Gifts from alumni, faculty, staff and friends are recognizing the legacy of longtime faculty member and campus pioneer Dr. William J. Mahar who passed away in 2018.
In November 2018, Penn State Harrisburg alumna HelenAnn Phillips and her husband Robert endowed an award honoring Dr. Mahar. The Rear Admiral Robert and HelenAnn G. Phillips Award in Memory of Dr. William J. Mahar will provide support to students who demonstrate outstanding interdisciplinary academic achievement in the field of humanities.
Phillips, who graduated in 1974 with a perfect 4.0 average and her bachelor’s degree in Humanities, and earned her master’s degree the following year, credits Dr. Mahar with helping her achieve her higher education goals. She began her studies at Penn State Harrisburg at the age of 35, and as a wife and mother. Phillips said Dr. Mahar was extremely helpful in guiding her through her thesis. She said Dr. Mahar “was the most outstanding teacher/professor/instructor in my life. Because of him I finished the final two years of my undergraduate work plus my two-year master’s program in three years.”
The Phillips’ endowment is honoring the many outstanding professional and personal contributions Dr. Mahar shared with the students of Penn State Harrisburg. Those who wish to make a memorial donation in Dr. Mahar’s honor may give to this fund by visiting raise.psu.edu/maharaward or by mail to the Penn State Harrisburg Development Office, 777 West Harrisburg Pike, W110 Olmsted, Middletown, PA 17057. For more information, please contact the Development Office at [email protected] or (717) 948-6316.