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Wharton's Place in the World
DEAR FELLOW ALUMNI:
As I write, the world
has just emerged from a
holiday week marred by the
overwhelming tragedy in
Asia. The earthquake and
tsunamis caused untold tens
of billions of dollars in damage
and unprecedented loss
of life. It reminded us that
Mother Nature, ultimately,
can wreak much more
havoc than the worst of the
terrorists, and in equally
unpredictable ways.
But inside the tragedy,
something incredible.
Billions in donations.
Extraordinary volunteer efforts.
Our nation's efforts
organized on a nonpartisan
basis. The business community
energized to help. In
many cases, Wharton grads
stepping up in leading these
efforts. Our hearts go out
to those, including some
of our graduates and their
families, who were impacted
by this horrific event.
The tragedy caused me
to think more about the
role that a leading institution
like Wharton plays on
the world stage. Earlier this
year, Penn's new President,
Amy Guttman, declared
that one of her major priorities
will be strengthening
the University's engagements
both locally and
worldwide.
Even before Dr.
Guttman's arrival, Wharton
Dean Pat Harker has been
all about extending the
Wharton brand globally.
During his tenure
the School has launched
Knowledge@Wharton (now
with over 400,000 subscribers
worldwide and translated
into many languages) and
Wharton School Publishing.
He has personally traveled
extensively throughout the
world. Our global alumni
conferences each spring are
tremendous hits. Wharton's
student body has an increasingly
international flavor.
Wharton professors appear
more regularly on foreign
media.
But what is the message
we wish our alumni to
deliver as they look to assist
in improving Wharton's
already solid place in the
global community? Simply,
we seek for Wharton to
be known as a thought
and knowledge leader and
a leader in the pursuit of
ethics and integrity in business.
OK, maybe I should
have said THE thought and
knowledge leader and THE
leader in the pursuit of ethics
and integrity in business.
Despite sometimes real and
substantial cultural differences
throughout the world,
ultimately, business is business.
For each of us to maximize
the ultimate long-term
benefit we obtain from our
Wharton education and degree,
it is incumbent on us
all to carry the flag, spread
the word, wear the shirts
and be proud, wherever we
sit in the world, to have
been trained at the finest
institution of management
education there is.
In my next (and final)
report as Chairman, I will
provide a summary of the
achievements of our Alumni
Association Board and
hopes for the future as we
come closer to the celebration
of Wharton's 125th anniversary
in 2006.
As always, if you are currently
an active member of
Wharton's alumni network,
thank you for your dedication.
If you are interested in
getting involved and would
like to find out more information
about volunteer opportunities,
please contact
the Alumni Affairs office at
alumni.affairs@wharton.upenn.edu. There are
many ways in which
you can make a difference.
Start by going to
wave.wharton.upenn.edu
to find a Wharton alumni
club in your region or your
area of interest.
Please feel free to call
or e-mail me directly with
any questions. Thank
you for your support of
the Wharton Alumni
Association.
Sincerely,
David N. Feldman, Esq.,
W'82, L'85
Chairman, Wharton
Alumni Association dfeldman@feldmanweinstein.com
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