About
Join the Journey is an invitation to the Thiel community to help the college lead among higher education institutions. To accomplish our goals means transformative change which will require significant investments.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Join the Journey campaign is the most ambitious fundraising effort in the history of Thiel College. The generosity from our alumni, friends and partners will allow the College to support our people, enhance the potential of our campus, and lead innovation through forward-thinking pursuits — living up to our promise of Launching the Leaders the World Needs Now.
Our world is in a period of transition and discovery — and it needs leadership from Tomcats. The Join the Journey campaign is our opportunity to make our mark in deep and meaningful ways. A campaign rallies stakeholders around shared priorities with a focus on opportunities for philanthropic support.
Making a gift online is the fastest way to support the campaign. You can also explore other ways to give, from mailing a check to including Thiel in your estate plan, here.
For more information, contact a Donor Advisor today. *link to form*
Your gift goes to the initiative, program or cause that you specify. You can choose to give to a general purpose — like Thiel Fund — or to a specific program or cause that is close to your heart. Every gift makes a difference.
For more information, contact a Donor Advisor today. *link to form*
Thiel has the strength and vision it has today because of generous support from our donors. It’s your support that drives excellence. Every dollar of your gift goes to the purpose you specify and supports the students, and faculty who can change the world.
For more information, contact a Donor Advisor today. *link to form*
A Message From the President
There is something special about Thiel College.
Perhaps it is the view across campus on a crisp autumn morning. The sound of the marching band rehearsing in the distance. The conversations between students and faculty that continue long after class ends. Or the moment when a student begins to recognize their potential—and realizes they have found a place where they truly belong.
For more than 160 years, Thiel has been a place students proudly call home.
Students arrive with ambition, curiosity, and hope. What they discover is a community that knows them, supports them, and challenges them to grow. They find professors who mentor them personally, teammates and classmates who become lifelong friends, and experiences that prepare them to lead meaningful lives.
This is the power of a Thiel education.
Through hands-on learning, close faculty mentorship, and a deeply supportive campus culture, our students gain the confidence, skills, and sense of purpose needed to pursue careers that matter and to serve the communities that need them most.
Today, we are building upon that legacy.
Through Join the Journey, Thiel College has launched a bold campaign designed to strengthen the experiences that make this institution so distinctive. Together, we are expanding life-changing scholarships, advancing innovative academic programs aligned with workforce needs, enhancing our campus environment, and sustaining the programs that support student success.
These investments ensure that talented students—regardless of background—can find their place at Thiel, develop their potential, and graduate prepared to lead, serve, and succeed.
The generosity of alumni and friends has always shaped the future of this College. With your partnership, we will continue creating opportunities for students to learn, grow, and discover a place they will always call home.
Together, we invite you to join the journey.
Campaign Leadership
Thiel is grateful to the alumni and friends who are answering the call to advance the Join the Journey campaign in countless ways.
Susan Traverso, Ph.D.
President, Thiel College
Susan Traverso, Ph.D., serves as the 20th president of Thiel College and the institution’s first female president. A passionate advocate for the transformative power of education, she has dedicated her career to helping students discover their potential and prepare for lives of purpose, leadership, and service.
During her tenure, Dr. Traverso has led significant academic expansion at Thiel, including the development of graduate programs in Speech-Language Pathology, Business Administration, and Nutrition and Dietetics. The College has also introduced innovative undergraduate programs aligned with regional workforce needs, including nursing, exercise science, sports management, nutrition, and environmental safety management. Through these initiatives, she has strengthened Thiel’s role as an important educational and economic partner in the region.
Committed to the Mercer County community she calls home, Dr. Traverso serves on the board of the Penn-Northwest Economic Development Corporation, supporting efforts that advance education, economic development, and community vitality. She also chairs the board of The Dietrich Foundation in Pittsburgh, which provides financial support for Thiel’s Dietrich Honors Institute and the Dietrich-Greenville Community Fund.
She and her husband, Kent Taylor, live in Greenville, and enjoy hiking, cycling, and exploring the many outdoor opportunities that make Thiel and the surrounding areas a special place to live and work.
Campaign Cabinet Co-Chairs
John Hudson H’23
John M. Hudson, Founder and President of The Hudson Companies since 1977 has become an industry leader in real estate development, investment, and general construction. His vision has culminated in Hudson’s privately held portfolio consisting of investment grade real estate including credit tenant leased facilities, multi-family apartment communities, medical offices, and multiple commercial office facilities located in institutional grade investment markets. Hudson’s general construction division specializes in educational, medical, office, and institutional facilities.
A longtime advocate and supporter of Thiel College, John currently serves as co-chair of the Join the Journey campaign cabinet. Previously he served on the Thiel College Board of Trustees and held the role of Chair of The Board of Trustees, Vice Chair, Chair of the Facilities, Physical Plant and Information Technology Committee, and served on the Student Enrollment Committee.
John is Chairman of the Christian H. Buhl Legacy Trust, board member of the Buhl Regional Health Foundation and Chair of the Personnel Committee, past board member and former two-term President of the F.H. Buhl Club. John was a former board member and Chairman of Sharon Regional Health System, and former board member for Penn State University, Shenango Valley Campus. As a strong advocate for charitable causes serving on numerous boards throughout the years, he presently chairs the nominating committee at The Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of Erie.
John’s honors include: Louis and Barbara Thiel Distinguished Service Award; Haller Enterprise Institute Entrepreneur of the Year Award; Gannon University Small Business Award; Distinguished Citizen Award, Boy Scouts of America French Creek Council; Shenango Valley Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year Award; and the Bishop of the Dioceses of Erie Caritas Award. John was a finalist for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Pittsburgh/Western PA Region, and the Katz School of Business Western PA Family Business of the Year Award. Thiel awarded Hudson an honorary doctorate during the 2023 Commencement Exercises.
He and his wife, Mariangela, reside in Hermitage, Pa. and have six children.
Cara Hoehn-Lapic ’92
Cara Hoehn-Lapic, a 1992 graduate of Thiel College, has built a long and impressive 30-year career with BNY Mellon in Pittsburgh. She has served as a Strategic Business Planning Manager since 2016.
In addition to earning a B.A. in Business Administration from Thiel, she holds an M.S. in Information Systems Management and a D.Sc., Information Systems and Communications from Robert Morris University.
Since graduating from Thiel, Cara has continued to give back to her cherished alma mater. She is a frequent guest speaker for the Business Department. She has also served on the Thiel College Board of Trustees and held the role of […….]
She and her family reside in Freedom, PA.
Campaign Cabinet
Mark Benninghoff ’82 * Dr. Robert D. Burns ’74 H’22 * G. Leah Dever ’74 * John R. Frangakis H’19 * John ’71 H’21 and Nancy (Gibson) Hauser ’75 * Rick Huether ’74 * Barry Oman ’74 * Catherine V. Mott * Frank Newnam ’71 * Brian Nowak ’89 * Dr. Antonio Quarterman ’08 * John Thigpen ’86 * Michael Walton * Gary Witosky ’79 H’24* Michael Zawoysky ’79 * Rod E. Wilt ’86 * Honorary Members * Carl Jr. ’69, H’10 and Theresa Hoffman H’16 * Barry Stamm ’70
Thiel College Board of Trustees
