The Thomas W. O’Brien Memorial Scholarship Fund was established to honor our colleague and friend who passed away in 2013.

Tom O’Brien was an educator dedicated to career and technical education. Tom established the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) Center for Career and Technical Personnel Preparation in 1978 and was the Center Director until his retirement. During that time, he was also the executive director of the IUP Academy of Culinary Arts for several years. He was involved in many professional associations in the areas of teacher education, specifically in the field of career and technical education. He retired from IUP in 2003 after a long and distinguished career.

His passion for education and strong belief in CTE were evident in his involvement at local, state, and national levels. He was named by former Governor Richard Thornburg to the Pennsylvania Vocational Education Advisory Council, and during his tenure at IUP was responsible for continuous funding of the IUP Center in excess of 18 million dollars.

His leadership, enthusiasm, and compassion were an inspiration to all who had the pleasure of knowing and working with him. The scholarship fund organizers hope to continue his spirit of generosity and support of career and technical education through the students supported by the Thomas W. O’Brien Memorial Scholarship.