In a Q&A, Interim Penn President J. Larry Jameson reflected on the past year, new projects announced this fall, and continued implementation of In Principle and Practice, as well as the recommendations of the University Task Force on Antisemitism and the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community.
At a ceremony celebrating the Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology, Interim Penn President J. Larry Jameson expressed gratitude to the Vagelos family for their transformative support. “This building is going to be an epicenter where we bring people together from various fields with expertise to address what feels like an existential crisis, not only to those of us in this room, but for the next generation,” said Jameson.
Penn alumnus William J. Levy has contributed $50 million in support of undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences, following an estate gift of more than $42 million. “I am deeply grateful for this gift that will support deserving undergraduates with a proven commitment to their communities,” says Interim Penn President J. Larry Jameson. “His legacy will not only uplift future leaders, but it will also touch societies far beyond Penn’s campus.”
Jeffrey Kallberg, who previously served as deputy dean and the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Music, was named the interim dean of the School of Arts & Sciences. “As deputy dean, Professor Kallberg has played a pivotal role in managing the daily operations of the dean’s office, particularly in faculty affairs,” says Interim Penn President J. Larry Jameson. “He is an internationally recognized scholar, a leading historian of 19th and 20th century music, and a foremost authority on composer Frédéric Chopin.”
The Wharton School and the School of Social Policy & Practice received a $5 million gift from Scott A. Wieler and his wife, Mary Baily Wieler, to create the Wieler Family Professorship, a position to be focused on philanthropy. “The Wieler Family Professorship will strengthen Penn’s ability to equip business leaders with the interdisciplinary skills and understanding necessary to address our world’s problems,” says Interim Penn President J. Larry Jameson.
The late medieval historian Elizabeth A.R. Brown bequested a $5 million gift to Penn Libraries, a leader for research in medieval studies. The gift will establish an archive preserving the professional papers of medieval historians and an endowed archivist position to develop and manage it.
Tej Patel and Sridatta Teerdhala, two fourth-year students in the Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management, a dual degree in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Wharton School, were named Marshall scholars. The scholarship funds up to three years of study for a graduate degree in any field in an institution in the United Kingdom; they are among 36 Marshall Scholars for 2025.
Mariana Valdes-Fauli, who previously served at the University of Miami, was named the associate vice president of Student Registration and Financial Services. Says Vice President for Finance and Treasurer Mark F. Dingfield, “Mariana brings a tremendous amount of experience in leading large, interconnected teams with a focus on delivering excellent student service and financial oversight.”
A new Academically Based Community Service class, coordinated by the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, brought together Penn and William L. Sayre High School students. In the class, Rivers in a Changing World, Penn students learned alongside their high school counterparts how to use environmental science and engineering to address climate change. The course is taught by Doug Jerolmack of the School of Arts & Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
As part of the Educational Pipeline Program, a collaborative initiative facilitated by the Netter Center that exposes West Philadelphia youth to careers in medical fields, six School of Nursing students brought high school students to the nursing simulation lab for hands-on activities and education. “I’m always interested in showing people: This is what I do, and I think it’s really great, and I’d love to tell you about it,” says Sarah Squillace, a nurse practitioner student who co-taught the event. “I love being a nurse, and I want to show young people how great it is.”
Penn researchers led a collaborative effort pioneering a safer, more sustainable technique to extract elements critical to battery-powered technologies. Findings pave the way for getting value from materials that would otherwise be considered waste. “Our chemistry is attractive because it’s simple, works well, and efficiently separates nickel and cobalt—one of the more challenging separation problems in the field,” says Eric Schelter of the Department of Chemistry. (Image: Boyang (Bobby) Zhang)
Lynn Smith Dolby is director of the Penn Art Collection, the steward of nearly 9,000 artworks collected in the past 250 years through donations. In a profile, she talks about her career in art, managing the artworks, and finding more locations for exhibitions of works from the collection.
In a Q&A, Hyunjoon Park of the James Joo-Jin Kim Center for Korean Studies and political scientist Soosun You offer insights about the short-lived martial law declaration in South Korea. Says You: “One of the key lessons is that democracy should not be taken for granted. South Korea has been regarded as a consolidated democracy. Even in such a country, it didn’t even take several hours for this incident to unfold.” (Image: Kyodo via AP Images)
Each of Penn’s 13 College Houses hosted a feast for Thanksgiving, an annual tradition open to all residents. The holiday meal “is part of the essence of what we do: bringing students together,” says Licinia “Lulu” Kaliher, senior director for College Houses & Academic Services. (Image: Amber PaloSanto)