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Consultative Committee for the Selection of a President

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania have no more important responsibility than the  election of a president. Now faced with the need to identify a successor to Judith Rodin, the Executive Committee of the Trustees has formed a Consultative Committee to invite and review applications and nominations for the University's next president.

The Consultative Committee is composed of trustees, students, and faculty. It is my hope that the Committee will be able to submit recommendations to the Executive Committee of the Trustees in early 2004. While individual Committee members are free to rank candidates, it is intended that the Consultative Committee itself will present a roster of at least three candidates to the Executive Committee of the Trustees. The Executive Committee is responsible for making a recommendation or recommendations to the full board; the full board in turn has the responsibility to elect Penn's next president.

Of utmost importance to the integrity of the search is confidentiality. Therefore, confidentiality with regard to all aspects of the search, including the names of specific candidates and the proceedings of the Committee, is expected of every committee member. I will act as the group's sole spokesperson to the press and other groups.

I encourage all members of the Penn community to contact me with the names of individuals whom you think we should consider. Information may be sent to me at our newly established, confidential and secure e-mail address: Pres-search@upenn.edu.

The University of Pennsylvania is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer, and every effort will be made to identify all qualified candidates, including women and minority candidates.

 The outcome of our search will affect the University far into the future. The goal of the Trustees, in which they seek the Committee's assistance, is to identify the best available individual to become the new president of this extraordinary institution.                                       

-- James S. Riepe, Chairman of the Trustees

Consultative Committee

Chair, James S. Riepe, W'65, WG '67, Charter Trustee

Trustee Members

Thomas Ehrlich, Esq., Term Trustee

Natalie I. Koether, Esq., CW'61, L'65, Charter Trustee

Andrea Mitchell, CW'67, Charter Trustee

Egbert L. J. Perry, CE'76, WG'78, GCE'79, Term Trustee

Alvin V. Shoemaker, W'60, HON'95, Charter Trustee

David M. Silfen, C'66, Term Trustee

Michael L. Tarnopol, W'58, Charter Trustee

Paul C. Williams, W'67, Alumni Trustee, President, Penn Alumni

Faculty Members

Howard Kunreuther, Cecilia Yen Koo Professor, The Wharton School

Phoebe S. Leboy, Professor of Biochemistry, School of Dental Medicine

Mitchell P. Marcus, RCA Professor of Artificial Intelligence, School of Engineering and Applied Science

E. Ann Matter, Brownlee Professor of Religious Studies, School of Arts and Sciences

Michael T. Mennuti, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine

Charles W. Mooney, Jr., Professor of Law, The Law School

Arthur Rubenstein, Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and Dean of the School of Medicine

Barbara D. Savage, The Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought, School of Arts and Sciences

Student Members

Robert J. Alvarez, WG'04, Chair, Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA)

Jason M. Levy, C'04, Chair, Undergraduate Assembly (UA)

Dierdra J. Reber, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Romance Languages, President, Graduate Student Associations Council (GSAC)

Ophelia Roman, C'05, President, Student Committee on Undergraduate Education (SCUE)

Ed. Note: The consultative procedures for the election of a president are based on a standing resolution of the Trustees adopted on June 17, 1983.