Steve and Pat Benkovic came to Centre County in 1965 after Steve accepted a position as Assistant Professor in Chemistry at Penn State. Prior to their marriage in 1961, Pat had been employed as a research chemist at DuPont but gave up her position to join Steve at Cornell University, where she helped with his experiments and typed his thesis. During their two years at UC Santa Barbara, she illustrated the book Bioorganic Chemistry co-authored by Steve and Tom Bruce. At Penn State, Pat reluctantly faced the prospect of helping Steve set up his first lab. Over five decades at Penn State, they conducted research projects with numerous graduate students and post-doctoral fellows that led to many pharmaceutical innovations, one of which formed the basis of the biotech company, Anacor. Their company registered two successful drugs approved by the FDA, resulting in its acquisition by Pfizer. Funds from the acquisition have allowed the Benkovics to share the fruits of their success with the community through a record-setting $5 million gift to the Mount Nittany Health Foundation. This gift established the Benkovic Fund for Community Investment—a visionary initiative focused on one of the most urgent needs in regional healthcare: physician recruitment.
“Since we have fairly simple living needs, we wanted to give something back to the community,” Steve shared. “We know that to obtain doctors or recruit them here is not easy, even though it is an extremely attractive community. And the cost of going to medical school, the debt they come out with—the idea then would be if we could redeem that debt early, we might be able to attract people who might not have considered coming here. As a community hospital we felt that Mount Nittany Health offered something that some corporate hospitals really do not have—a community spirit.
The Benkovics wanted their contribution to be deeply impactful—something that would shape the character and capacity of Mount Nittany Health for generations.
“Pat and I wanted something that would last, something different, more creative,” Steve shared. “With this funding we wanted to nourish an intangible spirit that would advance the hospital’s ability to treat their patients,” he added.
The Benkovic Fund for Community Investment is not just a generous gesture—it’s a strategic and transformative initiative. As the demand for high-quality local care grows, so too does the need for talented physicians who can meet that demand. The Fund makes Mount Nittany Health a competitive and attractive place to practice by providing crucial support for loan forgiveness, relocation assistance, and sign-on incentives.
By alleviating financial barriers and offering tailored support to top medical talent, the fund ensures that Mount Nittany Health remains staffed with high caliber specialists who are committed to the community. The Benkovics believe that having a strong core of physicians will not only improve care locally but also help patients navigate their care more effectively in and outside of Centre County.
The Benkovics hope their gift inspires others—not just philanthropists, but community members at all levels of giving. “Join us,” Steve said simply. “Join us, please. It’s for all our benefit. If you love your community, this is what you should do, because I think you can ask any individual what is one of your most important things in life, and that is your health and the need for quality healthcare. That makes a community very attractive, if they can furnish that.”
Steve recalls the exceptional skill and compassionate care he experienced firsthand as a patient at Mount Nittany Medical Center. “I was in Mount Nittany Medical Center for almost a week,” he reflects. “I found the spirit of the nurses and staff was really extraordinary, and I think that’s what makes it special.”
If you’d like to join the Benkovics in making a difference, please visit mountnittany.org/donate or contact Mount Nittany Health Foundation at 814.234.6777. Because when we come together, we not only build a better health system—we build a stronger community.