Penn State Abington Has Named A New Engineering Lab After Longtime Financial Supporters

ABINGTON, PA — Penn State's Abington campus has announced that it has named one of its engineering laboratories after an alumnus and his wife, both of whom have been longtime supporters of the university.

The Joseph W. and Jo Anne Lurquin Engineering Lab this summer was named in honor of the couple, who had signed a five-year pledge to establish the Penn State Abington Engineering Excellence Fund, according to the university.

"We are thankful to donors like the Lurquins who are committed to investing in equipment and the infrastructure of the campus to provide students with a world class education that equips them to solve real-world problems," Chancellor Margo DelliCarpini said in a statement.

The school said that an official plaque unveiling ceremony took place back in late August at the Abington campus, an event attended by alumni volunteers, engineering faculty and students.

During the ceremony, Joseph Lurquin stated, "Jo and I would meet for lunch in the Hammond Building lounge when I was studying for my engineering degree at University Park [main campus]. We agreed that when we were able, we would give back to the University so others could have the same opportunity to study and learn in amazing facilities," according to a Penn State news release.

Mukul Talaty, an associate professor of engineering at Penn State, said the Lurquin lab, which is home to the Engineering Design 100 course, would be a cornerstone of the engineering educational experience at the Abington campus.

"The course helps students understand the role of engineering design in improving the health, safety, and welfare of the global community," Talaty said in a statement. "This is the course that we use to get students excited about what they can do when they finish their Penn State engineering degrees."

According to Penn State, the Lurquins have been advocates of the Abington campus since they first attended an open house nearly 20 years ago. Joseph Lurquin, who went to school at the Abington campus during the 1960s, ended up becoming a member and chair of the Abington Advisory Board, where he met with students, staff and faculty. He now serves as the chair of the Capital Campaign Committee at Abington.

In late November of last year, the couple created the Joseph and Jo Anne Educational Equity Scholarship at Penn State Abington. And in addition to supporting Abington campus students, Joseph Lurquin also serves on the industry advisory board for the Multidisciplinary Engineering Major, according to the school.

Penn State says that the latter has been a "passion project" for Joseph Lurquin since he retired from his long career as an electrical engineer at Engineered Arresting Systems back in 2008.