UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Long-time Penn State supporters Iris and Edward Beckwith have partnered with the University to create a scholarship to benefit students with financial need reach their academic goals.
The Beckwiths endowed a new Open Doors Scholarship in Undergraduate Education to support students in every college and across the Commonwealth. Through the Open Doors Scholarship Program, the Beckwiths will leverage a 2:1 University match to endow the fund at $90,000.
“Iris and Ed have been long-time friends and generous donors to Penn State, and this newest gift – which aligns perfectly with one of the campaign’s key strategic initiatives – is yet another example of their commitment to this institution,” said Richard Bundy, vice president for Development and Alumni Relations. “We are incredibly grateful to the Beckwiths for this newest investment in the outstanding students we educate at Penn State.”
Both Iris and Edward have been deeply involved at Penn State for a number of years. Currently, Iris is serving as the chair of the Student Affairs and Undergraduate Education advisory board, which is a newly-established board co-lead by Vice President for Student Affairs Damon Sims and Vice President and Dean for Undergraduate Education Rob Pangborn. In this role, she will lead the board in providing knowledge, advice and resources to university staff on student engagement, fundraising initiatives, and solicitation of prospects.
The new SAUE board plans to actively engage in the University’s current fundraising campaign, "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence," and will convene for its inaugural meeting on Friday, Feb. 16, at University Park.
Iris Beckwith spent her professional career as a child advocate and worked to deliver child abuse prevention and internet and technology safety to students, parents and educators. In her role as advocate, she has publicly spoken on the issues of child sexual abuse and cyber safety in news articles, as well as radio and TV segments.
“Education contributes so much to the quality of one’s life,” she said. “Ed and I are so pleased that our scholarship will help open doors to students who might not otherwise get the support, encouragement and opportunities needed to successfully begin and complete a Penn State education.”
She was previously active in the last two fundraising campaigns at Penn State: “For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students” and “A Grand Destiny.”
Ed Beckwith served on the Executive Committee of “For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students” and “A Grand Destiny,” chaired the University’s Planned Giving Advisory Council and is currently vice chair of the Penn State Law Advisory Committee. He is a Penn State alum, as is their daughter, Jenna.
Ed is a partner in the national law firm, Baker & Hostetler LLP, where he heads the firm’s tax-exempt and philanthropic practice. Since 1984, he also has served as an adjunct professor of tax law at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C
Iris and Ed Beckwith previously established a trustee scholarship in the College of Education that gives preference to students who are looking to study or minor in Child Maltreatment and Advocacy Studies (CMAS).
The Beckwiths’ pledge contributes to the Open Doors Scholarship Program. It will be used to support undergraduate students who are enrolled or planning to enroll at the University and are participating in one of the following programs: RaiseMe, Pathway to Success: Summer Start (PaSSS), The Students Transitional Experiences Program (STEP) or Complete Penn State. All are a part of Penn State’s missions to support students in their education and maintain affordability and access.
The Beckwith Family Open Doors Scholarship will help the University further its historic land-grant mission to serve the public good. To fulfill that mission for a new era of rapid change and global connections, the University has begun "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence," a fast-paced campaign focused on the three key imperatives of a public university. Private support will keep the door to higher education open and enable students to graduate on time and on track to success; create transformative experiences on Penn State campuses and around the globe that tap the full potential of Penn Staters to make a difference; and impact the world through discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more, visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.