By Anne Louise Cropp
When Julie McHugh ‘86 FIN talks about her Penn State legacy, she is talking about a connection to the past, but also about a commitment to the future.
“I am one of five children, and four of us went to Penn State,” McHugh says. “My husband, Mike ’82 ACCTG and I are both Smeal graduates and my daughter, Emily, will graduate from Penn State this spring.”
McHugh lights up when talking about her daughter and their common Penn State experience. “My husband and I have so many vivid memories, from classes in the Forum, to football games, to going to the Creamery, to walking downtown and shopping,” she says. “It’s been special to share the experience now with Emily.”
McHugh began her career as a management associate in the biopharmaceutical industry, working her way up into general management, and most recently, was chief operating officer at Endo Health Solutions, a global specialty pharmaceutical company. She retired four years ago, but will be the first to tell you that it is a very active retirement.
Currently, McHugh sits on five corporate boards and also serves as advisor to an investment firm that provides capital solutions to emerging biopharmaceutical companies. She also holds leadership roles with the Penn State Smeal College Board of Visitors (BOV) and Penn State Parent Philanthropy Council.
As an alumnus, McHugh first returned to campus to discuss what it meant to be a corporate leader as part of Smeal’s signature Executive Insights series. She also participated in several student competitions, and was subsequently asked to join the BOV—a role she has cherished for nearly a decade. “The most important contribution that we make is to support Dean (Charles H.) Whiteman, the faculty, and the administration in figuring out how to continue to deliver a world-class education to Smeal students,” she says.
McHugh will assume the role of board chair in July at the conclusion of the term for Lou Grabowsky ‘73 ACCTG. “Not only are we turning out great undergraduate and graduate students from Smeal’s residential programs, but we have a new portfolio of graduate certificates and academic programs for working professionals to continue to develop the skill set and credentials that are going to help them continue to succeed,” McHugh says. “Smeal has so much to offer and I am genuinely excited to lead the board.”
When Emily began her freshman year, McHugh was approached to join the Penn State Parent Philanthropy Council as co-chair. Through that role, McHugh began to hear stories that troubled her.
“We talked about students who are not graduating simply because they are tapped out financially,” she says. “They’ve gotten all the student aid they could find, they’ve maxed out their loans, their parents are working multiple jobs, but they just can’t afford to live in State College and complete their degree. And so they walk away just a few credits shy of completing their degree program. It’s heartbreaking.”
McHugh recently created two scholarships, including one to benefit Smeal students, through the University’s Open Doors Scholarship Program, a limited-time funding opportunity through the A Greater Penn State campaign. The unique program is designed to address the personal, financial, and academic challenges Penn State undergraduates face in completing their degree. Reflecting Penn State’s commitment to these programs, McHugh was able to benefit from a 2:1 permanent match from University funds, tripling the impact of her philanthropy.
“I felt really inspired by this group of students and wanted to help them complete their Penn State degree,” McHugh says. “Of all of the areas where I can invest my philanthropic dollars, to me this felt like the place where my family and I could have the most important impact.”
For McHugh, it all comes back to legacy. “You reach a certain point in your life where you start to think about your legacy. What is it that you want to know about your life? And I think that most people want to know that their life meant something. That it had impact,” she says.
“If someone is happy with how their life turned out and they believe there is a connection back to their time at Penn State, I’d encourage them to re-engage with the University and explore how they might contribute, not just as donors but also as volunteers,” McHugh says. “Being able to give back to the University and to its students is the most incredible feeling. To me, affecting young lives is the most important way of contributing to society.”
That is a powerful legacy. —By Anne Louise Cropp
