ALTOONA, Pa. — Dr. Carroll P. and Diane S. Osgood, of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, have made a significant gift to Penn State Altoona in support of the college’s student health and wellness initiatives.
The gift, in the amount of $26,320, allowed for the purchase of a Cepheid machine which can test for strep throat, flu and COVID-19. Most test results are available in an hour or less with a 95-99% accuracy. Several other testing abilities are set to be added to the machine in 2021, including a women’s health panel and chlamydia/gonorrhea testing. The Cepheid machine will be delivered to Penn State Altoona within the next month. More information about the University’s COVID-19 response can be found at virusinfo.psu.edu.
“Penn State Altoona is fortunate to have amazing supporters like the Osgoods, who care for the health of our students, faculty and staff,” stated Billie Lewis, physician’s assistant and co-director of the college’s Health and Wellness program located in the Sheetz Family Health Center. “The purchase of the Cepheid machine allows us to provide gold standard care for rapid lab testing. It will also allow us to process more tests onsite enabling students to receive results the same day.”
Over the years, the Osgoods have provided support for a wide variety of initiatives at Penn State Altoona and the University. They have been recognized for their giving with induction into Penn State Altoona’s Ivyside Society, which was established by the college’s Advisory Board in 1987 to honor those who, through their philanthropic support and leadership, share a commitment to the continuing excellence of Penn State Altoona. They are also members of the University’s President’s Circle, Sparks Circle, and Hetzel Circle. They created the Carroll and Diane Osgood Trading Club Enhancement Fund at Penn State Altoona and have supported WPSU, Four Diamonds, the Steve and Nancy Sheetz Renaissance Scholarship, and the John F. Carothers Trustee Scholarship along with Penn State Altoona’s General Scholarship Fund, Future Fund, and Speaker Series.
“We have been supporters of Penn State Altoona for decades, and we felt that making a contribution to the college’s health and wellness initiatives would be useful at this particular time,” stated Diane Osgood. “I have a favorite quote which I've used several times for other donations. It's from Mr. Rogers. He says, ‘The real issue in life is not how many blessings we have, but what we do with our blessings.’”
“I am grateful to Carroll and Diane for their ongoing support of our college,” said Lori J. Bechtel-Wherry, chancellor and dean of Penn State Altoona. “They recognize the importance of the safety measures that we are implementing on our campus and across the University due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their generous gift will assist our efforts to provide a safe environment for our students, staff and faculty. The Cepheid GeneXpert Express is a two-bay machine that provides highly accurate and rapid molecular testing for strep throat, influenza, and the coronavirus. Carroll and Diane are wonderful people who support our campus and community in many ways. I am thankful for their gift to our college and for their commitment to our community.”
This gift will advance “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” a focused campaign that seeks to elevate Penn State’s position as a leading public university in a world defined by rapid change and global connections. With the support of alumni and friends, “A Greater Penn State” seeks to fulfill the three key imperatives of a 21st-century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hard-working students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by serving communities and fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more about “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.
