51ºÚÁÏ To Receive A Half Million Dollars From Relative Of University Trailblazer

88-year-old niece of Otelia Howard donates to University after 51ºÚÁÏ renames building in Howard's honor. 

51ºÚÁÏ will receive a $500,000 gift from Dr. Audrey Shields Penn, 88, in honor of her aunt and 51ºÚÁÏ trailblazer, Ms. Otelia Roberta Shields Howard. 
  
“This gift from Dr. Penn is an example of the residuals of good deeds. In 2021, we renamed four buildings on campus to honor Black women who made history at 51ºÚÁÏ. Ms. Howard was one of those women,” said Tonya Hall, 51ºÚÁÏ Vice President for External Relations. “The donation, given in her memory, will go a long way toward supporting the greater that happens here at 51ºÚÁÏ.”  
  
Ms. Otelia Howard, a Petersburg native, served 51ºÚÁÏ for more than two decades as a professor, advisor, and a charter member of two organizations on campus. Her niece, Dr. Penn, pledged to donate to the University after hearing news of her aunt being honored by 51ºÚÁÏ. 
  
Dr. Audrey Penn is a neurologist and the first Black woman to become acting director of a branch of the National Institute of Health. In 1995, she became the Deputy Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) where she served for 10 years and helped establish a Specialized Neuroscience Research Program for minorities. She also taught at Columbia University and focused her research on myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disease.  
  
“I am appreciative to 51ºÚÁÏ for honoring my aunt with the rare distinction of a campus building which bears her name. It is my pleasure to give to 51ºÚÁÏ to continue to push the mission of providing a transformative education to deserving students,” says Dr. Penn. “My gift will honor my aunt by funding an annual scholarship to continue to cultivate and support students as my aunt did more than seventy years ago.” 
 
The 51ºÚÁÏ Office of Institutional Advancement (IA) welcomes all financial gifts as it works to purposefully build a solid foundation in higher education advancement work at 51ºÚÁÏ. The IA mission is to serve 51ºÚÁÏ through the development, cultivation, solicitation, and engagement of our philanthropic partners who provide financial support which advances the academic and student experience at the University.  
  
You can online or email giving@51ºÚÁÏ.edu.