Defilippi Named Honorary Penn State Alumnus

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Larry and Sudee Pollock, Joe and Bonnie Defilippi, and Sarah and Kevin Snider gather before the Penn State Alumni Association dinner.

Larry and Sudee Pollock, Joe and Bonnie Defilippi, and Sarah and Kevin Snider gather before the Penn State Alumni Association dinner. Joseph D. Defilippi was formally recognized as a 2012 honorary alumnus by the Penn State Alumni Association at a black-tie dinner June 2 on the University Park campus. There, Penn State President Rodney Erickson presented Defilippi with a bronze medallion.

The award is given to those who, while not graduates of Penn State, make important contributions to the University. Though the number of recipients varies, an average of between two and four per year are honored. Nominees are selected by the alumni association’s awards committee and then voted on by the alumni council. The award was established in 1973.

The retired director of product technology research for U.S. Steel, Defilippi holds a doctorate degree in materials science and engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, where he also earned his bachelors and masters degrees. He is a native of Leechburg, Pa.

Since the mid-seventies, Defilippi has supported Penn State New Kensington in a number of ways, among them as a donor and a volunteer. He has served as a member of the New Kensington campus advisory board since 1983.

Along with his wife, he established the Joseph and Bonnie Defilippi Internship Scholarship, a $100,000 planned gift that provides financial assistance to students participating in an internship program which helps students define career goals, develop skills and network.

This article appeared on Penn State Live, dated Wednesday, June 6, 2012. The website address for the article is http://live.psu.edu/story/59974.