UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When Ashok Moza looks back on his life, it’s a story divided into two parts: before Penn State and after.
Moza, who grew up in India and obtained an undergraduate degree and master’s degree in engineering there, set foot on U.S. soil for the first time in 1976, when he began the fuel science doctoral program at Penn State.
It’s at that point, he said, that he was fortunate to be surrounded by so many experts in different fields.
At Penn State, Moza found cutting-edge facilities for research and two advisers — Leonard Austin and Robert Essenhigh — who mentored him, pushing him to get the most out of the experience. He earned his doctorate in 1980 and secured a position in the research and development wing at ExxonMobil, and he started to plan for a company of his own.
“When I ask myself what shaped my personality and prepared me to become a leader in my field, it was really the education at Penn State,” Moza said. “I had the privilege of working under extremely bright people. My research adviser, Leonard Austin, was not just great in his field, he was also a great motivator. He knew how to push me to my limit without breaking me. He imbibed in me a confidence that I could do pretty much anything I wanted if I worked for it.”
After five years in the field, Moza took his life savings and bought a pair of reactors and a five-acre plot of land that was previously a rice field to start his own company, Chemicals, Inc. Since then, the company has grown to more than 250 employees at two plants near Houston, Texas, and routinely secures large-scale government contracts in energetics and explosives.
Moza said he remains grateful for the assistance he received as a student. Years ago, his company established 10 scholarships for students at Penn State and the University of Houston. He is currently looking for ways to help design and fund a research and training facility related to energetics at Penn State.
For Moza, one moment of help came at a critical time. In an effort to save money, the then-graduate student let his health insurance lapse. His wife became pregnant with their first child, and he was soon facing thousands of dollars in medical costs. An adviser at Penn State came to the rescue, helping Moza secure medical coverage that would also cover the birth of his daughter.
Since establishing the scholarships, he said he’s seen the good it can bring to great students, who often serve in military roles or take part in research that’s vital to U.S. interests. He’s now in a position where he can be on the giving end of that assistance — but he’s quick to not call it charity.
“I’m not a person who believes in charity,” Moza said. “I believe in helping those who want to help themselves. These scholarships help people, but it’s not charity. I strongly feel that Penn State has been extremely good to me, and this is my way of paying it back.”
As Moza’s company continues to expand through work with the Department of Defense, he said he wants to continue to support Penn State through increased scholarships and research ties.
“It’s my belief that Penn State gave me the foundation I needed to start and grow my company,” Moza said. “It gave me a platform, and I used that platform to grow and to succeed. Now, it’s my turn to give back to Penn State what it gave to me.”
Donors like Moza 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.