Among the prizes and awards presented at the ceremony, the senior class leadership awards are among the oldest traditions at Penn and recognize outstanding students for their leadership and service.
From left to right: Josias Zongo with the Cane Award, Toyosi Abu with the Spoon Award, Jack Immanuel with the Spade Award, Taussia Boadi with the David R Goddard Loving Cup Award, Ashley Song with the Bowl Award, Milan Chand with the Althea K Hottel Shield Award, Annabelle Noyes with the Gaylord P Harnwell Flag Award, and Xavier Shankle with the R Jean Brownlee Skimmer Hat Award.
(Image credit: Prestige Portraits)
The Ivy Day Ceremony recognizes outstanding graduating seniors for their leadership and service. The senior class leadership awards are among the longest held traditions at Penn; the oldest award, the Spoon, dates to 1865. This year’s Ivy Stone, designed by Vereta Gour, was unveiled at Baccalaureate.
Among those giving remarks and presenting awards were senior class president Toyosi Abu, Interim President J. Larry Jameson, Provost John L. Jackson Jr., and Vice Provost for University Life Karu Kozuma. Others presenting awards included Penn Alumni President Michael Barrett as well as alumni and former Ivy Day award-winners Janelle (Brodsky) Sallenave, Josh Brogadir, Sarah Gleit, and Josh Zeichner.
“The Ivy Day Award Ceremony is an anchor to mark what is best about Penn: the students,” Kozuma says. “We celebrate their contributions and accomplishments while acknowledging the support network of family and loved ones who helped the recipients reach this point in their lives.”
Vice Provost for University Life Karu Kozuma with Mariam Tigane.
(Image: Prestige Portraits)
The 2024 Ivy Day awardees and presenters:
Contribution Awards
Sol Feinstone Undergraduate Awards Presenter: Vice Provost for University Life Karu Kozuma Recipients: Steven Chen, Mariam Tigane, Nae Nae Chairatchaneeboon
Athletic & Scholastic Achievement Awards
Association of Alumnae Fathers’ Trophy Presenter: Provost John L. Jackson Jr. Recipients: Isabella Whittaker, Niki Miles
Class of 1915 Award Presenter: Provost John L. Jackson Jr. Recipient: Wyatt Henseler
Penn Student Agencies Award Presenter: Provost John L. Jackson Jr. Recipient: Brinn Gammer
James Howard Weiss Memorial Award Presenter: Provost John L. Jackson Jr. Recipient: Rema Bhat
From left to right: Steven Chen, Rema Bhat, Mariam Tigane, Isabella Whittaker, and Brinn Gammer.
(Image: Prestige Portraits)
President’s Prizes
President’s Engagement Prizes Presenter: Interim President Larry Jameson Recipients: Brianna Aguilar, Catherine Hood, Anooshey Ikhlas, Gauthami Moorkanat, Simran Rajpal
President’s Innovation Prizes Presenter: Interim President Larry Jameson Recipients: Yash Dhir, Rahul Nambiar
Student Awards of Merit:
Penn Alumni Student Awards of Merit Presenter: Penn Alumni President Michael Barrett Recipients: Hertha Torre Gallego, Iris Horng, Anooshey Ikhlas, Charles Schumer, Alexandra Vlasenkova, Isabella Whittaker
Griffin Pitt, right, works with two other student researchers to test the conductivity, total dissolved solids, salinity, and temperature of water below a sand dam in Kenya.
Griffin Pitt’s upbringing made her passionate about water access and pollution, and Penn has given her the opportunity to explore these issues back home in North Carolina and abroad.
Helping robots work together to explore the Moon and Mars
Penn Engineers, NASA, and five other universities tested robotic systems designed to help unmanned explorers cooperate in the dunes of White Sands, New Mexico, paving the way for Moon and Mars exploration.
From framework to actions: Provost John L. Jackson Jr. talks Penn Forward
In a Q&A, Provost John L. Jackson Jr. explains the relationship between the strategic framework In Principle and Practice and Penn Forward—a new University-wide process and action plan that will advance Penn forward for the next decade and beyond.
