Also, Penn has yet to settle in an antitrust lawsuit over financial aid.

The event was originally scheduled for Dec. 14 to 15 at The Rotunda, which is located at 40th and Walnut streets and owned by Penn.

Jameson reflected on how his previous roles prepared him for leadership but also emphasized how the presidency has broadened his understanding of the University.

In early December 2024, over a dozen Philadelphia health experts gathered on a Zoom call to discuss potential challenges for public health under the second Trump administration.

The program includes small-group training sessions led by policy professionals as well as independent fieldwork around the globe.

Penn remains one of six defendants that has not settled a 2022 lawsuit accusing 16 other universities of forming a “price-fixing cartel” that colluded to benefit wealthy students and demanding approximately $2 billion in damages.

Penn Dental plans to transform the Saxbys location at 40th and Locust streets into a sedation center with multiple operatories and recovery areas. Capital funding and fundraising efforts are scheduled for the 2025 and 2026 fiscal years.

Penn Doctor of Laws honorary degree holder and former President Jimmy Carter died at 100 at his home in Plains, Ga., on Dec. 29.

Over 9,500 students applied to Penn through the Early Decision Program — an increase from last year’s total of over 8,500 applications — according to the University announcement. 

2020 Penn Engineering graduate Luigi Mangione was indicted on one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder — along with eight additional charges — in the UnitedHealthcare CEO case on Dec. 17. 

“Her comments regarding the shooting of Brian Thompson in New York City were antithetical to the values of both the School of Arts and Sciences and the University of Pennsylvania,” Kallberg wrote in the statement. 

The estate donation — which brings his lifetime contributions to Penn to $50 million — will establish the William J. Levy Endowed Scholarship Fund to support over 40 students annually. 

Interim Penn President Larry Jameson’s first year in the position was marked by heightened campus activism, labor organization, and continued administrative policy changes and fallout. 

In 2024, Penn saw a change in the racial makeup of its student body with a decrease in the percentage of students from historically underrepresented groups in higher education. 

The completion of two new buildings marked significant infrastructural developments on Penn’s campus this past year, with additional construction projects set to break ground in 2025.

Under new leadership in 2024, Penn appointed five deans and multiple new vice provost positions among other administrative shifts aimed at emphasizing the University's commitment to pursuing its strategic frameworks.

2024 saw the formation of three new campus unions, one historic union contract ratification, and increased momentum in negotiations between the University and several campus labor groups.