On Friday, Oct. 21, the University community will gather for the inauguration of Liz Magill, Penn’s ninth president. Highlights of the day include an academic procession, inauguration ceremony, academic symposium, and a picnic and concert.
The academic procession begins at 9:30 a.m. and will include Magill alongside Penn deans, faculty members, and senior administrators, as well as presidents and delegates from peer institutions. Dressed in traditional academic regalia, those processing will march from the Annenberg Center to Irvine Auditorium, where the inauguration ceremony will take place. A special, tented public viewing area for the Penn community will exist at Penn Commons. To livestream both the procession and ceremony online, visit the Inauguration Webcast page.
A celebration planned to take place from noon to 2 p.m. will feature two of Magill’s favorite musical artists, Jeff Tweedy and Sheryl Crow, as well as food from Philadelphia establishments. This free event won’t be livestreamed, but anyone with a Penn ID and confirmed registration status can enter. Be sure to prepare ahead of time, viewing a list of prohibited items, including bags (wallets and small clutch-style bags are OK).
The academic symposium, which begins at 2:30 p.m., will feature Magill in conversation with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, discussing a wide-ranging set of topics. This event at Irvine Auditorium, which is by invitation, will be livestreamed on the inauguration website, too.
As Magill’s Inauguration coincides with Homecoming weekend, a flurry of events for anyone and everyone are being featured. The spotlight will shine on arts and culture at Penn, including a “Gallery Hop” across the University’s visual arts venues to an Alumni Arts Fair on Locust Walk, and everything in between. There’s even a display at Van Pelt-Dietrich Library highlighting the historical documents and traditional insignia of Penn and its presidents, on the occasion of Magill’s inauguration.
There will also be the can’t-miss opportunities of the Penn Relays 5K, QuakerFest, Penn Football vs. Yale, the Blutt Band Slam, and the Penn Spectrum Mixer—all favorite Homecoming traditions. Visit the Penn Alumni website for a full list of the weekend’s happenings.
