 to November 2006, Bose taught at the U.S. Military Academy in the Department of Social Sciences. She earned her master’s degree and doctorate in politics from Princeton University. She is the author of “Shaping and Signaling Presidential Policy: The National Security Decision Making of Eisenhower and Kennedy” and has co-edited several published works.

Tickets will be available at the Eisenhower Auditorium ticket office, the HUB ticket outlet, and the Downtown Theater Center for Bergen’s appearance beginning as follows: Friday, February 1, for Penn State students with ID; Monday, February 4, for Penn State faculty and staff with ID; and Tuesday, February 5, for the general public.

Tickets will be distributed for Bose’s lecture through the ticket outlets listed above beginning on the following dates: Monday, March 10, for Penn State student with ID; Wednesday, March 12, for Penn State faculty and staff with ID; and Friday, March 14, for the general public.

Parents Create Honors College Program Fund

Chris Arbutina, Coordinator of College Relations — Sun, 09 Jan 2000 16:26:03 GMT

Daley Ford-Matz’s parents can’t say enough about the positive experiences their daughter is having as a student in Penn State’s Schreyer Honors College. In fact, they’ve been so impressed with Daley’s experiences as a Schreyer Scholar that the couple has established a fund to support programs that will benefit students in the Honors College for years to come.

“We’ve always wanted to do something for Penn State,” said Kathleen Ford, who with her husband, R. Kevin Matz, committed $25,000 to establish the Ford-Matz Family Program Fund in the Schreyer Honors College in honor of Daley, a sophomore Scholar. “We made this investment because we felt it is important to the future of the College, and it was simply the right thing to do. We hope our gift will inspire other families to consider what we did and do the same.”

Ford earned an MBA from Penn State in 1983, and Matz received a master of public administration degree from the University in 1982.

“It’s great that Daley’s going there, but our motivation is that the Schreyer Honors College is a fantastic hidden gem for Penn State,” she said. “With the development of the honors college, Penn State can now compete with anyone. It’s really going to advance the University. I have this personal goal to spread the word as much as I can to let people know that the Schreyer Honors College is there, and we want other families, prospective students, to know that Penn State’s Schreyer Honors College is as strong if not stronger than some of the top schools in the country.”

The fund will support international study, honors course development, or guest lectures focused on ethics and civic engagement.

“The Schreyer Honors College is dedicated to preparing our Scholars for the leadership roles they will assume once they graduate and begin their careers,” said Dean Christian M. M. Brady. “Initiatives that will be underwritten through the Ford-Matz Family Program Fund—traveling overseas to study, enrolling in a newly developed innovative course, or getting to hear pre-eminent guest lecturers talk about the ways in which actions can have positive, meaningful impact—provide the foundation for that leadership development.”

Getting their daughter to choose Penn State wasn’t easy at first, according to Ford. There was the distance between University Park and the family’s home in Ridgefield, Conn., coupled with Daley’s initial preference to attend a smaller college having dominant name recognition in New England.

“Daley has now told me many times that being in the Schreyer Honors College is like being at a small college, but you have all the resources and opportunities that Penn State offers,” Ford said.

Ford and Matz met when both were attending Penn State as graduate students. She retired from IBM as a financial manager with almost 20 years with the company. He is the Executive Vice President for Shared Services with EMCOR Group Inc., a Fortune 500 company. EMCOR is a global leader in mechanical and electrical construction, energy infrastructure, and facilities services.

For more information about the Schreyer Honors College, visit http://shc.psu.edu.

Medals Ceremony Recognizes 50 Graduating Scholars

Chris Arbutina, Cooridinator of College Relations — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:15:41 GMT

Fifty Schreyer Scholars who will be graduating with honors during Penn State’s fall commencement exercises received medals recognizing their academic achievement during the Schreyer Honors College’s Medals Ceremony held Friday (December 21) at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel.

Penn State President Graham B. Spanier presented the graduating Scholars with the medals. Assisting with the presentation of medals were executive vice president and provost Dr. Rodney Erickson; Dr. Christian M. M. Brady, dean of the Schreyer Honors College; and Dr. Ingrid Blood, chair-elect of the University Faculty Senate and professor of communication sciences and disorders.

