In a message to the Penn community, Penn President J. Larry Jameson reflected on the opening words of the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” Jameson writes that our commitment to excellence is inseparable from our commitment to access and inclusion. “It is often said that diversity and excellence go hand in hand,” he says. “I would go further: they are synergistic—each strengthens the other.”
The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania approved a financial aid budget of $347 million, a 3.8% increase over the prior year. The financial aid investment builds on the expansion of the Quaker Commitment, guaranteeing full tuition scholarships for students from families earning $200,000 or less with typical assets, while providing tuition-free education for students from families earning $75,000 or less.
Michael Beschloss will deliver the 2026 Commencement address on Monday, May 18, at Franklin Field. Beschloss is an award-winning presidential historian who has written several books about modern presidents and serves as NBC News’ presidential historian. “His scholarly research, writing, and insights offer an indispensable source of knowledge for better understanding the past and appreciating how it shapes the present and future,” says Penn President J. Larry Jameson.
Through a new partnership with Service to School (S2S) through its VetLink program, Penn Admissions will work directly with S2S counselors to provide veteran and military-affiliated applicants with clear, accurate, and personalized guidance throughout the college application process. Says Dean of Admissions Whitney Soule: “Our partnership with Service to School reflects our commitment to expanding access to a Penn education and ensuring that veterans and service members have the guidance and support they need as they navigate the admissions process.”
Colleen O’Neill, who has served as chief operating and financial officer of the Wharton School since July 2023, has been named vice president for finance and treasurer of Penn. “Colleen brings a unique blend of strategic vision, analytical rigor, and operational expertise, as well as an ability to build trusted, collaborative partnerships,” says Executive Vice President Mark Dingfield.
Joshua Beeman has been appointed vice president for information technology and chief information officer, after previously serving in the role in an interim capacity since August 2025. “Josh has been instrumental in advancing Penn’s technology infrastructure, and his appointment reflects both the confidence we have in his leadership and the ambition we have for what comes next,” says Executive Vice President Mark Dingfield.
Timothy Susanin has been named vice president for audit, compliance and privacy. He currently serves as senior vice president and chief audit, compliance, and risk officer for Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. “Our work is grounded in trust, integrity, and responsibility, and Tim brings a deep understanding of how to partner with leaders across a complex institution to manage risk effectively and support sound decision-making,” says Executive Vice President Mark Dingfield.
The men’s basketball team won the Ivy League Tournament championship in a 88-84 matchup against Yale. The win marked head coach and Penn alumnus Fran McCaffery’s fifth different program to enter the “March Madness” NCAA Tournament.
For the fifth year in a row, the Penn’s gymnastics team, led by Head Coach Kirsten Becker, won the regular season title for the Gymnastics East Conference. The Quakers finished with a 7-0 record against Ivy League teams.
Ahead of the spring announcement of the latest cohort of President’s Prize winners, Penn Today offered a glimpse into the ongoing work of the four winning teams from 2025. “These projects began as the visions of passionate Penn students, now alumni, who embody the University at its finest: creative and extraordinarily committed to making a measurable difference in the world,” says Penn President J. Larry Jameson. “I am deeply proud of all they have accomplished, and I look forward to seeing more of their next chapters, which are already inspiring.”
The Penn Wharton Budget Model (PWBM), which consists of a team of 30 economists, data analysts, and software developers, is the only non-governmental group analyzing how public policy simultaneously affects the federal budget, macroeconomic growth, and human welfare using the rigor of academic research and modeling. Kent Smetters of the Wharton School spoke about how the model has been involved in analyzing major fiscal legislation since 2017.
Second-year medical student Katelyn Candido came to Penn as a first-generation undergraduate. As an aspiring neurosurgeon, she has helped to evaluate the effectiveness of SAVI SCOUT, an FDA-approved radar reflector tool that helps surgeons better localize and operate on complex nerve targets. Penn Medicine is among the only hospitals in the area currently using SAVI SCOUT; Candido was invited to share her work at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons annual meeting this May.
Vice Provost for Research David Meaney spoke with Penn Today about research at Penn—its current priorities, plans for evolution and growth, and what research and scholarly work he’s excited about, ranging from AI and life sciences research to social scientists doing empirical work on education and inequality. “I’m particularly energized by what I see from newer faculty—people who came up in an era of interdisciplinary training and are asking questions their advisers couldn’t have imagined,” says Meaney.
“Chapters of Change” is a limited series that highlights key historical moments of change in Penn’s history. In the second part of the series, Penn Today explores the impact of postwar research investment on the University. “The Second World War is the watershed here,” says Penn education historian Jonathan Zimmerman.
Latest awards among faculty include members at the Wharton School, the School of Veterinary Medicine, the Annenberg School for Communication, the School of Arts & Sciences, and the School of Nursing. Louse Moncla of Penn Vet was recognized for her contributions to understanding viral evolution and transmission, while historian Hardeep Dhillon received the Early Career Achievement Award from the Association for Asian American Studies.
Yash Rajpal, a fourth-year undergraduate who studies bioengineering and biophysics in the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research, with a minor in political science, has been selected for a 13-month fellowship in Asia as a Luce Scholar. He is one of 16 recipients selected by the Henry Luce Foundation for the 2026-27 cycle.
As heat waves have swept across California, Utah, Colorado, and Oklahoma, the New York Times reported increased usage of air-conditioning among Americans. Dorit Aviv of the Thermal Architecture Lab in the Weitzman School explained: “It is increasing rapidly because people are increasingly in these heat waves, where there are actually threats to life,” she said. Aviv and other experts called for better building design, not just mechanical air-conditioning.
In an Al Jazeera feature about AI agent use in the workplace, behavioral scientist Stefano Puntoni of the Wharton School spoke about research that shows employees are often more willing to delegate tasks to AI than to colleagues. “There’s no social cost,” he said, and “You don’t worry about burdening an AI.”
