In 2025, Penn navigated widespread changes impacting higher education. The year saw new faces, initiatives, and academic programs.
As Penn enters another year, The Daily Pennsylvanian asked students, administrators, and community members to share one hope they have for the University in 2026. Here’s what they said.
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“I wish for happiness and peace for everyone at Penn! I also hope that each of you finds purpose, belonging, and joy in whatever you are called to do. We are a community of artists, inventors, athletes, healers, researchers, teachers, problem solvers, and so much more. Together, let’s continue to strengthen Penn and provide value to society in the year ahead.
Our University has a long legacy of groundbreaking ‘firsts’ -- launching the nation’s first hospital, medical school, business school, and, more recently, pioneering mRNA vaccine technology and the first FDA‑approved CAR T‑cell and gene therapies. Inspired by Penn’s many historic contributions, I hope everyone gets involved in Penn’s and Philadelphia’s commemoration of America’s 250th, and I look forward to future ‘firsts’ we will create together.
As I hear reports from the working groups, I am very excited about Penn Forward. I believe it will be transformative for Penn, positioning us as a leader in a rapidly changing society.
Finally, I look forward to learning about the many exciting projects, people, and activities happening throughout our amazing campus every day.”
— Penn President Larry Jameson
“One hope I have for the upcoming year is that Penn continues moving towards being a campus where student well-being, belonging, and accessibility are treated as institutional priorities. Over the past year, working closely with both students and administrators, I’ve seen how structural barriers around funding, academic pressure, mental health resources, and the everyday logistics of student life can disproportionately impact students who are already navigating a great deal. This especially feels important in the context of the broader external pressures many students are facing right now. This includes everything from economic uncertainty to an increasingly polarized social and political climate, which often show up quietly but boldly in students’ academic and personal lives. I hope Penn continues to recognize these realities and responds accordingly. In that process, I also hope that the Undergraduate Assembly can continue to serve as a platform for elevating student concerns and translating them into constructive conversations and action with the administration.”
— Wharton junior and Undergraduate Assembly President Nia Matthews
“One of Penn Climate’s most important goals for 2026 is to show the entire Penn community - students, faculty-staff, and alumni - how truly impressive Penn’s existing climate work is. We have some of the foremost experts in the world innovating at the cutting edge on topics ranging from climate policy to materials science to design and beyond.”
— Vice Provost for Climate Science, Policy, and Action Sanya Carley
“To my fellow campus dwellers, in 2026 I wish your days will be consumed with self-contempt, doubt, and despair; that your carriages will be infelicitous and gestures muted; that your beverages be brackish and your shoes ill-fitting. Friends won’t call, professors will forget to submit letters of recommendation, pay-raises will be frozen, and applications will be ignored. In this unrelenting discontent, when you just can’t stand yourself one more day, you will forget yourself and see the world full of gorgeous artistic, literary, musical, and horticultural distraction from the undeniable reality of your own inadequacy and eventual demise, or you will just meet someone that reminds you nothing of you...I also hope you have at least four good sandwiches.”
— Religious studies professor Justin McDaniel
“My hope for the Penn community in the year ahead is that we can all continue to sustain our shared values of curiosity, invention, community engagement, entrepreneurial energy, and public service – even in the face of historic threats to the mission of higher education. This is why we are now advancing the Penn Forward initiatives to encourage the vibrant new ideas that can proactively shape our community going forward. It is especially significant for us to honor this historic mission in 2026, when people across the world will celebrate the values embodied in the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia.”
— Provost John Jackson Jr.
“For decades, Penn’s expansion has fueled gentrification in West and Southwest Philly. This year the university has a real chance to prove that it wants to do right by its neighbors. Penn can turn words into action by helping us preserve more than 900 affordable homes now being put up for sale by Neighborhood Restorations, and by partnering with the Black Bottom community on an initiative that honors the history and future of this beloved neighborhood, which Penn and the City razed during urban renewal.”
— Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (D-Philadelphia)
“As we mark the Semiquincentennial in 2026, one of my goals is for the Penn community, especially our students, to engage deeply with the enduring ideas of democracy, trust, and truth that have shaped both the nation and the University. Through America 250 at Penn, the Penn Libraries are working with partners across campus to use our collections, exhibitions, and public programming to create spaces for inquiry, reflection, and dialogue that connect historical understanding with contemporary questions. By inviting interdisciplinary exploration of original sources and fostering conversations across difference, I hope the Libraries help strengthen civic engagement and enrich the intellectual life of campus as we consider how the promises of our past can inform a more inclusive future.”
— Vice Provost and Director of Libraries Brigitte Weinsteiger
“My goal for Penn this year is that we meet the historical moment. For the College, this means pressing the case for fundamental knowledge, the one secure way to make us ready for an always changing future. In a world suffused with AI, we humans need well-honed critical judgement. In a world where quick-twitch, incendiary commentary derails public discussion, we need the wisdom to discern hidden agendas and fallacies. And at a time when too many dehumanize those that think differently, we need people who can understand and learn from diverse points of view. Our moment, like every moment, needs independent thinkers to help us find our way through. My goal is that we in the Penn community all work to enable as many of us as possible to declare our independence.”
— College of Arts and Sciences Dean Peter Struck
“As we open 2026 and prepare to recognize our nation’s 250th anniversary, I see a need for leaders to prioritize two things at once. At Wharton, this means honoring our foundational strengths while ensuring our illustrious future. We look to achieve this through thoughtful innovations in our majors and degree programs, supported by meaningful infrastructure investments on both our Philadelphia and San Francisco campuses. Our recently launched Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Master of Science in Quantitative Finance program shows how we’re putting our aspirations into action and is a key focus for us this year.
Further, as a leading professional school with myriad stakeholders, we also believe Wharton should be of increasing service to the global business community, bringing needed and novel insights to learners and leaders worldwide. In 2026, we will continue our goal of expanding access to Wharton knowledge in traditional areas of expertise like finance and leadership, as well as in emerging arenas like artificial intelligence, through non-degree and multimedia content for the broader business world.
In these and numerous other ways, we look to celebrate what makes Wharton great and what’s needed to maintain our greatness for generations to come.”
— Wharton School Dean Erika James
“We’ve already had, I think, seven basketball games at the Palestra, and eight teams competed last weekend so this ‘new year’ is well on its way for those of us who work in Penn Athletics. Philadelphia is going to be an amazing place from a sports perspective in 2026, so I want to be as involved as I can be in some of those events—things like the NCAA Tournament games at Xfinity Mobile Arena in March, the World Cup at Lincoln Financial Field in June and July, and the MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park in July. It’s events like those that make working in this city so special, and so I can’t wait to sit around next December and take stock of what could be an incredible year from an events standpoint.”
— Director of Athletic Communications Mike Mahoney
“With the many changes occurring in our world and on our campus, it can feel as though the ground is shifting beneath our feet, touching our students, the people we serve, and each of us personally. These shifts call on us to look closer and stay creative as we protect what matters most: our mission of shaping compassionate leaders who embrace evidence-driven science and policy to improve health and well-being for individuals and communities. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.’ Even amid this uncertainty, I am hopeful for our future because of the people who show up every day with thoughtfulness and skill. The resilience and generosity of the Penn and Penn Nursing communities bring much optimism for what we will accomplish together this semester.”
— School of Nursing Dean Antonia Villarruel
“In 2026, I hope Penn Hillel continues to serve as a network of support where all students can explore the joy, meaning, and depth of Jewish life. As a board, we hope to continue engaging in dialogue and building relationships with other cultural, ethnic, religious, and other identity-based groups to make our campus community as strong as possible. Bring on 2026!”
