PHILADELPHIA -- University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann and her husband, Michael Doyle, have made a $100,000 gift in support of undergraduate students. The principal part of the gift is designated for Penn’s Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships to assist students wishing to participate in research experiences during their undergraduate careers. The remainder is a five-year commitment to the senior-class gift program, Seniors for The Penn Fund.

The Amy Gutmann and Michael Doyle Research Opportunities Fund, to be used at the discretion of the CURF director, will direct money to students for activities associated with their research. This might include assistance with travel to conferences or distant research venues as well as stipends for research throughout the year. More than 150 Penn students each year are involved in CURF research projects.

“Participating in the discovery of new knowledge,” Gutmann said, “is always rewarding and often life-transforming. I want more Penn students, regardless of their future career plans, to experience the thrill that Michael and I have had in our academic research.”

“This marvelous gift will enable us to support more students than ever before,” CURF Director Harriet Joseph said.

Supporting undergraduate research with a personal gift builds on Gutmann’s commitment to ensuring that Penn students have access to the very best educational opportunities so they may achieve their full potential as citizens and future leaders. She and her husband have previously endowed an undergraduate scholarship to help students who might not otherwise be able to afford a Penn education. To date their gifts to Making History: The Campaign for Penn total $250,000.

The gift to “Seniors for The Penn Fund” confirms Gutmann’s pledge to the senior class to give a dollar for each senior who contributes to The Penn Fund. The goal of this challenge is to encourage seniors to give back to the institution and to maintain a lifetime of engagement.

For Gutmann, who knows well the enthusiasm of Penn seniors as well as the power of matching dollars, this gift was a natural.

She told the seniors, “Together we will make the Class of 2009 gift a cause for much happiness and celebration for years to come.”

Brett Perlmutter, class president and gift-committee member, reminded his classmates at a September rally that “Dr. Gutmann is not only a leader and avid supporter of Seniors for The Penn Fund but is also a true investor in its success.”