‘A great return on our investment’

Penn State alumni Angela Liberto '04 and Josh Rex '05 have made a commitment to establish the Liberto Rex Dean’s Advisory Board Matching Scholarship in the College of Information Sciences and Technology, where they both earned their undergraduate degrees. The endowment, valued at $50,000, was built on the couple’s generosity and a matching commitment from the IST Dean’s Advisory Board Matching Scholarship Program, a fund financially supported by members of the board that enables donors to double the impact of their gifts.

“We are truly grateful to Angela and Josh for this generous gift,” said Andrea Tapia, dean of the College of IST. “And we thank the board members whose matching contribution expands the financial impact to help more students.”

The couple saw a “great return on our investment” from their experience at the University and, especially, in the College of IST.

Liberto earned her bachelor’s degree in information sciences and technology with a focus on integration and application, along with a Smeal College of Business minor in business logistics, as a member of IST’s second graduating class in 2004. She also holds a juris doctorate from Duquesne University School of Law and now serves as vice president and associate general counsel at Dick's Sporting Goods.

Rex earned his bachelor ’s degree in information sciences and technology with a focus on integration and application from the College of IST in 2005 and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business in 2012. Almost 20 years later, he continues to work in the software space, now as a customer adoption strategist at Workday, focusing on the higher education, government, and health care industries.

The couple married in 2010 and have two children. Alexandra, age 4, has already attended two Penn State football games, including one Penn State White Out. And last September, 2-year-old Jacqueline practiced her skills as a new walker among the RVs at a Beaver Stadium tailgate. The family lives in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, where they enjoy cycling, golf, fishing, and other outdoor activities.

Hanna Olivares, a cybersecurity and analytics and operations student, is the first recipient of the Liberto Rex Dean’s Advisory Board Matching Scholarship.

“As a first-generation college student, I’m excited to be a role model to my extended family,” Olivares said. “Financial aid has been a big concern for me, and this scholarship has given me the flexibility to focus on my academics and co-curricular activities and not worry about the cost of being here. IST is such a welcoming community, and the opportunities are endless.”