Penn State University has announced a $5 million leadership gift from John and Willie Leone to endow the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

The gift, which was made as part of the university's $2 billion capital campaign, will fund a faculty chair in the newly named John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering as well as undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships. The new program will integrate engineering and business disciplines.

John Leone, a 1956 alumnus of Penn State, is president and CEO of Bonney Forge, which has forged steel operations in Pennsylvania, Texas, China, and Italy. Longtime supporters of the university, the Leones have also provided funds for undergraduate scholarships in petroleum and natural gas engineering, theatre and dance, and athletics.

"John and Willie have been extremely generous to the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, and this gift is yet another example of their commitment to Penn State, EMS, and our students," said Bill Easterling, dean of the college. "It will have a wide and lasting impact by providing a significant pool of resources to foster an innovative program that brings together engineering and business education."