Penn’s Models of Excellence recognized over 70 staff members last week for their commitment to the University’s principles.
The program, now in its 27th year, allows the Penn community to recognize remarkable achievements by nominating staff members for one of three categories: Models of Excellence, Pillars of Excellence, and Model Supervisor. Awardees are set to be recognized at a formal ceremony on June 1.
The awards are presented to individuals and teams whose work “exemplifies the University’s principles and practices.”
Former Penn President Liz Magill launched the “In Principle and Practice” framework in 2023 to shape the University’s upcoming planning and initiatives. Penn President Larry Jameson’s strategic framework, which was announced last September, builds on key pillars outlined in Magill's “In Principle and Practice.”
“Following the Models of Excellence call for nominations last fall, the 2026 Selection Committee worked diligently and objectively to review and rate all the Models of Excellence nominations and select this year’s honorees,” a posting in the University’s Almanac read. “Penn Human Resources extends its gratitude to the 59 nominators, and the more than 100 colleagues who provided references, for their time, contribution, and commitment to this program.”
Among the honorees for the Models of Innovation award is Penn’s Federal Research Transition Team, a group that “rallied with speed, creativity, and determination” following disruptions to federal research funding last year.
In February 2025, the National Institutes of Health announced a 15% funding cut that threatened $240 million in Penn’s federal funding, a move which Jameson, at the time, described as “serious” with “significant implications for Penn research programs.”
Penn also recognized individuals from the School of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Facilities and Real Estate Services, School of Veterinary Medicine, Provost’s Center, Division of Finance, and Penn Global. Additionally, teams from the Penn Medicine Standardized Patient Program, Molecular Pathology and Imaging Core Team, and Penn Advanced Research Computing Center will also receive an award.
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The award grants $500 per recipient, as well as an engraved keepsake at the formal ceremony. Jameson, Provost John Jackson, Jr., Executive Vice President Mark Dingfield, and Vice President of Human Resources Felicia Washington will attend the ceremony and present the awards in June.
“These staff members have earned their place in the spotlight alongside the University’s world-renowned faculty, students, and alumni,” Washington said in her address at last year’s ceremony. “The honorees not only make research, education, and service possible every day — they show us the power of our principles and the results of our best practices.”
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Senior reporter Arti Jain covers state and local politics and can be reached at jain@thedp.com. At Penn, she studies economics and political science. Follow her on X @arti_jain_.
