Timothy G. Rupert will receive the 2016 Indiana University of Pennsylvania President's Medal of Distinction for professional achievement.
Michael Driscoll, IUP president, will present the award to Rupert at the annual Leader's Circle of Indiana County awards event on April 20, 2016, at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex.
The President's Medal of Distinction is the highest nondegree award the university presents. It was established in 1985 to honor citizens of the state and region whose professional achievement or public service is of national significance or special significance to the university.
Rupert has contributed 11 years of service on the Foundation for IUP Board of Directors, five of them as president. In 2016, he was elected Director Emeritus by the Foundation for IUP Board of Directors, the first individual to be so recognized in the history of FIUP.
Nominees for Director Emeritus must have served two three-year terms on the board, made gifts to the Foundation at the $50,000 level or greater, and have demonstrated exemplary commitment to the mission, vision, and objectives of the Foundation.
“Tim's leadership has been instrumental in developing, extending and enhancing the Foundation and its incredible support of IUP,” President Driscoll said. “FIUP has been, and continues to be, a key partner in our work—from the Residential Revival, which transformed our physical campus, to ongoing fundraising efforts like the Sutton Scholarship—along with many other leadership initiatives.
“I have personally benefited from Tim's advice, counsel, and expertise. His dedication to his alma mater represents the best of IUP's graduates.”
As a member of the FIUP board, he has been chair or co-chair of the Finance, Audit, Nominating, and Residence Hall committees. During his terms as president, the Foundation strengthened itself organizationally and financially, enabling FIUP to provide greater support to IUP, its mission.
“I am extremely honored to receive this award and grateful for the opportunity to give back to the university and community that gave so much to my wife and me,” Rupert said. “I am proud of what the Foundation has achieved and the staff and board of directors that made it happen.”
Rupert and his wife, Susan, are both from Indiana. The couple established the Tim and Susan Rupert Scholarship for Indiana County students in honor of their own opportunity to grow up in Indiana and attend IUP.
Rupert was recognized with the IUP Distinguished Alumni Award in 2001 for his outstanding professional achievements as a chief executive officer in the international metals industry.
After his 1968 graduation from IUP, Rupert joined U.S. Steel Corporation in its computer services division, where he held various analytical posts at the company's Pittsburgh Service Center. In 1979, Rupert was named assistant district credit manager for the New York region. He advanced to senior investment analyst in New York in 1981 and manager of New York treasury operations in 1983. Rupert returned to the Pittsburgh headquarters in 1984 and became director of corporate treasury administration in 1986, director of corporate finance in 1988, and director of corporate staff in 1990.
In 1990, USX Corporation reorganized its ownership position in the titanium industry and created RMI Titanium Company. Recognizing the critical need for strong leadership, USX Corporation transferred Rupert to RMI where he served in as executive vice president and chief financial officer. During this time of his financial leadership, RMI restructured and created a holding company, RTI International Metals, Incorporated, trading publicly on the New York Stock Exchange and headquartered in Niles, Ohio.
In 1999, Rupert was named president and chief executive officer of RTI International Metals, Inc. He was also a member of the company's board of directors. He retired in 2007.
RTI produces a variety of products composed of titanium and other special metals serving aerospace, chemical processing, medical implant, oil and gas, and the pulp and paper industries. The company, with sales of $800 million, has more than 2,500 employees in multiple locations worldwide. RTI was recently purchased by Alcoa, Inc.
A leader in his profession, Rupert was a two-term president of the International Titanium Association and vice chairman of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves as lead director on the board of Calgon Carbon Corporation, an activated carbon producer headquartered in Pittsburgh.
The Ruperts now reside in Poland, Ohio, and Scottsdale, Arizona. They have two adult children, Michelle and Michael, and one grandson, Jack.
The Leader's Circle awards dinner, now in its 17th year, recognizes the recipient of the IUP President's Medal of Distinction and the nominees and recipients of the Indiana County Male and Female Civic Leader awards and the ATHENA Award. The Leader's Circle of Indiana County includes representation from IUP, civic organizations, past award recipients, and award sponsors.