Wharton School: $25 Million from Nicolai Tangen and the AKO Foundation to Establish Transformative New Tangen Hall and International Student Scholarship Fund
The University of Pennsylvania announced a $25 million gift that will spearhead construction of a transformative new campus building to be named Tangen Hall and will also establish an international scholarship fund. Nicolai Tangen, founder of London-based investment partnership AKO Capital, is a 1992 Wharton undergraduate alumnus. The donation was made by the AKO Foundation to Penn on the recommendation of Mr. Tangen and his wife, Katja. The gift is a significant contribution to Wharton’s More Than Ever fundraising Campaign.
“We are profoundly grateful to Nicolai and Katja Tangen for their extraordinary commitment to extend opportunities for entrepreneurship to all Penn students,” said Penn President Amy Gutmann. “Talented and creative students are working hard to identify challenges where they can implement efficient, sustainable and actionable solutions through innovative ventures. Their efforts will start in Tangen Hall and have impact across the country and around the world. We are also grateful that Nicolai and Katja are expanding their steadfast scholarship support, enabling the best students from every part of the world to attend Penn, to thrive in their studies, and to serve communities worldwide.”
Tangen Hall, which will be nearly 70,000 square feet and located at 40th and Sansom Streets, represents the first-ever dedicated space for cross-campus student entrepreneurship at Penn. As such, it will crystalize and centralize entrepreneurship and innovation scholarship and practice for students.
Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship and other student entrepreneurship programs across the University will come together within Venture Lab at Tangen Hall. The building will become the new home for such longstanding campus entrepreneurship-focused programs as Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship; the Goergen Entrepreneurial Management Program; Weiss Tech House; the Sol C. Snider Entrepreneurial Research Center; the Wharton Small Business Development Center; and the master’s level Integrated Product Design Program.
Plans for the building include:
- Dozens of meeting and collaboration spaces for students
- Storefront retail space for student ventures
- A test kitchen for food-centric startups
- A Maker Lab operated by Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science and featuring 3D printers and laser cutters
- A virtual reality environment or VR cave
- A café for re-energizing and socializing
“This gift not only represents a profound commitment to Penn and Wharton student financial aid, it also energizes our entire campus community through Tangen Hall, a game-changing facility for innovation, entrepreneurship and technology,” said Wharton Dean Geoffrey Garrett. “Katja and Nicolai Tangen’s immense impact will be felt for decades to come.”
“Katja and I are continually inspired by Penn students and pleased to have the opportunity to engage with them and set them up for success,” said Mr. Tangen. “We look forward to their many achievements in the years ahead and to witnessing how this new building will bring together the next generation of entrepreneurs, leaders and innovators to share their talents with one another and for the greater good.”
Venture Lab, housed within Tangen Hall, will enhance faculty involvement in entrepreneurship across the University. At Penn, there are more than 55 standing faculty in a wide range of disciplines who have a demonstrated interest in entrepreneurship. At Wharton, 15 members of the standing faculty primarily focus their teaching and research in entrepreneurship.
“Tangen Hall marks a new chapter for the entrepreneurial community at Penn and in Philadelphia, providing a central hub for the groundbreaking innovations that happen here every day,” said Wharton Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Karl Ulrich. “This physical space will allow faculty to more strongly support students who turn ideas into outcomes that will transform business for years to come.”
Construction of Tangen Hall is slated to begin in 2019 and be completed by 2020.
International Endowed Scholarship
The gift also makes possible the new Katja and Nicolai Tangen International Endowed Scholarship which will provide financial aid to international undergraduate students who otherwise could not afford the cost of a Penn education. The scholarship reflects the Tangens’ passion for the advancement of education and is the fourth scholarship fund made possible by the AKO Foundation and the Tangens. The Tangens have supported a total of 22 Penn students since they established their first scholarship in 2012, with many of their grateful student recipients receiving funding for each of the four years of their Penn education.
Mr. Tangen is a member of Wharton’s Board of Overseers, the School’s More Than Ever Campaign Cabinet, and the Penn United Kingdom Europe Leadership Committee. He is also a founding donor to Wharton People Analytics. Mr. and Mrs. Tangen have also contributed to the Knowledge@Wharton Business Ethics Series and The Wharton Fund.
