Ross A. Kester
The first donor to establish and Open Doors Scholarship at Penn State DuBois was Ross Kester. He retired from the campus after nearly 30 years of service as a senior instructor in engineering. Before joining the campus faculty full-time in 1978, Kester received his bachelors and master's degrees in education from Penn State. He has worked as a consulting engineer and designed pneumatic conveying equipment. Kester has received many awards, including the Penn State DuBois Engineering Club Award, Penn State DuBois Professor of the Year Award, the Department of General Engineering Outstanding Faculty Award and he was named the Penn State DuBois Postsecondary Tech Prep Educator of the Year.
Kester named his scholarship in honor of his friend and former colleague, the late William H. Keown. Kester said, "Bill was a dedicated family man who enjoyed knowledge and being involved in the community. He was loved and respected by many. He was quick with a smile, a listening ear, and one of his famous hugs."
The Open Doors Scholarship Matching Program triples the impact of endowed scholarships benefitting students enrolled in one of the five programs designed to help students earn their degrees, reduce debt, and excel at Penn State by matching the donor’s gift with a 2:1 permanent match. Minimum gift: $30,000, which becomes an endowment of $90,000 with Penn State’s match.
Open Doors Scholarships can be established through June 30, 2018. For more information, contact Jean Wolf, Director of Development, at 814-372-3038 or [email protected].
