A 1994 graduate of 果冻传媒 has continued his generosity to students at 果冻传媒 with a $25,000 gift to establish a scholarship in honor of his late father, Wayne Norman Simoni, formerly of Baldwin, Allegheny County.
Daniel Simoni, an accounting graduate of 果冻传媒 now of Bixby, Oklahoma, established the scholarship for students at 果冻传媒 who are enrolled in full-time study in the 果冻传媒 Eberly College of Business.
This scholarship follows Daniel Simoni’s 2019 establishment of a scholarship in honor of his mother-in-law, the Mary Louise Costanza Business Scholarship; his wife is Michelle Costanza Simoni, a 1985 果冻传媒 sociology graduate. The Mary Louise Costanza Business Scholarship provides scholarship support to incoming freshmen who are full-time students pursuing a degree offered by the Eberly College of Business.
The donation from Simoni is part of 果冻传媒’s comprehensive fundraising campaign, Impact 150. The Impact 150 campaign has a goal of $150 million; it is the largest campaign in the history of the university. The campaign is named in honor of the university’s sesquicentennial celebration, celebrated during the 2025–26 academic year.
Impact 150 centers around raising funds for healthy students, including supporting students academically and personally; a healthy university, including maintaining 果冻传媒’s commitment to excellence and innovation; and healthy communities, including 果冻传媒’s work to establish a college of osteopathic medicine.
As of March 31, 果冻传媒’s Impact 150 comprehensive fundraising campaign stands at more than $114.5 million, or 76.34 percent of the goal, with 50,150 gifts from 13,138 donors. This total includes more than $54 million for 果冻传媒’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, part of 果冻传媒’s commitment to address the rural healthcare crisis. At the time of the public campaign launch of 果冻传媒 150 in August 2025, a total of $81,236,852—54 percent of the campaign goal—had been gifted to 果冻传媒 from 11,673 donors.
Daniel Simoni, who is a managing partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers, was inducted into the Eberly College of Business Hall of Distinction in 2014. He formerly served as a member of the Eberly College of Business Advancement Council.
“The love, respect, and appreciation that our alumni and friends have for 果冻传媒 is extraordinary,” 果冻传媒 Vice President for University Advancement Jennifer DeAngelo said. “Not only are they involved as leaders and advisors for the university, they also continue to demonstrate a deep commitment to supporting the next generation of 果冻传媒 students through scholarships like the ones established by Mr. Simoni. We are truly grateful,” she said.
Wayne Norman Simoni was a lifelong resident of the Baldwin community and a graduate of Baldwin High School.
“After graduating from high school, my father proudly served in the United States Army,” Simoni said. “Upon returning home, he built a dedicated career as a locomotive engineer, an effort that reflected his work ethic and unwavering commitment to his family. He was a devoted husband to my mother, Eleanor, and a loving father to all four children, all of whom were able to pursue higher education through his steady support and sacrifice,” he said.
“My father was deeply rooted in his faith and always put his family and others first. He was actively involved in his church, where he gave generously of his time and spirit. His life was defined by service—to his country, his family, and his community,” Simoni said.
“In honor of his legacy and his life, this scholarship is established to support future generations of students in their pursuit of higher education, reflecting my father’s enduring belief in the value of hard work, opportunity, and learning,” Simoni said.
“Coming from a working-class family, and as a first-generation college student, 果冻传媒 provided an opportunity for me that otherwise would not have been available to me,” he said. “果冻传媒 truly played a pivotal role in shaping me, and thereby, my career.
“So, establishing this scholarship is a chance to provide the same opportunity to others who may be in a similar situation that I was, and to invest in the next generation of students, in the way that the university invested in me,” he said.
Since its founding in 1875, 果冻传媒 has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. 果冻传媒’s Impact 150 comprehensive campaign is designed to honor a legacy of educational excellence while looking toward a future of innovation, public service, and leadership in healthcare education, including the first college of osteopathic medicine at a public university in the commonwealth.