Archived web version of the December 18, 2025 issue
Issue 29: December 18, 2025
From Locust Walk
This week’s welcome note is from
Jenny Daigle Benoit, CFRE
Assistant Vice President for Annual Giving
During this season of giving, we celebrate the spirit of Penn and the milestones, friendships, and opportunities that make the Penn journey so meaningful. We also honor every gift—no matter the size—because together, they provide vital resources that sustain financial aid, advance academic excellence, and strengthen the traditions that define a Penn education for all.
In this issue of From Locust Walk, you’ll find stories about just some of the people and programs that are directly impacted by donor support, including a new professorship in special education, an initiative that helps Penn scientists bring research breakthroughs to market, and a University-wide effort to expand access and affordability for students of all backgrounds.
Thank you for being part of our community, and happy holidays from all of us at Penn!
FEATURE STORY
A Year of Momentum in University Sustainability Goals
What does climate action look like on the ground? Check out the FY25 Progress Report for Penn’s Climate & Sustainability Action Plan 4.0 to see how Penn is turning long-term goals into visible change. [Penn Today]
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY
Two Penn students were selected as 2026 Marshall Scholars for their academic distinction and public-impact work, earning support for graduate study in the U.K. Their projects reflect a commitment to scholarship that advances social understanding. [Penn Today]
Penn GSE has launched the Usdan Family Professorship for Special Education, created through a gift from Andrea Pollack, C’83, L’87, GEd’17, and Adam Usdan. The inaugural holder will lead research and teaching that expand opportunities for diverse learners. [Penn GSE]
A Penn–CHOP team earned a place in the annual Nature’s 10 list after creating the first personalized CRISPR treatment for an infant with a rare genetic disorder, marking pivotal progress toward individualized genetic medicine. [Nature]
As part of Penn Forward, University leaders are examining how students from all backgrounds find their way to Penn, and are working on making a Penn education truly accessible across socioeconomic lines. [Penn Today]
MORE STORIES OF INTEREST
Penn Arts & Sciences Pathways
Abigail Smith, C’28, shares how early curiosity, hands-on research at Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center, and volunteering with the Working Dog Center are shaping her dream of becoming a small-animal surgeon. [Omnia]
How Decades of Vision Shaped Penn Medicine
Arthur Rubenstein and Bill Kelley, whose leadership advanced Penn Medicine in the 1990s and 2000s, revisit the investments and cultural shifts that set the stage for breakthroughs like gene therapy, CAR T, and mRNA vaccines. [Penn Medicine]
A Cross-Campus Model for Turning Ideas into Impact
Penn innovators are teaming up with engineers, dentists, and business students to advance nanorobotic oral-care technology—tiny machines that could automate brushing and prevent disease—showing how collaboration can turn science-fiction breakthroughs into usable products. [Mack Institute for Innovation Management]
A Veterinary Legacy Across Generations
Dean Snyder, V’54, reflects on a career that spanned farm fields, New Bolton Center, and groundbreaking work in livestock health—an example that led his granddaughter, Jane Annand, V’18, to follow him into veterinary medicine and extend his family’s tradition of care. [Bellwether]
SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT
What Made This Semester Count
In this video from @uofpenn on Instagram, Penn students share moments they’re proud of—from new friendships to personal breakthroughs. Their reflections highlight the big and small steps that shape campus life and remind us what growth looks like.
Header artwork by Ellie Moniz.
Discover how Penn’s research, leadership, and values continue to inspire impact, and learn more about other timely updates on the University Resources webpage. To read more Penn news, visit Penn Today, the Almanac, or the Pennsylvania Gazette.
This newsletter is produced by the Office of Development and Alumni Relations to provide a curated selection of top news items from the University. If you were forwarded this newsletter and would like to subscribe, click here.