$15 million in gifts from Charlene Friedman aligns her vision and generosity with university’s interdisciplinary excellence

Penn State volunteer and local business leader Charlene Friedman has made a landmark gift to support the Program on Empathy, Awareness, and Compassion in Education, known as the PEACE Program.

In recognition of her transformational support, the initiative will now be called the Friedman PEACE Program. The announcement highlights how one woman’s deep commitment to kindness is helping to shape research, education, and community well-being both in central Pennsylvania and around the world.

Friedman, who has quietly been a steadfast supporter of Penn State for decades, stepped forward with this extraordinary contribution to galvanize research and policy interventions centered on empathy and compassion. Her gift will expand the program’s research portfolio and accelerate the translation of scientific findings into practical, real-world applications that improve health and strengthen communities.

“Across the decades, Charlene has exemplified what it means to be a dedicated supporter of the Penn State community,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi.

“With this extraordinary gift, she is aligning her vision and generosity with Penn State’s interdisciplinary excellence so that evidence-based outreach on empathy and compassion can reach more people, strengthen communities, and create lasting impact. I am deeply grateful for this inspiring act of giving and for the future impact the Friedman PEACE Program will have on improving lives.”

A successful businesswoman with a warm, community-first approach, Friedman has spent more than 30 years as broker of record and chief financial officer of Industrial-Commercial Realty LLC in State College. She brings the same thoughtful determination that built her professional career to her philanthropy.

Her educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in education from Seton Hall University in 1969 and postgraduate study at the University of Oregon under the guidance of research educator Arthur Pearl, author of the influential book “The Atrocity of Education.”

Those experiences helped shape her lifelong belief in the power of compassion and learning.

This latest gift represents the culmination of a decades-long effort by Penn State’s College of Health and Human Development to build a strong pipeline from research to real-world impact. It builds on the foundation laid by Friedman’s friend, the late Edna Bennett Pierce, a 1953 Penn State graduate whose generosity led to the renaming of the Prevention Research Center. The PEACE initiative, launched by founding director Mark T. Greenberg, quickly became a leading hub for scholarly work within that center.

“Edna was not only a valued friend but an inspiration to me for what can be accomplished by thinking in big, transformational terms,” Friedman said. “The example of her generosity was what motivated me to plant a seed for growing a kinder, more thoughtful world where everyone can reach their full potential.”

Now, with enhanced resources thanks to Friedman’s support, the Friedman PEACE Program will pursue an expanded mission that blends local action with global scholarship. It aims to implement data-driven practices that foster a more compassionate society.

Max Crowley, director of the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, noted that the program is already positioned to make a difference close to home while influencing broader conversations.

“Charlene’s investment in research into compassion and empathy will impact countless lives in profound ways, but she’s just as focused on bringing that science back home to our community right here in central Pennsylvania,” Crowley explained. “We’re not just generating ideas and solutions for others to come along and pick up. We’re building networks with Center County parents, teachers, counselors, social workers, and healthcare professionals right here in our community so that our discoveries can change policy and have an immediate and lasting impact on our neighbors.”

The center’s faculty brings impressive depth to this work. Sebrina Doyle Fosco, an assistant professor of human development and family studies, has developed strong relationships with school leaders to introduce mindfulness-based programming for teachers and administrators.

Mark Brennan, UNESCO Chair for Sustainable PEACE through Youth and Community Engagement, focuses on fostering empathy among young people in Center County and around the world. Heidemarie Laurent, the Edna Bennett Pierce Professor of Compassion and Caring, studies pre- and postnatal stressors to help improve infant health through better obstetric support.

These efforts are just the beginning. Crowley pointed to recent international gatherings, including a major event co-hosted with the UNESCO Child and Family Research Center in Dublin and a landmark summit in the United Kingdom, as signs of Penn State’s rising role in this field. “As the concepts of empathy and care gain traction in global conversations, our growing team of interdisciplinary Penn State experts is positioned to guide research into new and exciting frontiers,” he said. “Charlene’s gift will be absolutely instrumental in delivering the resources that put us at the forefront of these advancements.”

Friedman’s generosity fits into a broader legacy she shared with her late husband, Ed. Together, they supported initiatives such as the Edward Friedman and Stuart Mann Professorship in Hospitality Management and the Ed and Charlene Friedman Renaissance Scholarship. In 2012, Penn State recognized the couple as Renaissance Fund honorees for their civic leadership and generous financial contributions. Friedman has served on numerous university development and advisory councils, and this new gift elevates her standing to the Elm Circle of the Mount Nittany Society, honoring her substantial lifetime commitment to the university.

Jay E. Davenport, vice president for development and alumni relations, captured the significance well: “Charlene’s visionary gift demonstrates how philanthropy can profoundly reshape research and therapeutic practices across disciplines, ensuring compassionate care is prioritized both within our region and on a global scale. I am deeply gratified that Charlene was inspired by Edna’s pioneering support for prevention research, and I look forward to witnessing how her own generosity inspires others in the years ahead.”

Friedman herself draws motivation from the leaders who shaped her formative years. “I grew up in a tumultuous era when leaders like President Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. worked courageously to foster empathy and bind our society together with mutual care,” she shared.

“I’ve carried with me the belief that each of us has a responsibility to live out the kindness we want to see in the world. It won’t happen overnight, but my hope is my gift can be a catalyst for accelerating this process.”

Through gifts like this one, donors such as Charlene Friedman help advance Penn State’s historic land-grant mission.

Their support helps welcome more students into the Penn State family, fuels research and outreach that drive economic growth and innovation, and extends the university’s positive influence to families, patients, and communities across Pennsylvania and far beyond.

In a world that often feels rushed and polarized, Friedman’s thoughtful investment offers a hopeful reminder that empathy is not just a feeling—it can be studied, taught, practiced, and scaled for the benefit of us all.