Penn St engineering school gets $10 million gift

Published Dec. 14, 2011 9:52 p.m. ET

foxsports

A $10 million donation to Penn State is believed to be the largest such gift to the university since child sex abuse charges were filed last month against a former assistant football coach. The money will be used to bridge research projects in engineering with those in other disciplines.

The university said Wednesday the gift will be used in part to recruit and retain top students and faculty and enhance research facilities and equipment.

The donor wishes to remain anonymous.

Former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was charged Nov. 5 with sex abuse. He has pleaded not guilty.

Senior Vice President Rodney Kirsch says the resulting scandal didn't faze the donor since the school first got word of a possible gift in early November. He says donations from that point have been ''running pretty much even'' with last year.