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!

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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.

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Young Penn Alum, Helen Lu, Receives Presidential Honor

Penn people are making history -- again.

This time, it's a young Penn alumna, Helen H. Lu, who received her BSE, MSE, and PhD from Penn and who is now an associate professor at Columbia University's Department of Biomedical Engineering.

From Columbia's website:

Helen H. Lu has received the nation’s highest honor for young scientists.

Associate Professor Helen H. Lu of the Department of Biomedical Engineering has been selected to receive the nation’s highest honor for scientists at the outset of their professional careers. She is one of 12 National Institutes of Health-nominated winners of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).

In announcing the awards, President Barack Obama said, "These extraordinarily gifted young scientists and engineers represent the best in our country. With their talent, creativity, and dedication, I am confident that they will lead their fields in new breakthroughs and discoveries and help us use science and technology to lift up our nation and our world."

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» more like this in Innovation | Knowledge | Medicine | Penn People

It Takes a Team: Adams Field Named in Honor of Former Penn Lacrosse Coach

Back in the 70s, Penn Lacrosse was put on the national map by a legendary coach: James "Ace" Adams.

Between 1970-77, he reinvigorated men's lacrosse, bringing the team to a number four national ranking and 17 of its men to All-American honors. Now, some 30 years later, Penn Lacrosse is putting Coach Adams “on the map.”

Thanks to the generosity of a team of donors — former Penn Lacrosse players and longtime lacrosse supporters — Adams Field was dedicated in James Adams’ honor at a ceremonial groundbreaking in March. Located on the easternmost portion of Penn Park — the 24-acre parcel of land that the University added to its eastern edge in 2007 — the field is the first at Penn to be named after a coach.

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Every Student Counts: Senior Gift Drive Sets Record

Amy Gutmann had an interesting challenge for the Class of 2009: she would contribute one dollar for every senior who made a gift to the Unite ONine Campaign.

That's one matching dollar for every senior, not dollar.

This week, with one month of their campaign left to go, the senior class met that challenge with record-breaking numbers: 1610 seniors donated -- a total that surpasses all previous senior classes.

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» more like this in Events | Scholarships | Students