Giving Highlights

A selection of recent gifts inspiring impact across the University

Summer 2024
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Philanthropy touches every part of the University. Through the support of our engaged and generous donors, Penn is able to inspire impact locally and globally. Here is a small sample of recent gifts that are fueling the University’s drive to advance knowledge for good.

A wide-angle view of the Moore School Building, a large, traditional three-story school building located at the corner of 33rd and Walnut Streets on the University of Pennsylvania campus. The building features a red brick facade with long rows of white-framed windows.

Atul A. Ruia, EAS’93, W’93, PAR’25, PAR’27, and Gayatri Ruia, PAR’25, PAR’27, made a generous gift to name the Penn Engineering Foundations Timeline in the Moore School Building. This installation celebrates the achievements of the past while the School works toward attracting a more diverse, inclusive student body that reflects and will help lead a changing world.

Four young students engage in a hands-on science experiment in a bright laboratory setting. They are focused on a benchtop setup where one of them is using a pipette to carefully transfer a red liquid into a container.

Dr. Robert Lanza, C’78, M’83, made a $100,000 gift to Penn Arts & Sciences to support the faculty, students, and priorities of the Department of Biology.

An archaeologist is intently excavating an ancient site. She carefully uses a small brush and trowel to uncover artifacts amidst a pile of broken terracotta pieces and dark soil.

Eric J. Schoenberg, GEN’93, WG’93, made a $1 million gift to the Penn Museum to create the Schoenberg Family Fund, which supports archaeological field research across the globe through strategic projects selected by the Museum Director. It also completes an endowment for a new faculty-curator in Ancient Mesopotamian Archaeology, whose work will continue Penn’s leadership in the field of ancient world studies in Iraq. Schoenberg’s gift complements the lead gift from Dr. Linda K. Jacobs and the Violet Jabara Charitable Trust, NAF that created the Museum’s new faculty-curator endowment.

A collection of meticulously preserved ancient artifacts displayed on a white table within a museum setting. These objects include a small coat adorned with intricate red and orange geometric patterns, alongside smaller items like fabric shoes, painted wooden items, and small cosmetic containers. In the background, a person in an orange shirt is handling one of the objects.

The Bank of America Art Conservation Project gave to the Penn Museum for the conservation of pieces for the new North American Gallery related to Native American groups from four regions across the United States, as well as funding an Indigenous Conservation Fellow to work alongside the Penn Museum’s conservation staff to treat Lenape materials.

A diverse group of musicians engaged in a spirited jam session in a cozy, warmly-lit room decorated with string lights.

The Wallace Family gave $50,000 to support both an endowment and a term fund for student performing arts summer internship awards, which include the Wallace Award and the Whinnery Award.

Aerial view of a bustling urban landscape in Philadelphia, showcasing a blend of modern skyscrapers and historic architecture. The foreground features Jon M. Huntsman Hall, a distinctive round-topped red building with a dark grey roof.

Bob Hernandez, WG’68, gave approximately $1.25 million to the Wharton School to establish two endowed funds to provide financial aid support to Wharton students. The Bill Hernandez, W’70 Endowed Scholarship Fund, in memory of Bob’s late brother Bill, will support undergraduate students, and the Bob Hernandez, WG’68 Endowed Fellowship Fund, in honor of Bob’s academic and professional careers, will support students pursuing their MBA.

Vibrant spring scene at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens featuring a lush field of white narcissus flowers in full bloom.

Jan Albaum, FA’84, GFA’87, and Harry Cerino pledged $100,000 to the Morris Arboretum & Gardens to establish the Jan Albaum and Harry Cerino Native Plant Research Endowment in Memory of Martin Albaum, Jan’s father. This endowment supports native plant research efforts at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens, where Jan is a member of the Advisory Board.

A workshop space inside Tangen Hall with students engaged in various activities. Several students are seated at long wooden tables equipped with laptops and other learning materials, collaborating in small groups.

Pallavi Rao, WG’07, and Shyam Rao made a generous commitment of $700,000 to establish an endowed scholarship at Penn and support the Venture Lab’s VIP-X program and The Wharton Fund. Their gift will impact undergraduate financial aid opportunities; foster innovation and entrepreneurial mindsets across Penn; and support the Wharton School’s excellence across all educational facets.

Diverse group of students in a classroom setting, enjoying a lively and interactive session. They are seated in tiered rows with large windows providing natural light.

Peter Byck, WG’90, and Dawn Valler have generously contributed $481,755 to establish an endowed Wharton undergraduate scholarship and support the Wharton Undergraduate Wellness Fund, along with the Wharton Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Initiative Fund. This impactful donation will strengthen financial support for students in need; fuel essential programs such as the Dolphin Tank, aimed at enhancing student mental well-being amidst today’s challenges; and advance Wharton’s leadership in analyzing the material impact of ESG factors on business strategies.

