Administration

Donohues establish trustee scholarship in Earth and Mineral Sciences

University Park, Pa. -- Energy entrepreneur David A. T. Donohue and his wife, Pamela, recently committed $100,000 to establish the David and Pamela Donohue Trustee Scholarship in Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS). The purpose of the scholarship is to provide financial assistance to undergraduates who demonstrate need for funds to meet their college expenses with a preference for students majoring in petroleum and natural gas engineering.

“Dave and Pamela Donohue have been extremely generous to the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, and this gift is yet another example of their commitment to Penn State, EMS and our students,” said Bill Easterling, dean of the college. “Dave left his imprint in our classrooms and hallways first as a student and later as a faculty member; now with this new scholarship our young minds will carry his legacy into the future.”

Dave Donohue is the founder and president of both International Human Resources Development Corporation, a worldwide leader in training and competency development for the oil and gas industry, and Arlington Storage Corporation. He is a technical specialist, businessman, attorney and lecturer who is highly regarded for the teaching of management programs devoted to the “business of oil and gas.” He was the developer of an innovative video-based learning system in upstream petroleum technology, which has now been converted to IPIMS, a widely licensed e-Learning system, and is currently writing a 14-module e-Learning series devoted to the international oil and gas business.

“I have always appreciated receiving the Penn State fellowships that allowed me to pursue three years of graduate in my early twenties," said Donohue. "They opened the doors to challenging opportunities that led to a wonderful, rewarding life. We are hopeful that our gift will stimulate the lives of many Penn State students in the years ahead.”

Donohue also was the developer and owner of independent underground gas storage facilities in New York State. In his early career he held various positions in engineering and research for Exxon, and served on the faculty at Penn State.

Dave Donohue received his doctorate in 1963 in petroleum and natural gas engineering from Penn State and a juris doctor degree from Boston College in 1971 from Boston College Law School. He is active in public affairs in his hometown, and is a distinguished member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, EMS Centennial Fellow, Penn State Alumni Fellow, and member of the Board of Bar Overseers at Boston College Law School.

Pamela Donohue, a native of Northampton, Mass., is a graduate of the Yale-New Haven School of Nursing. Before retiring to raise their four children, Pamela rose to supervisor and in-service instructor at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston. The couple resides in Wellesley Hills, Mass.

The Trustee Matching Scholarship Program is designed to make a Penn State education accessible to all qualified students, regardless of their financial means. The University matches five percent of the principal of each gift annually and combines these funds with income from the endowment to effectively double the financial impact of the scholarship. Implemented in 2002 upon approval by Penn State's Board of Trustees, this unique program assisted approximately 4,600 students University-wide last year.

Last Updated June 17, 2010

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