Evan H. Offstein, Ph.D.

Scholarship Recognizes Value of Veterans, Leadership
Sometimes the act of leadership can be as simple as asking people about their lives and taking time to listen. That was one of the things Dr. Evan Offstein noticed – and appreciated – about Del Perdew after he joined the Frostburg State University’s College of Business as a new professor in the Department of Management in 2004. He got to know Perdew, an FSU alumnus, through Perdew’s work in providing IT support for the College.
“Del was one of the first people I met when I came here and for whatever reason, he and I connected over sports and became friends. He took an interest in my daughters, who are both athletes. … He was the guy always asking about my kids and how I was liking Frostburg. I never forgot that.”
Perdew and Offstein also shared another bond – both were U.S. Army veterans. Offstein, a West Point Academy alumnus and noted scholar and author, often draws upon his experiences in the military in his writing and work with leadership.
A long-time supporter of all things Frostburg, Perdew became ill, eventually passing away in 2011. In recognition of their connection as friends and veterans, Offstein established the Dr. Evan H. Offstein and Del Perdew Leadership Scholarship. To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be active military and/or veterans enrolled full time in the College of Business.
“When Del got sick, he never wanted help or anything like that. He never wanted anything from anybody,” said Offstein. “This was just a way that I thought I could do something in honor of his memory. This scholarship is kind of a hybrid. … I took some things from Del. He wasn’t a professor but an individual contributor and he showed good leadership and made me feel at home. The leadership part was a nod to him, the veteran part is a nod to me, and the thread of service throughout my immediate and extended family.”
The scholarship also helps uphold another goal – supporting the College of Business’ commitment to produce leaders.
“Leaders come in all shapes and sizes. You don’t have to be a West Point graduate; you don’t have to have a Ph.D. Del really struck me in that regard. At its atomic unit, leadership is about impacting people. Del is certainly one of the reasons I stayed at Frostburg, and he had an impact on me,” Offstein said.
[Published April 2014]