In addition to the University Park event, three Schreyer Scholars will be recognized at graduation ceremonies happening at Penn State Behrend, Penn State Abington, and Penn State Berks.

Among the graduating Scholars:

56 percent of the graduating Scholars have a GPA of 3.80 or higher
93 percent have a GPA of 3.50 or higher
Employment opportunities include positions with KPMG in Houston, Texas; Cisco Systems, Inc. in Boulder, Colo.; Citigroup Global Capital Markets in New York City; ConocoPhillips in Houston; and Genentech at Palo Alto, Calif.
Areas of graduate study being pursued starting in fall 2008 include law, medicine, science, fine arts, and religion
8 of the Scholars will be graduating with two majors
1 of the Scholars will graduate with three majors
9 of the Scholars will have participated in the Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate Program, having completed their Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees simultaneously
38 percent of the fall 2007 graduating class studied abroad in 11 different countries
Immediate plans for several of the new graduates include working abroad—one plans to teach math in an orphanage in Tanzania; another plans to volunteer for at least two months at a school in Kathmandu, Nepal.

During commencement exercises at University Park on Saturday, eight Schreyer Scholars will serve as student marshals representing their respective academic college or program. The student marshals include:

Ashley Brooke Barr, representing the College of Health and Human Development;
Christian J. W. Haag, representing Air Force ROTC;
Cara Livorio, representing the College of Arts and Architecture;
Katherine Anne Myers, representing the Eberly College of Science;
Jonathan H. Morgan, representing the College of the Liberal Arts;
Peter Yilin Soung, representing the College of Engineering;
Erin Elizabeth Twerdok, representing the College of Education; and
Lisa Jane Voghel, representing the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

Also during commencement ceremonies for the Eberly College of Science, Dr. Charles A. Sanders, a member of the Schreyer Honors College’s External Advisory Board, will receive an honorary doctor of science degree from Penn State. Sanders, a renowned scientist, educator, philanthropist, medical doctor, and administrator, is the former chairman and CEO of Glaxo, Inc. He currently serves as chairman of the board of the University of North Carolina Health System. Previously, he was a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is a graduate of Southwestern Medical College of the University of Texas. Sanders served as chair of the Schreyer Honors College’s External Advisory Board in 2006.

For more information about the Schreyer Honors College, visit http://shc.psu.edu.

Scholars selected as student marshals for fall commencement

Chris Arbutina, Coordinator of College Relations — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:15:14 GMT

Eight Schreyer Scholars will serve as student marshals during Penn State's fall commencement ceremonies being held December 22 at the University Park campus.

The selected Scholars include:

Ashley Barr of Williamsport, Pa., representing the College of Health and Human Development
Christian J. W. Haag of Clearfield, Pa., representing ROTC
Cara C. Livorio of New Kensington, Pa., representing the College of Arts and Architecture
Katherine Anne Myers of Ramsey, N.J., representing the Eberly College of Science
Jonathan H. Morgan of Lancaster, Pa., representing the College of the Liberal Arts
Peter Y. Soung of Pittsburgh, Pa., representing the College of Engineering
Erin Elizabeth Twerdok of Pittsburgh, Pa., representing the College of Education
Lisa Jane Voghel of Simsbury, Conn., representing the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences

Schreyer Scholar selected for Young People For fellowship

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:14:24 GMT

Arielle Hesse, a Schreyer Scholar majoring in French, Jewish Studies, and geography, has been named one of 200 Young People For fellowship recipients for 2008.

As a fellowship recipient, Arielle will attend the National Summit for Progressive Leaders, being held in Washington, D.C., in January. The summit kicks off the yearlong fellowship. Participants represent colleges and universities throughout the country, including native American colleges and community colleges.

At the summit, Arielle will develop an action plan for a civic engagement project she will initiate on the Penn State campus. "I'm waiting until I go to Washington, D.C., to finalize my project," said Arielle, a 2006 State College Area High School graduate of the district's Delta Program, who entered Penn State's Schreyer Honors College in spring 2007. "The summit is a completely programmed weekend with sessions on how to get people interested in current events, being active on their campus, and having a voice."

