Purdue University Northwest raises over $1.6 million on 2026 PNW Day of Giving

Scott Schaller knows better than most how life-changing the relationships between Purdue University Northwest (PNW) students and their faculty mentors can be.

Schaller, who currently serves as chair of the department of Quantitative Business Studies in the PNW College of Business, holds associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the university.

“The relationships I built with my faculty mentors were the foundation for my career,” he said. “When I describe PNW to others, I refer to us as a family. We pride ourselves on that unique experience where faculty get to truly know you and help you succeed.”

Schaller’s deep relationship with PNW has inspired him to support students beyond his service as an instructor and administrator. He has pledged a significant gift to the PNW College of Business that will expand students’ access to resources and technology, enhancing their career preparedness.

“When I remember the sacrifices people have made for me, it ignites that sense of wanting to give back,” Schaller said. “I am passionate about providing our students opportunities to excel and to impact their future.”

Record participation helps augment opportunities for PNW students

A collective outpouring of generosity from PNW supporters raised a record 3,118 gifts amounting to over $1.6 million on the 13th annual PNW Day of Giving, held April 29. Gifts of any size make a difference in supporting PNW students and university resources.

Many gifts committed for 2026 PNW Day of Giving were made in conjunction with PNW’s 10th Anniversary Scholarship Gala, to be held on May 29. The gala is dedicated to expanding scholarship support for PNW students.

PNW ranked second among 66 participating units in the Purdue system for total gifts received, the institution’s highest ranking ever in this category. The participation achievement earned bonus funds for PNW.

PNW Athletics raised the most gifts and total dollars among participating PNW units, which also earned bonus funds for PNW student-athletes. PNW Athletics raised 1,557 gifts totaling nearly $509,000.

PNW faculty and staff generously contribute to students’ futures

At PNW, faculty and staff members are also stepping up to philanthropically support students’ success.

Going above and beyond their daily service to students, faculty and staff members have rallied around the mission of Changing Students’ Lives Starts With Us. By investing in students’ resources, faculty and staff members are creating a ripple effect of positive change that extends beyond the PNW campuses.   Since 2024, PNW employee giving in support of PNW students has increased by 52%.

Among gifts contributed by PNW employees on April 29, Laura Mannion, a PNW alumna and a director of Development in PNW’s division of Institutional Advancement, made two substantial planned gifts supporting students in the PNW College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences and the PNW College of Nursing. The planned gifts are made in honor of two of her most influential personal mentors. In 2025, Mannion created an endowed scholarship supporting PNW students to participate in for-credit travel abroad opportunities.

Richard Rupp, associate professor of Political Science at PNW, was also inspired to philanthropically support PNW students’ ability to learn abroad. This year, he made a considerable named endowed gift benefiting scholarships for PNW students to study away. Rupp has previously led and facilitated opportunities for students to learn abroad, such as in Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

“Foreign travel opens up a tremendous world for those who experience it,” said Rupp. “When you have the opportunity to do so as a college student, your eyes are opened to a wide array of cultures, peoples and possible career paths you may not have considered. I find myself very fortunate to have resources that I am keen to put to good use, and it is a way for me to say ‘thank you’ to the university for allowing me such rich experiences with our students.”

“We are incredibly grateful for our generous donors’ gifts that will change students’ lives,” said Lisa Goodnight, vice chancellor of Institutional Advancement. “As we celebrate 10 extraordinary years of PNW, the support of our alumni, faculty, staff, community partners and friends of the university help generate transformational opportunities for our students.  Together, we are changing students’ lives and impacting Northwest Indiana.”

Highlights of 2026 PNW Day of Giving

PNW Day of Giving is the university’s largest one-day fundraising event to relieve financial burdens and enhance opportunities for students as they persist toward their degrees. Gifts made in support of students benefit student scholarships, academic resources, extracurricular opportunities and more.

Key partners and friends to PNW made contributions that will have a lasting impact toward changing students’ lives. Several notable highlights include:

• PNW alumnus Vasanthan Ramakrishnan and his spouse, Lestine, have established a major endowed scholarship in their family’s name that will create new opportunities for PNW students’ access to a transformational college education.

“Service is at the core of everything that my wife, Lestine, and I do,” said Vas Ramakrishnan. “We are supporting Purdue Northwest because we have lived the reality of what it means to have ambition without access. Education changed the trajectory of our lives, but we know how rare that opportunity can be for students facing financial and social barriers. Our family scholarship is our way of creating a pathway for those who are just as capable, but may not yet have the same access, to build a future defined by possibility rather than limitation.”

• The James W. and Betty Dye Foundation made three significant gifts supporting scholarship opportunities for PNW students and regional innovation in Northwest Indiana. The foundation’s contributions include gifts to the James R. Dye Educational Support Scholarship and the John and Betty Friend Endowed Athletics Scholarship, as well as a gift to the PNW Roberts Impact Lab in honor of PNW Chancellor Emeritus Thomas L. Keon.

• Katherine Rhodes made an extraordinary planned gift that establishes an endowed scholarship benefiting students in the PNW College of Technology.

• An anonymous supporter contributed a substantial gift that will benefit innovative faculty-led research in the PNW College of Engineering and Sciences.

• PNW alumna Deb Thinnes pledged a considerable gift benefiting scholarships for students in the PNW Honors College.

• Berglund Construction, Laborer’s Local 41 and an anonymous supporter all committed significant gifts supporting scholarships for PNW student-athletes.

• Dave and Debi Thornburg made a generous gift that will support academic resources for PNW College of Nursing students and emergency funds for PNW College of Technology students.

• An anonymous supporter made a significant gift in support of scholarships for PNW nursing students.

• An anonymous supporter pledged a generous gift benefiting scholarships for PNW ice hockey student-athletes and scholarships for PNW behavioral sciences students.

• Chuck and Melissa Taylor generously created a named endowment fund supporting scholarships for PNW education students.

• The McMillan Family Foundation and John W. Anderson Foundation pledged significant gifts supporting programming for the Sinai Forum at Purdue Northwest.

About Purdue University Northwest

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) is a student-centered university that transforms lives through innovative education, impactful research and community engagement. Located in Northwest Indiana, near Chicago, PNW is recognized as a FirstGen Forward Network Champion and an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University. PNW advances the socioeconomic mobility of its students and positively impacts regional development. For more information, visit pnw.edu.