Scholarship created in honor of graduate

Steve and Judy Davis, son and wife of John “Jack” A. Davis, who had a college scholarship created in his honor by ArcelorMittal.

Penn State Harrisburg engineering students will benefit from a recent gift from the ArcelorMittal steel company.  The ArcelorMittal Award, in memory of the late John “Jack” A. Davis, a former ArcelorMittal employee and Penn State Harrisburg graduate, recognizes a junior or senior engineering or engineering technology student with a record of outstanding academic achievement.  This gift comes as the college pursues the goals of For the Future:The Campaign for Penn State Students.

Davis graduated from Penn State Harrisburg in 1990 with an M.B.A. and worked as manager of quality assurance and metallurgical services at ArcelorMittal until 2010.  Davis was known for his passion for education, community service and the manufacturing industry.  His wife, Judy, said, “This is so fitting of Jack.  He loved school.  He really cared about teaching the interns he mentored.  Honestly, he would have been a perpetual student if he could have been – that’s how much he valued education.” 

ArcelorMittal, the leader in all major global steel markets, has locations in more than 60 countries. Davis worked at the steel-making facility along the Susquehanna River in Steelton, Pa. 

“As head of quality assurance at Steelton, Jack was at the center of meeting customer requirements, said Dave Wirick, general manager, ArcelorMittal Steelton. “He was a leader who cared about his employees and encouraged them to expand their knowledge through continuing education. He was also a great example of keeping work life and family life in proper perspective. Everyone who came in contact with Jack was impressed with his knowledge, professionalism and positive attitude.”

Penn State Harrisburg Chancellor Mukund Kulkarni said, “The impact of this award on our engineering students will be immediate, and it will recognize those who have accomplished success in the classroom and also made contributions to their profession and the community.  This is a wonderful investment in our students and we are grateful for ArcelorMittal’s generosity.”

The gift will also help the college to achieve its goals of For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students. The campaign is directed toward a shared vision of Penn State as the most comprehensive, student-centered research university in America. The University is engaging Penn State’s alumni and friends as partners in achieving six key objectives: ensuring student access and opportunity, enhancing honors education, enriching the student experience, building faculty strength and capacity, fostering discovery and creativity, and sustaining the University’s tradition of quality. The campaign’s top priority is keeping a Penn State degree affordable for students and families. The For the Future campaign is the most ambitious effort of its kind in Penn State’s history, with the goal of securing $2 billion by 2014.