A fireworks show capped off IUP’s sesquicentennial kickoff carnival in August.
On the day IUP officially began celebrating the 150-year anniversary of its founding as Indiana State Normal School, it also launched its largest-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, called Impact 150.
It was the Saturday before the start of fall classes, and under a hot August sun, the stadium parking lots came alive with a carnival to kick off the celebration. A Ferris wheel, slides, food trucks, games, music, and performers entertained the crowd throughout the evening until the campaign announcement was made from a stage on the lots’ southern edge.
A fireworks show after the program punctuated the good news: more than $81 million—54 percent of the campaign’s $150-million goal—had already been raised from more than 11,000 donors during the campaign’s quiet phase. (Funds raised had surpassed $97.8 million by the end of September.)
President Driscoll spoke from the carnival stage.
Crowd members cheered during carnival announcements.
But Impact 150 is about more than a number, President Michael Driscoll said from the stage.
“It represents scholarships that open doors for students, programs that prepare graduates for an evolving world, faculty research that strengthens the lives of people around the world, and new ways of teaching and learning that will keep IUP strong for generations,” he said.
“While this campaign comes at a time when we are celebrating IUP’s 150th birthday and honoring our incredible history and legacy, Impact 150 is really about the future, keeping students at the center of all we do.”
The campaign theme has three components: healthy students, a healthy university, and healthy communities. “Healthy students” addresses needs for scholarships, academic support, and personal development; “healthy university” encourages support for innovation, faculty research, and high-quality education; and “healthy communities” builds on IUP’s work to establish a college of osteopathic medicine. So far, more than $34 million has been raised for the proposed medical college.
Fire dancers and a Ferris wheel were among the carnival attractions.
Several performers were on hand for the carnival.
Students tried out the giant slide at the carnival.
A Friends and Family Show in Miller Stadium coincided with the carnival.
Laurie Frisina Kuzneski ’93, vice chair of the IUP Council of Trustees, and her husband, Andy Kuzneski III, are cochairs of the Impact 150 campaign. Their son, Andrew Kuzneski IV, is a May graduate of IUP and an alumnus of the Cook Honors College.
Originally from Waterford, Erie County, Kuzneski said IUP is where she grew up.
“The experiences I had inside and outside the classroom launched me into multiple careers that I have loved, gave me lifelong friendships, helped me find out who I really was, and prepared me to become who I really wanted to be,” she said.
“Giving back . . . is how we say, ‘I remember what IUP did for me, and I am so grateful that I want to be part of making that happen for someone else.’”
Laurie Kuzneski spoke during the campaign announcement.
Norm greeted the crowd at the Friends and Family Show in Miller Stadium.
National Campaign Cabinet for Impact 150
- Laurie Frisina Kuzneski ’93 and Andy Kuzneski III, campaign cochairs
- Bonnie Harbison Anderson ’80
- Richard Caruso ’83
- Tim Cejka ’73 and Debra Phillips Cejka ’73
- John Kopchick ’72, M’75 and Char Labay Kopchick ’73
- William Madia ’69, M’71 and Audrey DeLaquil Madia ’70
- Regina Dressel Stover ’75 and Dennis Stover ’76
- Christine Toretti
Kuzneski recognized members of the campaign leadership team, called the National Campaign Cabinet. Donors of $100,000 or more who were at the launch were also introduced. Each received a commemorative gift, a Weaver’s Perfect Memory tool made from felled Oak Grove trees. These gifts were donated by their designer, Alan Luckey ’87, M’89, and his wife, retired IUP vice president Rhonda Luckey.
Impact 150 builds on the success of IUP’s previous fundraising campaign, Imagine Unlimited, which concluded in 2021 and raised $81.36 million, exceeding the campaign goal by more than $6 million.
Luke Leccia, winner of the anniversary T-shirt design contest
Following up on anniversary-related activities that took place in the spring, winning artwork from the 150th Anniversary T-shirt Design Contest was revealed at the carnival, and printed shirts were distributed to students. (Shirts are still available through the Co-op Store at www.iupstore.com.) The artist, IUP senior Luke Leccia, is a graphic design and illustration major from Elizabeth. He is also a cymbalist in the marching band and had to be retrieved from Miller Stadium, where the band was warming up for its Friends and Family Show, to be recognized on stage.
IUP will continue to mark the sesquicentennial during major spring events: the Employee Service Awards in March; Celebration Weekend, including the Distinguished Alumni Awards Gala, in April; and Spring Commencement in May.
Find more details about the anniversary at and about the Impact 150 campaign.
Performers entertained the crowd at the carnival.
Several student organizations ran games during the carnival.
Several student organizations ran games during the carnival.
Norm on the Ferris wheel during the carnival
Marriage Vows Under the Oaks
To close out its sesquicentennial celebration, IUP will hold a wedding vow renewal ceremony for alumni couples, also known as Crimson Couples, on June 6, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in the Oak Grove. This is also an opportunity for alumni couples planning marriage to make it official in the recognized heart of campus. Nondenominational officiants will be on hand to perform these ceremonies for registered couples with valid marriage licenses. A reception featuring live music, a traditional western Pennsylvania cookie table, and other light refreshments will follow. Registration is required for all couples by May 10, 2026, at IUP.edu/vowrenewal.
A collection of Crimson Couples stories, with an option to submit your own, is also available on the IUP alumni website at IUP.edu/CrimsonCouples.