Jonathan Epstein’s appointment as head of Penn Medicine was also made permanent.
The interim is gone from Penn President J. Larry Jameson’s title following a unanimous vote by the board of trustees in March appointing him the University’s president—the 10th individual to hold the office on a permanent basis since it was established in 1930. (Until then, the provost fulfilled both the roles of chief academic officer, as now, and chief executive.) Jameson had been serving on an interim basis since December 2023 following the resignation of former president Liz Magill [“Gazetteer,” Jan|Feb 2024].
“The challenges facing higher education today are among the most significant ever encountered by American universities. Given Penn’s complexity, size, location, and visibility, these issues have profound implications for our community,” trustees chair Ramanan Raghavendran EAS’89 W’89 LPS’15 said in a statement. “In such a moment, there is nothing more important than leadership. Penn has been very fortunate to have Larry Jameson at the helm during this time. I am pleased that our board can recognize his exceptional performance, and acknowledge his inspirational leadership and vision, by formally extending his appointment to June 30, 2027.”
Jameson, who as interim had agreed to stay on through the 2025–2026 academic year, said he was “deeply honored” by the board’s vote of confidence. “I look forward to continuing the vital work of our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members to uphold Penn’s mission of utilizing knowledge for the greater good,” he said. “I am confident that our University’s future is bright as we prioritize our core values of excellence, freedom of inquiry and expression, and respect.”
In an interview with the Gazette shortly after his own election as chair of the board of trustees in January 2024 [“Gazetteer,” Mar|Apr 2024], Raghavendran commented on Jameson’s approach to the interim appointment: “Larry’s not a caretaker—he is an action-oriented human being, and he’s taking lots of actions I feel good about.”
In his 15 months as interim president, Jameson navigated Penn through continuing campus unrest over the war in Gaza and last spring’s pro-Palestinian encampment on College Green, dismantled after 16 days; the release of final reports from the University Task Force on Antisemitism and the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community; and the launch of Penn’s Office of Religious and Ethnic Interests (Title VI), described as the first of its kind nationally.
Jameson’s tenure has also seen the University offer a restatement of its core values and articulate a new policy of institutional neutrality limiting comments by leadership on public events “except for those which have direct and significant bearing on University functions.” And his administration has overseen the relaunch and first steps toward implementation of the University’s strategic plan, In Principle and Practice, including the appointment of new faculty leaders in the arts and climate, the establishment of Penn Washington to center the University’s engagement in the nation’s capital, advances in AI research and education, and the creation of “Draw Down the Lightning” grants designed to advance the plan’s goals for Penn, the first round of which were awarded in March. (Readers can find more information on many of the above developments in past issues’ “Gazetteer” sections on our website.)
Further challenges await Jameson’s administration, as the University confronts the impact of executive orders issued by President Donald J. Trump W’68 (see page 18).
Before his move to College Hall, Jameson had spent more than a dozen years leading Penn Medicine as executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania for the health system and dean of the Perelman School of Medicine. Jonathan Epstein, then executive vice dean and chief scientific officer of the School of Medicine and the health system’s senior vice president and chief scientific officer, was named as his interim replacement—and following a “comprehensive selection process” that appointment was also made permanent as of March 1.
In a statement, Jameson called Epstein “an eminent physician-scientist, a visionary leader, and a dedicated institutional citizen” and said he had “played an integral role in shaping Penn Medicine’s excellence across research, education, and patient care.”
He cited Epstein’s integrity, passion, and “commitment to the highest standards of patient care and medical education” as factors in choosing him for the position. “Above all,” Jameson added, “I sought someone with an ambitious vision for Penn Medicine’s future and immense respect for its culture—someone who will build on our tradition of excellence while forging new opportunities for interdisciplinary research, clinical innovation, and global impact.”
A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Medical School, Epstein came to Penn in 1996 and has earned international recognition for his research in areas including mRNA-based therapeutics and cardiovascular regenerative medicine.
“Leading Penn Medicine at such a critical time in the evolution of medicine and health care is a profound privilege,” Epstein said. “Penn is a place where scientific discovery, patient care, and education are seamlessly integrated, creating an environment of unparalleled excellence. It is the honor of my life to take on this role and to work alongside our extraordinary faculty, students, trainees, and staff to advance Penn Medicine’s mission and to shape the future of health and medicine.” —JP
