A $565,000 gift from Penn State alumni William and Wendy Korb will create a permanent fund for research and innovative teaching in Penn State Behrend's School of Engineering. The funding will be used to develop new teaching approaches and to support research initiatives and professional development opportunities for faculty and students.
The gift also will fund improvements to the school's research and teaching labs.
"The breadth of this gift, which expands the Korb family's generous and consistent support of the School of Engineering, will benefit students in two major ways," Chancellor Ralph Ford said. "It will provide immediate improvements to our facilities and equipment, enhancing the undergraduate research experiences that help our graduates stand out. It also will allow us to recruit and retain the highly engaged faculty members who shape those student experiences."
To recognize the continued support of the Korbs, Penn State Behrend has named the lobby of the Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Center the Korb Family Atrium. The two-story space is a gateway to Behrend's Knowledge Park, an innovation hub that is home to 20 companies and nearly 500 employees.
The west wing of the AMIC building houses Behrend's industrial engineering and mechanical engineering programs, which are supported by a materials-science lab and cutting-edge instrumentation, including an Icon XR atomic force microscope. The east wing is occupied by industry partners, including Truck-Lite, a leader in LED lighting systems for commercial vehicles.
The new endowment extends a tradition of giving by the Korbs, who have long supported the School of Engineering at Behrend and the College of Engineering at University Park. William Korb attended Penn State Behrend for two years before earning a degree in industrial engineering at University Park in 1962. Wendy Korb attended Penn State and then earned her degree at Indiana University.
In 2002, the couple established the Korb Family Trustee Scholarship in Engineering at Penn State Behrend. In 2014, they created three early-career professorships in industrial engineering - including a position at Behrend. The three-year awards support engineering faculty at the start of their academic careers.
The William and Wendy Korb Early Career Professorship in Industrial Engineering at the Behrend College is currently held by Julia Zhao, an assistant professor of industrial engineering. She is the third faculty member to benefit from the Korb professorship.
In 2019, the Korbs funded five additional scholarships, including two at Penn State Behrend.
"We have always felt that an investment in education is one of the best investments you can make," said William Korb, an Erie native who retired as president and CEO of Marconi Commerce Systems. The company's portfolio included Gilbarco, the world's leading supplier of fuel dispensers, credit card readers and point-of-sale devices for gasoline stations.
Through their generosity, the Korbs are advancing the University's historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni, grateful parents 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, parents and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.
