UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Inspired by an opportunity to support undergraduates and bolster the University’s research capabilities, a Penn State couple has come forward with a $50,000 gift to create a scholarship benefiting students in the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL).
ARL Executive Director Allan Sonsteby, along with his wife and fellow researcher, Sherrill, established the Sonsteby Family Endowed Scholarship for Applied Research to support third- or fourth-year undergraduates at University Park who are associated with the research unit. The fund is the first focused on students engaged with ARL’s wide range of impact-oriented research.
With almost 300 undergraduate and graduate students — many of whom have demonstrated financial need — working in the laboratory at any one time, the Sonstebys saw the creation of their scholarship as an opportunity to ease recipients’ paths to graduation.
“Sherrill and I have always been committed not just to the fundamental science but also to how research gets translated to improve society, and that’s what the Applied Research Laboratory is all about,” said Allan Sonsteby. “Our goal was to alleviate students’ financial burden and create a pathway for more students to gain experience as service-focused, mission-focused leaders of the future.”
Designated a University Affiliated Research Center by the Department of Defense, the Applied Research Laboratory was established at Penn State in 1945 at the request of the U.S. Navy. Since then, it has evolved to support all U.S. Armed Forces and other government agencies. Through collaboration with partners in academia, government and industry, ARL draws on the talents of top-level scientists and engineers to execute a broad research portfolio that addresses national security and science needs, including sensing and communications, information and data analytics, navigation, materials and manufacturing, flow and structural acoustics and undersea systems.
“As of this year, the Applied Research Laboratory encompasses more than 1,600 employees and $420 million of the University’s research portfolio, all of which is sponsored research from government and industry partners, and all of which has downstream impact that enhances our nation’s security and well-being in the world,” Allan said.
Allan and Sherrill met while attending Penn State Altoona and, through Penn State’s 2+2 Plan, graduated from University Park in 1987 with degrees in electrical engineering and microbiology. After Allan earned his master’s degree in electrical engineering from Penn State two years later, the couple landed industry and academic jobs in San Antonio, Texas, before ultimately returning to the State College area. In 1994, Allan began work at ARL as an entry-level research assistant and ultimately climbed to the rank of executive director in 2019, which he still holds today. His research continues to focus on maturing science and technology into applied national security solutions.
“Allan is a tremendously talented leader with an impressive record of facilitating successful interdisciplinary collaborations at the Applied Research Laboratory, and with this gift, he and Sherrill are adding an extraordinary new layer to their efforts to strengthen and support ARL and the talented undergraduates who learn and work there,” said Andrew Read, senior vice president for research at Penn State. “I am deeply grateful for this trailblazing act of generosity and their ongoing commitment to advancing research and innovation at the University.”
After taking time to raise a family — all three of their children would go on to follow in their parents’ footsteps as graduates of Penn State — Sherrill resumed her career using cell culture technology in relation to cattle, sheep and goats, with implications for the pharmaceutical industry. Today, she continues to leverage her background in microbiology at a startup, where she is developing a sterilization technique for medical devices for use in military contexts, as well as refining a technique to slow fungal growth and prevent food spoilage.
The couple have paired their professional commitments with service and volunteerism. Sherrill is active in her church and as a supporter of Out of the Cold, which provides low-barrier shelter to unhoused residents of Centre County. Allan was a founding trustee of the Intelligence and National Security Foundation, which advocates for science and engineering priorities, and served on the board of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance. Most recently, he finished a four-year assignment on the Department of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board.
“Penn State has been intertwined with our lives for many decades, so we understand not just the academic pressures placed on students but also the financial difficulties as well,” said Sherrill. “When we saw a way to create a permanent source of financial relief that also incentivized applied research, we knew we wanted to lend our support, and our hope is that others will consider making gifts that expand opportunities for students at ARL.”
Melissa Kunes, assistant vice president for enrollment management and executive director for student aid, thanked the couple for their support, saying, “Penn State is deeply committed to ensuring that the world-class education we offer remains accessible to students from all economic backgrounds. That Allan and Sherrill would take the lead in establishing this scholarship — the first to be associated with the Applied Research Laboratory — is a testament to their vision of an accessible Penn State education.”
Donors like the Sonstebys 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.