When I first learned last spring of Amy Gutmann's nomination as the eighth president of Penn, my first reaction was, "Amy who?" As I have gotten to know this remarkable woman in the ensuing months, my reaction is, "Amy, hooray." Despite being a trustee, I had no prior notice of who the presidential search committee was considering for the Penn presidency, a compliment to the integrity of the presidential search process and those who gave it so much time and energy.
After an unprecedented rise in the fortunes of Penn under Judy Rodin's 10-year tenure, many trustees (myself included) were apprehensive about who could continue Penn's national ascendancy in the rankings of higher education, who could continue the momentum that has seen Penn rise from 16th to fourth in the US News and World Report rankings of the best colleges and universities in the country. Our apprehension about Penn's future turned to enthusiasm after we spent some time with Amy.
Amy gets it. She understands Penn's uniqueness as the only leading university with 12 schools on one campus, an opportunity for interdisciplinary education that has no equal. She understands that Penn's uniqueness enhances our ability to build on an already outstanding faculty and student body.
Higher education is no longer an institution characterized by research silos where scholars can pursue their individual goals in relative isolation. The ivory tower is a thing of the past. In the future, scholarship will require collaboration across many disciplines. Just as economies are becoming global, so is knowledge. Penn is uniquely positioned to provide the interdisciplinary education and research opportunities that the brightest students of today demand.
Judy Rodin has left Penn a tremendous legacy. Penn has entered a realm of peers who never saw us in that light before her presidency. We have gained access to the Schuylkill River with the acquisition of the post office and Convention Center lands, a decades-long goal and a natural expansion of the campus. Penn has become a good neighbor by transforming a deteriorating neighborhood into a vibrant urban community. And this has all been accomplished with far fewer resources than the institutions we now call our competition. Rather than bemoaning our relative disadvantage versus our far richer peers, Penn has pursued its own path to excellence.
Penn is simply managed better than its peers. We have accomplished more with less than any other institution of higher learning that I know. A shared vision by the administration, the faculty, the trustees and loyal alumni has led Penn to new heights. Penn's success has made the choice of our next president all the more important.
The task of finding an individual with the skills to manage and lead an institution as large and complex as Penn is not easy. Nor is it without its risks. A successful president must be able to both listen and lead. A successful president must also be able to define and articulate a vision for Penn that will provide a road map for the future. If you don't know where you want to go, chances are you won't get there.
I am confident that Amy Gutmann understands Penn's unique strengths and is developing a strategy to raise it, in her words, "from excellence to eminence." I have also observed her willingness to listen, to question and probe and to make decisions. Her only agenda is Penn and its continuing advancement.
Amy Gutmann has been greeted enthusiastically by all of Penn's various constituencies, in part by a common desire to succeed, and in part by our confidence that we have made the right choice in naming her as Penn's next president. She is a scholar who will enable Penn to retain and attract the finest faculty. She is also an able administrator who listens, who is a quick study and who will make the right decisions for Penn's future. Under her leadership, we need not fear the future, but look forward to it with the anticipation of reaching even greater heights.
