University of Pennsylvania Interim President J. Larry Jameson and Provost John L. Jackson Jr. have announced that Steven J. Fluharty has decided to step down as dean of the School of Arts & Sciences and return to the faculty effective December 31, 2024.
Fluharty, who is the Thomas S. Gates, Jr. Professor of Psychology, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience, has served as Dean since July 2013.
Under his leadership, the School implemented a comprehensive strategic plan, Our Foundations and Frontiers, that set an ambitious agenda encompassing faculty quality and diversity, interdisciplinary collaborations, and curricular innovations, with priorities that remain at the top of Penn’s agenda today, including sustainability, data-driven discovery, and public policy and social impact. As dean, he launched new academic centers that catalyze interdisciplinary research and reaffirm the School’s role at the forefront of the University’s priorities; completed three major new buildings, including the soon-to-open Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology; strengthened faculty recruitment and mentoring, especially in cross-disciplinary areas; created the Ivy League’s first fully online undergraduate degree program for working adults and nontraditional students; and led the highly successful Power of Penn Arts & Sciences campaign, along with, just this year, securing the largest gift in the School’s history, from Roy and Diana Vagelos. He concludes his term as the longest-serving dean in the history of the School of Arts & Sciences.
Jameson says, “In addition to his many accomplishments and his exemplary service to Penn, Steve has also been a valued colleague to me since my arrival at Penn 13 years ago. I know we will all miss his wise counsel, judgement, and vast knowledge of the University.”
Fluharty says, “Penn has long been an important part of my life, as a student, a proud Penn parent, and throughout my career. As dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, I have been honored to work with so many dedicated faculty and staff, and to witness the accomplishments of our talented students. The decision to step down has been a difficult but necessary one, so that I may focus on the needs of my family. I’m grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve the School and to be able to end my term knowing that it is positioned to continue its long history of excellence.”
A member of the Penn faculty since 1986, Fluharty was director of the undergraduate Biological Basis of Behavior program (now the Neuroscience Program) and later served as Senior Vice Provost for Research. He earned his three degrees from Penn as a University Scholar including his B.A. in psychology in 1979, graduating summa cum laude; his M.A. in psychobiology in 1979; and his Ph.D. in psychobiology in 1981.