— College senior and Penn Hillel Co-President Remy Rabin
“Last fall, I spent a lot of time engaging with faculty, staff, students, and alumni on what they value about Arts & Sciences and where they hope we go next. One of my main goals now is to launch a new strategic plan in early 2026 that reflects those conversations and lays out a vision for the School. I’m excited for it to give our community a shared sense of momentum and direction, and to spark new ideas about how we can have even greater impact.”
— School of Arts and Sciences Dean Mark Trodden
“Let’s make a dose of daily laughter our university’s simplest, most contagious, evidence-based, zero-prescription health tool.”
— Perelman School of Medicine professor Michael Miller
“In 2026 and beyond, one of Penn Engineering’s central goals is to work to reinvent the experience of STEM education for the AI era. This goal is front and center in our new strategic plan, Penn Engineering 2030, which prioritizes expanding hands-on learning, research opportunities and interdisciplinary collaboration for students across Penn, Philadelphia and the world. Our students are essential in shaping an educational future that is centered in creativity, responsibility and impact. Their curiosity and ambition drive everything we do as we prepare them to solve humanity’s greatest challenges and shape a better future for all.”
— School of Engineering and Applied Science Dean Vijay Kumar
“Penn Carey Law began with a Founding Era effort to make legal knowledge broadly accessible to all those participating in our democracy. This simple but ambitious commitment continues to guide us today. One of our primary goals is to ensure that every talented admitted student can afford to join us, has the resources and support to succeed, and graduates with the freedom to pursue the career of their choosing, whether in public service, private practice, business, government, or an emerging field.”
— University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School Dean Sophia Lee
“My goal for ISSS in 2026 is to continue strengthening Penn as a welcoming, globally engaged campus by enhancing the way we support international students and scholars, both through clear, timely immigration advising and through integration initiatives that foster belonging, connection, and cross-cultural learning. As global mobility becomes more complex, we aim to work closely with partners across Penn to ensure our international community can thrive academically, professionally, and personally, while advancing the University’s broader mission of teaching, research, and global impact.”
— Executive Director of International Student and Scholar Services Rodolfo Altamirano
“My goal for 2026—one that I share with my colleagues in OGCA—is to enthusiastically encourage the people of our campus community to lean into their civic power in two important ways: voting in this year’s momentous elections, and experiencing America’s semiquincentennial anniversary with a yearlong slate of events on campus and across the City of Philadelphia.”
— Executive Director of the Office of Government and Community Affairs Dawn Maglicco Deitch
“My goal is to continue our effort to de-escalate the anxiety in the college admissions process by providing clarity and removing friction where we can. We ask ourselves - and students and high school counselors - “How can we make this clearer? How can we anticipate questions and explain the information we need and how we assess it?” and then we make changes. In addition to adjustments we’ve already made in the last several years, I look forward to building more content that cuts through the high energy (often incorrect) external advice engine and share real guidance in our truth-telling Application PSA video series.”
— Dean of Admissions Whitney Soule
“Our goal for 2026 is simple: build tighter, trusting collaborations with our community partners, especially the School District of Philadelphia, to make a measurable difference in student and educator lives.”
— Dean of the Graduate School of Education Katharine Strunk
“At Penn Dental Medicine, one of our goals for 2026 is continuing to expand access to integrated oral healthcare for the Philadelphia community with a special emphasis on persons with disabilities throughout the lifecycle. In February, we are welcoming a new Chief of our Division of Community Oral Health, who will build upon our community partnerships and the care our students and faculty provide at sites in the surrounding West Philadelphia neighborhood and beyond. Plus, we will be increasing access to dental care for persons with disabilities and others who require sedation for treatment with a new general anesthesia/sedation suite that is slated to open at our school this year.”
— Penn School of Dental Medicine Dean Mark Wolff
“Weitzman is organizing a series of events and exhibitions for America’s 250th anniversary (the Semiquincentennial) to better understand the forces that have shaped our built and natural environment — and what is at stake in the decisions being made today by our elected officials. I hope students, faculty, and staff across the University are inspired to make their own connections across time and space.”
