Penn State DuBois Announces $300,000 Gift at Board of Trustees’ Banquet

DUBOIS – At the July 8 Board of Trustees’ Banquet held at the DuBois Country Club, Dan Kohlhepp, Chair of For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, announced that a combined total of $300 thousand has recently been donated to Penn State DuBois for trustee scholarships and other endeavors.

The Harry J. and Catherine E. Charlesen Trustee Scholarship is meant to provide financial assistance to an outstanding business administration student at Penn State DuBois. Funds for this scholarship have been given by anonymous donors in honor of the Charlesen’s. Harry Charlesen started the business administration associate degree at Penn State DuBois and chaired a Penn State committee to enhance the two-year program university-wide.

The Lee Simpson Associates, Inc./Edward & Della Nasuti Trustee Scholarship has been established to provide financial assistance to students pursuing studies in engineering at Penn State DuBois. This gift is given by alumnus Ed Nasuti, his wife Della, and the engineering firm, Lee Simpson Associates, Inc.

The Sam King Trustee Scholarship provides financial support for deserving students of Penn State DuBois with demonstrated financial need. This scholarship is named for the late faculty member who taught political science, history and other subjects at Penn State DuBois beginning in the 1940’s.  To honor him, one of King’s former students, Ray Pethtel, who enrolled at the campus in 1958, initiated efforts to establish the scholarship.  It is funded through donations from former students and friends of Sam King. 

The Brown W. and Ineeda D. Leonard Trustee Scholarship will provide financial support to undergraduate students at Penn State DuBois with demonstrated financial need, whose ethnic, cultural, and/or national background contribute to the diversity of the student body.  This scholarship is given by current Penn State DuBois Chancellor Anita McDonald, and her husband Bob, in remembrance of her parents and her dedication and commitment to diversity.

The A.J. and Sigismundo Palumbo Charitable Trust has made a $50,000 gift for trustee scholarships.  These funds will also benefit deserving Penn State DuBois students with financial need.

KTH Architects and Hallstrom Construction committed $50,000 to the Campaign. Both companies and their presidents, Bob Hallstrom and Bob Grieve, have a long standing history with the DuBois Campus, including their time has students together. Both Mr. Hallstrom and Mr. Grieve have received the Penn State DuBois Alumni Society Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award.   

“These gifts not only provide financial assistance for students, but send a message to students that there is faith in their abilities and they can achieve their dreams of a higher education,” said Penn State DuBois Director of Development Jean Wolf.  “We’re thankful for these donors and their investment in students at Penn State DuBois.” 

The Trustee Matching Scholarship Program is designed to make a Penn State education accessible to all qualified students, regardless of their financial means.  The university matches five 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.  

This combined $300,000 will be counted as contributions to For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students.  Penn State DuBois’ campus goal for the campaign is $12,000,000.  The campaign will conclude in June of 2014.  For more information about the campaign, contact Director of Development Jean Wolf at (814) 372-3038, or jaw57@psu.edu.

Steve Harmic, Penn State DuBois