Engineering turns ideas into solutions with real-world impact. Now, your support of a Lehigh engineering education can be just as transformative. An anonymous engineering alumnus is offering the chance to multiply the impact of your philanthropy with a matching gift to create new P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science scholarships. Up to eight scholarships will be created through the match.
In September, Jacalyn (Smith) Askin ’75 and Ronald Askin ’75 were the first to take advantage of the opportunity, creating the Askin Family Endowed Engineering Scholarship, with a preference for a female undergraduate student studying industrial and systems or civil and environmental engineering.
The couple — who met at Lehigh and were married in Packer Chapel 50 years ago — have always believed in the power of scholarships and financial aid.
“Our connections to and fondness for Lehigh run deep. Financial aid was important to me when I attended Lehigh,” says Ron, whose degree in industrial engineering (IE) led to 45 years as a university professor, teaching, researching, and leading IE programs. “Jackie and I benefitted so much from Lehigh that it seemed fitting to ‘pass it forward.’”
Jackie, who made up her mind to attend Lehigh even before women were admitted, was the first woman on either side of her family to attend college, and her degree led to a career in the financial administration of educational institutions. Her background was the impetus for the scholarship’s preference for supporting a woman engineer who would make a difference in the world.
“Our interest in supporting civil and environmental engineering is sparked by lifetime concerns for sustainability and stewardship as well as our daughter’s civil engineering degrees,” she says.
“The most meaningful measure of a scholarship is the opportunity it creates for a student,” says Steve DeWeerth, the Lew and Sherry Hay Dean of the Rossin College. “We're grateful to the alumnus who created this challenge and to Jackie and Ron for being the first to participate. Their generosity will help future Rossin engineers pursue their passions and fulfill their ambitions.”
Here’s how the match works: When a donor makes an endowed gift of $125,000, the anonymous alumnus will match that support dollar-for-dollar to create a new scholarship for an undergraduate student in the Rossin College. The endowed gift will generate support year after year to provide financial aid in perpetuity. Typically, endowed scholarships with a preference for a particular college can only be created through a gift of $250,000 or more, making this an attractive opportunity for someone passionate about supporting future Rossin engineers.
Scholarships help ensure the best students can come to Lehigh and the Rossin College, regardless of financial background. Scholarships also help Lehigh recruit top scholars at a time when competition for talent is high. When exceptional students come to Lehigh, they increase the university’s reputation and go on to make an impact professionally and personally after graduation — just like Jackie and Ron.
Limited opportunities remain to take advantage of the match. Contact Danté Rossetti, director of development, or call (610) 758-2815 to learn more about the Rossin College Scholarship Challenge.
