New giving expands two scholarships at Penn State Behrend

ERIE, Pa. — New giving has enhanced two endowed scholarships at Penn State Behrend, making funding available to more students. The scholarships will directly benefit students while reinforcing Penn State’s commitment to access, affordability and student success.

“A scholarship can be life-changing for a student with financial need,” Chancellor Ralph Ford said. “Our donors see that firsthand when they meet with scholarship recipients. When they expand their giving, choosing to support more students, they create even more opportunities. They open the door wider.”

Two scholarships have been expanded:

Retired faculty member Ron DelPorto made an additional gift to activate the Ronald W. and Carole R. DelPorto Scholarship in Memory of Donald Yusz and Christopher DelPorto. The new funding builds on a $130,000 estate gift DelPorto and his wife, Carole, established in 2020.

The scholarship honors the DelPortos’ late son, Chris, and their late son-in-law, Donald, who was married to their daughter, Lori.

Carole DelPorto died in 2023.

Ron DelPorto taught computer programming at Behrend for 33 years before retiring in 2017. He also worked at American Sterilizer Co., which is now the STERIS corporation.

In retirement, he has continued to attend Behrend lectures and events, including the Fasenmyer Engineering Design Conference ― the School of Engineering’s senior capstone presentation event.

The DelPorto scholarship supports students majoring in computer science or software engineering. Early activation of the estate gift will allow Ron DelPorto to meet scholarship recipients and see the benefits of his philanthropy firsthand.

“I would like the scholarship to begin helping students as soon as possible,” DelPorto said. “I would hope that these funds help some young man or woman who wants a career in computer science or software engineering to obtain sufficient funds to achieve that goal.”

Larry Neizmik and his wife, Charlotte, have added $100,000 to the Larry D. Neizmik and Charlotte A. Neizmik Scholarship for Economics. The couple’s original gift has supported students in the economics program at the Black School of Business since 2021.

Larry Neizmik is a part-time lecturer in the Black School of Business. He retired in 2012 from Northwest Bank, where he served as corporate vice president of education and training for branch operations.

Charlotte Neizmik retired from Northwest in 2017. She was a corporate assistant vice president and call center manager.

Larry Neizmik studied at Behrend for two years before earning a degree in economics at Penn State. He earned an MBA at Behrend in 1994.

In the MBA program, he benefited from student-focused philanthropy: He twice received the B.J. and Barbara Walker Scholarship for Academic Excellence.

“What inspired us to add to our endowment was the input we received from the scholars who were selected to receive our scholarship,” Larry Neizmik said. “Seeing the impact it has made on these young people’s lives is tremendously rewarding.

“One student recently told us that before the scholarship, they had to work 30 hours per week in order to help pay for their education,” he said. “After receiving our award, they were able to reduce their work schedule to 20 hours a week, which allowed them more time for studies.”

Gifts like the DelPorto and Neizmik scholarships advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni 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, patients and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.