With many colleges and universities around the nation struggling to make ends meet, Pennsylvania State University couldn’t be happier to receive a $1 million gift. The gift was bestowed upon the university by College of Engineering alum Ronald Tirpak and his wife Martha.
The Tirpaks have supported the university for years, but this recent gift was a particularly generous one. University President Neeli Bendapudi says, “Now, they have amplified their already robust philanthropic support of the university with a gift that will significantly strengthen the College of Engineering and create new scholarships across multiple units that will empower hardworking young people to fulfill their dreams of coming to Penn State.”
The Tirpak’s goal is to ensure that students can still afford to attend the university to study engineering despite widespread tuition concerns. They also want to make certain the College of Engineering has state-of-the-art facilities to support engineering education in the 21st century.
A large portion of their gift will go toward the new Engineering Collaborative Research and Education Building set to open in the fall of 2024. Some of the remaining funds will facilitate two new scholarships: the Ronald M. and Martha M. Tirpak Science Scholarship and the Ronald M. and Martha M. Tirpak Information Technology Scholarship. Both scholarships will be awarded on a yearly basis.
Since their children and grandchildren all play musical instruments, the gift will also create the Ronald M. and Martha M. Tirpak Blue Band Legacy Fund. This fund will help purchase new instruments for the university’s band.
According to U.S. News & World Report, Penn State’s undergraduate engineering programs are among the 20 best in the nation.
CVO has highlighted Penn State in two of our recent rankings— 10 Most Affordable Online Ivy League Alternatives and 10 Colleges with the Best Work-Study Opportunities.
Sources
- Penn State Awarded $1 million Gift for Scholarships and Facility Upgrades
- US News & World Report: Best Colleges