Blue White Illustrated

Bill O'Brien introduced the so-called NASCAR package to Penn State, but it wasn't until Jeff Gordon visited campus last month that Penn State was intro- duced to NASCAR itself. Gordon was on hand April 14 to dis- cuss the university's partnership with Hendrick Motorsports and Axalta Coat- ing Systems, a Philadelphia-based man- ufacturer of liquid and powder coatings. The four-time Sprint Cup champion drove a replica of his No. 24 Chevrolet SS, complete with a Penn State-themed blue-and-white paint scheme, down Curtain Road to the Berkey Creamery, where he attended a pep rally and sam- pled the creamery's offerings. He'll drive an identical car, a lot faster, at Pocono Raceway in the Axalta "We Paint Win- ners" 400 on June 7. The June race won't be the first time a collegiate-themed car has competed on the NASCAR circuit. In 2010, David Re- utimann's Toyota Camry sported an Al- abama logo on its hood in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. Not to be outdone, Auburn sponsored Michael Waltrip's No. 15 Camry in the same race the following year. The Penn State partnership is aimed at promoting science, technology, engi- neering and mathematics programs, as well as business education. As part of the initiative, a group of students from the College of Engineering and Smeal Col- lege of Business will be given an oppor- tunity to tour the facilities at Pocono and learn about automotive technology from Gordon's crew chief, Alan Gustafson. University president Eric Barron said that such partnerships "are another way of giving our students special, hands-on opportunities to learn about their fields of study and the job market." Gordon, a four-time Sprint Cup champion, is quite happy to play a role in those efforts. "There are a lot of bright futures around here," he told the crowd that attended his pep rally. "I couldn't be more thrilled to carry that unique blue on the No. 24 racecar." ■ A total of 370 awards were presented to Penn State student-athletes April 13 at the 28th Annual SAAB Academic Achievement Awards Banquet, the sec- ond-highest total in school history. The 370 awards and 292 student-athlete honorees were the second-highest in the 28 years of the Student Athlete Advisory Board banquet, topped only by the 389 award and 295 honorees in 2012-13. In ad- dition, 92 awards were made to seniors who had a 3.0 or higher grade-point aver- age through the 2014 fall semester. Penn State's 31 varsity teams combined to earn a grade-point average of 3.08, with the 15 women's programs posting a 3.26 GPA. Nineteen teams earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher. There are approximately 800 Penn State student-athletes on var- sity teams. "This is a great celebration of what we're all about," athletics director Sandy Barbour told the student-athletes, coach- es and staff in attendance. "It's about the people, the passion and purpose. I could not be prouder of how our student-ath- letes represent our university." Coach Char Morett's field hockey team and coach Greg Nye's men's golf team won the Varsity "S" Awards, presented to the men's and women's teams with the highest team GPAs. It was the third time the men's golf team won the award. The Nittany Lion Club annually pres- ents the True Grit Award to two student- athletes for overcoming adversities while continuing to succeed in the classroom and on the athletic field during their ca- reers. Men's distance runner Glenn Burkhart and women's soccer player Mal- lory Weber were recognized as the recipi- ents during the banquet. ■ SPORTS BUSINESS NASCAR champion to drive PSU-themed racecar ACADEMICS Penn State salutes classroom standouts FAST COMPANY Gordon poses with the Nittany Lion mascot dur- ing his visit to campus. Photo by Patrick Mansell

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