Penn’s Named Scholarship Celebration returned to Rockwell Gymnasium, the first time it’s been held in person since 2019, and for many students, the first time they were able to meet in person the people who made their college experience possible. The event symbolizes a two-decade priority to increase and bolster student aid. “Our students hail from all corners of the United States and all over the world,” said Penn President Liz Magill. “They represent a variety of life experiences. Their presence helps create a robust environment where all of us, them from each other and us from them, can grow and learn. This doesn’t happen by accident.”
An interdisciplinary group of representatives from Penn traveled to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, for this year’s United Nations climate change conference, where the University played its largest role yet. “Penn has real expertise on climate solutions, so it’s really important for us to participate in these international venues where finding solutions is the number one priority,” says Cornelia Colijn of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy.
The University announced a $16.25 million commitment from the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Family Foundation to the Graduate School of Education. It is the largest-ever gift to GSE and will prepare leaders to navigate change through the creation of the McGraw Center for Educational Leadership. It will also expand the existing Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education, formed in 2020. “We are tremendously thankful that the McGraw Family has made this new Center possible,” said Pam Grossman, dean of GSE. “More and more, society needs educators who are well prepared to respond to the accelerated rate of change in the educational landscape, to turn challenges into opportunities, and to develop pioneering solutions to complex problems.”
Vikram Balasubramanian, a fourth-year double-major in statistics and philosophy in the Wharton School and the College of Arts and Sciences, was selected as one of 12 in the nation to receive a George J. Mitchell Scholarship for graduate studies in Ireland. He will pursue a master’s degree in philosophy at Trinity College Dublin; he applied for the scholarship with the support of Penn’s Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowship.
A $5 million naming gift from the Holman family will ensure the recently renovated and newly named Holman Biotech Commons, part of Penn Libraries, will continue to evolve to meet the needs of scholars as a hub for collaboration across the University. “This vibrant space proudly bears the name of the Holman family, and we at the Penn Libraries are deeply grateful to Wendy and Wayne for their enduring commitment to Penn, to the Libraries, and to the biomedical community,” said Constantia Constantinou, H. Carton Rogers III Vice Provost and Director of the Penn Libraries.
Penn President Liz Magill joined faculty, staff, and students at the Franklin Building to celebrate Veterans Day. She invoked a statement by Benjamin Franklin after the Revolutionary War: “May we never see another war, for in my opinion there never was a good war, or a bad peace.” “It’s the same prayer we and countless people before us have recited—back in Franklin’s day, in World War II when my father served in the Navy, and right up to this day,” Magill said. “But the day when that prayer might come to pass has not arrived yet. Until it does, the bravest among us will step forward, will serve, will defend and fight for the freedom that we have here, and give that last full measure of devotion. We will remember and honor them always, today and in the future.”
On Election Day, Penn President Liz Magill stopped by Houston Hall to cast her first General Election vote in Pennsylvania, greeted by a team of students from Penn Leads the Vote who assisted voters with their registration status while handing out La Colombe draft lattes, Lil Pop Shop goodies, and customizable “I voted” buttons.
A 10x10-foot mural sponsored by the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, painted by Penn grad student Eliza Nobles, now hangs on the boathouse in FDR Park in South Philadelphia. The mural, “The Four Elements,” is a visual representation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #7, which advocates for access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, modern energy for all.
The At-Risk Scholars Program recently enabled two people—Russian historian Pavel Golubev and Venezuelan economist and lawmaker Angel Alvarado—to escape persecution and danger by taking up a period of residence at Penn and continuing their research. The program is administered by Penn Global on behalf of the Office of the Provost. “Our moniker at Penn Global is to bring the world to Penn and Penn to the world,” says Penn Vice Provost for Global Initiatives Ezekiel Emanuel. “Whether it’s the Museum, the library, or particular departments, these scholars create more opportunities for our faculty and students to work globally and to make their work more productive by bringing together resources and creating collaborations.”
The Eastern Mediterranean Gallery opened at the Penn Museum on Nov. 19. It features 400 artifacts that span a period of 4,000 years, with material discovered during Penn archaeological expeditions from the 1920s to 1980s. Penn Museum Williams Director Chris Woods said at the opening event that the gallery showcases a region that has been “central to the human story” and steers away from representation that has historically presented the region as “a place identified solely with conflict, with very little nuance or depth.”
Inspired by the Netter Center for Community Partnerships’ co-hosted global forum in Dublin, Ireland, last summer, featuring participants from 40 nations examining higher education’s role in democracy, Penn Today asked experts from across the University to share their thoughts on how their expertise, research, and departments and centers play a role in fostering democracy.
A study from the Perelman School of Medicine and the School of Veterinary Medicine evaluates the safety and efficacy of treating oral cancer in dogs with a palliative radiation that takes place in just two visits. It’s a novel approach to radiation therapy that’s speedier than the weeks- or months-long alternatives. If successful, researchers say, it could open the door to use of the technique in people.
In a Q&A, John Swartley, managing director of the Penn Center for Innovation, discusses the center’s function and its success, including how Penn expertise and technologies licensed from the University were, he says, “key components in nearly two dozen FDA-approved drugs and devices.” PCI will host the Celebration of Innovation event on Dec. 6 to honor patent recipients from the past year, as well as select partners, inventors, and startups.
The University purchased its first-ever fleet of passenger electric vehicles, with four EV vans added to the fleet and put in use during Climate Week in October. The additions will save a total of 52 metric tons of carbon emissions every year; that’s the equivalent of growing 893 tree saplings for 10 years.
The men’s soccer team, following a 3-0 win against Princeton, clinched its first Ivy League title in nine years. It’s also Penn’s first win over Princeton since 2013 and the first win at Princeton since 2006.
Raghu Krishnamoorthy enrolled in the scholar-practitioner Chief Learning Officer program as a bridge to an academic career, after working at General Electric for 25 years. He hardly expected to be running the program as its director when he graduated. “It’s a privilege to be responsible for the program where you were a student. I’ve seen both sides of the picture, and hopefully we can take the program to the next level,” Krishnamoorthy says. “We believe that workplaces around the world are filled with untapped potential. We prepare leaders who bring forth the full potential of humans for work at work.”
