CREATE TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCES: A Better Penn State...

Across our campuses and across our Commonwealth, philanthropy is transforming the Penn State landscape and fulfilling the Penn State mission.

THE PALMER MUSEUM OF ART

Rendering of the new Palmer Museum of Art. Architect: Allied Works.

Rendering: Courtesy of D-Render.

Thanks to the collective generosity of more than 50 donors, including leadership support from Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross and the Palmer Family Foundation, Penn State broke ground in August on a new 71,000-square-foot museum, projected to open in 2023. The high-performance, LEED-certified building will offer unprecedented access to the University’s art collections for students, faculty, and the public. Seamlessly integrating art, architecture, and nature and sited within a landscape like those that inspired many of the American works in its renowned collection, the new Palmer Museum will nearly double the space for the display, study, and stewardship of art.

The innovative and versatile design by Allied Works Architecture features a series of interlocking pavilions clad in regional stone that evokes the geology of central Pennsylvania. Fundraising continues toward a $22 million goal to support construction of the facility, and additional philanthropy will enhance exhibitions and activate larger galleries, classrooms, event spaces, and more. A pool of $2 million in University support has been designated to match gifts to the museum’s Enrichment Fund.

PENN STATE GREAT VALLEY KNOWLEDGE COMMONS

Penn State Great Valley Knowledge Commons

Digital learning is at the heart of higher education today, and philanthropy has allowed Penn State Great Valley to evolve the space at the heart of its campus. Once a library that housed rows of bookshelves and catalogued tools, the 9,000-square-foot area now offers a variety of resources for students, faculty, staff, and visitors: group study rooms, a 3D printing lab, an easy-to-use video production studio, a media editing room, a gaming room, a fitness studio, and more. Seven elements within the Knowledge Commons have been named by donors, including longtime campus supporters Di and Dallas Krapf.

“Great Valley has given local students a place for a wonderful Penn State education close to their homes,” Dallas Krapf says. “When the Penn State Great Valley location was chosen so many years ago, who would have known our campus would be in the center of the corporate world? The Knowledge Commons has been a wonderful addition to our campus, giving our students the tools they need to compete for a wonderful education at Penn State.”

THE INNOVATION LAB IN THE BELLISARIO MEDIA CENTER

The Innovation Lab in the Bellisario Media Center

When the Bellisario Media Center opened this fall, it welcomed students and faculty to a facility that represents the state of the art in communications technology and education. Among its signature resources is the Innovation Lab, which offers hands-on opportunities to pioneer new media approaches—and a graduate of the college who is herself a media pioneer has stepped forward to support it.

Mary Meder, the longtime president of Philadelphia-based agency Harmelin Media, and her husband, Joe, made an estate commitment this year to create the Mary Meder Innovation Lab Fund, and they are already providing annual support to jumpstart the lab. “This gift provides support that will enable the kind of creativity and innovation that will set our students apart with tangible experiences—and allow us to inform and serve people across Pennsylvania,” said Marie Hardin, dean of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. “It’s a forward-thinking approach that will help us better prepare the next generation of media entrepreneurs and digital storytellers.”

LOOKING AHEAD

The future of the Pennsylvania economy—and of companies that will have an impact far beyond the Commonwealth—may begin in downtown State College, as the Invent Penn State network opens its new Innovation Hub this fall. The six-story, state-of-the-art, multi-use facility will be the cornerstone of the Penn State entrepreneurial ecosystem, with MakerSpaces for digital and physical product development; meeting, collaboration, and coworking spaces; and a home for Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank and its offerings for student, faculty, and community entrepreneurs. Naming opportunities are available throughout the space, and support for the facility and its programming may leverage matching support from the University. Learn more at innovationhub.psu.edu.