Bellisario
Media Center
A state-of-the-art facility that Dean Marie Hardin said will be “a magnet for students,” was made possible with a gift from Donald P. Bellisario and his wife Vivienne, along with significant support from the University.
After the design phase, construction started in December 2018, with the media center scheduled for completion in spring 2021 and ready for students and faculty to begin working there late in the 2020-21 academic year.
The Latest
The Bellisario Media Center
Open, Collaborative, Modern and Technology-driven
Along with hundreds of scholarship recipients, the most visible sign of the Bellisarios’ support will be the Donald P. Bellisario Media Center, which will be constructed inside historic Willard Building.
After the design phase, construction started in December 2018, with the media center scheduled for completion in spring 2021 and ready for students and faculty to begin working there late in the 2020-21 academic year.
April 21, 2017
Gift AnnouncedDonald P. Bellisario commits $30 million to support communications students and faculty and to establish the state-of-the-art Donald P. Bellisario Media Center.
Summer 2017
University groundwork and approvalsAugust 2017
Benchmarking, facility toursFaculty and staff teams discover ideas to shape the design process for the Bellisario Media Center, which will be constructed in Willard Building on the University Park campus.
Sept. 15, 2017
Architect ApprovalStudios Architecture approved as architect after review of proposals submitted by more than 30 architectural firms
Summer 2018
Construction approvals, hiring contractorDecember 2018
Renovation beginsMarch 2019
Renderings completeSpring 2019
Construction beginsSpring 2021
Construction completeLate Spring 2021
Full faculty and student access to the Bellisario Media CenterVirtual Tour
Renderings of Bellisario Media Center provide glimpse inside the coming high-tech ‘magnet for students’
Bellisario Media Center Q & A
Desktop Backgrounds & Device Wallpapers
The Gift
Resources to Support Future Media Pioneers
Alumnus Donald P. Bellisario, a 1961 Penn State graduate, and his wife Vivienne, committed $30 million to support communications students and faculty and to establish the state-of-the-art Donald P. Bellisario Media Center. The donation was one of the five largest single gifts ever made to the University.
“Donald P. Bellisario ranks among Penn State’s most accomplished alumni, and his achievements and generosity will continue to inspire our students and faculty for generations to come,” says Penn State President Eric J. Barron. “Through this historic gift, the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications will have the resources to support future media pioneers as they pursue the same innovation, excellence, and integrity that have characterized Don’s own career.”
The Bellisarios’ gift was announced April 21, 2017, and the University’s Board of Trustees expressed its appreciation by renaming the college the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications.
The commitment will allow the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications to build on its reputation as one of the best programs of its kind in the nation.