UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — After graduating from Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in computer science in 1989, Greg Roszyk made his first gift to the University. He has given every year since, progressing through the University’s many philanthropic opportunities. Roszyk and his wife, Marnie Salisbury, recently made a $1 million estate commitment to the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) and hope to inspire others to find their best path for giving back.
“In 1989, I became a lifetime member of the Penn State Alumni Association, taking advantage of the discounted membership price for new graduates,” Roszyk said. “And I immediately started donating, beginning with just $25.”
Roszyk continued giving, gradually increasing as he progressed in his career. By the early 2010s, he was committing $1,500 a year and building relationships with Penn State’s development team.
Through the process of giving, Roszyk — a partner at EMF Industries, where he provides business and engineering leadership to programs in the defense and intelligence communities — was introduced to the College of IST.
“I majored in computer science, but if there had been an IST back then, it would have been the right fit for me,” Roszyk said. “IST’s curriculum is well aligned with the work that I do today, and as someone who’s hired IST graduates, I’ve been very impressed by the college.”
Roszyk and his wife, Marnie Salisbury, began directing their philanthropy toward IST. Salisbury, who holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in systems engineering from George Mason University, is the managing director of strategic intelligence at The MITRE Corporation. Working closely with development staff, the couple learned about the opportunity to establish an annually funded scholarship and committed to contributing $2,500 per year for five years.
“I think many potential donors are unaware of the many giving options,” Roszyk said. “They may be scared away by the prospect of funding a student’s entire college education. But it’s not all or none. Each contribution, no matter how small, can benefit students and help meet the needs of a college.”
The annual scholarship was an important step for the couple as they saw a meaningful impact connected to a person.
“We could have lunch or dinner with these amazing students, get to know them and see how our gifts were helping,” Salisbury said.
Those positive interactions inspired Roszyk and Salisbury to take the next step in their journey of giving, from an annually funded scholarship to an endowed scholarship.
In 2019, Roszyk and Salisbury endowed a $50,000 scholarship with a five-year funding strategy, meaning they could contribute to the endowment over the course of five years, at which time the scholarship could then be awarded to students. In the meantime, they used the strategy of early activation — making funds available through annual gifts — to start seeing an impact as they built their endowment to its minimum level.
“Early activation covered the period until the endowed scholarship was fully paid for,” Roszyk said. “This enabled us to fund a scholarship from the time we committed, even though the endowed portion was not yet complete.”
In 2024, Roszyk joined the Dean’s Advisory Board in the College of IST. Learning firsthand about the needs of the college and its students, Roszyk and Salisbury became even more motivated to support the college. Their recent $1 million estate commitment, when realized, will create two new endowments.
The $600,000 Gregory Roszyk and Marnie Salisbury Dean’s Discretionary Fund in the College of Information Sciences and Technology will enable the college to have access to funding to address short-term needs and help IST staff and students to be successful.
“At a recent Advisory Board meeting, I learned that many IST students suffer from food insecurity,” Roszyk said. “It’s just one example of how we can remove barriers so students in need can attend classes, earn a degree and start their career.”
Salisbury said she believes that understanding how their money is applied can motivate donors.
“Fo example, a $100 donation might fill IST’s food pantry for a week,” she said. “You don’t have to add up too many individual donations to keep the pantry stocked for a semester.”
The $400,000 Gregory Roszyk and Marnie Salisbury Scholarship in the College of Information Sciences and Technology will be a general endowed scholarship for students who maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
"Through their profound generosity, Greg and Marnie are helping to advance the mission of IST,” said Andrea Tapia, dean of the College of IST. “Their continued commitment to the college will help us sustain strong academic programs and support future generations of students as they prepare to become leaders in their field. This gift embodies the spirit of IST, and we are deeply grateful.”
Roszyk said he hopes his giving journey will inspire other donors to explore the many ways to support Penn State.
“It’s been a progression for us, beginning with an annually funded scholarship, then an endowed scholarship and now this estate gift,” he said. “For anyone who’s considered giving back, there’s a path to do it. And the more you see how your gift is applied, the more you want to give.”
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