Milan Puskar Leadership Scholars

Entrepreneur and philanthropist Milan “Mike” Puskar made a $2 million gift to the WVU Foundation to establish an endowment to fund a student enrichment program for the WVU Leadership Studies Program. Become a Puskar Leadership Scholar!

Competitively selected students with one or two years of undergraduate study at WVU remaining embark on a challenging journey in order to enhance their academic and professional careers.  Activities for Puskar Leadership Scholars include: 

• enriched workshops and seminars, 
• class trips and conference attendance, 
• guest speakers, 
• special service projects and 
• paid or volunteer assignments with a leadership component.

Apply to Be a Puskar Scholar

To have the opportunity to be named a Puskar Scholar, students will apply in the second semester of the sophomore (or junior) year and must have successfully completed Leadership 201. 

Eligibility

All full-time students pursuing the Leadership Studies minor are eligible, regardless of university major. Students can apply for their junior and senior years. Students selected as juniors may receive an invitation to remain as Puskar Scholars in their senior year provided they continue to fulfill their promise as Leadership Studies scholars, maintain the requisite grade point average, and prove to be good campus citizens fulfilling the expectations of this program. Each scholar is expected to participate in various events and activities sponsored by the Leadership Studies Program.

Selection Process

Selection will be based on demonstrated leadership abilities and interests, as well as academic achievement. Puskar Scholars are selected by a committee chaired by the Director of the Leadership Studies Program and including a representative from the Office of the Dean, Department of Public Administration, and a member of the faculty outside the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.

For more information on the Puskar Leadership Scholars, contact leadershipstudies@mail.wvu.edu.

"I would say a key takeaway for me [from International Leadership Association Global Conference] was how leadership has changed through the years and how it is going to have to continue to change with new technology and with all the other changes throughout the world."

—- Andrew Cunningham, 2023 Puskar Leadership Scholar