Before heading to Washington, Arielle plans to meet with Lakshman Yapa, a Penn State professor of geography who spearheads the Philadelphia Field Project, a public scholarship and service learning program for Penn State undergraduates.

"His whole thing is about rethinking how we look at problems," Arielle said. "I'd like to use that approach with my project."

At Penn State, Arielle is involved with the Student Labor Action Project and United Students Against Sweatshops. Arielle hopes to move SLAP toward engaging in dialogue with Penn State administrators rather than confrontation. "My approach is to go through existing channels to get things done," Arielle said. "That's why I'm excited about the fellowship. It's about trying to get people interested in issues for real reasons. With SLAP, there are ways for us to help people see how each person fits into the world, how what we do and what we buy affects people in other countries who allow us to live the way we do."

Arielle was nominated for the fellowship by Baruch Halpern, Chaiken Family Chair in Jewish Studies and professor of ancient history, classics, and religious studies.

"When I heard about this program, Arielle came to mind because of who she is--she's incredibly bright and mature, she has values, and she cares about people concretely, not in the abstract," Halpern said. "This experience will help her put her ideas about social justice into action."

Young People For is sponsored by People For the American Way, a Washington, D.C.-based civil advocacy group.

Scholarship to assist engineering Scholars

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:13:15 GMT

Schreyer Scholars enrolled in the College of Engineering will be eligible for a new scholarship endowed by University alumnus and State College native John D. Bender.

The George E. and Beverly McNaul Bender Honors Scholarship recognizes Bender's parents. The late George Bender was a 1947 Penn State liberal arts graduate who went on to earn a medical degree from Temple University. His career included service as a physician at the University Health Services in Ritenour Building. During World War II, George Bender was a B-24 pilot who flew 35 missions without losing a single man or plane, his son said. John Bender described his mother as "the heart and soul of the family" who began her studies at Penn State, but "ultimately sacrificed her own educational pursuits to raise four children -- two physicians and two nurses."

The scholarship is one of three John Bender has endowed through a $150,000 gift. Bender earned a master's degree in engineering mechanics from Penn State in 1976. Before enrolling at Penn State, Bender received his baccalaureate degree from Lehigh University. He also is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, completing his specialty training in physical medicine and rehabilitation, and neuromuscular and electrodiagnostic medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. After settling in Boulder, Colo., Bender co-founded Rehabilitation Associates of Colorado and then Physicians Intra-Operative Monitoring. A father of three children, he resides in Lafayette, Colo.

Scholar alum to guest on Penn State president's radio show

Chris Arbutina, Coordinator of College Relations — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:24:48 GMT

Scholar alumna Dr. Candace R. Good of Sunbridge Health in State College will be a guest on Penn State President Graham Spanier's upcoming monthly call-in show, "To the Best of My Knowledge," airing at 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 27, on WPSU-TV and WPSU-FM.

The topic of Tuesday's show is cutting disorders and other forms of self-injury which an estimated 2 million to 3 million Americans practice. While the majority of those are women between the ages of 13 and 30, "cutters" span every age, gender, and economic group. Spanier and his guests will discuss what cutting disorders are and how to find help. Good, board certified in general and child and adolescent psychiatry, will be joined by Dr. Richard L. Levine, a professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine and chief of the Division of Adolescent Medicine and Eating Disorders.

Good is a 1995 graduate of Penn State's University Scholars Program. She received her undergraduate degree in pre-medicine and completed her medical degree and residency training at the Penn State College of Medicine. Before relocating to State College, she was an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

"To the Best of My Knowledge" airs on WPSU-FM at 91.5, 106.7, 95.1, 90,1, 100.9, and 104.7, on WPSU-TV. For a live audiostream, go to www.wpsu.org/ondemand. To view the program via the Internet, go to www.wpsu.org/ttbomk and follow the links.

To submit a question for the panelists during the broadcast, call toll-free at 1-800-543-8242 or send an e-mail to response@psu.edu.

Merrill Lynch gives $1 million for Schreyer Honors College scholarships

Penn State Live — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 16:12:48 GMT

The Merrill Lynch & Co. Foundation has committed $1 million to endow four undergraduate scholarships in Penn State's Schreyer Honors College.