— Stuart Weitzman School of Design Dean Frederick Steiner
“One hope our Campus Recreation team has for 2026 is that more people across Penn feel comfortable using recreation spaces as part of their everyday lives. Whether someone comes to the gym regularly, joins an intramural team, or just needs a place to move, reset, or connect with others, we want those spaces to feel welcoming and approachable. Recreation plays an important role in supporting both physical and mental well-being, and our goal is to keep creating environments that help people feel supported, connected, and balanced as part of the campus community.”
— Director of Campus Recreation James Rogers
“I would love to see student organizations, as well as Penn as a whole, create more opportunities for students to explore their interdisciplinary interests. Additionally, I wish that students were more informed about the different career options they can pursue after graduation. The freshman class comes in with incredibly diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and the University should foster their passions by making more meaningful efforts to expose students to the broad range of career paths that our alumni have pursued.”
— Wharton sophomore and Wharton Women President Lina Yang
“My hope for my great Penn faculty colleagues in 2026 is that we can all find the best ways to continue to thrive, do our best work, and sustain our collective health and wellbeing in the midst of our challenging external circumstances. As Vice Provost for Faculty, I will continue to work with the Provost and other colleagues to monitor the impact of federal policy changes and other external events for faculty work and evaluation, especially for faculty in their probationary period. Last year, we made significant changes to criteria for external reviews and also added the option of “impact” statements for faculty going up for promotion and tenure. In the year ahead, I will continue to work with colleagues across the University to improve the clarity and transparency of the University’s expectations for scholarship, especially in finding new ways to evaluate diverse contributions to knowledge, with the goal of encouraging cutting-edge, innovative, and impactful scholarship that also meets the University’s expectations for rigor.”
— Vice Provost for Faculty Laura Perna
“This year at TEDxPenn, our goal is to sell out our tickets for our annual conference! We are so excited to host our annual TEDxPenn conference, which is the largest student-run TED Talk event, here at Irvine Auditorium on March 28th! I joined TEDxPenn as a freshman on the Operations Team, and quickly learned just how much goes into organizing a large event that brings together hundreds of people with such diverse interests. I got to listen to talks from speakers across disciplines from linguistics and finance to epidemiology to fashion, entrepreneurship, and artificial intelligence.”
— College junior and Co-Curator of TEDxPenn Brady Keith
“This fall, we’re thrilled to welcome students to the new Master’s in Communication and Media Industries program. This marks the return of a master’s degree at the School and is a key element of my forthcoming strategic vision.”
— Annenberg School for Communication Dean Sarah Banet-Weiser
“As we move into 2026, our goal is to bring in a new class of students who are committed to advancing social good, driving innovation, and creating lasting impact. Together with our extraordinary faculty, staff, students, alumni, and campus partners, we will continue to train and educate future social workers, policymakers, and nonprofit leaders who confront complex social challenges and lead meaningful, lasting change in communities across the globe. As a co-chair of Penn Forward’s Access, Affordability, & Value working group, I look forward to advancing the group’s recommendations — expanding opportunities for talented students from all socioeconomic backgrounds and ensuring that the cost and value of a Penn education are transparent — priorities that reflect the core values of both Penn and SP2.”
— School of Social Policy and Practice Dean Sara Bachman
“University Life’s goals for the coming year are to further strengthen a campus environment where students feel supported, connected, and able to engage fully in the Penn experience. We are focused on improving how students navigate campus resources and experience community throughout their time at Penn.”
— Vice Provost for University Life Karu Kozuma
“My hope for the coming year is to help ensure that every student—regardless of their background—can seamlessly access the wealth of resources our university offers. Having partnered with schools and Penn’s numerous support programs, I’ve seen the power of an interwoven campus. My goal is to help foster an environment where interdisciplinary knowledge and community engagement are not just opportunities for some, but a reality for all, empowering every student to thrive and lead.”
— Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Russell Composto
