Sandra Schlicker Renfro Scholarship recipient Julie Dix and her daughters in State College, PA.
Penn State, greater
Greater Penn State Campaign Advances Educational Opportunities and Research Excellence in HHD
December 14, 2020
Since the campaign began on July 1, 2016, more than 5,000 alumni and friends have made gifts to the college totaling nearly $40 million to support one or more of the campaign’s three imperatives: Open Doors, making Penn State accessible to students from all backgrounds and helping them to graduate on time; Create Transformative Experiences, which takes students and faculty beyond the classroom to develop a global perspective, a deep commitment to the arts and humanities, and a high level of readiness for the digital age; and Impact the World, which applies the considerable talents and energy of the University community to addressing fundamental societal challenges.
While gifts of any amount count toward our goal, a number of large commitments are moving the needle dramatically, making it possible to offer more scholarships, develop new programs, and hire and retain top faculty.
Supporting Students
Sandra Schlicker Renfro of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, who holds three degrees from Penn State including master’s and doctoral degrees in Nutrition, created the Sandra Schlicker Renfro Scholarship in 2018 with a $1 million estate gift. This marks the largest gift commitment focused on scholarships in the history of the Department of Nutritional Sciences, and Renfro activated the endowment with a current gift of $100,000 so that students may benefit today.
Supporting Programs
The School of Hospitality Management is using private support to enhance its reputation for developing leaders in the hospitality industry. A $3 million commitment in 2016 from the late Marvin Ashner, a graduate of the class of 1958 and longtime supporter of the school, established the Marvin Ashner Endowed Directorship in the School of Hospitality Management.
In 2019, the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation directed $4 million toward renovations and future programming in the former Oak Building, located near the school’s headquarters in Mateer Building and adjacent to the Nittany Lion Inn. The building was subsequently renamed by the Penn State Board of Trustees as the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation Building, and as early as spring 2021 the space will open, activating a wide range of programming focused on inclusion and innovation.
Meeting Space
Marriott Foundation Building sign
Main Hall
Back Patio
Hallway meeting rooms
Supporting Research and Teaching
Members of the HHD Philanthropy Council are strengthening the college through endowed professorships. Ken Young ’72 FA HA of Tampa, Florida, is funding the Ken Young Family Professorship for Healthy Children, which will ultimately become an endowed chair through the donor’s estate. His gift will support a faculty member focused on enhancing the health and well-being of young children, especially survivors of child maltreatment.
An estate gift from Suzie ’74 CRS and Allen Martin of Vienna, Virginia, for the Suzie and Allen Martin Professorship in the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management, is the first gift commitment for an endowed faculty position for the department.
An estate commitment from retired biobehavioral health faculty member and alumna Elizabeth Susman and her husband, Gerry Susman, of Alexandria, Virginia, will create the Elizabeth Fenton Susman Professorship in Biobehavioral Health, and the couple has committed to five years of funding to launch the position this year.
Responding to the Pandemic
The pandemic this year has stressed the financial resources of many HHD students, expanding the need for emergency assistance funding. Truthfully, emergency support is needed every year, and the HHD community is responding. As one example, Harry Zinn, professor emeritus of recreation, park, and tourism management, established an emergency assistance fund that provides relief to undergraduates in that department. Read about the student who was able to continue her education thanks to Zinn’s generosity.
