Mike Katzaman, '73 Science

Mike Katzaman is a 1973 graduate of Penn State’s Eberly College of Science and a retired Silicon Valley District Manager for Sales at MCI Technologies. A first-generation college student from a Pennsylvania Dutch family that did not initially support higher education, Mike learned early the resilience required to believe in oneself and the transformative power education can provide.

Mike’s philanthropic focus is rooted in expanding access to higher education for underrepresented and low-income students across Pennsylvania. Together with his wife, Diane, he supports initiatives at Penn State that address the needs of first-generation students, students experiencing situational impacts, and scholarship opportunities within Undergraduate Education, Student Affairs, the College of Agricultural Sciences, and Penn State Berks.

Their giving reflects a deep commitment to educational equity—an area that aligns closely with their shared values around service, opportunity, and investment in students who reflect the diversity of the Commonwealth. Mike has a particular interest in strengthening pathways for Pell-eligible students to enter and succeed at Penn State, ensuring talent and potential are not constrained by access or circumstance.

Through thoughtful engagement with university governance and student advocacy, Mike and Diane’s philanthropy embodies a quiet but powerful commitment to cultivating opportunity and shaping a more inclusive, transformational future for Pennsylvania students.