University Park

Piazza gift to support research that seeks to end fraternity and sorority hazing

Jim and Evelyn Piazza have made an initial contribution of $50,000, which was matched by the University, to the Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research and Reform. Since their son’s death, the Piazzas have been working as change advocates nationally to stop hazing. Credit: Provided by the PiazzasAll Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Jim and Evelyn Piazza have made an initial contribution of $50,000, which was matched by the University, to the Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research and Reform. The fund will support research that seeks to put an end to fraternity and sorority hazing and other dangerous behaviors. The Piazzas are the parents of Timothy Piazza, who was a sophomore at Penn State in 2017 when he died after a night of pledging at Beta Theta Pi fraternity; the chapter is now banned at University Park. The multidisciplinary research center was formed at Penn State in January 2019 and named in memory of Timothy Piazza. 

“We are both excited and pleased to make our gift to the Piazza Center along with all of the other donors, including Penn State,” said Jim Piazza. “Since our son Tim died as a result of egregious hazing activities, we have committed to doing everything we can to put a stop to such illegal and irresponsible behavior so that no other family has to endure what we have endured during the past four plus years.”

“Our goal is to make Fraternity and Sorority Life safer, healthier and more meaningful for those students who become members in the future,” said Piazza. “We want those young men and women to have the experience that Tim did not get to have, and we also want parents to feel safe when their children join these organizations.”

Since their son’s death, the Piazzas have been working as change advocates nationally to stop hazing. They share their story on college campuses to thousands of fraternity and sorority students, as well as others, and they continue to support positive fraternity and sorority experiences through lobbying state and federal lawmakers. The Piazzas were instrumental in passing legislation in Tim’s name to strengthen Pennsylvania’s anti-hazing laws and started the Timothy J. Piazza Memorial Foundation to provide help for children and adults who need prosthesis, doing their part to fulfill Tim’s dream. of a career in developing state-of-the-art devices.

“This generous gift from the Piazzas speaks to their ongoing efforts, as well as ours, to change the culture and move away from dangerous and risk-laden behaviors so that students across the nation can experience the positive aspects of fraternity and sorority life,” said Penn State President Eric J. Barron. “We are grateful to work so collaboratively with the Piazzas, who have endured an unimaginable loss. More research is obviously needed to effectively turn the tide against dangerous behaviors within fraternity and sorority life, and the Piazza Center is poised to help create a more meaningful experience for all students.”

The Piazza Center produces actionable data to provide campuses, fraternity and sorority headquarters, and practitioners with the evidence they need to enact significant change for the more than 750,000 fraternity and sorority members on more than 770 university and college campuses nationwide. The center’s studies are focused in four key areas: hazing and hazardous drinking prevention; peer accountability, leadership, community engagement and learning; mental and physical health; and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. 

Penn State hopes to generate an endowment of $8 million to support the center's ongoing costs. Toward that end, the University has committed $2 million in initial funding and will match up to $3 million in additional endowment funds committed for this purpose.

Through this opportunity, alumni, parents, and friends can leverage their gifts to secure matching funds that double the impact of their generosity. To learn more about supporting the center and the goal that students in fraternities and sororities have a safe and enriching college experience, visit the Piazza Center website.

This gift 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.

Last Updated March 22, 2021