Dennis Popovec
Dennis Popovec, a 1977 business and accounting graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, originally from Westmoreland County, has continued his support to IUP through the Popovec Outstanding Student Athlete Scholarship.
Popovec, a 1973 graduate of Yough Senior High School and an outstanding student-athlete on IUP’s track and field teams, had a 40-year career in financial leadership roles after his graduation from IUP.
As a senior, he received an accounting internship at Deloitte and began his career there in 1977. He later moved on to Rockwell International, a major defense and communication company at that time, serving for 25 years in various financial roles, including as vice president and corporate treasurer and corporate officer. While at Rockwell International, he earned his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh.
Following his work at Rockwell International, he served as vice president and corporate treasurer at Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, a global medical device company headquartered in Irvine, CA, and as a part-time accounting professor at University of California, Irvine. He retired from Edwards in 2018 and makes his home in Cota De Caza, CA, and Cranberry Township in Pennsylvania.
“My goal in establishing this scholarship at IUP was to help young people with backgrounds similar to mine to find their way to successful careers and life experiences,” Popovec said. Popovec remains actively involved with IUP, including serving on the Athletics Advancement Council.
“Our alumni tell us, again and again, that their experiences at IUP set them up for success in work and in life,” IUP Vice President for University Advancement Jennifer DeAngelo said. “They want to pay that forward to make it possible for current and future IUP students to have those same opportunities. We are very grateful for Mr. Popovec’s continued generosity. His support truly makes a difference in the lives of our students,” she said.
The Popovec Outstanding Student Athlete Scholarship is available to full-time students in the Eberly College of Business who have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and who are active members of an NCAA-recognized IUP athletic team and who are experiencing financial need.
“IUP was perfect for me at the time,” Popovec said. “I grew up and went to school in a small town in Westmoreland County. I had good grades and was good in track, so I had a number of college opportunities, but I wasn’t prepared to venture too far from home in those days, so IUP provided a comfortable place for me to concentrate on academics and sports.
“My professors were very good, especially in accounting, opening up the door to opportunities I didn’t know existed. Likewise, my track coaches were very good helping me build confidence and a disciplined work approach that carried over to life after IUP,” he said.
“One of the most important areas for me was broadening my experience with a wide range of people,” he said. “Prior to IUP, I associated with a small group of friends that had very similar experiences and personalities to mine. At IUP, I started as a math major and then moved into accounting, which helped to broaden my academic experience. From an athletic standpoint, I was on the track team and practiced with track and cross-country athletes. Socially, I joined a fraternity and spent a lot of time with my brothers, who had backgrounds across the spectrum.
“The end result was that I was able to experience, learn from, and appreciate a broad range of people not only from different geographical areas but with different backgrounds, personalities, goals, and experiences,” Popovec said. “I learned later in life these experiences at IUP helped me develop an appreciation of diversity that continued and expanded throughout my career. This was instrumental in driving any success I achieved,” he said.
Annually, IUP provides more than $26 million in scholarships from the university, a combination of university funds and private donations. A total of 89 percent of fall 2024 new, first-time students were offered renewable merit scholarships, averaging $3,494.
Since its founding in 1875, IUP has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. As IUP celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025, the university honors a legacy of educational excellence while looking toward a future of innovation, leadership in healthcare education, and public service.