Consideration for the Merrill Lynch Honors College Scholarships will be given to students in the college who have earned a high school grade point average of 3.5 or higher, and who contribute to the ethnic or cultural diversity of the student body.

"The funding of these scholarships and the enhanced relationship between Merrill Lynch and the college is in keeping with the vision that William and Joan Schreyer had when they made their gift to establish the college," said Dean Christian M.M. Brady. "Their vision -- to provide the highest level of academic excellence, build global perspective, and foster leadership and civic engagement -- is being realized thanks to Merrill Lynch's support."

William A. Schreyer, Penn State class of 1948, retired as chairman emeritus of Merrill Lynch in 1993. The Schreyers gave $30 million to endow the college in 1997, and in 2006 contributed an additional $25 million. The foundation is the philanthropic arm of Merrill Lynch & Co., one of the world's leading wealth management, capital markets and advisory companies, with offices in 38 countries and territories. Previous support to Penn State includes a faculty chair in the Smeal College of Business.

Penn State's Schreyer Honors College enrolls about 1,800 undergraduates and affords students exceptional opportunities to engage in research, travel abroad and leadership. Each Schreyer Scholar majors in a program in one of the University's academic colleges and takes any of more than 300 honors courses that emphasize active and in-depth learning. Many Scholars have multiple majors and minors, and their academic career culminates in an honors thesis. The college is widely acknowledged as one of the best in the nation.

Liberal arts Trustee Scholarship may support Schreyer Scholar

Penn State Live — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:12:33 GMT

Penn State alumni Linda and Jonathan Strumpf have given $500,000 to endow a scholarship in the College of the Liberal Arts for students who have financial need. First preference for the Linda and Jonathan Strumpf Trustee Scholarship, the couple's third scholarship supporting the liberal arts at the University, will go to students who are concurrently enrolled in the Schreyer Honors College.

The Strumpfs, who live in Sands Point, N.Y., are both 1969 liberal arts graduates. Linda Strumpf majored in economics and later received a master of business administration from New York University. She serves on Penn State's Board of Trustees and is vice president and chief investment officer of the Ford Foundation, a global organization whose grant-making goals are to reduce poverty, promote international cooperation and advance human achievement through education and the arts.

Jonathan Strumpf majored in psychology at Penn State and earned a doctorate in school psychology from NYU. He is a psychologist at Hollow Hills High School East in Dix Hills, N.Y.

"Our Penn State liberal arts educations enabled both of us to have wonderful careers dedicated to helping other people," Linda Strumpf said of the couple's most recent scholarship. "We both feel it is important to support intellectually talented students who have financial need so they can benefit from the liberal arts education they would receive at Penn State."

The Strumpfs' two previous scholarships are the Sylvia and David Brodsky Memorial Trustee Scholarship and the Linda Brodsky Strumpf and Jonathan A. Strumpf Scholarship. Through these two scholarships, the couple has assisted nearly 50 students. Linda Strumpf said they focus their giving on undergraduates because bachelor's degrees serve as the stepping stone to all others.

The Trustee Matching Scholarship Program aims to ensure that a Penn State education is accessible to qualified students, regardless of their financial means. Implemented in 2002 upon approval by the University's Board of Trustees, the program is unique in that the University matches 5 percent of the principal of each gift annually and combines these funds with income from the endowment to effectively double the financial impact of the scholarship. The program assisted about 4,4000 students University-wide in 2006-07.

"The Strumpfs' new gift augments their continuing support of students' access to Penn State," said Susan Welch, dean of the College of the Liberal Arts. "Their gift will allow us to target and support the most academically talented students who also have considerable financial need. These outstanding students are highly sought after, and this scholarship support will allow the college to recruit more of them. We are deeply grateful for their leadership in this arena."

Schreyer Honors College applicants to be eligible for new scholarships

Chris Arbutina — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:12:15 GMT

Penn State's Schreyer Honors College announces the availability of 15 new scholarships to be awarded to students being offered admission for fall 2008. The total amount of these scholarships is in excess of $175,000.

The scholarships, being made available through a gift from Bill and Joan Schreyer, the college's founders, will range from $7,500 to $25,000 annually. Each scholarship will be renewable for four years, provided the recipient remains in good academic standing with the college.

