Penn State University: Renaissance Fund honors Paul and Nancy Silvis, raises $618,833 for scholarships
Penn State’s 46th annual Renaissance Fund celebration on Nov. 1 honored local volunteers, philanthropists and Penn State graduates Paul and Nancy Silvis. The event, which was livestreamed from the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center, hosted nearly 300 in-person and online attendees and raised $618,833 for endowed scholarships to benefit students with financial need. The fundraising total is one of the top five in the Renaissance Fund’s almost five-decade history.
This year’s Renaissance Fund fundraising total included a commitment from Paul and Nancy Silvis to match gifts of $1,000 or more to any Renaissance Fund with a contribution of equal size to their own named scholarship, The Nancy L. and Paul H. Silvis Renaissance Scholarship, up to a total of $70,000 in matching support.
“Nancy and Paul have always been there for Penn Staters, and with their commitment to match gifts to the Renaissance Fund, they have shown up for their community in a big way once again,” said Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations O. Richard Bundy III. “The Silvises exemplify what we want Penn State alumni to do and to be — both in terms of what they give back and what they do in their communities.”
The annual Renaissance Fund celebration raises support for Renaissance Scholarships, which are awarded to academically talented Penn State students who have great financial need. Each year the Renaissance Fund honors community leaders, and contributions are used to endow scholarships in their names. Since the Renaissance Fund’s inception in 1969, the total endowment has grown to more than $23.8 million. Last year, 838 Renaissance Fund scholarships were awarded to Penn State students, offering more than $1.2 million in financial support.
Lydia Abdullah, a Penn State graduate and member of the Renaissance Fund Committee, spoke to the Silvises’ qualifications as the Renaissance Fund’s 2022 honorees, saying, “The Silvises have used their personal and professional passions to generate community-wide impact. The breadth of Paul and Nancy’s service on University boards and committees is rivaled only by their own volunteerism at beloved local community institutions. Meanwhile, their philanthropy has built bridges to success for students across the University. If you’re a Penn Stater in Centre County, there’s hardly an area of life the Silvises haven’t touched — and bettered — through their leadership, volunteerism and philanthropy.”
Paul Silvis earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and life science from the University of Pittsburgh in 1977. In 1985, he founded Restek Corp. in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. Since then, the company has grown into an international business, manufacturing chromatography columns and supplies. Paul served as chair of Restek’s Board for 37 years and continues to mentor leaders and employees to help them achieve success. Restek has positioned itself as a leader in the Centre Region, with many of its employees serving on boards and volunteering their time. In 2009, Restek became 100% employee owned through an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).
Paul went on to form SilcoTek, a Bellefonte-based offshoot of the Restek Corp., in 2009. SilcoTek uses chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technologies to impart properties of Teflon into steel. In 2014, the company was recognized by the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County (CBICC) with the organization’s Outstanding Technical Company Award and has been recognized by “Central Penn Business Journal” and “Lehigh Valley Business” as a top-100 Pennsylvania workplace for the past five years.
Alongside his professional pursuits, Paul is an active volunteer at Penn State, in the Centre Region and beyond. From 2010 to 2016, he served on Penn State’s Board of Trustees in various positions, including vice chair. Paul has also served on the advisory board for the Schreyer Institute for Innovation and Learning, the Schreyer Honors College, Penn State Outreach and “For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students” (2007-14). Beyond the University, he has also served on the Patton Township Planning Commission, on the board of Kish Bank, as president of Central PA July 4 Inc., as chair of the CBICC and on the State College YMCA fundraising committee.
Nancy Silvis has been a resident of Centre County since 1982 and is an entrepreneur, community volunteer and retired health care professional. She earned an associate degree from Brevard College in 1978 and a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Auburn University in 1981. For 25 years, Nancy served as a pharmacist in hospitals and retail settings throughout the Centre Region, including Geisinger Health Systems and The Meadows Psychiatric Center. She was also an owner and part operator of the Mt. Nittany Inn from 1992 to 2015, navigating the aftermath of two fires that demolished the landmark. Currently, Nancy works part-time with her daughter, Kristin, at Kristin’s business, Simply Health Rx Salt Spa and Wellness Center, in State College. In retirement, Nancy has acquired a certificate in interior design from New York Institute of Art and Design, and, inspired by her love of animals, she is pursuing an online degree to become a certified veterinary technician.
Nancy remains active in the community, with volunteer leadership roles at various local institutions. She serves on the medical board at Mount Nittany Medical Center and on the board of The Village at Penn State. Previously, she served on the board of WPSU, Penn State’s public media station, for 12 years. She has also served on the State Theatre board and the board of Central PA July 4 Inc.
Paul and Nancy hold the distinction of being the first and only husband and wife to graduate from Penn State’s Smeal Executive MBA program, in 2006. The couple completed their degrees and maintained successful professional and volunteer commitments while raising their six children: Amy, Kristin, and Penn State graduates Christian, Melanie, Kurt and Mike.
The Silvises have directed their philanthropy toward University priorities that align with personal passions, primarily in Intercollegiate Athletics. In 2011, the couple made a $1 million commitment to The Penn State Ice Campaign, which, led by the largest gift in Penn State history from Terry and Kim Pegula, paved the way to Penn State’s entry into NCAA Division I Ice Hockey and secured funds for the state-of-the-art Pegula Ice Arena. The Silvises’ three sons played ice hockey as children and benefitted greatly from participation in the sport. Paul and Nancy have also made gifts to support additional projects in Intercollegiate Athletics and Renaissance Scholarships for students across the University, among other areas.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported the Renaissance Fund,” said Nancy Silvis. “Many of you have worked alongside me and Paul in fundraisers and events and on boards that have helped to make our community what it is. It is because of you and what we have worked together to accomplish that we stand here today.”
“If it weren’t for my wife and her support, I wouldn’t be up here this evening,” added Paul Silvis. “Thank you to our community for this honor. I hope that as we go forward, we only continue to increase the support offered to hardworking Renaissance Scholars.”
Gifts to the Nancy L. and Paul H. Silvis Renaissance Scholarship are still being accepted. To learn more, visit raise.psu.edu/Renaissance2022 or contact Kathy Kurtz, associate director of annual giving, at or 814-863-2052.
With the record-breaking success of “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” which raised $2.2 billion from 2016 to 2022, philanthropy is helping to sustain the University’s tradition of education, research and service to communities across the commonwealth and around the globe. Scholarships enable our institution to open doors and welcome students from every background, support for transformative experiences allows our students and faculty to fulfill their vast potential for leadership, and gifts toward discovery and excellence help us to serve and impact the world we share.