UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Building on more than three decades of entrepreneurial and executive experience in the behavioral health sector, Penn State graduate Jonathan Wolf has come forward with a landmark gift to dramatically scale up the University’s resources for undergraduates studying to become addiction and recovery professionals. The resulting combination of targeted scholarships, enhanced curricula and paid internship opportunities is poised to elevate Penn State’s profile as a premier destination for aspiring behavioral health experts and as a national leader in preparing specialists in the fields of mental health and substance use treatment.
“I’ve spent my whole career grappling with shortages of all resources in the field of behavioral health — of nurses, counselors, physicians, infrastructure and funding, and so much of that is driven by a lingering stigma on mental health struggles and addiction care,” said Wolf. “My goal with this gift was to get to the root of the problem by capitalizing on Penn State’s existing strengths to build a powerful pipeline into this industry so that students have the financial and academic support to feel confident that they can succeed and thrive in the field of addiction and mental health treatment.”
Wolf’s endowment, housed within the College of Education, will permanently fund three layers of resources. Students majoring in rehabilitation and human services and minoring in addictions and recovery will be eligible to be selected as Wolf Scholars and receive robust scholarships that are renewable across four years. A second layer of resources will promote academic excellence by upgrading recovery-related curricula, administering certification programs and facilitating engagement with experienced professionals. The final layer of resources will provide holistic support services for students in the form of dedicated peer coaching, a specialized sequence of workshops and hands-on internships embedded within frontline service providers.
“Jon has leveraged his Penn State education to become a leader in the behavioral health industry, building infrastructure in historically overlooked areas of treatment and helping to positively impact countless lives,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. “Through his philanthropic leadership, he is fueling a pipeline to train counselors and experts in addiction and recovery. He is also helping Penn State become a nationally recognized source of talent meeting an urgent workforce need. We are deeply grateful for his vision and for exemplifying the best of Penn State.”
The youngest of four brothers and sisters — all of whom attended Penn State — Wolf graduated with a degree in health policy administration in 1981, followed by a master’s degree in hospital administration from George Washington University in 1983. After beginning his career in medical-surgical hospitals, Wolf went on to specialize in launching and operating freestanding psychiatric and substance use treatment facilities in Georgia, Utah, Ohio and Pennsylvania. In 1999, he founded his own company, Pyramid Healthcare, and in his more than two decades as CEO led its development into an integrated system of behavioral healthcare programs that employs a staff of 3,500 and operates more than 80 behavioral health treatment facilities and seven specialized schools across the eastern United States.
As board president and adviser to management, Wolf passed the mantle to new leaders at Pyramid Health and has chosen to grow his emphasis on advancing addiction and recovery services through philanthropy at Penn State.
“There’s an urgent need to prepare the next generation of behavioral health professionals. With strong preparation and dedicated support, our students can step into this incredibly important field with competence and commitment,” said Gwendolyn M. Lloyd, interim dean of the College of Education. “Jon is exceptionally well suited to drive the creation of a program of this scope and caliber — one that will inspire our undergraduates and empower them to thrive and make a lasting impact.”
Wolf Scholars will also benefit from programming offered by the College of Education’s Journey Success Center, which uses data-driven strategies to enhance retention and performance by exploring individualized learning styles, connecting students with co-curricular experiences and fostering a sense of belonging.
“This endowment creates pathways for our students to learn alongside professionals and individuals in real-world recovery contexts, where they’ll gain the essential skills, insight and empathy that define true competency in the helping professions,” said Jessica S. Henry, professor-in-charge of the rehabilitation and human services program in the College of Education. “I am deeply grateful to the college and University leaders who championed this vision and helped to ensure the Wolf family’s legacy of compassion and commitment to the recovery community continues to thrive.”
Wolf previously established the Richard Wolf Trustee Scholarship in Athletics, which supports varsity-level student-athletes with financial need. The scholarship honors Wolf’s father, who was a University administrator in continuing education and workforce development at Penn State Dubois, Penn State Altoona and University Park.
Beyond his professional commitments, Wolf has served as president and campaign manager of United Way of Blair County and on a variety of industry-related boards. He lives in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Adrienne. Two of his children are third-generation Penn State graduates — Taylor Wolf earned her degree in hotel, restaurant and institutional management in 2015, and Kyle Wolf earned his degree from the Smeal College of Business in 2023. Wolf's oldest child, Craig, completed his studies at Phoenix University.
Donors like Wolf 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.