Strohecker Health and Science Scholarship established with $50K gift to Mansfield University Mountaineer Foundation

A $50,000 gift from Dr. Robert Strohecker ‘91 has established the Strohecker Health and Science Scholarship for Commonwealth University-Mansfield students through the Mansfield University Mountaineer Foundation (MUMF).

This marks the inaugural gift of the newly established Mansfield University Mountaineer Foundation.

"My donation to the MUMF represents the hope and commitment that I have for CU-Mansfield, our community and a new era of giving at the university,” Strohecker said. “I am honored to be part of this inaugural board and rallying others to its cause."

The Health and Science Scholarship will support the recruitment and retention of students pursuing a field of study in health or science at the Mansfield campus.

Strohecker received a bachelor's degree in general studies from Mansfield University in 1991 after receiving his Doctor of Optometry in 1989 from Pennsylvania College of Optometry. He owned Strohecker Vision Care Inc, located in downtown Mansfield, from 1989 until selling the business in 2020. Strohecker continues to see patients at the downtown location.

A lifelong resident of Tioga County, Strohecker is very engaged in the community as president of the Mansfield Borough Council, chair of the Mansfield Borough Shade Tree Committee, as an elder for the Church of New Covenant and an assistant basketball coach at New Covenant Academy. He served as a trustee of Mansfield University from 1997-2022.

Strohecker has been involved in mission trips for more than 25 years, making an impact in communities in Haiti, Nicaragua, Cuba, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.

He was named to the inaugural Board of Directors for the Mansfield University Mountaineer Foundation and was selected to serve as the chair of the board.

“Thank you to Dr. Strohecker for his leadership and support of CU-Mansfield students. His generosity through the Mansfield University Mountaineer Foundation paves the way for philanthropic support that will enable our students to pursue careers in the high-demand fields of health and science. We are grateful for his commitment to the success of Mansfield students,” said Bashar W. Hanna, president. 

Commonwealth University trustees recognized the Mansfield University Mountaineer Foundation as an affiliated entity at its May 3 quarterly meeting. The recognition established the MU Mountaineer Foundation as the only officially recognized foundation that exists solely to support CU-Mansfield and its students.

For more information about the Mansfield University Mountaineer Foundation, visit mountaineerfdn.org.