When many people come to visit Penn State Behrend, their first stop tends to be the Metzgar Building, which is home to the Admissions Office on the first floor and the Financial Aid Office on the second floor.

The building was donated to Behrend in 2010 by Bob and Sally Metzgar. Bob Metzgar is a 1960 graduate of Behrend and was named a University Alumni Fellow in 1996. Then in 2012, he was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award, which is the university’s highest award.

The Admissions Office now has a new feature above the reception desk, a portrait of Bob and Sally Metzgar. The portrait was revealed during a summer event for Behrend’s Council of Fellows.

“Bob and Sally Metzgar have been trusted advisers, generous supporters, and steadfast advocates for the college,” Chancellor Ralph Ford said. “They have played a transformative role in the growth of Penn State Behrend through the years.”

According to Penn State’s website, the Metzgar’s have supported athletics programs, the Young People’s Chorus of Erie, and a variety of scholarship opportunities, including the Metzgar Leadership Scholarship. The newest addition being in March 2021, Bob Metzgar established the Sally Nelson Metzgar Educational Equity Memorial Scholarship in honor of Sally Metzgar, who died in 2019.

“The scholarship will benefit students whose gender, race, or ethnic identity contribute to the diversity of our student body,” Ford said. “If you knew Sally, you’d know how fitting that is. She saw the potential in every student she met and believed that their potential should be matched with opportunity.”

The portrait is an excellent way to give back to the Metzgar’s for their lifelong work with Penn State Behrend.