Forging an even better future for Penn, together.
By Interim President J. Larry Jameson
In summer 1782, a letter from Benjamin Franklin made its way across the ocean to a friend in London. Franklin asked after his friend’s health. He shared a sigh of relief over peace between their two countries after years of war. He also, as he so often did, put a fresh spin on a well-worn saying.
“We now find that it is not only right to strike while the Iron is hot,” Franklin wrote, “but that it is very practicable to heat it by continual Striking.”
To paraphrase our founder: act on opportunity and also create opportunity by acting. This holds true especially in tough and turbulent times.
This was my message to the Class of 2024 in May, when we gathered to enjoy a spectacular Commencement ceremony.
The weather could not have been finer. Thousands of exuberant families and friends filled Franklin Field. The Class of 2024 received all the celebration, pomp, and circumstance that their hard work and achievements deserved. Together with an outstanding Alumni Weekend that drew nearly 10,000 people back to campus, it was an uplifting bookend to one of the harder academic years Penn has known.
Strike while the iron is hot. Heat the iron by striking it. I tailored my message to the graduates, a tribute to their unique experiences, qualities, and potential to do good in the world. However, I believe it is a message that everyone who loves Penn should also hear and take to heart. As we uphold our missions, Penn is moving forward to meet the great challenges of our time—to act on opportunities and create them by acting.
We are implementing the strategic framework for Penn’s future, In Principle and Practice, with some exciting early progress [“Gazetteer,” this issue]. Penn Engineering launched the Ivy League’s first undergraduate degree program in AI, followed soon after by an online graduate degree program in AI, another Ivy first. Wharton also announced the new Wharton AI & Analytics Initiative.
Penn’s pioneering investment in an enormous solar farm more than five times the size of our campus is now paying dividends: enough energy to power 70 percent of our academic campus and health system in the Philadelphia area. This leap forward brings us even closer to our goal of being carbon neutral by 2042.
We have also announced two new leadership roles to coordinate and energize Penn’s efforts in support of our highest priorities: the Vice Provost for the Arts and the Vice Provost for Climate Science, Policy, and Action.
This is just a sampling of the work and planning underway throughout campus as well as a taste of things to come.
In the year ahead, we remain steadfast in our commitment to combat antisemitism, counter hatred, and build community. I hope you had an opportunity to read the final reports of the University Task Force on Antisemitism and the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community. Some of the recommendations in the reports are reflected in work already underway. Other elements lie ahead of us and will benefit from further input. Dr. Beth Winkelstein, Deputy Provost and Eduardo D. Glandt President’s Distinguished Professor, is leading the implementation efforts associated with these reports. She brings with her extensive institutional knowledge, expert understanding of the issues, and a proven track record of delivering action on key University initiatives. While Dr. Winkelstein will guide these efforts, we also recognize that it requires the energy and investment of the entire Penn family.
We aim to build responsive and lasting solutions informed by leading teaching and scholarship within and beyond Penn. We will continue this critical work with urgency and clarity of purpose.
Opportunity can be seized. Especially in challenging times, it can also be created. Penn and Penn people excel at both. Here’s just one great summertime example.
As I write this, 13 Penn students and alumni have joined athletes from around the world in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Competing in events ranging from rowing to discus, these Quakers reached the pinnacle of their sports even as they undertook one of the world’s finest, most rigorous educational experiences. They now test themselves on a global stage, overcoming adversity and striving for the gold.
As I cheer on our astounding student-athletes and alumni, I have similar aspirations for our University. Penn has what it takes to turn adversity into opportunity—especially opportunities to lead on great challenges and create and apply knowledge for the good of all people.
In the spirit of our founder, Penn will not only strike while the iron is hot. We will heat that iron and forge an even better future, together.