UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.—As the University celebrates the success of its current fundraising campaign, “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) is thanking the 769 donors who have supported its students and programs since the effort began in 2016. At an April 22 event in the Bryce Jordan Center, outgoing Penn State President Eric J. Barron, President-elect Neeli Bendapudi, and other members of University leadership announced that the campaign had surpassed its $2.1 billion goal and raised $2.166 billion to date.

Supporters of IST have contributed nearly $20 million to that total. Andrew Sears, dean of the College of IST, honored their generosity in a statement.

“Because of you, more students have access to a highly regarded IST education and to opportunities and experiences that uniquely position them for long-term success, including developing into leaders, in the industry,” said Sears. “Your impact is demonstrated through the success of our students and graduates as they showcase the strength of an IST degree in an interdisciplinary global technology-enabled workforce.”

Support of the “Greater Penn State” campaign has directly impacted IST through:

• $2.85 million secured for undergraduate scholarships, including ($860,000) through the campaign’s Open Doors and Educational Equity scholarship matching programs.
• The creation of 35 new IST scholarships — increasing the number of scholarships available to students in the college by more than two-thirds since the campaign began.
• The ability for students with financial need to secure essential technology, including computers that will be used as they complete a degree in the college.

Joe Atkinson, campaign chair for the College of IST, encourages alumni and friends of the college to build on the momentum in the last two months of the campaign, which continues until June 30, to further expand the reach of the campaign’s impact for the IST community.

“Because of campaign support to date, 35 new scholarships and initiatives have been established at IST— providing more opportunities for students to access and complete their education and to enrich the academic experience as they prepare for their future careers,” said Atkinson. “Imagine how many more students could be impacted through additional support before the campaign officially ends. If you’ve been considering giving back to IST, now is the time to join the generous benefactors who are making a significant impact for the IST students who will become the innovative leaders of tomorrow.”

Those interested in making a gift to "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence" should contact Mike Weyandt, director of development at IST, at 814-863-0215 or mjw134@psu.edu, or visit ist.psu.edu/give. 

An IST campaign celebration will be held this fall to honor the lifetime benefactors who have supported IST through the campaign and to highlight the impact their generosity has made.

“On behalf of our entire college community, I extend a sincere and heartfelt thank you to our alumni and friends who have supported IST during the last six years,” said Sears. “I look forward to celebrating them and the many achievements they’ve helped make possible.”

"A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence" is a focused campaign that seeks to elevate Penn State’s position as a leading public university in a world defined by rapid change and global connections. With the support of alumni and friends, “A Greater Penn State” seeks to fulfill the three key imperatives of a 21st-century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hardworking students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by serving communities and fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more about “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.