The Penn Commonwealth-Engaged Scholars (PCES) Program is a new initiative aimed at deepening the University’s connection with communities across Pennsylvania. Funding for PCES comes from Penn’s inaugural Draw Down the Lightning Grants program.

While Penn is the oldest institution of higher education in the state, it has largely been disconnected from the Commonwealth outside of Philadelphia and its neighboring counties. Consistent with Penn’s new strategic framework, In Principle and Practice, the PCES program seeks to address this “familiarity deficit” and position Penn as an anchored, engaged, and interwoven institution that brings forth inventive solutions to pressing problems. The first cohort of PCES scholars is made up of faculty and staff members who are interested in applying their expertise to local Pennsylvania issues. They are:

• Laura Garnick Bellet, director of strategic communications projects, Penn Central Development and Alumni Relations
• Julie Berger, senior associate director, Office of School & Community Engagement, Penn GSE
• Vanessa Chan, vice dean of innovation & entrepreneurship, Penn Engineering
• Selena A. Gilles, practice professor and associate dean for school and community engagement, Penn Nursing
• David A. Hill, assistant professor of pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine
• Aaron Levy, senior lecturer of English and the history of art, School of Arts & Sciences
• Irina Marinov, associate professor of Earth and environmental science, School of Arts & Sciences
• Cypress Marrs, research associate, Penn Housing Initiative, Weitzman School of Design
• Desmond Upton Patton, Penn Integrates Knowledge (PIK) University Professor, School of Social Policy & Practice and Annenberg School for Communication
• Carlos Gray Santana, associate professor of philosophy, School of Arts & Sciences

The PCES cohort will take part in educational briefings to learn about the state’s history, political structure, and regional socio-economic differences. The program will include visits with communities across the Commonwealth, exposing scholars to the distinct geographic, demographic, economic, industrial, cultural, and political regions of Pennsylvania. The itinerary will include visits to urban areas including Pittsburgh, rural communities such as Williamsport and Benezette, and the capital city of Harrisburg. It will also feature stops in locations that highlight the state’s energy development history.

The co-leaders of the PCES program include Lia Howard, director of fellows and director of the Political Empathy Lab in the SNF Paideia program; Michael Smith, senior director of Commonwealth Relations in Penn’s Office of Government and Community Affairs; F. Hoopes Wampler, senior associate vice president for alumni relations; and Antonia M. Villarruel, dean of Penn Nursing.

“The goal of the Penn Commonwealth-Engaged Scholars program is to anchor our University in the lives of the people we serve,” said Penn Nursing dean Antonia Villarruel. “We are weaving our knowledge and innovation into the fabric of every community across the Commonwealth. The PCES program is our way of looking closer, listening harder, and seeing the strengths and needs of diverse regions. It is an invitation to our faculty and staff to form relationships that are not transactional but transformational. Partnerships that endure, that matter, that move us all toward healthier, more just futures.”

“The conversations that will emerge from this experience informed by the varied expertise of my PCES colleagues from all over the University are what I am most excited about,” said Dr. Howard. “Dialogue sparks imagination and I am eager to see our curiosity grow as we journey together this academic year.”

“In many ways, Pennsylvania is a microcosm of the U.S.,” said Dr. Smith. “Many of the pressing public problems confronting the Commonwealth can be found in many other states. Given Penn’s tremendous capacity for developing and applying knowledge, PCES is an opportunity for our incredible faculty and staff to see these problems up close and in person so that they can apply their expertise to better society. This program will clearly demonstrate Penn’s commitment to the goals of In Principle and Practice.”

“As Pennsylvania is home to more Penn alumni than any other state, it is important for Penn to always be striving to make more connections across the Commonwealth to increase our collective impact and engage all our constituencies,” said Dr. Wampler. “The PCES program gives us the opportunity to do just that in a more comprehensive way than ever before. Pennsylvania is our home, and our success is tied to the way we exist as a productive partner working to find solutions that benefit us all.”

PCES members will be able to apply for competitive Commonwealth Engagement grants to fund community-informed and engaged projects, service, or research. The goal is to strengthen Penn’s affinity across the state and reinforce its leadership as a premier research, teaching, and service partner.