At Penn’s 267th Commencement ceremony on May 15, Idina Menzel will receive an honorary doctor of arts degree and deliver the 2023 University of Pennsylvania Commencement address. “Ms. Menzel has contributed so much to America’s creative body of work and brought joy to us all,” said Penn President Liz Magill. “A tremendous role model for pursuing your passion with hard work and determination, she is also devoted to creating opportunities for others through the arts. I know it will be a memorable day for our students and their families.” (Image: John Russo)
At the Trustees meeting on March 2, President Liz Magill announced an expansion of the University’s undergraduate financial aid program and the Penn First Plus initiative. Students whose families earn $75,000 or less, with typical assets, will now receive financial aid packages that fully cover tuition, fees, housing, and dining with grants and work-study funds. The previous cap was $65,500. “This expansion of Penn’s undergraduate financial aid program will make the path to Penn possible for hundreds of additional students each year,” said Penn President Liz Magill.
Gregory Bowman, the Louis Heyman University Professor, was named a Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor. Bowman is a pioneer of biophysics and data science; his research examines the function and malfunction of proteins as it relates to global health threats like COVID-19 and Alzheimer’s disease. “Greg Bowman’s novel work holds enormous promise and potential to advance new forms of personalized medicine, an area of considerable strength for Penn,” says President Liz Magill. “A gifted researcher and consummate collaborator, we are delighted to count him among our distinguished PIK University Professors.”
Seven fourth-years and one May graduate received a 2023 Thouron Award to pursue graduate studies in the United Kingdom. The awards were established in 1960 and is a graduate exchange program between Penn and UK universities.
A commitment from James H. Greene, Jr., and the late Marritje V. Greene will provide ongoing support for Penn’s men’s and women’s intercollegiate lacrosse programs. “The Greene family’s steadfast support will allow our lacrosse teams to prepare and compete with the utmost confidence,” says Alanna Shanahan, the T. Gibbs Kane, Jr., W’69, Director of Athletics and Recreation. Greene is an emeritus University Trustee and chair of the Penn Athletics Board of Advisors, among other memberships and engagements at the University.
On Thursday, March 30 at 7 p.m. the University of Pennsylvania announced admission decisions for Regular Decision applicants to the Class of 2027, the institution’s 271st class, to build a class of 2,400 outstanding students across Penn’s four undergraduate schools: the College of Arts & Sciences, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Wharton School, and the School of Nursing.
The Association of University Technology Managers published its annual survey, with Penn topping the list in terms of licensing income receipts across all 153 reporting institutions. It’s a testament to the success of translating innovator technology and expertise into products and businesses. “These results, and all the other equally important indicators of Penn’s success, are a direct result of the exceptional research, development, and innovative breakthroughs made by the University’s world-class faculty and research community,” notes John Swartley, associate vice provost for research and managing director for the Penn Center for Innovation.
During a visit to Perry World House, Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi spoke in conversation with Presidential Penn Compact Professor of Africana Studies Wale Adebanwi about democracy, tackling the HIV/AIDS epidemic, LGBTQ rights, the challenges of elephant hunting, and the backsliding into authoritarianism by other nations in Africa. The event opened with remarks by Penn President Liz Magill about the University’s two-decade-long relationship with Botswana through the Botswana-UPenn Partnership.
A year after the winners of the 2022 President’s Innovation Prize and President’s Engagement Prize began their projects, Penn Today checked in to see how their work is going. Projects profiled include Grapevine, which connects buyers and suppliers of medical goods to stabilize the medical supply chain market; IF Ventures, which aims to scale impact by supporting college students with early-stage startup ideas who have ideas to measurable make an impact on society and the environment; and Cosmic Writers, which organizes writing workshops for K-12 students. (Videos)
The President’s Sustainability Prize was awarded for the first time in 2022 to three groups with diverse takes on building a cleaner, healthier, more livable planet. Springboarded by University recognition and support, the alums behind the three prize-winning projects—Baleena, The Community Grocer, and Shinkei Systems—are realizing, even surpassing, their goals. (Video)
In collaboration with Black Opry, WXPN hosted five Black Americana musical acts to participate in a week-long residency meant to amplify the voices of Black musicians in Americana, country, bluegrass, and folk. “I’m a big fan of what this radio station does for music and for culture,” says Denitia, one of the Residents. “It’s an honor to be celebrated by them, and it just feels the reason I applied for this residency is I feel like I’m at an exciting point in my career and I wanted to be part of this community, but also because I respect the taste-making nature of this radio station.”
The green space surrounding the Andrew Hamilton School in Cobbs Creek was transformed by a team of students who dug holes, added fertilizer, and situated berry bushes and fruit trees to create a “food forest” that serves as a space of learning and for healthy produce. The project was led by Corey Wils, who worked for the Netter Center for Community Partnerships and Water Center as a graduate student studying environmental studies and city planning. “Watching this go from a simple concept for a competition into an actual, real, tangible community resource that students and the surrounding community love, it’s amazing to watch,” says Wills, now a hazard mitigation planner with Michael Baker International.
Gary Williams, formerly interim chief of police for the Division of Public Safety (DPS), began his career with DPS as a sergeant patrol, then promoted to lieutenant, then to captain, and finally was appointed the new chief of police in January. “I think as an officer, as a supervisor, and now as a chief of police, we realize that we are entrusted with the care of people’s children,” Williams says. “I myself have kids who are in college, and one of the things I preach and talk with officers all the time is we need to make sure we give these kids back home to their parents as whole as they came. That’s what keeps me up at night.”
Women of Color at Penn hosted its annual award ceremony in-person for the first time in three years, celebrating the achievements of women of color at Penn and, this year, highlighting a theme of self-care and healing. In receiving the Faculty/Staff Award, Sharon Irving, an associate professor of pediatric nursing in the School of Nursing, expressed gratitude toward her profession. “I chose nursing because nursing allowed me to be me,” Irving said. “It also allowed me to reach back and help.”
More than 10 years since its establishment, Penn Global continues to bring the world to Penn and Penn to the world. After a slight downturn during the pandemic, the numbers of international students have rebounded, with 7,000 international students from more than 130 countries enrolled during the 2022-23 academic year. “It was a rigorous experience trying to balance the life of a student in a foreign country and adjusting to the parts of its culture which cannot be captured in typical classroom settings,” says Rodolfo “Rudie” Altamirano, executive director of International Student & Scholar Services and, himself, an international student from the Philippines in 1983. “The exchange of knowledge and culture shaped my growth as a person.”
Molly Lester, associate director of the Urban Heritage Project in the Weitzman School of Design, spent a decade researching Minerva Parker Nichols, described as the most famous architect you’ve never heard of. Now, Lester’s co-curated the new exhibition at Penn’s Architectural Archives, spotlighting Nichols’ work in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, which resulted in the design of 80 buildings in Philadelphia’s suburbs. Materials on display include drawings, specs, and photographs of surviving buildings taken by architectural photographer Elizabeth Felicella.
