The Wharton School

10/22/2026

Each new academic year brings fresh challenges and opportunities to Wharton’s leaders.

This fall, two of those longtime leaders, Profs. Michael Roberts and Kevin Werbach, stepped into new pivotal roles as Vice Dean of the Program and Vice Dean of the MBA Program for Executives, respectively.

Along with Prof. Cait Lamberton, who was appointed Vice Dean of the Division last academic year, the trio is charged with helping to steer the School’s core degree-granting programs through today’s complex times with a keen eye to the future.

Dean Erika James recently sat down with the vice deans for a robust conversation about some of the most urgent topics facing Wharton in this moment.

Swipe through for some of their thoughts, and check out the full conversation in the latest issue of Wharton Magazine: https://whr.tn/3WAFBYb

10/21/2026

NEWS: The University of Pennsylvania recently announced a $20 million commitment from Scott Shleifer (W’99) and his wife, Elena Shleifer, to strengthen undergraduate financial aid and provide flexible support for emerging initiatives as part of Penn Forward.

The gift includes $12 million to create and endow the Shleifer Scholars Program, which will provide scholarships and additional support to help students participate fully in the Penn experience. An additional $3 million will establish the Shleifer Family Quaker Commitment Challenge. The remaining $5 million will support the President’s Priorities Fund, providing flexible resources to advance key areas of Penn Forward.

The gift builds on the Shleifers’ longstanding support of undergraduate financial aid through the Quaker Commitment, Penn’s pledge to meet 100% of demonstrated need for all aided undergraduate students.

The Shleifer Scholars Program will establish a permanent cohort of undergraduate students whose Penn education is made possible through the Quaker Commitment. These students will also receive resources to pursue experiences that are vital to their academic, professional, and personal development. The Shleifer Family Quaker Commitment Challenge will encourage new donors to invest in Penn’s permanent financial aid resources.

Their support of the President’s Priorities Fund will give University leadership flexible resources to advance key priorities within Penn Forward and respond to emerging opportunities and needs.

10/20/2026

The Fall/Winter 2026 issue of Wharton Magazine is now available online! https://whr.tn/4i5kxQL

Top stories include:

🎓 Dean Erika H. James discusses the future of business education with Vice Deans of the , , programs Cait Lamberton, Michael Roberts, and Kevin Werbach

🏛️ Former Wharton Dean Patrick Harker takes on his biggest challenge yet: connecting U.S. policymakers with Penn’s expertise for the greater good as Director of Academic Engagement at Penn Washington

🥼 Inside Wei-Wu He, Ph.D. (He/him)'s (WG’99) quest for longer, healthier lives through Human Longevity, Inc. and Wharton’s Health Care Excellence and Leadership Strategy Initiative

10/16/2026

Thank you Scott Shleifer (W’99) and Elena Shleifer for your continued support of undergraduate financial aid at Penn! 💙❤️

A $20 million commitment from alumnus Scott Shleifer and Elena Shleifer will strengthen undergraduate financial aid and expand opportunity at Penn.

The gift establishes the Shleifer Scholars Program, supports the Quaker Commitment, and advances Penn Forward priorities. Acknowledging the gift, President J. Larry Jameson said, “The Shleifers’ generosity will open doors for talented undergraduates while strengthening Penn’s ability to invest in our future and deliver on our mission.”

Read More: https://bit.ly/3WaO0kV

10/15/2026

📚 During the McNulty Leadership Program's most recent Authors@Wharton event, Prof. Adam Grant was joined by award-winning filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan for a conversation about Prof. Grant’s new book, Vibe: The Secrets of Strong Connections in a Lonely World.

Typically the interviewer, Prof. Grant took the guest seat as he discussed the surprising science behind strong connections and the keys to creating deeper relationships and tighter communities.

Stay tuned for a recording of their conversation, available soon on our YouTube channel.

10/14/2026

10/06/2026

This weekend marked a historic moment on campus: the celebration of our MBA Program for Executives’s 50th anniversary! 🎉

Graduates from our Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Global cohorts came together to catch up with classmates, make new connections, and engage with faculty.

Festivities included:

🔷 A welcome address from Wharton Dean Erika H. James
🔷 An alumni panel led by new WEMBA Vice Dean Kevin Werbach
🔷 Industry-specific alumni panels focused on entrepreneurship, finance and private equity, health care, and technology
🔷 Faculty keynotes from Wharton Vice Dean of AI & Analytics Eric Bradlow, Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship Lori Rosenkopf, and Prof. Kent Smetters
🔷 An evening reception at the National Constitution Center

Thank you to all of our WEMBA alumni who joined us for this momentous !

10/02/2026

📚 From a guide to finding purpose in sometimes monotonous work to leadership lessons shaped by family history, Wharton Magazine’s fall alumni book roundup includes seven works from authors worth adding to your reading list: https://whr.tn/4rC5eDD

Featured authors: Julian Baldwin (WG’16), Joshua Bernstein (WG’09), Kacey Carpenter (WG’91), Jeanne McPhillips (WG’95), Rachel Pacheco (WG’11, GRW21), Fredric Price (WG’69), Matthew Sigman (WG’94).

