President's Engagement Prizes

Class of 2019 Ivy Day Ceremony and awardees

On Saturday, May 18, the Class of 2019 celebrated its Ivy Day Ceremony during Alumni Weekend, continuing the 146-year tradition by honoring students for their achievements and contributions to the Penn community.

Tina Rodia

Safe haven

Senior Brendan Taliaferro receives the President’s Engagement Prize for a project to provide housing and support for homeless LGBTQ youth in Philadelphia.

Louisa Shepard

Going plastic neutral

The winners of a 2018 Penn President’s Engagement Prize are launching a new venture to address the global problem of plastic waste.

Katherine Unger Baillie



In the News


Philadelphia Inquirer

A Philly exoneree works to free other wrongly convicted people. First up: His codefendant

Penn students and alumni, including the President’s Engagement Prize winning team behind Project Hope, have been working with the Terrance Lewis Liberation Foundation to support wrongly convicted people.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Penn hoops star Princess Aghayere is using her passion for teamwork to save girls’ lives in Liberia

The senior leader of Penn’s 2019 regular season Ivy Champions left Philadelphia after graduation, and traveled 4,600-mile to Liberia. With Penn friends Summer Kollie and Oladunni Alomaja, Aghayere started Rebound Liberia, a youth program whose goal is to use basketball to empower girls in the small West African country.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

9 Penn students win big prizes to fund projects to promote social change

Penn has awarded nine graduating seniors with the annual President’s Engagement and Innovation prizes. President Amy Gutmann said, “Each of the prize recipients has demonstrated a purpose-driven desire to get out and make a difference in their community, across the country, and around the world.”

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