Annually for more than 150 years, the Ivy Day Ceremony has celebrated remarkable graduating fourth-years for their leadership and service, with the Senior Honor Awards being among the oldest traditions at Penn.
3 min. read
Recipients of the 2025 Senior Honor Awards (from left): Amaan Omer, Bonnie Li, William Krasnow, Fiona Wu, Faith Applegate, Ria Ellendula, Yousef Elyoussef, and Jared Mitovich.
(Image: Prestige Photography)
Since 1873, Ivy Day has marked a time-honored tradition at Penn, with each graduating class unveiling and installing their unique Ivy Stone in a meaningful place on campus. As part of the annual festivity, the Ivy Day Ceremony—held on Saturday of Alumni Weekend each year—honors exceptional graduating fourth-years for their leadership and service to the Penn community. One category, the Senior Honor Awards, involves a set of item-based awards rooted in University tradition; examples include the Cane, the Spade, the Bowl, and the Spoon.
Those who gave remarks and presented awards during the 2025 Ivy Day Ceremony were senior class president Amaan Omer, President J. Larry Jameson, Provost John L. Jackson, Jr., Vice Provost for University Life Karu Kozuma, and Penn Alumni President Michael Barrett. Additionally, each Senior Honor Award was presented by an alum from the Class of 2000—a spirited nod to their 25th class anniversary and a joyful reminder that Penn graduates become part of a broader legacy.
“The Ivy Day Award Ceremony is a cherished tradition that honors the accomplishments of our graduating student leaders,” Kozuma says. “It serves as both a celebration of their impact on Penn and a moment to recognize the families and loved ones who supported them. The ceremony also builds lasting connections—linking today’s honorees with alumni who stood in their place decades ago.”
The 2025 Ivy Day awardees and presenters:
Contribution Awards
Sol Feinstone Undergraduate Awards
Presenter: Vice Provost for University Life Karu Kozuma Recipients: Sophia Leung, Lisa Nnaji, Chandler Cheung, Leanne Wattar
(From left) Penn President J. Larry Jameson, Vice Provost for University Life Karu Kozuma, and Class of 2025 Class Board President Amaan Omer spoke at the Ivy Day ceremony on May 17.
President’s Prizes
Presenter: President J. Larry Jameson
President’s Engagement Prize
Recipients: Ejun Hong, Jack Roney, Imani Nkrumah Ardayfio, Inaya Zaman, Rashmi Acharya
President’s Innovation Prize
Recipients: Melanie Herbert, Nami Lindquist, Alexandra Popescu
Penn Alumni president Michael Barrett (left) and Provost John L. Jackson Jr. (with Class of 1915 Award recipient Matthew Fallon, far right). Both spoke at the Ivy Day Ceremony.
(Image: Prestige Photography)
Senior Honor Awards
R. Jean Brownlee Skimmer Hat Award
Presenter: Michele (Sacks) Fenkel Recipient: Jared Mitovich
When the Schuylkill swallowed the city: Lessons from Hurricane Ida’s historic flood
New Penn research shows that Hurricane Ida wasn’t a once-in-a-century anomaly but a preview of how climate change, urbanization, and aging infrastructure are rewriting flood risk.
The Fed explained: What it does and why it matters
Former Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker and financial historian Peter Conti-Brown, both Wharton professors, unpack the central bank’s origins, its unusual structure, and the quiet ways it shapes the economy
How population changes are impacting primary education worldwide
Research from Penn sociologist Emily Hannum and colleagues reveals regional trends in whether school-age populations are increasing, plateauing, or decreasing—and shows how different countries are responding.
A bioengineered bean gum from the lab of Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell is found to reduce the levels of three microbes associated with head and neck squamous cell cancer to almost zero, without affecting the beneficial bacteria normally found in the mouth.
Fighting oral cancer with bioengineered chewing gum
Research led by Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell shows that antiviral and antibacterial chewing gums reduce the levels of three microbes linked to worse outcomes in oral cancers, paving the way for more effective and affordable therapies.
