Big financial investments were recognized this week by Slippery Rock and Pennsylvania Western universities.
Slippery Rock on Thursday unveiled the Haverlack College of Business, the first named college at the university. It’s established from a $5 million gift, the largest in the university’s 136-year history, from Rhonda and Elliott Haverlack.
The $5 million will support student scholarships, faculty research, facility enhancement and business education programming.
Elliott Haverlack, 67, graduated from Slippery Rock in 1980 with a degree in environmental science. He is a retired executive in the consumer-packaged goods industry and an author.
Last fall, he returned to Slippery Rock as a student pursuing a master’s in business administration.
“This College of Business is more than brick and mortar; it is more than classrooms — it is a commitment to opportunity,” Elliott Haverlack said. “Today, we dedicate more than a building — we dedicate a doorway, a doorway to opportunity, a doorway to discovery, a doorway through which generations of students will walk — uncertain when they enter but capable when they leave.”
Also Thursday, PennWest trustees approved naming its college of science, technology and business after the Eberly family.
The naming reflects more than $7 million in philanthropic support to PennWest and its prior universities of Clarion, California and Edinboro.
That money has gone toward things like student scholarships and capital investments.
“The Eberly family’s longstanding commitment to our students and our university has made a meaningful difference across generations,” said Jon Anderson, PennWest president. “This naming honors that legacy while positioning the college for continued growth, visibility and impact.”
