Exciting new details are emerging about Amy Gutmann Hall, Penn’s dynamic data science building that will connect students with scientists and scholars at the intersection of 34th and Chestnut Streets. Now under construction, the building is slated for completion in 2024.
Delighting in Data
Philanthropy is supporting interdisciplinary research and learning in Amy Gutmann Hall
Published: September 23, 2022
University Trustee and Penn Engineering Advisor Harlan M. Stone, C’80, PAR’13, kicked off the project with the lead gift in 2019. Subsequently, more than 150 alumni, parents, and friends have joined together to support the future of data science at Penn. Among those donors is Penn Engineering Advisor Rajeev Misra, ME’85, GEN’86, and his wife, Shalini. Their recent gift is ensuring Penn students will learn how to measure and interpret data like never before.
Exterior rendering of Amy Gutmann Hall at 34th and Chestnut Streets. Image courtesy Lake|Flato.
Gifts like these will fund collaborative new programs that will be housed in Amy Gutmann Hall, including a new, cross-disciplinary Data Science Hub where people, platforms, and research come together. Experts will be on hand to help students delve into data-based solutions to their projects, using tools like text extraction, manipulation of large data sets, and connecting devices to data platforms.
Plans also exist to offer data science classes and training programs in the nearly 4,000-square-foot space. “It will be important for students to see engineers working alongside colleagues in medicine, the social sciences, and the humanities,” says Vijay Kumar, Nemirovsky Family Dean of Penn Engineering. “Collaborative spaces are the heart and soul of a campus like Penn’s.”
Plans include ample areas for students to collaborate formally and in more casual settings. Image courtesy Lake|Flato.
“I’m grateful for the world-class education I received at Penn,” says Misra. “It’s gratifying to help Penn Engineering stay at the forefront of data science teaching and research. This was an opportunity to support the School’s top priorities and permanently enhance the educational experience of future Penn Engineers.” The Misras also endowed the Misra Family Professorship, their second endowed faculty position at Penn Engineering.
University-wide philanthropy and student participation have fueled the plans for Amy Gutmann Hall. During the planning phase, students, faculty, and staff were invited to provide feedback on the building’s features. “This was the most immersive experience we’ve ever had when designing new buildings or spaces,” says Leandra Davis, Senior Director of Planning, Design, and Construction, Penn Engineering.
Interior renderings show spaces for students to work together across disciplines. Image courtesy Lake|Flato.
Once complete, students in Amy Gutmann Hall will engage in cutting-edge scholarship in a beautiful, modern space. Plans for the building’s interior also include data-focused centers in research areas like the human brain, artificial intelligence, and medical diagnostics. With the goal of making data science more accessible at Penn, there will be plenty of opportunities within Amy Gutmann Hall to fulfill that mission.
