University President Amy Gutmann announced yesterday that the University's Institute for Urban Research received a $2 million donation to create and endow a new professorship.
The inception of the Lawrence C. Nussdorf Chair marks an important milestone for the new institute, which was founded in March.
The chair was made possible by Clark Enterprises, Inc., a Bethesda, Md.-based real estate and investment company whose chief subsidiary is The Clark Construction Group.
The chair is named for Lawrence C. Nussdorf, a 1968 Wharton School graduate and current University trustee. Nussdorf is the president and chief operating officer of Clark Enterprises.
The announcement came at the Transforming Cities Symposium, which was held in the eighth-floor boardroom of Huntsman Hall.
In her welcome address, Gutmann remarked that the event marks a "change of pace from the usual discussions about cities," noting the institute's emphasis on "stressing positive outcomes" of urban initiatives.
Interim Provost Peter Conn introduced a distinguished panel, including former University President Judith Rodin; James Nevels, founder and chairman of the investment firm Swarthmore Group; Alice Rivlin, former vice chairwoman of the Federal Reserve Board and John Timoney, former Philadelphia police chief and current chief of police in Miami.
-- Andrew Whitney
