As the Gazette was going to press, it was announced that Penn Provost Robert Barchi Gr’72 M’72 GM’73 will step down from his post to become president of Philadelphia’s Thomas Jefferson University on September 1.
President Rodin called Barchi “an inspired choice” for the job, adding that, “Throughout his more than 30-year career at Penn, he has been a brilliant researcher and clinician, passionate teacher, and successful leader.”
A neurologist specializing in neuromuscular diseases and a molecular neuroscientist, Barchi served as vice-dean for research in Penn’s School of Medicine from 1989 to 1991, and in 1992 he established its Department of Neuroscience.
As Penn’s chief academic officer since 1999, Barchi oversaw more than $700 million in annual research funding; recruited new leadership for nine of Penn’s 12 schools; and led 200 faculty, staff, and students through a strategic planning process that will provide a blueprint for the University’s new initiatives
