They oversee thousands of students. They manage millions of dollars. They run the show here at Penn.
But many undergraduates can't even name them.
These are the people whose choices affect every member of the Penn community.
It has been three years since Amy Gutmann shed the robe of Princeton University's provost to serve as Penn's president. And she has spent that time immersing herself fully in the Red and Blue.
Among her initiatives have been her $5 million pledge to increase campus security last January, her plans to promote gender balance among faculty members and, of course, her annual Halloween and holiday parties for students.
When Gutmann isn't writing books on political theory or riding elephants in India like she did last winter, you may catch her working out at Pottruck or dining at a Stephen Starr restaurant. As Gutmann embarks on her third year at Penn, she will have to work to realize her visions - and decide what to be for Halloween.
Provost Ron Daniels traveled far and crossed national borders to come to Penn. But after making the trek from his native Canada and serving 13 months here, Daniels is ready to begin his second year.
After serving as dean of the University of Toronto law school, Daniels took the reins as provost last July.
Major priorities for the University's chief academic officer include promoting undergraduate research, improving Penn's global presence and strengthening community service courses.
With these global visions, Daniels will be working hard - although always with a smile -- to make his plans a reality.
Mathematics professor Dennis DeTurck emerged from the depths of David Rittenhouse Laboratory in January 2005 to lead the College.
Well-loved by his students, DeTurck has continued to spend much of his time working with undergraduates.
As dean, DeTurck is responsible for undergraduate curricula and students in every discipline in the College of Arts and Sciences.
When Patrick Harker became dean of the Wharton School in 2000, he was the youngest to oversee one of the world's top business schools.
But that's nothing new for Harker, who was also the youngest faculty member to be awarded an endowed professorship in the history of Wharton.
In 2003, Harker announced that Wharton's graduate school would no longer provide students' e-mail addresses to publications who rank schools, citing privacy concerns. Nevertheless, the publications continue to rank Wharton at or near the top each year.
As the leader of one of Penn's smallest schools, School of Engineering and Applied Science dean Eduardo Glandt has made a large mark in the past seven years. He's raised millions of dollars and broadened the school's global position.
A native of Argentina, Glandt has been part of Penn's faculty since 1975.
School of Nursing Dean Afaf Meleis came from the University of California at San Francisco in 2002 to take over at Penn.
Originally from Egypt, Meleis has mentored hundreds of students, clinicians and researchers from all over the world, including Thailand, Brazil, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Columbia, Korea and Japan.
She has held visiting professorships in Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Her scholarship focuses on global health, immigrant and international health and women's health.
