UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity and Phi Gamma Delta Educational Foundation have pledged a $100,000 gift to bolster fraternity and sorority research at Penn State’s Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research. This contribution, matched by the University, will propel applied research initiatives aimed at cultivating safer chapters and fostering thriving fraternity and sorority communities.
“The Fraternity and Educational Foundation are proud to support the work of the Piazza Center and its efforts to enhance fraternity and sorority life,” said Rob Caudill, executive director of Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity. “We value our partnerships with our host institutions and believe that this investment will help us all evolve our understanding of the policies and practices that work best in promoting and supporting strong, healthy and safe fraternity and sorority communities for the future.”
The Piazza Center is a nationwide leader in preventing hazing, reducing substance misuse, and enhancing student well-being across 800 fraternity and sorority communities. The center provides research, tools and best practices for both professionals and volunteers.
“This gift directly benefits students and campuses in a groundbreaking national study. Our research team is pioneering a clinical lens to hazing prevention, the likes of which we have not seen in fraternity and sorority communities,” said Stevan Veldkamp, executive director of the Piazza Center. “Together, we are implementing new strategies and practices to make students safer and save college students' lives.”
“Working together locally and nationally, we can cultivate a fraternity and sorority environment that is not only safer and more successful but also sustainable, thanks to a research-driven approach to campus and organizational support,” said Andrea Dowhower, interim vice president of Penn State Student Affairs.
Penn State aims to generate an endowment of $8 million to support the center's research. The University has committed $2 million in initial funding and will match up to $3 million in additional endowment funds committed for this purpose, allowing organizations, alumni, parents and friends to secure matching funds that double the impact of their generosity. To learn more about supporting the center, its research and national impacts, visit the Piazza Center website.
Support for the Piazza Center advances 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.