"The Schreyer Honors College is committed to providing top students with the opportunity to pursue excellence here at Penn State," said Christian M. M. Brady, the college's dean. "It is our hope that these scholarships will make this unparalleled educational experience accessible to applicants who best demonstrate the intellectual curiosity and social responsibility of being a Schreyer Scholar."

The $10,000 and $7,500 scholarships will be in addition to the $3,500 Academic Excellence Scholarship awarded to all incoming first-year Schreyer Scholars. The AES is renewed throughout a Scholar's four years of study provided the student maintains a 3.33 GPA annually.

Applicants being considered for the scholarships will be notified by the Schreyer Honors College of eligibility in early February 2008. Scholarship recipients will be selected based upon their application credentials and an interview conducted by Schreyer Honors College representatives.

Alumnus extends legacy to Schreyer Honors College through Trustee Scholarship

Chris Arbutina — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:52:47 GMT

Arthur Beier, a 1938 Penn State graduate, made no secret that he found visiting his alma mater to be one of the closest things to heaven on earth.

“Penn State was my dad’s true love,” said his daughter, Amy Barnes, a Gaithersburg, Md., resident and a 1977 graduate of the University’s Smeal College of Business. “I think football had a lot to do with it. He once said when he walked back into that stadium, he felt like he was back in college again.”

Beier died in June at the age of 91. He made his last trip to State College in April to attend the Blue-White game and the Schreyer Honors College’s first-ever Scholars reunion. While the honors college was established nearly 60 years after Beier graduated from Penn State, his affection for and support of the program ran deep. Earlier this year, Beier established the Anna Belle and Arthur R. Beier Trustee Scholarship, the third scholarship funded by Beier to assist students enrolled in the honors college.

At the time he endowed the scholarship with a $50,000 gift, Beier said “it’s using the investment return of my Penn State education to help keep America great. Without such help, parents may be unable to provide for the increasingly high cost of good education such as provided by the Schreyer Honors College.” After graduating from Penn State, Beier was employed in aircraft engine research at Wright Aeronautical Corp. and the Navy Engine Laboratory. He earned his pilot’s license from Sherman Lutz, one of State College’s aviation pioneers. Before being grounded by health and age, many of the trips he made to State College for Penn State’s home football games were just a 40-minute commute by private plane from his home in Maryland.

Barnes said that in recent years her father’s involvement with Penn State and the Schreyer Honors College brought him a great deal of enjoyment.

“As he got older, he went up there and he was in heaven,” Barnes said. “Everyone was so warm. He loved to think of all of those talented students. He most loved the idea of the honors college—that Penn State was attracting bright young people and providing them with an exceptional education.”

The Anna Belle and Arthur R. Beier Trustee Scholarship, named after Beier and his late wife, will be awarded to a Schreyer Honors College student who has demonstrated financial need. Preference will be given to Scholars enrolled in the College of Engineering. The first recipients will be named at the start of the fall semester.

The Trustee Matching Scholarship Program is designed to keep a Penn State education accessible to all qualified students, regardless of their financial means. The program has a unique matching component—the University matches 5 percent of the principal of each gift annually and combines these funds with income from the endowment to effectively double the financial impact of the scholarship. Implemented in 2002 upon approval by Penn State’s Board of Trustees, the program assisted more than 4,000 students in 2006-07.

“For students with the highest level of need, scholarships such as the one created by Art Beier make the difference between a college education being accessible and affordable or being well beyond reach,” said Christian M. M. Brady, dean of the Schreyer Honors College. “When Mr. Beier last visited campus, he met several of our Scholars, and it was plain to see that he took great joy in hearing about the experiences and opportunities they were receiving at Penn State and through the honors college.”

This most recent scholarship, along with the two previously endowed by Beier, are a lasting tribute to her father’s love of Penn State and his appreciation of the value of education, according to Barnes.

“In my dad’s mind, first you gave a child love and then you gave them an education,” she said. “My dad felt he had received a wonderful education at Penn State. He just hoped he could make a difference in some young person’s life and help them come to Penn State, a place that he loved. If he could help someone get an education and change their life for the good, that’s what it was all about for him.”

To learn more about the Trustee Matching Scholarship Program, visit http://www.giveto.psu.edu/Trustee.