PHILADELPHIA -- Ronald J. Daniels, Dean of the Faculty of Law and the James M. Tory Professor of Law at the University of Toronto, has been named the 28th Provost of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn President Amy Gutmann has announced.

Daniels, 45, is an internationally accomplished legal scholar, specializing in corporate and securities law, regulation and government reform and the legal and institutional challenges of economic development.

"Ron Daniels is a dynamic and judicious academic leader and an energetic collaborator who will partner with me, faculty, staff and students to lead the University of Pennsylvania from excellence to eminence in the years ahead," Gutmann said.  "At Toronto, he has realized a vision of a dynamic academic community driven by increased student access, robust community engagement, a heightened global perspective and the generation of added resources.  He is widely admired as a gifted, highly analytical and collaborative leader who is incredibly hardworking and enthusiastic."

During his tenure as Dean, Daniels expanded the school faculty, recruiting many new scholars from both Canada and abroad, thereby increasing the student-faculty ratio from 18:1 to 9:1.  Under his leadership, the Law School's endowment increased from $1 million in 1995 to more than $57 million in 2004.  Working closely with colleagues at the Faculty of Law, he implemented a comprehensive review and reform of virtually every aspect of the Faculty academic program, including undergraduate and graduate curricula, student services, financial aid and faculty research standards.

Active in promoting the ideal of pro bono service in the legal profession, Daniels founded Pro Bono Students Canada, a national organization headquartered at the Law School that each year places more than 2,000 law students from every Canadian law school with local community-based organizations.

"It is a singular honor and privilege for me to be able to join such a distinguished and vibrant academic community as Professor and as Provost," Daniels said.  "Penn is simply one of the world's great universities.  I am looking forward to working closely with President Gutmann and the University's members in advancing its very ambitious academic mission."

The Honorable Frank Iacobucci, Interim President of the University of Toronto and a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, described Daniels as "one of the very, very best academic administrators with whom I have ever worked.  Ron is extremely imaginative with a wonderful vision for excellence.  He has transformed the Law School to a position of international leadership.  Penn is extremely fortunate to have been able to attract Ron, and Penn's gain is a loss for the University of Toronto."

Daniels' appointment as Penn's next Provost concludes an international search chaired by Arthur Rubenstein, Dean of Penn's School of Medicine and Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

"The members of the Search Committee considered more than 100 highly qualified individuals for the position," Rubenstein said. "I know I speak for the Committee when I say I am confident that Ron will be an exceptional academic leader for the entire Penn community."

Daniels is the author or editor of numerous scholarly articles and books, including Rethinking the Welfare State: The Prospects for Government by Voucher, with Michael Trebilcock (Routledge, 2005), Corporate Decision-Making In Canada, with Randall Morck (University of Calgary Press, 1995), Special Issue on the Corporate Stakeholder Debate: The Classical Theory and its Critics (1993, University of Toronto Law Journal) and he Role of Debt in Interactive Corporate Governance,with George Triantis (1995, University of California Law Review).

In the wake of 9/11, he spearheaded a major international conference at the University of Toronto focusing on the federal government proposed anti-terrorism legislation. The conference was held in early November 2001, and the proceedings were published one week later in a 490-page book published by the University of Toronto Press entitled The Security of Freedom (edited by R.J. Daniels et. al). The book was distributed to every Member of Parliament, and the project was credited with having promoted several critical amendments to the draft legislation before final enactment. He is currently working on a manuscript, with Michael Trebilcock, that addresses the role of law and legal institutions in economic and political development.

Daniels is active in public policy formulation and has contributed to several Canadian public task forces. These include: Chair of the Provincial Government Panel on the Future of Government (2004), Special Advisor to the Ontario Government on Reform of Public Accounting Regulation (2003), Chair of the Ontario Electricity Market Design Committee (1998-99), Chair of the Ontario Task Force on Securities Regulation (1994) and member of the Toronto Stock Exchange Committee on Corporate Governance (1994).  Daniels is past-President of the Council of Canadian Law Deans and of the Council of Ontario Law Deans. He is a member of the Board of Governors of Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.

Daniels is married to Joanne Rosen, a lawyer with the Ontario Human Rights Commission. They have four children: Roberta, Ryan, Andrew and Ally. He received his B.A. and his J.D. from the University of Toronto in 1982 and 1986, respectively, and his LL.M. from Yale University in 1988.