Some have fostered relationships with her stemming back years. To others, she is completely foreign, merely a name in an e-mail received last evening.
But regardless of varied levels of familiarity with Princeton Provost Amy Gutmann, Penn's faculty and administration seem to be voicing a unified consensus: Gutmann is the right woman for the job.
"She is ambitious, scholarly and wide-ranging," said Sarah Barringer Gordon, who spent the 1997-1998 academic year at the Princeton University Center for Human Values under Gutmann, who served as director.
"I'm not surprised, I'm just thrilled ... I can't stop smiling," the Penn law and history professor said.
Despite the excitement buzzing around campus, questions still remain about Gutmann's ability to effectively transition from the role of provost at a smaller suburban school to that of president in Penn's larger urban environment.
"I think basically Princeton is a school of arts and sciences and Penn is a school of arts and sciences plus, so there's a greater challenge here," Penn School of Arts and Sciences Dean Samuel Preston said.
Financial and distributional issues also remain.
"We don't have as much of an endowment [as Princeton has] and we're heavily weighted towards professional schools," Wharton Marketing Professor Robert Meyer said.
Preston specifically noted the challenge of Penn's medical system, which requires "half of the budget of the University of Pennsylvania" to maintain.
It "has very idiosyncratic issues associated with it," Preston said, adding that "it is going to be very important for her to familiarize herself with and get on top of" the medical system.
Others have not yet had time to render a judgment.
Chairman of the Sociology Department Paul Allison said he had just learned of the nomination from The Daily Pennsylvanian yesterday morning.
"I was surprised that the announcement came as soon as it did," he said.
Chairman of the Biology Department Andrew Binns echoed Allison.
"There wasn't much news coming from the search committee, so I was surprised," he said.
Despite the shock, both professors and administrators seemed optimistic.
"I believe she starts with a groundswell of support among the faculty," Preston said.
Meyer is one of those supporters.
"She has the energy and enthusiasm to bring new life to the place," he said.
Yet few deny the pressure to fulfill the standards established by her predecessor, University President Judith Rodin.
"Judy Rodin is a hard act to follow, so initially it might be difficult," Preston said.
But Gutmann may surpass Rodin in the area of student relations -- one of the duties of University president that Rodin was considered by some to neglect.
"She's very accessible," said Gordon, who characterized Gutmann as "beloved by students."
