Bruce McPheron, former dean of the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, and his wife Marilyn have made a future pledge and an outright gift to support student opportunities in the Department of Entomology and at the Frost Entomological Museum, according to an April 16 announcement.
The new funding aims to enhance research and experiential learning for both graduate and undergraduate students. The McPherons’ $250,000 bequest will create the McPheron Family Student Experience Endowment in the Department of Entomology, supporting graduate students’ research opportunities. Additionally, their $50,000 gift will establish a fund at the Frost Entomological Museum for student projects including travel, internships, and research.
Troy Ott, Peter and Ann Tombros Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences said: “Bruce is a visionary academic leader and passionate advocate for agriculture and, along with Marilyn, they understand the transformative impact of their philanthropy on the lives and futures of our students. We are so grateful to have them as members of the college family.”
Gary Felton, head of the Department of Entomology said: “The McPheron Family Student Experience Endowment will provide a transformative boost to our entomology graduate program by expanding research opportunities, enhancing student support and strengthening our ability to recruit top talent. This investment will directly enrich the training environment for our graduate students ensuring they are well prepared for their future careers. We are deeply grateful for this generous future gift.”
Andrew Deans, director of the Frost Entomological Museum said: “This generous gift offers the Frost Museum an extraordinary opportunity… The McPherons’ support will ultimately make specimen data more accessible for research while providing new generations of undergraduate interns the opportunity to immerse themselves in… museum curation and public engagement. We are excited and thankful.”
McPheron reflected on his time at Penn State by saying: “We think back on those 25 years at Penn State… it was just a wonderful experience.” He also described how personal experiences influenced their giving: “Often you can find money to go to a professional meeting… but what you really need is money for travel to spend time in a colleague’s lab or supplies for a project you’re working on that doesn’t fit into your mentor’s grant funding.”
Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences contributes expertise addressing social, educational and physical needs according to its official website. Its facilities include barns, laboratories and classrooms located on University Park campus according to its official website. As Penn State University’s land-grant college according to its official website, it advances agricultural research with goals aimed at enhancing quality of life according to its official website. The college extends outreach through Extension programs across every Pennsylvania county according to its official website while collaborating with industry partners promoting equity and inclusion according to its official website.
Reflecting further on giving back through philanthropy at Penn State he said: “People have supported us all our lives… there’s a feeling that you’re doing something that matters.”
