UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Deloitte Foundation, as part of a longstanding relationship with Penn State, has committed to match contributions from Deloitte professionals supporting the Leadership Development Center, a professional development opportunity for students in the Schreyer Honors College. As part of the collaboration, the center will now be known as the Deloitte Foundation Leadership Development Center through the 2024-25 academic term.
“Deloitte has a large network of active Penn State alumni and friends,” said Deloitte Foundation Leadership Development Center Director and Penn State Teaching Professor of Psychology Greg Loviscky. “As one of the leading providers across audit, tax, consulting and advisory services, they have a unique perspective on leadership. Deloitte representatives will be able to give students real-time feedback about their leadership competencies based on what the assessors see throughout the day. That kind of spotlight, in virtually any realm, is rare.”
Since its inception in 2008, the Leadership Development Center has hosted more than 500 students in over 47 sessions with the help of more than 100 trained assessors. The program is a comprehensive leadership skill development exercise for developing students to enter the workforce.
Prior to each session, students review and write an executive summary of an assigned simulated organization. During the one-day sessions, held at the Career Services Building or virtually, they participate in simulated business activities designed to introduce the students to challenges and decisions they may face as leaders in various organizations. They also complete a personality inventory and other surveys that can aid in self-awareness.
“The Deloitte Foundation Leadership Development Center provides a unique cross-disciplinary professional development opportunity that allows students to immediately apply what they learned in their academic and organizational teams,” said Schreyer Honors College director of career development Lisa Kerchinski. “The personal insights as well as the competencies gained by participating in the program prepare students to be more effective team members and leaders.”
The program is open to students in every major and class year, though the majority of participants are in their junior year. Students in the Smeal College of Business represent 15% of participants to date, with participating honors students in a variety of academic disciplines, including those in the College of Engineering, the Eberly College of Science, and the College of the Liberal Arts.
“Deloitte and the Deloitte Foundation are going to have a University-wide impact with the Deloitte Foundation Leadership Development Center, which will benefit students all over campus,” Loviscky said.
For more information on the Deloitte Foundation Leadership Development Center, contact Greg Loviscky at gel102@psu.edu or 814-863-1116.
For more information about corporate partnerships at Penn State, contact the Corporate Engagement Center at 814-865-0023. The Penn State Corporate Engagement Center connects industry partners to strategic opportunities at Penn State for research and development, philanthropy, and talent recruitment. Learn more at corporateengagement.psu.edu.
Gifts to the Leadership Development Center 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.
About the Deloitte Foundation
The Deloitte Foundation, founded in 1928, is a not-for-profit organization that supports education in the U.S. through a variety of initiatives that help develop the next generation of diverse business leaders and their influencers and promote excellence in teaching, research and curriculum innovation. The foundation sponsors an array of national programs relevant to a variety of professional services, benefiting high school students, undergraduates, graduate students and educators.