Penn State Altoona to establish rail engineering scholarship

A former Genesee & Wyoming Inc. executive has made a "transformational gift" to create a scholarship for rail transportation engineering students at Penn State Altoona, the university announced late last week.

Charles Marshall's $500,00 donation has established the Donnell Marshall Excellence Scholarship, and his gift of $100,000 has created the Penn State Altoona Rail Transportation Engineering Enhancement Endowment, university officials said in a press release.

Named in honor of Marshall’s father, who attended Penn State a century ago, the Donnell Marshall Excellence Scholarship will support Penn State Altoona students with "high financial need who major or plan to major in rail transportation engineering," officials said. The university has matched the gift as part of the recently concluded First-Time Endowed Scholarship Donor Matching Program.

The endowment will provide funding for the program’s marketing, recruitment and retention purposes, including digital media advertising, outreach programs and summer camps.

Charles Marshall retired in 2006 as vice chairman of G&W, where he previously served as president and chief operating officer. Throughout his career, he served in various high-level positions at Conrail, including as senior vice president of development.

Marshall is a founding member of Penn State Altoona’s RTE Industry Advisory Board and was "crucial" to the RTE degree program's implementation, university officials said. 

Last year, the RTE Industry Advisory Board established a scholarship in his honor to recognize his leadership and ongoing contributions to the creation and growth of the degree program. Charles Marshall’s past philanthropic support helped to bolster the degree program and its marketing efforts.

"Charlie's transformational gift will have a lasting impact on our RTE program and our college. I appreciate his unwavering support of our RTE program," said Penn State Altoona Chancellor and Dean Lori Bechtel-Wherry. "From the program's inception, Charlie’s leadership and vision have been integral to its success. Through his leadership on our RTE Board, his counsel and vision for the program have enabled our faculty, staff and students to reach new levels of success."

Accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Penn State Altoona's RTE degree program is the first and only bachelor of science degree in rail transportation engineering in the United States, university officials said. 

Thirty-two students have been enrolled in the program since its 2010 inception. Twenty-four students have graduated, one will matriculate this month, and the remaining students will graduate "in the coming years," university officials said, adding that every student who has completed the degree is employed in the field.

"Rail transportation engineering is a great opportunity for students who have math skills and enjoy working on outdoor projects," Charles Marshall said. "The railroads and their consulting firms offer remarkable and often overlooked opportunities that pay well and lead to rapid advancement. A career in railroading is usually just plain fun.”