Larry and Barb Kubala, of Indiana, graduates of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, are continuing their support of IUP with a gift of $25,000 to establish the Kubala Athletic Fund.
Larry Kubala is a 1968 English graduate; Barb Kubala earned a bachelor’s degree in art education in 1968 and a master’s degree in art education in 1973.
The Kubala Athletic Fund will support the greatest needs of the golf program and football facilities improvements.
Larry Kubala served as senior vice president at First Commonwealth Bank in Indiana for 22 years before retiring. He had previously worked as assistant vice president at PNC Bank in Indiana. Barb Kubala was an art instructor in the Indiana Area School District from 1968 to 1999.
In 2021, the Kubalas established the Barbara and Larry Kubala Scholarship for Fine Arts, which provides scholarship support to students who are full-time pursuing a fine arts degree.
The Kubalas were honored in 2024 with the Honorary Bell Ringer Award for their long-time commitment to IUP as volunteers, leaders, and contributors.
Over the years, the Kubalas have served on various committees on campus, including the Leadership Society, the Division of University Advancement’s Athletic Council (Larry Kubala), and the College of Arts, Humanities, Media, and Public Affairs Advancement Councils. Their son, Michael, is a 1989 IUP graduate.
Both were active in the formation and continued growth of the IUP University Museum and served as members of the IUP Museum Board of Directors, and have volunteered their time to organize and hang shows in the museum.
“Alumni like the Kubalas enrich the IUP community in so many ways,” IUP Vice President for University Advancement Jennifer DeAngelo said. “Not only are they willing to step up to serve on important leadership groups, but they are also front and center supporting students and programs in the fine arts and our student-athletes. They are truly an inspiration in their commitment and loyalty to their alma mater,” she said.
“We came to IUP as wide-eyed freshmen intending, as most people do, to use IUP as a temporary stop on our way to bigger and better things and the rest of our lives,” the Kubalas said. “But fortunate circumstances in the way of career choices kept us here, and IUP became an integral part of our lives ever since.
“We were exposed to culture with swing-out musicals produced by the incomparable duo of Ensley and Davis, who took everyday students and produced a Broadway-caliber musical in Fisher Auditorium, world-famous entertainers, symphonies, renowned speakers, and faculty recitals. This cultural experience continues to this day and is one of the many reasons staying in Indiana was the best choice of our lives,” the Kubalas said.
“IUP also has long been the envy of the conference and continues to excel by turning out national championship-level teams with academically outstanding athletes. We’ve followed the success of many of our teams; have met the athletes, their parents and families; and are so proud to have been a part of helping the development of athletics,” they said.
“We are equally proud of the IUP marching band and its excellence over the years. It is truly the best student ambassador group for recruiting future students. Saturday afternoons in Miller Stadium and Wednesday and Saturday nights in the Kovalchick Complex for women’s and men’s basketball have added to our lives in Indiana.
“Looking back on our years as students and alumni of IUP, we don’t think we would exchange any experience we had. Life would not have been nearly so exciting without IUP,” they said.
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.