HPU HONORS THE CULP FAMILY DURING PLANETARIUM CEREMONY
HIGH POINT, N.C., Sept. 26, 2019 – High Point University honored dedicated philanthropist, community leader and benefactor Susan Culp, her late husband Rob and her family at a special ceremony inside the Culp Planetarium.
In 2017, Rob and Susan Culp and their family gifted HPU $1 million to support the planetarium that is housed inside the Wanek School of Natural Sciences.
“We just opened the new Wanek School of Natural Sciences for our students last month which includes the Culp Planetarium,” said HPU President Nido Qubein. “Our families and supporters like the Culps help HPU with our forward-thinking practices to prepare our students for the world as it is going to be. We are forever grateful for the Culps’ generous support in opening this amazing learning lab for our students and the community at large.”
Prior to his death, Rob served as executive chairman of Culp, Inc. and treasurer of the HPU Board of Trustees, while his wife, Susan, currently serves on the Board of Visitors at HPU and is also a member of the Board of Directors at UNC Health Care. They have been longtime supporters of HPU.
“We have several HPU graduates who are valued employees at Culp,” said Susan Culp. “We appreciate HPU’s commitment to instilling hard work and dedication in their students. We hope students and the community enjoy this fascinating, state-of-the-art facility for years to come.”
About the Culp Planetarium
The three-story, 6,000-square-foot planetarium and lecture room space is located inside of the Wanek School of Natural Sciences. The facility includes 125 seats and a 50-foot dome with a 4K projection screen and a state-of-the-art surround sound system. The facility is equipped with programming to teach astronomy, earth science, anatomy and a variety of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) lessons for university students, as well as elementary, middle and high school-age groups in the community.