UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Smeal College of Business alumnus Patrick Flanagan found a gap between classroom lessons from his undergraduate days as a business logistics major and the practical and tactical knowledge he needed to help drive shareholder value as an early career professional.
Recalling those early challenges and considering the path of his career as an innovator and business executive over the ensuing decades, Flanagan said he wanted to use his experience and financial resources to enable Penn State Smeal students to “accelerate the translation of academic learning to practical action when executing on business initiatives.”
That decision led Flanagan and his wife, Betsy, to make a $250,000 commitment to endow the Patrick and Betsy Flanagan Propel Business Seed Fund in the Penn State Smeal College of Business. 
Full story: Gift to support new Penn State Smeal venture fund for undergraduate students | Penn State University
