Seizing the Opportunity

Jay Davenport brings his loves of Penn State and higher-ed fundraising to the university’s Development and Alumni Relations team. 
 

Jay Davenport had his eye on Penn State long before he became the university’s new vice president for development and alumni relations. Davenport, who assumed the role on March 1, previously served as vice president of development and alumni relations at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he led a team that raised $1.5 billion for VCU and VCU Health since 2018, his first year in the role.

At Penn State, Davenport is guiding the university’s advancement strategy, overseeing a budget of more than $67 million and leading nearly 500 full-time development and alumni relations staff members across the university.

PS: Your mother, uncle, and others in your family are Penn Staters. What is your earliest memory of Penn State?
DAVENPORT: My grandparents lived two doors down from the DuBois campus. We first came to University Park when I was 6 or 7; I still have a photograph of me next to the Nittany Lion. That was my first vivid memory of being here.

PS: Years ago, you told your wife that if an opportunity at Penn State ever came up, you’d take it. Is that because of your family ties?
DAVENPORT: The family connection was very strong, yes. But then just Penn State’s place in higher education [was a draw]. When you work in the development space, you learn that projects and priorities are really what makes the difference in a lot of fundraising conversations. And Penn State’s chock-full of them. There is not an idea that a donor can have that somebody at the Penn State enterprise, Penn State Health, one of our campuses, isn’t already thinking about.

PS: You’ve talked about having a true love for the profession of advancement. Tell us about that.
DAVENPORT: We’re able to meet people who have done amazing things in their fields, their communities, and professions, and help them turn their life’s work into something that is going to benefit the next generation. It’s exhilarating.

 

PS: What is the “present the opportunity” fundraising approach you swear by?
DAVENPORT: It shows a potential donor what the ambitions of the institution are. That’s where philanthropy happens, when you match the institution’s priorities with someone’s passion to solve a problem. When those two connect, money is not the object. It’s, “How fast can we get to this solution?”

PS: And it’s up to the Development and Alumni Relations team to know what those priorities are.
DAVENPORT: You’re exactly right. One of the things that was appealing about this position is, when I was at VCU, Fotis Sotiropoulos ’89 MS Eng and I developed a really good working relationship of helping deans identify projects and priorities that were going to be meaningful to the institution and marketable to alumni and supporters. When this opportunity opened up, and he was now the executive vice president and provost here, it was serendipitous. Fotis is the best provost I have ever worked with, and his vision and ambitions for the academic side completely align with what I am motivated by. It’s just a lot of fun to brainstorm with him.

PS: If the Alumni Association and our alumni could do one thing for you right now, what would it be?
DAVENPORT: Since January, I have been on eight different flights. On every flight, we have seen Penn State gear. It doesn’t matter if we’re leaving Richmond, Virginia, on a quick flight down to Atlanta, or we’re leaving Palm Springs and flying across the country, or we’re coming back from Puerto Rico—we see “Penn State.” The power and presence and the fact that people wear their gear all the time, in my profession that kind of branding is better than anything we could ask for. So, keep wearing all the gear!

PS: What else would you like alumni to know?
DAVENPORT: That I absolutely am ecstatic to be here. This is a dream opportunity, and I hope to make all Penn Staters proud.

PS: Was your mother pleased when you told her you were headed to Happy Valley?
DAVENPORT: My mom was bursting at the seams.

In Short

PENN STATE BERKS GIFT
A $1.25 million estate commitment from Melissa Daniels Foster ’87 Eng Berks will create a new fund designed to inspire students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Her gift is the first seven-figure estate commitment to the campus from a Penn State Berks alumna.

The Foster Excellence in STEM Fund will offer support to Penn State Berks’ K-12 school district partnerships and outreach programming that will help young students discover new topics in STEM. The endowment will also provide funds for on-campus programming in support of future engineers and scientists from a wide array of backgrounds.

BUNTON-WALLER GETS $1M BOOST
A recent seven-figure commitment from the Andréa W. and Kenneth C. Frazier Family Foundation will establish the College of the Liberal Arts Bunton-Waller Enrichment Fund, an endowment that will expand access to internships, research, study abroad, and other career-defining experiences for Bunton-Waller Scholars in the college.

The Philadelphia-based private foundation focuses on advancing equity and opportunity across various sectors with particular focus on fostering health equity, education and economic empowerment, and on addressing social determinants of health.

The Bunton-Waller Scholars Program is a long-standing scholarship and support program for high-achieving students. —Penn State News

Investment Appeal

President Bendapudi appeared before state lawmakers in a quest for continued funding to the university. 

Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi testified to state lawmakers in March that continued investment in the university’s students and mission represents an investment in Pennsylvania’s young people and the state’s economic future.

Appearing before the Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee as part of the state’s annual budget hearings, Bendapudi and leaders from the three other state-related universities—the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University, and Lincoln University—touched on a wide range of topics impacting higher education and the commonwealth, including: performance-based funding; campus safety; workforce development; the statewide higher education landscape, including Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses; collegiate athletics; artificial intelligence; tuition costs; and more.

Reading from a prepared statement, Bendapudi said: “Greater investment in Penn State is vital to our access and affordability mission and to offering innovative academic programs that align with Pennsylvania’s workforce needs—thus supporting our efforts to attract the state’s brightest students and prepare them for successful careers here in Pennsylvania.”

The hearing concluded with a message from Rep. Jordan Harris (D-Philadelphia), chair of the House Appropriations Committee, on the 
value of higher education—and the state-related universities specifically—to the commonwealth’s success.

Lawmakers are considering funding levels for Penn State, including the possibility of implementing performance-based funding, leading up to the state’s June 30 deadline to pass a final 2026-27 budget package. —Penn State News