Zippo pledges $2 million to Pitt-Bradford

A $2 million gift from Zippo Manufacturing Co. will be dedicated largely to equipping state-of-the-art engineering labs in the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s new Engineering and Information Technologies Building, announced Rick Esch, interim campus president, and Zippo Chairman George Duke.

“We are grateful to George and Zippo for this generous gift, which will help us develop unique spaces where our students can be creative and innovative,” Esch said.

He continued, “The hands-on experiences they will have in our new building will give them the preparation they need for successful engineering careers in our region and beyond.”

The gift is part of Zippo’s long-term commitment to Pitt-Bradford and has the added benefit of paving the way for the campus’ engineering technology graduates to fill vital roles at Zippo.

Pitt-Bradford has developed two new engineering technology majors — mechanical engineering technology and energy engineering technology — that will be offered starting in fall 2022. The new building, scheduled to be completed in fall 2022, also will house three existing majors: computer information systems and technology, energy science and technology, and information systems.