July 2024 – Edition 34
The School appoints Mary-Hunter “Mae” McDonnell the inaugural faculty recipient of the Bantwal Family Goldman Sachs Presidential Professorship, the University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees approves record undergraduate financial aid budget, and Wharton Magazine chronicles recent strides made by Wharton experts in AI innovation.
Mary-Hunter “Mae” McDonnell Appointed Inaugural Faculty Recipient of Bantwal Family Goldman Sachs Presidential Professorship
The Wharton School has appointed Mary-Hunter “Mae” McDonnell the inaugural Bantwal Family Goldman Sachs Presidential Associate Professor. This professorship is endowed by Vivek J. Bantwal, W’99, and Sarika Singh Bantwal, as a meaningful tribute to Vivek’s late father, Jayawant D. Bantwal, who made Vivek’s Wharton education possible.
The Bantwals’ generosity reflects their care for students, faculty, and the community. Inspired by Vivek’s experience as a Wharton student and Pennsylvania roots, the Bantwals previously established the Bantwal Family Goldman Sachs Scholars Fund, dedicated to undergraduate students from Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware counties. Avid supporters of The Wharton Fund, the Penn Fund, and Penn Medicine, the Bantwals back critical resources throughout the School and the University.
This philanthropy has paved the way for significant academic milestones at Penn and Wharton — exemplified by the appointment of Professor McDonnell, who has been at Wharton since 2015. Along with her primary appointment as the Bantwal Family Goldman Sachs Presidential Associate Professor at Wharton, McDonnell has secondary appointments in Wharton’s Legal Studies & Business Ethics department and in the Department of Sociology at Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences. In her research, McDonnell uses organizational theory and sociology to explore the relationships and interactions between politics, corporations, and the stakeholders of both.
The University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees Approves Record Undergraduate Financial Aid Budget
As we look ahead to the 2024-2025 academic year at the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Today breaks down the latest undergraduate charges and financial aid budget approved by the University’s Board of Trustees.
While there will be a 3.9% tuition increase, the net cost of a Penn education has decreased by about 26% when you consider inflation. Plus, Penn continues to maintain the largest no-loan undergraduate financial aid program of its kind. In fact, the board approved a record $311 million undergraduate financial aid budget. Backed by donors like you, this aid meets 100% of students’ demonstrated need without loans — and it supports the University’s philosophy that talented students from all financial backgrounds should have access to a Penn education.
Wharton Magazine Explores the School’s AI Thought Leadership
The Wharton AI & Analytics Initiative is here! Vice Dean of AI & Analytics Eric Bradlow will lead the Wharton School in recognizing and enhancing both the technological and human aspects of AI in business. The initiative will focus on enriching the School’s curriculum, fostering an idea-driven community, and supporting innovative research. But AI isn’t new at Wharton. Its world-class faculty members are ahead of the curve, as they’ve been using AI and implementing its use in their classrooms for years.
Ethan Mollick, the Ralph J. Roberts Distinguished Faculty Scholar and co-director of the Generative AI Lab at Wharton, and Kevin Werbach, chairperson of the Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department, have been closely following the evolution of this technology. In a new online-only feature, Wharton Magazine sits down with both professors to discuss insights from their latest AI projects, including Mollick’s best-selling book and Werbach’s podcast series.