In a video message delivered on May 7, Penn President Amy Gutmann praised how quickly and how selflessly the Penn community has adapted for the common good in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following is a transcript. Visit https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/united-common-good to view the video.

Hello, Quakers. The other night, I watched a hundred drones light up the sky above Franklin Field as their flashing red and blue lights spelled the message, “Thank you Heroes.” 

In the street below, more lights flashed in response, with Penn, Drexel and Philadelphia police vehicles lining the road outside our hospital.

A cloudy night brightened—with an amazing display of gratitude to our doctors, nurses and first responders. I so wish that all of you could have been there with me to bear witness to it.

Even after 16 years as Penn’s president, my capacity for amazement still gets a daily workout. And even in these times, we’ve had no shortage of uplifting surprises.

There was the day when Grammy winner and all-around rock star Lizzo delivered lunch and a fantastic thank you video to our Penn Medicine heroes. Players from the Eagles and the Flyers followed her lead and donated meals of their own. And because we’re all adapting to virtual instruction, who just proudly completed an online Penn course in ancient philosophy? None other than the music icon Shakira.

Penn transformed almost overnight to respond to this pandemic. The health system upended itself, radically increasing our emergency capacity in order to save as many lives as possible. And pop stars from afar are studying Socrates and boosting morale—with a sandwich and a side of mayo.   

All of you have proven how quickly and how selflessly Penn can adapt for the common good. I am so proud. It takes grit and courage to run toward challenges rather than away; to set aside how we’ve always done things in order to do the most good for others.

I’ve been thinking about how we are guiding Penn through these trying times, and these three R’s sum it up.

Penn people are Resourceful. They’re ensuring public health, supporting frontline healthcare workers, and deploying our resources to meet both the demands of the hour and the future.

Penn people are Resilient, teaching and learning online while physically apart, finding new ways of being more connected, and conducting life-saving research under the strictest protocols and the greatest time pressure.

Above all, we are Responsive, caring for patients, caregivers, workers, community partners whose lives and livelihoods are at risk while at the same time supporting the needs of our amazing students.

As those drones brightened the night sky above Franklin Field, I wondered: Just a couple of months ago, did our doctors and nurses imagine dropping everything to do this heroic work? Did any of us expect to move more than 4,000 courses online for Penn students around the planet?

Did Lizzo imagine she’d be sending sandwiches and love to our caregivers?

We all have pivoted our immediate priorities to serve a common good. Each of you has demonstrated that by being Resourceful, Resilient and Responsive, Penn students, faculty and staff will get through this—with flying red and blue colors—together.

I may not have a fleet of drones handy today, or a Grammy on my shelf, but immense gratitude—that I do have. I am enormously grateful for all of you. We are a caring and compassionate community, united by a common good.

This is Amy Gutmann.

Stay strong. Stay safe. Stay in touch.