09/28/2026

After toiling in unsatisfying writing jobs after college, Judith Messina (WG’76) applied to the program in search of stability and a sense of accomplishment.

What she found in her time on campus would lay the foundation for two of the great loves of her life: her husband, the late David Fleischer (C’70, WG’76), and journalism.

After more than a decade in operations at Citibank, Judith parlayed her business acumen into a return to writing as a journalist, reporting for Crain’s New York Business and then for other publications as a freelancer.

“Throughout my career, in banking and journalism, I saw the importance of how you manage people and processes,” she says. “It’s difficult, it takes know-how, and you have to learn it over time. You make mistakes, and so it takes humility — and also, courage. But management is what makes things work. Departments that run well have strong managers.”

Still at the keyboard today, Judith found time between deadlines to reflect on her career pivot, an award-winning story, and success both in and away from work in Wharton Magazine: https://whr.tn/4iPpv6d

09/24/2026

We are pleased to share that Erika James has been reappointed as Dean of the Wharton School through 2032, as University of Pennsylvania President Larry Jameson announced today.

Since joining Wharton in 2020, Dean James has led the School through a period of tremendous success, unveiling new programs, adding exceptional faculty, announcing record-breaking philanthropic contributions, and charting a bold new vision of future growth and achievement. With her reappointment, she becomes the first Wharton dean in the past two decades tapped to serve a second term.

“After reviewing Wharton’s investments in academic excellence, innovative new programs and initiatives, strengthened alumni relations, outstanding faculty and students, curricular reforms, revenue growth, and increased operational efficiency and effectiveness, the Consultative Committee unanimously endorsed Dean James’s reappointment,” said President Jameson. “I agree and look forward to all she and Wharton will accomplish in her second term.”

Read more about the news, including reflections from Penn leaders, a detailed look back at Dean James’ first term, and her plans for the future here: https://whr.tn/4hpOISr

09/23/2026

Sending a warm welcome to the talented group of new faculty members who've joined us on campus this year.

These impressive scholars bring extensive expertise and fresh perspectives to the classroom as well as their respective research fields and academic departments.

They include:

🔹 Patrick Adams and Thomas Sargent, Finance Department
🔹 Rory Van Loo, Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department
🔹 Roger Masclans and Jessica (Jess) Reif, Management Department
🔹 Craig Fernandes and Alex Moehring, Operations, Information, and Decisions Department
🔹 Bradley Ross, Real Estate Department
🔹 Sky Cao, Statistics Department

09/22/2026

Counting down the days until campus is awash in red, yellow, and orange. 🍂

Happy first day of fall, Quakers!

09/18/2026

Founded six years ago to address inequities in access to academic support and career guidance, the Wharton Youth Mentors Club (WYMC) engages with the Philadelphia community through partnerships with local organizations to offer mentorship, tutoring, and exposure to higher education.

Through these programs, the club's volunteers aim to make a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives of middle- and high-school students across the city.

One of their core initiatives is its weekly tutoring program with Upward Bound, a college-preparatory organization serving students from high schools including Sayre, Overbrook, West Philadelphia, and Parkway West. Volunteers meet weekly with students to help them with homework and applications for college and scholarships, as well as to have broader conversations about career goals and life decisions.

In addition to tutoring, WYMC collaborates with Upward Bound, the Belmont Charter Network, Philadelphia Financial Scholars, and the University of Pennsylvania's Talent Search program to host events throughout the year, including career days and financial literacy workshops.

The club also helps organize Shadow Days, during which high-school students visit Huntsman Hall, engage with MBA student volunteers, and gain firsthand insight into the possibilities in higher education by attending classes.

Read WYMC co-president Jimmy Schuster's (L'18 WG'26) full piece in Wharton Magazine: https://whr.tn/4j3An0n

09/15/2026

Manifesting all this and more for W’30. ✨ We can’t wait to see all that our newest students achieve during their time on campus!

09/11/2026

09/10/2026

Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the day remains etched in our collective memory as we remember the lives taken, the families and communities forever changed, and the countless acts of courage and compassion that followed.

Three Wharton alumni recently shared with Wharton Magazine their personal stories of turning immense tragedy and personal loss into a lifelong commitment to service:

Sean Egan (W’18): A founding member of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum's Visionary Network, Sean is working to add 9/11 to the curricula of schools around the country as a way to honor the life of his father, Martin J. Egan Jr., who lost his life on 9/11 while working as a captain for the Fire Department of New York.

Robert Hurst (WG’68): As a former Goldman Sachs vice chairman, Robert tapped into his vast network to create the 9/11 United Services Group, which brought together nonprofits, government agencies, and major financial firms to assist those affected by the attacks during the immediate aftermath.

Hilary Kramer (WG’91): A staunch advocate for 9/11 first responders, survivors, and their families, Hilary honors the legacy of her husband, Timothy Edward Coyne, a New York City police lieutenant who passed away in 2021 of health complications related to 9/11, by helping others through organizations like Survivors of the Shield and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

Read more about their stories: https://whr.tn/4r28eJ0