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Jackie Reses and Matt Apfel’s $5 Million Gift to Support Wharton Undergraduates and Name Space in Wharton’s New Academic Building

caption: The gift will help create an inviting, pivotal gathering space for students and welcoming lounge area for social events and lectures.The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is delighted to announce a new $5 million dollar gift from Jacqueline Reses, W’92 and her husband Matthew Apfel, L’90. This significant commitment will support the completion of Wharton’s new academic building currently under construction. The gift will also create the Reses Apfel Men and Women of Pennsylvania Challenge Fund and support undergraduate scholarships.

“One of the great fortunes of the Penn community is to have alumni donors like Jackie and Matt. Jackie went from her education at Wharton on to great success in her professional life. By choosing to give back with this gift to the School, she sets a tremendous example for women in philanthropy,” said Dean Erika James. “Jackie and Matt have remained dedicated and connected to Penn and with these extraordinary gifts to Wharton, they help to advance future generations of business leaders and provide inspiration for other alumnae to join in supporting the School at meaningful levels.”

Ms. Reses and Mr. Apfel’s $5 million gift will benefit three separate Wharton causes. A portion of the donation will go toward the completion of one of the newest capital projects taking shape on Penn’s campus. As a new gateway to the campus, this building will serve as a fully equipped modern hub for faculty and student research and will house research programs, including those dedicated to data and analytics. The gift will help create an inviting, pivotal gathering space for students and welcoming lounge area for social events and lectures.

The gift will also support undergraduate financial aid in two separate ways. The Reses Apfel Men and Women of Pennsylvania Challenge Fund will provide matching funds for subsequent scholarship donors multiplying the impact of their philanthropy. A new scholarship will supply financial aid for undergraduates at Wharton as part of the Undergraduate Named Scholarship Program. This expands upon the couple’s devotion to educational access through their Reses Apfel Family Endowed Scholarship, which has supported women studying at Wharton since 2008. Ms. Reses’ commitment to undergraduates is an extension of her service to the School, where she is a member of Wharton’s Undergraduate Executive Board.

“Wharton had a transformational role in my life,” said Ms. Reses. “I want to support the School in its mission to make it possible for every student who earns a place at Wharton to be able to attend and thrive.”

Ms. Reses and Mr. Apfel both continue to dedicate time to Penn and Wharton. Ms. Reses frequently guest lectures in classes at Wharton sharing her expertise on a diverse range of topics from finance to technology, and she is passionate about imparting her experience to students more directly as a mentor. She was also instrumental in the work to help revamp the undergraduate curriculum, and in 2016, delivered the graduation keynote address to the Wharton MBA Program for Executives at Wharton San Francisco. Mr. Apfel works with Penn’s Carey Law School as a guest speaker on law and technology matters.

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