Gift announcements

New professorship will strengthen Penn State's impact on national parks

Penn State graduate Suzanne 'Suzie' Martin and her husband, Allen Martin, of Vienna, Virginia, have made the first gift commitment for an endowed professorship in the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management (RPTM) in the College of Health and Human Development.

Motivated by a strong belief in the mission of the College of Health and Human Development (HHD), a love for the outdoors, and a deep appreciation for the U.S. National Park System, the Martins will create the Suzanne and Allen Martin Professorship in the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management through their estate. The endowment will support a distinguished professor whose teaching and research directly engage with the national park system.

• Read more about this new professorship which will impact national parks

Scholarship hopes to inspire future leaders in career and life

Penn State alumni David and Rita Kiser created the David M. and Rita C. Kiser Scholarship in the College of Health and Human Development with the hope that future Penn State graduates will have a positive impact on others — in their chosen careers and in life.

The Kisers are participating in the University's new First-Time Endowed Scholarship Donor Matching Program, a featured giving opportunity of the University-wide fundraising campaign, "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence." The Kisers said they were inspired to create the gift because of their positive experiences at Penn State, both through the education they received and the connections they continue to foster.

• Read more about the scholarship to inspire future leaders

Scholarship helps students transition to life at University Park

When Penn State students elect to shift from a Commonwealth campus to University Park in their junior year to complete their academic studies, the transition can be exciting, but also challenging.

“We understand that transitioning from another campus to University Park can open the door to many new and exciting opportunities for students, but we also recognize that during that time students appreciate support and guidance as they navigate their new environment,” said Kay Salvino, who graduated from Penn State in 1969, earning a bachelor’s degree in individual and family studies, predecessor to the current human development and family studies major in the College of Health and Human Development.

That’s why Kay and her husband, Ernie Salvino, have created a scholarship for College of Health and Human Development (HHD) students through the University’s new Open Doors Scholarship Matching Program. The Kay and Ernie Salvino Open Doors Scholarship will support the Student Transitional Experiences Program (STEP), which is designed to help students who transition from another campus to University Park and ensure they are able to maintain satisfactory academic progress and help them as they build a new social community.

• Read more about the scholarship to help students transition to the University Park campus