Raytheon Gift Creates Scholarships In Penn State’s Ist
October 19, 2000
University Park, Pa.– Raytheon Company has committed $100,000 to create new scholarships in Penn State’s School of Information Sciences and Technology (IST).

The funds will be used to help women and students from underrepresented groups pursuing an education in the information sciences. The gift will be distributed annually over a three-year period. Raytheon recently presented a first installment of $35,000 to Penn State.

"As severe as the overall workforce gap is in information technology, it is at a particularly critical level when it comes to women and minorities," said IST Dean James B. Thomas. "This gift from Raytheon Company strengthens Penn State’s effort to meet this need by encouraging educational opportunities in the field. We are very grateful for this support."

Said Jeff Jacoby, director of information technology at Raytheon's State College operation, "Raytheon is excited to support diversification at IST. Their academic programs and research focus are leading edge. We anxiously look forward to the positive influence their students will have on future technology."

Raytheon's State College operation employs nearly 400 people and has been providing engineering and technical services for federal government and commercial customers for over 50 years.

Raytheon Company, based in Lexington, Mass., is a global technology leader that provides products and services in the areas of commercial and defense electronics and business and special mission aircraft. Raytheon has operations throughout the United States and serves customers in more than 70 countries around the world.

IST is now in its second year of operation, with more than 1,300 undergraduate students at 19 Penn State locations across the Commonwealth. That marks almost a fourfold enrollment increase over last fall. The school’s faculty has gone from five at University Park to 10, and statewide from 50 to 75.

This fall, IST introduced the first of its on-line courses, with more to follow soon. As well, joint minors have been launched in partnership with other Penn State academic units and additional ones are in development. School officials are also preparing proposals for three IST graduate programs and plan on rolling them out in fall 2001.