This will be Dr. Judith Rodin’s final Alumni Weekend as President of Penn. Our annual celebration will be an opportunity to share our appreciation for her transformative leadership. For ten years President Rodin has presided over one of the most impressive periods of growth in Penn’s history. She leaves the University with its academic reputation enhanced and its status as a world-class institution of higher education dramatically reaffirmed. Join us as we celebrate with President Rodin at events across campus, culminating with the Alumni Day Picnic and the Parade of Classes to College Green.

As you savor the programming and events of Alumni Weekend, the impact of Dr. Rodin’s legacy will be palpable. Nearly a decade after taking office, virtually all aspects of University life have been shaped by her leadership. Penn has invigorated its resources, doubling its research funding and tripling both its annual fundraising and the size of its endowment; launched a comprehensive and widely acclaimed neighborhood revitalization program; attracted record numbers of under-graduate applicants, creating Penn’s most selective classes ever; and risen in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of top national research universities from 16th in 1994 to 5th in 2003. Dr. Rodin’s presidency has also marked the largest capital construction period in Penn’s history, with more than $1 billion invested in new buildings, renovations, and restorations.

"Together, we can and must create the vision, the passion, the energy to move Penn forward. Together, let us feel the glory and power of this place and its history. Together, let us be advocates for Penn’s needs, Penn’s mission and Penn’s common good. Together, let us celebrate Penn’s special legacy and unique gifts, and proudly hold our rightful place among America’s and the world’s leading academic institutions."
--President Judith Rodin, Inaugural Address, October 21, 1994