Penn State University has received a $2.5 million gift to address the substance abuse problem within the central Pennsylvania region, the school announced in a release.
The leadership gift from the Douglas W. Pollock Foundation will establish the Douglas W. Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research on its campus and fund its day-to-day operations.
The foundation belongs to Douglas W. Pollock, a Penn State university alumnus who died in 2016 at the age of 64.
Along with the creation of the center, the gift will also create graduate scholarships, professorships, and renew research and outreach efforts to innovate methods on prevention, treatment, and recovery from substance abuse.
“Substance abuse is devastating lives, families and communities across the Commonwealth and the nation, and Penn State is committed to a leadership role in addressing this crisis,” Eric J. Barron, Penn State president, said.
“The Douglas W. Pollock Foundation will make it possible for Penn State Harrisburg to help both individuals and organizations in the region, and to generate the research and models that will have an impact far beyond Pennsylvania,” Barron added.
Initially, the center will focus on assisting veterans and their families who are facing addiction-related challenges. Later on, it aims to help nonprofit community organizations, both at the state and national level, to effectively combat the problem of substance abuse.
The center will be led by Weston Kensinger, an assistant teaching professor of health education, and will be housed in Penn State Harrisburg’s School of Behavioral Sciences and Education.
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