A new program project grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) will fund research by the Translational Center of Excellence for Lung Cancer Immunology at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania to improve the effectiveness of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy at fighting solid tumors. The program will specifically evaluate approaches in lung cancer and mesothelioma. The $10.7 million grant will support research for the next five years.
Roger A. Greenberg, professor of cancer biology, is the winner of this year’s Stanley N. Cohen Biomedical Research Award. Dr. Greenberg is internationally recognized as a premier investigator in the highly competitive area of science that links basic DNA repair to cancer. His contributions over the past five years place him within an elite group of basic scientists who have fundamentally advanced a broad range of biological fields and have developed the methodologies necessary to address these issues, several of which were previously intractable. He reported the first direct visualization of the entire process of homologous recombination in a series of landmark papers in Cell and Nature. This evolutionary conserved DNA repair mechanism is the major determinant of cancer etiology and constitutes the basis for telomere maintenance in many cancer types. His most recent work in Nature established the mechanistic basis underlying DNA damage induced inflammatory signaling, an essential component of anti-cancer immunotherapy responses following tumor radiation. As his colleagues noted, “His research is groundbreaking, innovative and eminently deserving of this prestigious recognition.”
Stephan A. Grupp is professor of pediatrics. He holds the Yetta Deitch Novotny Chair at CHOP and directs the Cell Therapy and Transplant Section in the Division of Oncology. In collaboration with his colleagues at Penn, Dr. Grupp and his team treated the first pediatric patient with CAR T cell therapy at CHOP in 2012. When life-threatening complications resulted due to cytokine release syndrome, the patient’s life was saved by prompt administration of the IL-6 receptor blocking monoclonal antibody tocilizumab, which revolutionized the field of cell therapy. Dr. Grupp and his colleagues in the cell therapy group at CHOP continue to enroll patients with a high degree of safety and a 94% complete remission (CR) rate in patients with refractory and multiply relapsed ALL. Dr. Grupp was also the first person to treat a patient with an FDA-approved cell therapy in September 2017. In addition to his “complete commitment to improving cure rates for childhood cancers,” his colleagues describe him as “a terrific teacher, a wonderful and compassionate clinician, and an extremely successful mentor.”
Bruce L. Levine, Barbara and Edward Netter Professor in Cancer Gene Therapy, was recruited to Penn in 1999 to establish a pilot cellular therapy development, manufacturing and testing facility. He successfully designed, built, outfitted and qualified spaces for the Clinical Cell and Vaccine Production Facility (CVPF). The seminal efforts of Dr. Levine and his CVPF team in translating research findings into clinical trials of technologies tested in patients are unequaled in academia, with more than 1,200 patients treated at HUP and CHOP in various cancers and HIV with engineered T cells and with dendritic cells. Among the firsts for Dr. Levine and his team were the first use of a lentiviral vector for gene delivery in humans, the first gene editing trial (zinc finger nucleases to create HIV-resistant T cells), the first use of a lentiviral vector in cancer, and technology transfer enabling Novartis manufacturing for the first two global FDA registrational trials of CAR T cells. One colleague noted, “It would not have been possible to have bridged the translational ‘Valley of Death’ without the efforts of Dr. Levine integrating efforts among researchers, clinicians and translational scientists.”
David L. Porter, Jodi Fisher Horowitz Professor in Leukemia Care Excellence, specializes in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and cellular immunotherapy as well as the care of patients with acute and chronic leukemia. He presently serves as director of the Cell Therapy and Transplant program. Dr. Porter was the translational and clinical leader in developing the program using CAR T cells to treat hematologic malignancies. He developed the first clinical trials at Penn and treated the first patient with anti-CD19 CAR T cells in 2010. Since that time, his group has treated over 300 patients with CAR T cells developed and manufactured at Penn that have shown remarkable outcomes in patients with far advanced and refractory B cell cancers such as ALL, CLL and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In addition to his academic achievements, Dr. Porter is an outstanding clinician, of whom it was noted, “is creative, courageous, humble, compassionate and an exemplary physician with the highest ethical and moral principles.”
