Longtime donor honors parents by endowing technology scholarship in IST

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For Elizabeth King, the opportunity to attend Penn State was made possible thanks to her parents — namely, the tuition discount benefit that her father received as a staff member at the Applied Research Laboratory — as well as through scholarship support she received.

Now, as an alumna and longtime donor to the University, King believes in paying it forward. In honor of her parents, King recently created a scholarship in their names. The newly established King Family Technology Scholarship in Honor of Richard A. and Joanne S. King will benefit students in the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST). King established the $75,000 endowment to help students with financial need to secure essential technology, including computers that will be used as they complete a degree in the college.

“I was really passionate about the technology scholarship to help a few students every year receive their computer so that they can finish the program successfully,” said King, who graduated from Penn State in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. “I worked with my mom to name the scholarship, and she was very sure that my father — who passed away a few years ago — would be pleased to have his name on something that was technology-related. It just seemed like all of the cards lined up.”

The scholarship will support an equitable Penn State experience and prepare students with the digital fluency needed to create new knowledge and thrive in emerging careers. This support is critical to Elizabeth and her partner, Mary Ringgenberg, as they considered how best to make a positive impact on IST students.

“With rapid advancements in technology, it is critical that our students have access to computers and software that enables them to successfully complete assignments, effectively collaborate with classmates and maximize remote learning opportunities, while also introducing them to the tools they’ll use in industry,” said Andrew Sears, dean of the College of IST. “Elizabeth and Mary’s generous support will help ensure that more students have the appropriate level of technology needed to succeed in IST’s programs and in the workforce.”

Exemplifying ‘We Are’

King’s career has given her a firsthand look at how quickly technology and companies evolve. During her 20-year career with Starbucks Corporation, where she served in a variety of roles in both human resources and information technology, the company grew from 1,100 coffee shops with locations in four countries to 24,400 stores that span 75 countries. Throughout that time, she built the company’s information security and information management function; led the implementation of several international systems, including the company’s global payroll system; and managed human resources systems and services for nearly 180,000 employees in North America.

She retired as vice president of human resources solutions and services in 2016. Now, she serves as managing partner of Elizabeth M. King Consulting LLC, providing human resources management and shared services consulting to clients that request her expertise.

She recognizes that scholarships she received as a student supported the education that resulted in a successful career. Not only did the benefactors relieve significant financial burdens for King and her family, they motivated her to do her best.

“It gives you a sense that somebody believes in you and somebody is pulling for you,” she said. “I think about those points in college that were really fundamentally life-changing, and how having those scholarships was really important to us. And because it was so impactful to me, I want to be part of that impact for other students going forward.”

Beyond her contributions to the College of IST, through the recent technology scholarship, past financial support and service on the Dean’s Advisory Board, King has made an impact across Penn State. She has served as a guest speaker in classrooms, sat on leadership panels and participated in college and University events, including Penn State Startup Week. She serves as an adjunct professor and has been a member of various advisory boards in the School of Hospitality Management in the College of Health and Human Development, where she also has created an undergraduate scholarship and the school’s first early career professorship. She has made financial contributions to support students in the College of the Liberal Arts, where she also established the Elizabeth King Director’s Fund in the McCourtney Institute for Democracy and sits on the institute’s board. A former Penn State softball player, she has financially supported the softball team program in Intercollegiate Athletics and volunteers her time to mentor student-athletes as they prepare for careers after graduation.

“There are only so many students you can touch with a scholarship,” she said. “If you go into a classroom, you have the ability to make some sort of impact across a bigger audience. You can make a bigger impact to more students just by giving a little bit of your time and energy and thought and preparation.”

She added, “We are Penn State. To truly be part of that, we need to take care of those that need some help.”

Shaping IST programs and making connections

While the College of IST did not yet exist during King’s years at Penn State, her experience at Starbucks — including serving as chief information security officer — drew her to become more involved with the college. She has endowed two scholarships for female IST students and has served on the IST Dean’s Advisory Board since 2017. With her board term ending this spring, King is proud to have increased the representation of women on the board in an effort to attract more women to the college and an industry where there is a significant gender gap.

“I believe more women in science and technology majors is the way we get more diversity of thought into our profession,” said King. “I’ve learned through my Starbucks career that the more diverse an organization is, the more the bar rises for everyone. For me, getting more women on the board gets more diversity of thought and represents what we want the college (and the industry) to look like.”

During her term, she has met many IST students and witnessed how the college’s programs and curriculum that she and the board have helped to shape have positioned them for success.

“I’m always so impressed with how quickly they’re offered jobs and how quickly they move up the career ladder in their chosen part of the profession,” said King. “I’m really proud of the quality of the students that come out of the program and what they’re able to do once they graduate and go out into the world.”

For King, the connections she’s made with students and being able to personally witness their successful outcomes have been the most rewarding part of her philanthropy and mentorship.

“Whatever donation you’re going to make of either time or money, you’re going to get back 100 times over,” she said. “It’s quite selfish, honestly. You think about donors as being generous, but the real generosity is getting to have some sort of relationship back from the students.”

King’s support will advance "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence," a focused campaign that seeks to elevate Penn State’s position as a leading public university in a world defined by rapid change and global connections. With the support of alumni and friends, “A Greater Penn State” seeks to fulfill the three key imperatives of a 21st-century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hardworking students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by serving communities and fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more about “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.