MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — UGI Utilities Inc. recently made a gift of $300,000 to Penn State Harrisburg to fund two initiatives. A $250,000 donation created the UGI Educational Equity Scholarship and an additional $50,000 funded the UGI Diversity and STEM Advancement Program. The program is aimed at investing in educational equity and building a strong partnership with the college to advance diversity in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.
“UGI is pleased to support Penn State’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, as well as STEM education,” Robert F. Beard, executive vice president, Natural Gas, UGI Corporation; and CEO, UGI Utilities, said. “The vitality of our communities depends on every student, regardless of racial, religious or cultural background, having access to resources that allow them to succeed. The UGI Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Scholarship, as well as the Diversity and STEM Advancement Program, are designed to do just that, and we applaud Penn State for working with us on these efforts that allow students to reach their full potential.”
“We are grateful for this generous gift from the UGI Utilities and their longstanding support of the college and throughout the University,” said Penn State Harrisburg Chancellor John M. Mason Jr. “We share UGI’s commitment to advancing diversity in the workforce pipeline, particularly in STEM fields, and are excited they have invested in the future of our students, programs and events. It is partners like UGI who will enhance our ability to make a real difference in our communities.”
The $250,000 gift to create the UGI Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Scholarship was matched 1:1 with the University funding as part of its recently concluded Educational Equity Matching Program. The resulting $500,000 endowment will support scholarships for full-time undergraduate students at Penn State Harrisburg with demonstrated financial need, and whose gender, race, ethnic, cultural, and/or national background contribute to the diversity of the student body.
To further enhance their endowed scholarship gift, UGI contributed an additional $50,000 to create the Diversity and STEM Advancement Program Fund. This non-endowed fund will provide annual support for five years to enrich both diversity and STEM initiatives at the college.
UGI Utilities is a natural gas and electric utility serving more than 730,000 customers in 45 Pennsylvania counties and one county in Maryland. UGI has had a partnership with Penn State Harrisburg for several years. The utility established the UGI Utilities Engineering Scholarship in 2017 for undergraduate students majoring in civil engineering, electrical engineering, electrical engineering technology, mechanical engineering, or mechanical engineering technology. The company has also contributed to the college’s Central Pennsylvania Research and Teaching Laboratory for Biofuels.
To make a gift to support scholarships or programs in diversity, equity and inclusion at Penn State please contact the Office of Development at 717-948-6316 or [email protected].
Gifts will advance "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence," 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 hard-working 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.