The Frymoyer Foundation is donating a total of $2 million to Penn State to create the first endowed faculty chair in the School of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) as well as scholarships that will benefit students in IST and the colleges of engineering and science.
The foundation was created by Penn State alumnus Edward M. Frymoyer and his wife, Del Mindle Frymoyer. Edward Frymoyer is an international leader in fiber channel and storage area networks (SAN), and the founder of firms specializing in consulting and educational programs in this field. He was one of 17 bachelor's-degree recipients of Penn State's interdisciplinary program in science and engineering in 1959. He earned a doctoral degree in physics from the University in 1967.
University officials expect the gift to assist Penn State in expanding and developing what promises to be a world-class information sciences program through an endowed position and scholarships.
An endowed chair, established through a gift of $1.5 million, is the highest endowed faculty position at Penn State. The Frymoyer Chair in the School of Information Sciences and Technology is the first of its kind in IST, and the fourth named, endowed position created at the school in a little more than four months of operation. Funds from the endowment will support the chairholder's contributions to instruction, research and public service with the overall intent to foster the use, benefits and effectiveness of the information sciences around the globe. A search to fill this high-level post will begin shortly.
The Frymoyer Foundation is providing $500,000 to endow five Edward M. Frymoyer Honors Scholarships at $100,000 each. Two of these scholarships will be earmarked for undergraduate students in the School of Information Sciences and Technology. Another two will be for undergraduates in the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics. The fifth scholarship will be earmarked for a graduate student in the Department of Physics. Awards will be based on evidence of a student's superior academic achievement and promise of outstanding academic success.
Edward and Del Frymoyer are residents of Half Moon Bay, Calif. They established the foundation in 1999 to provide leadership and resources for educational, scientific, and humanitarian purposes. Frymoyer serves on the School of Information Sciences and Technology's advisory board.
After working for Bell Labs and Hewlett-Packard for a number of years, Edward Frymoyer in 1982 founded emf Associates Inc., to provide a wide range of consulting services to the data communications, computer, telecommunications, film/video/broadcast and semiconductor industries. In 1994, Frymoyer launched Fibre Channel Group, LLC, to meet the educational needs of the fibre channel/SAN field. To date, the Fibre Channel Group has provided training to more than 4,300 people.