A few times each year, students frequent Penn President Amy Gutmann’s events for free food and giveaways. But our University’s head offers students a lot more than chocolate fountains. Gutmann has a longstanding commitment to helping students pursue their passion for research; just last year, she and her husband made a $100,000 donation that went primarily to the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. Now, by choosing to allocate her $500,000 award from the Carnegie Corporation to undergraduate research, internships and the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, she is continuing to put students first.
Gutmann’s decision to donate her funds to these causes will benefit both the undergraduate and graduate populations. The money going to expand the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program, a summer research opportunity under CURF, will allow more undergraduates to have the resources to take their academic interests to the next level. The donation to GAPSA will give graduate students the opportunity to present their research to each other. And the funds going to internship opportunities at the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues in Washington will give students the chance to learn more about science policy without being as strapped for cash.
Money is hard for anyone to come by these days, and there are generally fewer funds available for research. Now more than ever, making more University resources available to further academic developments is important. Penn should continue to help students looking to conduct research and find paid internships.
