PHILADELPHIA -- The University of Pennsylvania has appointed Scott R. Douglass vice president for finance and treasurer.  He currently serves as senior associate dean for finance and administration of Penn's Wharton School.

Douglass joined the University in 1992, serving as associate dean until his promotion in 1997 to his current position, where he is chief financial and operating officer for the business school, managing a $250 million operating budget for 212 faculty, 500 staff and 5,000 students.  His responsibilities include managing a 150-person team in finance, budgeting, information technology, technology transfer, facilities and human resources.  

His accomplishments include leading a team responsible for the programming, design and construction of Wharton's Jon M. Huntsman Hall; eliminating a structural administrative services budget deficit through business process re-engineering; redesigning the Executive Education finance system and developing the business plan for Wharton's San Francisco campus.

Prior to joining Penn, Douglass, who lives in Wilmington,  served as the secretary of finance of Delaware, where he oversaw a $1.7 billion operating budget, managed a 260-person team and served as the governor's principal liaison to legislators and business leaders for developing and implementing fiscal and public policies.  His operational oversight included revenue forecasting, tax collection, payroll and accounting and annual debt issuance exceeding $250 million.  He also led the effort to retain a AA-plus bond rating for Delaware, which rose to fifth highest-rated in the nation from 12th despite a prolonged recession.

Douglass holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in political science from the University of Delaware.