UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As Penn State prepares for the public launch of a new fundraising campaign, a top volunteer for the effort has stepped forward with a seven-figure commitment. Greg Lucier, a 1986 industrial engineering graduate, will direct $5 million of his estate to the College of Engineering as an unrestricted commitment that can be used for his alma mater’s most urgent needs and opportunities. Lucier has also committed $250,000 for renovation of the Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex, helping to create resources for students across all 31 varsity sports.
“Greg has distinguished himself as a leader in the healthcare industry, as an outstanding alumnus of Penn State and as an extraordinarily generous volunteer and philanthropist whose support has deeply enriched our University,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. “I am extremely grateful for this commitment, which will support excellence in the lab and classroom for the College of Engineering, as well as on the field for Penn State’s student-athletes. Greg is a true inspiration for all Penn Staters, and I thank him for his continued support as an alum, a donor and a member of our Campaign Leadership Council.”
Named a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus in 2023, Lucier is the executive chairman of Corza Medical, a surgical technologies company he cofounded to provide essential operating room tools to surgeons, OR nurses and other caregivers worldwide. After graduating from Penn State and earning an MBA from Harvard University, Lucier began his career at General Electric, and he has served as CEO and in other top posts at healthcare companies that included Nuvasive and Life Technologies. Lucier currently serves on several public and private company boards, including Antylia Scientific, Catalent, Maravai Life Sciences and Dentsply Sirona, where he serves as board chairperson.
At Penn State, Lucier was a member of the executive committee for the University’s last comprehensive campaign, “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” which concluded in 2022 with a total of $2.2 billion raised. His past philanthropy has been directed primarily to Penn State Athletics and initiatives in the College of Engineering intended to strengthen its academic excellence and further its commitment to equity through the Women in Engineering Program. As a member of the new Campaign Leadership Council (CLC), Lucier is partnering with fellow volunteers and the Penn State Office of University Development to plan and prepare for a campaign that is expected to be the most ambitious in the institution’s history.
“Greg brings invaluable experience and tremendous insight to his role as a CLC member,” said Andy Sieg, who chairs the group. “I personally find inspiration in his belief that Penn State can change the national dialogue around higher education and challenge our peers to greater service on behalf of students, families, employers and industries. This commitment represents a true act of leadership by Greg and a powerful endorsement of the campaign’s emerging vision, and I’m grateful for his partnership as we work toward even greater excellence for the University.”
Lucier’s estate commitment will provide future College of Engineering leaders with resources to sustain its trajectory as one of the top-ranked schools of its kind. While more than 90% of gifts received by Penn State are directed to specific purposes, an unrestricted fund offers flexibility to address urgent student needs, recruit and retain faculty leaders and pursue new initiatives.
Tonya L. Peeples, the Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering, said, “Greg’s commitment will be invaluable as we aspire to be one of the very best engineering schools in the country. Every academic leader has ambitions that they cannot fulfill because they do not have the resources to pursue them, but this gift will empower future College of Engineering leaders to move quickly and nimbly and take our programs to a new level.”
Lucier’s $250,000 commitment will accelerate renovations in the Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex that will provide all varsity athletes with enhanced options for wellness, nutrition and other needs. Lucier and his wife, Marilena Lucier, are regular attendees at athletic events on the University Park campus, where their son, Grant, earned an energy engineering degree in 2016. The couple, who live in Aspen, Colorado, and Atlanta, Georgia, have two other children, Ross and Alanna. Beyond the University, Lucier has been actively involved in a variety of community and civic engagements, including serving as the chairperson for Sanford Burnham Prebys Research Institute in LaJolla, California, the Smithsonian Natural History Museum and the Aspen Film Foundation.
“Serving and giving back are fundamental to who we are as Penn Staters, and I am honored to be partnering with exceptional leaders as we plan for the University’s future fundraising success,” said Lucier. “Through this gift, I want to encourage my fellow alumni and volunteers across the University to aim high for the institution. Higher education is at a crossroads, and our gifts can help Penn State to stay true to its fundamental mission of preparing students for lifelong success.”
Donors and volunteers like Greg Lucier advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.