An Evening with Penn: Dubai

J. Larry Jameson was named President of the University of Pennsylvania in March 2025 after serving as Interim President since December 2023. Previously, he spent 12 years as EVP for the Health System and Dean of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine. As President, Jameson champions Penn’s values and leads the implementation of Penn Forward, its strategic planning initiative. Milestones to date include a new home for interdisciplinary data science; new leadership roles to advance Penn’s work in artificial intelligence, climate science, and the arts; and pioneering academic programs and initiatives. As a physician-scientist, Jameson has studied the genetic basis of hormonal disorders, authored more than 350 articles and chapters, and edited the foremost internal medicine textbook. He holds medical and doctoral degrees from the University of North Carolina.

Alp Ercil is the CIO of Asia Research and Capital Management, a Hong Kong- and Dubai-based firm that he founded in 2011. He graduated from Penn's Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology, earning bachelor’s degrees in economics from Wharton and in systems engineering from Penn Engineering. In addition to currently serving as a University Trustee and member of the Penn Europe, Middle East, and Africa Leadership Committee, Mr. Ercil has been a member of the Asia Leadership Committee and the Undergraduate Financial Aid Leadership Council. He has supported the establishment of Penn’s Climate Sustainability Initiative, which draws on the University’s strengths in interdisciplinary teaching and research to address climate and sustainability from multiple perspectives.