Provost John L. Jackson, Jr. has announced the reappointment of Laura Perna, the GSE Centennial Presidential Professor of Education, as vice provost for faculty. 

“Laura Perna has been an invaluable leader in sustaining one of our most important commitments: supporting our great Penn faculty at every stage of their careers,” said Provost Jackson. “She has been an advocate for faculty wellness and work-life balance and a leader in using surveys, metrics, and other data to better assess and strengthen our resources for faculty. She has also been a key driver of faculty leadership and development programs, including Penn Fellows, Mellon Fellows, and the Provost’s Leadership Academy, along with the national Faculty Advancement Network of thirteen peer universities, for which she and Joann Mitchell are our representatives. 

“Above all,” continued Provost Jackson, “she has been an invaluable partner in furthering the work of all twelve schools and the Faculty Senate, steering faculty hiring, promotion, and retention with great judgment and skill, including collaborating with schools to improve our procedures for external consultants; significantly updating and enhancing the Faculty Income Allowance Plan; and innovating new forms of communication with and among faculty, including a dynamic new faculty website, an interactive data dashboard, and a highly successful e-newsletter.”

Vice Provost Perna is a global expert in college access, affordability, and success, especially for low-income, first-generation, and non-traditional students. Her frequently-cited research examines the ways in which social structures, educational practices, and public policies promote and limit college access and success, particularly for groups that continue to be underrepresented in higher education. The co-founder of GSE’s Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy (AHEAD), she has testified before Congress, advised university leaders and policymakers, and been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and National Public Radio, among other media. 

Her leadership positions in major national associations have included president of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) and vice president of the American Educational Research Association’s Postsecondary Education division. She is currently chair of the Board of Directors of the Postsecondary National Policy Institute and a board member of the Lenfest Scholars Foundation. She was elected in 2019 to the National Academy of Education and has received the Early Career Achievement Award and Research Achievement Award from ASHE, the Excellence in Public Policy in Higher Education Award from ASHE’s Council on Public Policy and Higher Education, the Dr. Constance Clayton Education Award from the Philadelphia College Prep Roundtable, and the Robert P. Huff Golden Quill Award from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, among numerous other honors. At Penn, she has served as chair of the Faculty Senate and chair of Penn GSE’s Higher Education division, and in 2010 she received the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching, Penn’s highest teaching honor. She is a Penn alumna, holding a BA in psychology from the College of Arts & Sciences and a BS in economics from the Wharton School, and she also received an MPP in public policy and a PhD in education from the University of Michigan. 

“It is a great honor and privilege to serve as vice provost for faculty at Penn,” said Vice Provost Perna. “I am deeply committed to continuing our vital work of advancing the recruitment, retention, development, promotion, happiness, and well-being of Penn faculty, in partnership with the Provost, deans, Faculty Senate, and our other inspiring leaders and colleagues across campus.”