Who's Who at Penn, Rosemary Stevens, Arts and Sciences Dean

The now-infamous debate -- which embroiled administrators, faculty and students -- centered on her proposal in 1993 to "streamline" education by disbanding the Religious Studies, American Civilization and Regional Science departments. Religious Studies was eventually spared, but American Civilization and Regional Science were cut last summer. Stevens was appointed SAS dean in 1991 after serving as the chairperson of the department of history and sociology of science since 1980. She is one of the world's leading experts in the history and evolution of health care administration. Previously, Stevens taught at both Yale and Tulane universities and has been a visiting professor at such prestigious institutions as the London School of Economics and Johns Hopkins University. Stevens released a 57-page plan entitled "Priorities for the Twenty-First Century" in 1993, which detailed plans for SAS until the year 2000. The plan's four missions for the school included: · Providing the best undergraduate education in the world; · Ensuring that the next generation of scientists, scholars and teachers are well-prepared for their future roles; · Pursuing wisdom and advanced knowledge through scholarly research in the humanities and the social and natural sciences; and · Sponsoring academic-based community service programs and volunteer work to be viewed nationally as a model.