A group of students of diverse backgrounds engage in an interactive display at the University of Pennsylvania's Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center. They are gathered around a long table, examining and discussing various printed materials laid out before them.

Jordan Katz, W’96, and Dori Katz made a generous gift to the Penn Libraries to support the Center for Global Collections, the Endowed Fund for Judaica and Special Collections, and the Penn Libraries Fund. This gift will name the Dori and Jordan Katz Office in the Center for Global Collections and create an endowed fund to support the acquisition and conservation of Judaica and Jewish Studies materials, as well as provide unrestricted support for the Penn Libraries.

In a well-equipped robotics lab, a student with blonde hair is intently adjusting components on a sophisticated robotic vehicle. The environment is bustling with educational tools like oscilloscopes and other electronic testing equipment.

Mary Ellen Laker and her family generously contributed $100,000 to name the Dr. Kenneth R. Laker Technology Integration Award, in loving memory of her late husband, Kenneth R. Laker, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering (ESE). Dr. Laker was a renowned and dedicated educator who was passionate about the Engineering School’s Senior Design course. This gift honors his extraordinary legacy and provides an annual award recognizing Senior Design projects within ESE that best integrate emerging technologies from various engineering disciplines.

Two laboratory researchers are focused on a procedure involving an advanced X-RAD 320ix machine, shown on the digital display.

Andrea Goldberg Edlow, MD, M’07, and Brian Edlow, MD, M’07, made a recent gift of $150,000 to the Class of 2007 Scholarship, which was matched by an additional $100,000 for a total of $250,000. The gift made by the Edlows—to support a fund they established in honor of Walter and Anne Gamble—will make an immediate impact on financial aid at the Perelman School of Medicine. Dr. Andrea Edlow is a member of the Perelman School’s Medical Alumni Advisory Council.​

A school jazz band performs in a well-lit room with walls adorned with 'Our Supporters' plaques. The young musicians, a diverse group of students, are seated in a semi-circle formation, attentively playing their instruments under the direction of a conductor.

Joseph B. Glossberg, W’63, WG’65, made a $50,000 gift to the Penn Libraries to establish an endowed fund to support the acquisition of jazz collections and ephemera. This fund will also support the processing of jazz collections and jazz exhibitions and programs.

A candid scene in a warmly lit, vintage-style lobby where three students from the Social Justice Scholars Program engage in a lively discussion.

Calvin Bland, W’72, made a $50,000 gift to the Social Justice Scholars Program at the School of Social Policy & Practice. Bland is the lead donor in creating an endowed scholarship named for Claire Lomax, C’84, a member of the Board of Trustees and longtime member of the SP2 Board of Advisors, who passed away in 2022.

A teacher sits with two young students at a table offering instruction as the students color in coloring books

Webster Chua, W’04, and Deborah L. Chua, C’04, gave $300,000 to the Dean’s Discretionary Fund at the Graduate School of Education to support Dean Katharine Strunk’s emerging priorities for the future of Penn GSE.

A young female researcher focused on her work in a well-equipped laboratory. She is wearing a white lab coat and handling a pipette to transfer liquids between containers.

Richard Miselis, V’73, gave $100,000 to Penn Vet over five years to endow the Richard R. Miselis, VMD-PhD Scholarship Fund.

A symbolic image depicting environmental education. A small globe rests on an open book with North America visible, positioned on a wooden surface outdoors. Next to the globe, a small, leafy green plant grows from the pages of the book, symbolizing the growth of knowledge about global ecology.

Haniel J. Lynn, ENG’91, WG’95, PAR’23, and Anita Lynn, ENG’91, PAR’23, established a fund to support the selection process, award, and recognition event for an annual book prize focused on climate and sustainability. The Penn Libraries Book Prize in Sustainability presented by the Lynn Family is the first of its kind at Penn and will have far-reaching impact by promoting academic excellence, supporting scholarly endeavors in this important field, and enhancing the overall reputation and intellectual vibrancy of the University community.

Three Penn Nursing students in blue scrubs stand smiling in a school hallway. They are beside a row of gray lockers, each holding folders, suggesting a break between classes.

Jeffrey L. Seltzer, W’78, PAR’09, and Annie Seltzer, PAR’09, gave $25,000 to Penn Nursing and the Penn Libraries to create the Seltzer Family Curator’s Fund for the Study of the History of Nursing and $5,000 to the Nursing Annual Fund.

A vibrant and abstract illustration depicting various colorful, layered scenes against a gradient blue and yellow background. Each segment showcases different activities and settings: the top features a serene outdoor scene with a figure meditating, the middle segments depict lively social and technological environments with people interacting, and the bottom layers show educational and scientific setups.

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