David S. Mandell, professor of mental health services research in psychiatry, is the winner of this year’s Samuel Martin Health Evaluation Sciences Award. Dr. Mandell is the foremost international expert on the organization, financing and delivery of health-care and education services for children with autism, and he is a national expert in implementation science in mental health. A major focus of his research has been to identify and improve racial and ethnic disparities in the identification and care of children with autism. His more recent policy research evaluates the autism insurance mandates that many states have enacted, which resulted in an increase in community services and a reduction in psychiatric hospitalizations. His work has demonstrated that intensive early intervention for children with autism results in substantial cost savings in just a few years. His colleagues said of him, “He has been tireless in exhorting policy makers, researchers, practitioners and advocates to improve care for those who are most vulnerable. Indeed, David Mandell is a vector and vessel for positive change in the care of children with autism.”
Sunny Shin, associate professor of microbiology, is the winner of this year’s Michael S. Brown New Investigator Research Award. Dr. Shin is an internationally recognized expert known for her research at the interface of immunology and bacterial pathogenesis. She launched an impressive research program at Penn on the dynamic interactions between the respiratory pathogen Legionella pneumophila and the innate immune system, and her lab holds promise for novel approaches to treat infection and improve vaccine design. Dr. Shin has broadened her work to encompass additional intracellular pathogens, including Salmonella, which is responsible for diarrheal diseases causing severe morbidity and mortality worldwide, and Coxiella burnettii, the causative agent of Q-fever and a highly infectious pathogen that many fear is being actively developed as a biological weapon. As one colleague noted, “Her research has the potential to improve health across a broad spectrum of disease. She has infectious enthusiasm that excites those around her. Her research program is an integral part of Penn’s long-term commitment to furthering microbiology research in areas maximally influential for improving human health.”
Alexis Ogdie-Beatty, assistant professor of medicine at the HUP, is the recipient of this year’s Marjorie A. Bowman New Investigator Research Award. Dr. Ogdie-Beatty’s research focuses on improving outcomes in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) through population-science and patient-centered research methods. The mission of her program is to accelerate diagnosis; increase the focus on meaningful, patient-centered outcomes; broaden the patient population studied; and develop and advance methods for precision medicine. Much of Dr. Ogdie-Beatty’s work over the past five years has centered on identifying common comorbidities among patients with PsA and understanding the implications of concomitant conditions in the management of PsA. Dr. Ogdie-Beatty’s colleagues noted, “... she has maintained her focus on improving the lives of patients with PsA ... addressing fundamental problems in diagnosis and management of PsA. She is nationally and internationally recognized for pioneering these efforts. She is an outstanding physician-scientist, and we can think of no one more deserving of this award.”
Amit Bar-Or, Melissa and Paul Anderson President’s Distinguished Professor, is the winner of this year’s Lady Barbara Colyton Prize for Autoimmune Research. Dr. Bar-Or is recognized as an outstanding and innovative clinician-scientist and world expert in autoimmunity, particularly of the central nervous system. His research focuses on understanding principles of immune regulation, elucidation of effector and regulatory mechanisms of distinct immune cell (principally T cell, B cell and myeloid cell) subsets in CNS inflammatory disease, immune reconstitution and neuro-immune interactions. In addition to contributing a body of research that has provided both rationale and impetus for therapeutically targeting B cells in patients with autoimmune diseases, Dr. Bar-Or has played a key leadership role in multiple clinical trials leading to the approval of B cell-depleting therapy in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Dr. Bar-Or remains a highly regarded clinician who is widely sought-after for his expertise and the high caliber of his care of MS patients. One colleague said of him, “The University of Pennsylvania has been immeasurably enriched by Dr. Bar-Or’s recruitment. I cannot imagine a more highly qualified candidate for the Lady Barbara Colyton Prize.”
