Penn is Making History -- every day

Penn Donors Make History -- Online

In this historic year, midway through our campaign, we're celebrating our donors in a brand new way -- online.

No, we're not talking about a .pdf of a printed donor list.

We're talking about a dynamic, multimedia website where you can see, like never before, the Penn family of 99,657 alumni and friends who made gifts, pledges, and pledge payments of $2,500 or more in FYO9.

      view People Supporting Penn 2009

Read their stories, watch their videos, search their names, and -- most important -- discover how this amazing and diverse community, inspired by Penn and united by purpose, has come together for good.

Together for good. That's the story of Penn people whose collective impact -- from a local elementary school in West Philadelphia, to a small town in North Carolina, to a community of weavers in rural India -- is as real as it is inspiring. And it's a story that's distinctively Penn.

At Penn this is how history is made, and we're pretty confident that People Supporting Penn online could become a model for other universities who celebrate their donors. Let us know if you agree!

» more like this in Alumni | Higher Education | Penn People

Penn Park Begins: Transforming Campus and the City for Good

"No other urban campus has done something this transforming," said Amy Gutmann.

And she's right.

Penn Park had its official groundbreaking ceremony today, marking the beginning of the transformation -- where 24 acres of barren asphalt and concrete will become a thriving urban ribbon of green.

      Penn Park | video clip | radio clip

Calling the project an "extreme makeover, Penn style," Gutmann said that when the park is completed, in 2011, it will spur commercial development along the Walnut Street corridor and complete William Penn's historic plan to create a "green country towne."

» more like this in Events | Going Green

Penn Alumni: Our Signature in the World

Penn alumni -- and their genius for collaborative invention -- have been making headlines recently:

Penn alumnus George E. Smith (C'55) [right] was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize for Physics, in recognition for his invention (along with Willard S. Boyle) of an integrated circuit that converts light into an electronic charge -- a technology that has improved medical diagnostics, allowed humankind to see the surface of Mars, and is found today in every digital camera and cell phone.

Aakash Mathur, a 2009 Wharton alumnus, and Jay Parekh, a 2009 Engineering alumnus, are developing the prototype of the reusable Hydros Bottle. The bottle purifies water within about 20 seconds of being filled -- helping to address the global water crisis and reduce the use of disposable water bottles.

» more like this in Alumni | Innovation

Penn President Amy Gutmann Wins Carnegie Leadership Award

Penn President Amy Gutmann has just won a $500,000 Carnegie Corporation Academic Leadership Award.

      news release | news article

Thrilling news -- but what makes this award even more special is that it recognizes all of our Making History campaign priorities, and celebrates Amy Gutmann's commitment to "making history together."

Just listen:

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» more like this in Higher Education | Penn People

Penn Goes Green on College Green

Two years ago, I pledged that by 2009 Penn would create a plan to reduce its carbon footprint and enhance its overall sustainability practices. We now are poised to deliver on that promise.

We will announce our plan to the Penn community at a public event on College Green at noon on Wednesday, September 16.

The Climate Action kick-off event will feature exhibits that tell Penn's sustainability story with information on research and teaching, energy, recycling and waste management, as well as transportation and our physical environment. We also will provide students with information about green courses available to them.

Please join me in gathering on College Green in celebration of our achievements. This is a terrific opportunity for Penn to highlight the important steps that we will take in the future to reduce our environmental footprint, share in the pride of our accomplishments, and to learn more about what we can all do to advance this critical initiative.

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» more like this in Events | Going Green