Cornell University administrator Vanda McMurtry will take over as Penn's top government liaison on Oct. 1, University President Amy Gutmann announced on Aug. 22.
As Penn's new vice president for government and community affairs, McMurtry will manage the University's relationship with government officials at all levels.
McMurtry will replace Carol Scheman, who announced in February that she would be leaving the post after more than 10 years at Penn.
Gutmann was unavailable for comment but released a statement about her selection.
"Van has a deep understanding of the important role that strong collaborative relationships with government and community play in the success of the University," she wrote. He "is known and respected in the highest levels of government."
McMurtry joins the Penn administration from his post at Cornell as vice president for government and community relations. He also served as the chief counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance.
McMurtry said one reason he decided to make the move to Penn from Cornell was because of Penn's integrated health system. Prior to his work at Cornell, McMurtry served as senior vice president for federal government relations for Aetna, Inc., a health-insurance firm.
"There is going to be a greater emphasis on health-care issues" at Penn, McMurtry said. "I do have a specialty in that area."
McMurtry said he also expects to focus on Penn's relationship with the federal government on issues affecting higher education.
McMurtry said he anticipates working on "higher education policy, which is very much on the line now," as well as on "how student aid will be administered and at what levels, questions of academic freedom and how these so-called bills of rights will be handled."
-- Mara Gordon
