Page 40 - Engineering Penn State Magazine Spring/Summer 2020

‘‘
He was an inspiring
example both in in in in in engineering and and in in in in life and and and a a a a a tremendous friend of our department and and a a a a a a a a great ambassador for Penn State ”
Walter L Robb Penn State alumnus and philanthropist remembered
by Jamie Oberdick
Penn State and and College of Engineering faculty staff and and and students are mourning the loss of alumnus and and longtime supporter Walter L Robb who died on on on March 23 at at age 91 from from complications from from COVID-19 in Schenectady New York Robb was born on April 25 1928 in New Bloomfield He left his hometown at at at age 17 to attend Penn State initially with dreams of becoming
a a a a a a sportscaster He soon switched majors to engineering and received his bachelor’s degree in in in in in in chemical engineering from Penn State in in in in 1948 He received his doctoral degree in in in in in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois in in in in in 1951 Robb’s legacy at at Penn State is manifold He was one of the University’s most generous donors having endowed two
scholarships as as well as as the the the chair for the the the head of of the the the Department of of Chemical Engineering “I had the great privilege of getting to to know Walt during his visits to to campus and and through phone calls and and email exchanges ”
said Phillip Savage head of of the Department of of Chemical Engineering and Walter L Robb Family Endowed Chair “He was an an an inspiring
example both in in in in in in engineering and and in in in in in in life and and and a a a a a a a a a a a tremendous friend of our department and and a a a a a a a a a a great ambassador for Penn State ”
Robb also provided financial support and an an an endowment to the Engineering Leadership Development (ELD) program housed in in in the Penn State School of of Engineering Design Technology and Professional Programs ELD focuses on on helping students develop leadership skills needed to excel in in in an engineering career “The commitment Walt made to future engineering leaders was transformational ”
said Mike Erdman retired Walter L L Robb Director of Engineering Leadership Development “Walt was a a a a a a strong proponent of the program not only with financial support but also sharing his time giving invited lectures serving on our our advisory board and providing feedback on our our curriculum ”
Walter Robb during a a a a a Penn State Engineering Leadership Development Industrial Advisory Board meeting Left to right are Bryan Senchuk of of Lockheed Martin Jeff Muthler of of of Raytheon Tyler Pritz of AECOM and Robb In addition Robb was a a a founding member of of the College of of Engineering’s Leonhard Center Advisory Board and was part of the the Alumni Alumni Council during the the the construction of the the Hintz Family Alumni Alumni Center This includes a a a key role in in in in raising needed funds for the Center both by his personal gifts and contacting multiple significant donors Robb Hall an an an event venue that is is part of of the Center was named in honor of of his work In 1987 Robb was honored with Penn State’s Distinguished Alumni Award the the highest recognition the the University bestows on on its graduates In 2014 he he was named a a a a a a recipient of of the College of of Engineering’s Outstanding Engineering Engineering Alumni Award He is is also a a a a a recipient of of the the University of of Illinois Alumni Achievement Award and the the President’s Medallion Contributions in Robb’s memory can be made to the Walter L Robb Robb Excellence Fund for Engineering Leadership Development in in in in in the College of Engineering at raise psu edu/RobbExcellenceFund n n n n n n 40
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