Judy A. Shea, professor of medicine at HUP and associate dean of medical education research, is the recipient of this year’s Arthur Asbury Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award. Dr. Shea works with faculty and fellows to design and evaluate research projects and directs the evaluation of the medical school curriculum and faculty. She is a tireless mentor for faculty and trainees, providing opportunities, introductions, advice about how to complete a project or write a grant, make a tactical career move, get promoted, navigate difficult personal times, edit a CV or find the right work/home life balance. A colleague said of her, “Judy gives the most honest and practical advice around, which truly distinguishes her as a mentor.” Another colleague and mentee said, “She helps people make the choices that are correct for them and recognizes the value of many different career trajectories. For 19 years I have been turning to Judy for advice and she has always been there. Once by your side she is always by your side. She is a mentor par excellence.”
Gregory G. Ginsberg is the winner of this year’s Louis Duhring Outstanding Clinical Specialist Award. Dr. Ginsberg is professor of medicine at HUP and executive director of endoscopic services, UPHS. His clinical practice focuses on new technique development and new technology assessment as it applies to endoscopic management of digestive tract, biliary and pancreatic diseases. He has pioneered a number of new procedures, including developing ablative approaches to managing Barrett’s Esophagus. Dr. Ginsberg is sought after by physicians who refer their patients and family members to his expert and comprehensive care. One colleague said, “…when I have a patient in need, particularly with a tough medical situation, Dr. Ginsberg is always the first person I call.” Another said of him, “His delivery of care is coupled to unremitting compassion, humanism and professionalism. Each patient feels a covenant with him that is unique.”
Ann L. Steiner, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology, is the winner of this year’s Sylvan Eisman Outstanding Primary Care Physician Award. Dr. Steiner practices ambulatory gynecology with a focus on preventive care and menopause. For 20 years, she has served a loyal patient population at Penn Health for Women at Radnor who give her glowing reviews, such as “She is truly the best doctor I have ever had examine me. She is patient, kind, extremely knowledgeable and I never feel rushed when I am in her care.” She spends one day a week in the Helen O. Dickens Center for Women, where she founded the Menopause Clinic, which fills a need for service to mid- and late-life women, as well as filling the void in resident menopause education. She spearheaded the Penn LARC Project, which ensured that all women delivering at HUP would have access to LARC after giving birth, and led to change in Pennsylvania Medicaid coverage for LARC. Her current endeavor is The Access Project, supporting statewide access to all reproductive health. As one colleague said of her, “Dr. Steiner’s career has been truly remarkable … her energy has only increased over the years as she cultivates her passions and shares her joy in her work.”
Shreya Kangovi is the recipient of the Luigi Mastroianni, Jr., Clinical Innovator Award. Dr. Kangovi is assistant professor of medicine at HUP and founding executive director of the Penn Center for Community Health Workers. She has advanced health care across the nation through the conception, development, testing, implementation and national dissemination of IMPaCT, a structured program of community health workers with a demonstrated ability to reduce hospital admissions and health-care costs among low-income populations. Dr. Kangovi’s software, manuals and training programs have been accessed by over 1,000 organizations across the US, including health centers, city jails, rural health systems and other academic medical centers. Penn Medicine has adopted IMPaCT as its strategy for population health management, delivering the intervention to approximately 7,000 patients to date. One colleague noted, “Her passionate determination to improve the lives of those with complex needs—those patients who also drive the majority of costs—has already achieved measurable outcomes and national prominence, and has set her on a clear path towards transforming the quality and value of care for at risk populations in our community and beyond.” 
Ron Keren, professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at PSOM and an attending physician at CHOP, is the winner of this year’s Alfred Stengel Health System Champion Award. Dr. Keren is the Vice President of Quality and Chief Quality Officer at CHOP. His Office of Clinical Quality Improvement supports clinical departments throughout CHOP’s health systems in improving the safety, effectiveness, efficiency and experience of care delivered to children. In the five years since its inception, the Office has supported hundreds of improvement projects, including The Clinical Pathways Program, The High Value Prescribing Program, The Keeping Kids Out of the Hospital Initiative and the CHOP Improvement Leaders Course. Dr. Keren finds inspiration for his research and quality improvement projects from his work caring for children hospitalized on CHOP’s general pediatric inpatient service. One colleague said of him, “He has brought scientific principles and measurement to the bedside, and as a result our clinicians can assure that the next generation of children will enjoy the benefits of an integrated, high-functioning health-care system aimed at wellness prevention and continued innovation to manage diseases more effectively.”
