The Penn State College of Engineering received a $19 million gift from the estate of E. Michael Ackley, placing Ackley ’60 Eng among the top five individual donors in college history.

“The impact of this extraordinary gift will be felt throughout the entire college, now and for years to come,” said Tonya L. Peeples, the Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering. 

Of the total gift, $5 million will be used to enhance student success with efforts such as the Ackley Undergraduate Research Program endowment, the Ackley Scholars scholarship program, and the Ackley Graduate Fellowship Program, supporting both the teaching and research of graduate students.

Another $4 million will be directed for use in the new Engineering Design and Innovation Building and the Engineering Collaborative Research and Education Building.

An additional $4 million will be used to name a new semiconductor packaging manufacturing laboratory. 

In recognition of Ackley’s graduation from the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM), $1 million of the gift will be used to create the Ackley Professor of Engineering Science position, the first endowed professorship for the department.  

Ackley, who died in March 2020, founded Ackley Machine Corp. in 1976. Today, the company specializes in pharmaceutical printing, laser marking, laser drilling, and vision inspection technology.