Penn began the academic year with a new Provost, a new Vice Provost for University Life, and three new Deans. Meet these exciting new leaders at the University and learn more about their plans for charting a bold path forward for their units.
Welcoming New Academic Leadership
Winter 2024
John L. Jackson Jr.
Provost and Richard Perry University Professor
John L. Jackson Jr. became the University’s 31st Provost in June, following a storied career that includes service as the Dean of two Penn schools, the Annenberg School for Communication and the School of Social Policy & Practice, and his appointment as the University’s first Penn Integrates Knowledge professor. As the University’s new chief academic officer, Jackson oversees teaching, learning, research, and student life and continues to encourage and support innovative research and scholarship on campus, especially the interdisciplinary and community-based research for which Penn is well known. Jackson is also committed to sustaining Penn’s place at the forefront of best practices in education and campus life, including new kinds of teaching and learning, new resources for health and wellness, and new ways of connecting Penn-generated knowledge with the public and our Philadelphia community.
Hikaru “Karu” Kozuma, GEd’15
Vice Provost for University Life
Hikaru “Karu” Kozuma became Vice Provost for University Life in May, after serving Penn as Executive Director of College Houses, Associate Vice Provost for University Life, and Executive Director of the Office of Student Affairs. His vision is to enhance and expand the ways that Penn supports the academic, professional, and personal journeys of its undergraduate and graduate students. To that end, the new Vice Provost is establishing partnerships across campus to create pathways for all students to shape their community, including a new collaboration to enhance student belonging. He also plans to further his understanding of the diversity of student needs by engaging with and centering student voices. Kozuma encourages all students to explore the programs and services provided by University Life, which range from the performing arts and intercultural education to academic advising and career exploration.
Sarah Banet-Weiser
Walter H. Annenberg Dean, Annenberg School for Communication and Lauren Berlant Professor of Communication
Sarah Banet-Weiser became the sixth Dean of the Annenberg School for Communication in August, following two years on the School’s faculty. She was the first person to be appointed to the faculty at Penn’s Annenberg School while also serving as a Professor at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Banet-Weiser is committed to telling the Annenberg School’s story in a new way—one that recognizes the brilliant historical foundation work that created the institution, but also looks forward—redefining and reimagining what the field of communication is and should be. This new direction will require a renewed focus on collaboration, especially with other units and institutions at Penn, with the goal of better realizing the School’s commitment to interdisciplinary communication.
Sophia Z. Lee
Dean, Penn Carey Law and Bernard G. Segal Professor of Law
A member of the Penn Carey Law faculty since 2009 (with a secondary appointment in History), Sophia Z. Lee stepped into her new role as Dean in July 2023. As a long-standing member of the Law School community, Lee is committed to preserving the Law School’s core strengths while pursuing new opportunities for growth. Through this lens, Lee will work with the Penn Carey Law community to focus on several key goals: providing a broadly accessible, innovative, and interdisciplinary legal education; investing in the School’s collegial and inclusive community; and building on Penn Carey Law’s ethos of service, leadership, and civic engagement. Together, these efforts will advance the Law School’s mission of preparing graduates and alumni to practice, lead, and serve at the highest levels in their careers and communities.
Katharine O. Strunk
Dean, Graduate School of Education and George and Diane Weiss Professor of Education
Katharine O. Strunk became the new Dean of the Graduate School of Education (GSE) in July, joining Penn from Michigan State University. Strunk is embarking on her deanship with a commitment to the hallmarks of Penn GSE’s mission, as well as identifying new areas of impact for the School. First, she hopes to apply her past experience with local school districts to advancing Penn GSE’s partnerships across Philadelphia and the broader region, with a focus on engaging meaningfully, intentionally, and with measurable impact in the City’s public school district. Second, she will cultivate the pipeline for the next generation of teachers and educational leaders who can effect change, overcome complex challenges, and chart a bold course for the future of education. And third, Strunk looks forward to furthering the School’s long-standing mission of expanding access to high-quality educational opportunities across the learning life-span.
