Announcements

We are writing with an update on Penn’s response to the novel coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China. We are continuing to monitor the situation with our partners on campus, including Penn Medicine, and remain in constant communication with public health officials at the local, state and federal levels. There continue to be no cases of the virus on our campus or in Philadelphia, and the risk to our community remains low.

We are writing with an update on Penn’s response to the novel coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China. We are working closely with partners across campus, Penn Medicine, and the City of Philadelphia to monitor this evolving situation. There are currently no cases of the virus at Penn or in Philadelphia, and health officials continue to stress that the risk of infection remains low.

We write to update the University community on Penn’s wide-ranging efforts to respond to climate change. While our recently released Climate & Sustainability Action Plan 3.0 describes the full scope and magnitude of Penn’s efforts, we are pleased to provide an update into ongoing actions and new initiatives from across the University—all designed to make Penn a leader in the university community on climate change issues. 

We are writing to share information about the new strain of coronavirus that has been making the news and to inform you of the steps the University is taking to monitor the situation and keep our community healthy. 

Penn will integrate all of its health and wellness resources, including CAPS and SHS, into a comprehensive Health and Wellness unit of the Provost’s Office. This unit will be overseen directly by the Provost in partnership with our Chief Wellness Officer, Dr. Benoit Dubé, who will report to him as an Associate Provost.

The W. P. Carey Foundation has given Penn the largest gift ever to a law school: $125 million. In recognition of the Foundation’s generosity and in honor of the Carey family and its long-term involvement with Penn, the Penn Board of Trustees approved a resolution designating that the school will now be named the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

Dear graduate student community members in Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World, Ancient History, Anthropology, Classical Studies, History of Art, Near East Languages and Civilization, and the Penn Museum: We are devastated to share the difficult news of the death of your friend and classmate, G. Maurice Harton. Maurice passed away in his off-campus residence this week.

The University of Pennsylvania will name its School of Design in honor of award-winning designer and footwear icon Stuart Weitzman, Wharton Class of 1963, in recognition of his lifetime transformational support of the University and his active engagement in our academic activities.

I know I speak on behalf of the entire Penn community in saying how horrified I am at the unconscionable, despicable acts of violence perpetrated against members of the Tree of Life Synagogue earlier today. Our deepest sympathies go out to all in the Pittsburgh community who have been absolutely devastated by such senseless acts of hatred. What a sad and horrifying day it is for our entire country. That these shootings and other acts of violence occur with such frequency is an ongoing national tragedy.

Dear Mid-Career students, staff, and faculty,   With sorrow, we share the news of the passing of Naomi Evers Lynch, a lifelong educator who began pursuing a doctoral degree at 61 and battled cancer for the duration of her time in the Mid-Career program in Educational Leadership.   Naomi, 64, died September 2 in Virginia, where she lived. Her research focused on using civics lessons to help adolescents become engaged citizens with strong critical-thinking skills.