Ag Students Say Gotcha! For International Studies

November 28, 2001
University Park, Pa.—“Gotcha!” has taken on a new meaning for students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, thanks to the generosity of former State Secretary of Agriculture Boyd Wolff and his wife, Margaret. With a gift of $60,000, the Wolffs recently created a fund that will offer more students the chance to add an international experience to their college education.

Income from The Boyd E. Wolff GOTCHA Fund in International Agriculture will help students offset the costs of studying abroad. GOTCHA stands for Give Others the Chance to Have an Adventure.

Students who benefit from the award will be encouraged to give back after they have started their careers so that others can “have an adventure,” according to Deanna Behring, director of international programs for the college.

“Through international programs, our students are enriched by experiencing new cultures, and they gain a global perspective on important trade, environmental, political and other issues that affect the Pennsylvania farm and food sectors,” Behring said. “Boyd and Peggy clearly appreciate the global dimensions of agriculture and how international experience can change someone forever. We are very grateful for their support.”

Penn State faculty and students have been involved in international agricultural programs since the early 1900s, and the College of Agricultural Sciences has alumni in 80 countries worldwide.

Boyd Wolff graduated from Penn State in 1953 with a bachelor’s degree in dairy science. For the next 33 years, he owned and operated Wolfden Farm, a 410-acre dairy farm in Westmoreland County. He then served as secretary of agriculture for eight years (1987-95) under Gov. Robert P. Casey. Since 1996, he has completed 11 volunteer consulting assignments for the U.S. Agency for International Development, experiences that he said defined for him the value of overseas adventure and motivated his support of the GOTCHA fund.

Wolff also served for 17 years (1984-2001) as a member of Penn State’s Board of Trustees. Margaret Wolff is a graduate of Seton Hill College in Greensburg. The Wolffs now reside in Harrisburg.

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Mike Bezilla (814) 863-4512 (work) (814) 238-5842 (home) mxb13@psu.edu
Laura Stocker (814) 863-4512 (work) (814) 237-2013 (home) lstocker@psu.edu