IMAGE: Michael T. Davis Photography
His appointment is possible due to the generosity of longtime Penn State philanthropist Catherine Rein, a 1964 alumna of the College of the Liberal Arts. Rein is a former member of the Penn State Alumni Association Council and current member of the Liberal Arts Development Council. She has received both the Penn State Distinguished Alumni and Penn State Alumni Fellow awards. The endowment was established last fall with a $400,000 gift from Rein and a $100,000 match from the University’s Faculty Endowment Challenge.
Rein, who has made significant philanthropic contributions to Penn State for many years most of which have been undergraduate scholarships said this endowment is different from the others in that it focuses on the people who will teach undergraduate students.
IMAGE: Patrick Mansell
Next, Seymour provided context for the commission’s recommendation for a truth and reconciliation process, explaining “In order to identify a pathway toward healing, restoration and rehabilitation, we must acknowledge where we have been and where we are today and, to do this, it’s important for us to look at the past, as well as the present.”
Through dialogue in these areas, the commission hopes such a process might help establish increased engagement from the Penn State community, believing that restorative justice and restorative practices that are centered on mediation and healing communities rather than on punishment are important tools for working toward lasting change.