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In Brief
Wharton and the Institute of
Contemporary Art Collaborate on
The Business of Art
On October 4, Wharton and Penn's
Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA)
launched The Business of Art, a series
of ongoing collaborations. This series
marks the synthesis of two prestigious
institutions and opened with Dealers
and Collectors, a discussion between
ICA overseer and art collector Glenn
Fuhrman, W'87, WG'88, and dealer
Larry Gagosian, who Art Review
magazine called "the world's greatest
art businessman."
Established as part of the Penn commitment
to an interdisciplinary approach
to education, The Business of Art will enable
students, faculty and the general
public to take part in the conversion
about business and art coming together
by providing access to leaders in both
fields. Other topics being considered in
the coming year are The New Philanthropy
and The Art World and the Media.
Levys Give $5 Million to Support
Financial Aid and Social Impact
Initiatives
The 125th anniversary of the first
day of Wharton classes was celebrated
September 18 with the announcement
of a $5 million gift from Robert
M. Levy, WG'74, and Diane v.S. Levy.
The largest part of the gift, $2.75 million,
will go to the existing Diane
v.S. and Robert M. Levy Endowed
Fellowship Fund to include support for
students who are interested in careers in
the nonprofit sector. A $2 million portion
of the gift will establish the Diane
v.S. and Robert M. Levy Social Impact
Fund to encourage initiatives in areas
such as social impact management and
business ethics. The donation also provides
$250,000 for the Penn's Museum
of Archaeology and Anthropology.
Robert Levy is partner, chairman,
and chief investment officer of the
Chicago-based Harris Associates, L.P.
Wharton Course Auction Honored
With Adobe MAX Award
The Wharton Course Auction recently
won the Adobe MAX award in the
Industry Innovator category. One of 16
finalists from among hundreds of entries,
the application bested entries by
the Fidelity Labs and Blue Cross Blue
Shield of Florida, among others. The
awards honor "the most innovative,
groundbreaking customer projects built
with Adobe solutions in the past year."
Developed by Wharton Computing,
the Wharton Course Auction is a dynamic
course registration system that
enables MBA students to act as buyers
and sellers who trade seats to win
spots in the school's wide range of electives.
Each student pursues an individual
strategy, bidding outright on their
desired courses, or buying and reselling
classroom spots towards a goal of winning
the most sought-after electives.
Lauder Thesis Prize Awarded for
Paper on Brazil's Consumer Credit
Innovation
The Lauder Institute's Reginald H.
Jones Thesis Prize for 2006 was awarded
to Matthew E. Addison, WG'06,
G'06, who graduated in May. The
award is one of Lauder's highest honors,
going to the paper that demonstrates
mastery of the Lauder learning experience:
the pursuit of business knowledge
with an analytical focus and attention
to the nuances of cross-cultural differences.
The winning thesis by Addison
examines Brazil's "Consorcios," a group
financing arrangement that allows clients
to pool their funds to purchase
durable goods, such as cars, and to minimize
financing costs and inflation risk.
Entrepreneur in Residence Program
celebrates fifth Year
The Wharton Entrepreneur in
Residence program is now in its fifth
year of offering all Penn students a rare
chance to meet one-on-one with the
founders of highly successful businesses.
This year's program includes Vernon
Hill, W'67, founder of Commerce
Bank; David Marshall, W'61, founder
of Amerimar Realty; and Jay Snider,
W'79, founder of SpectaGuard.
Entrepreneurs in residence meet with
students in 30-minute sessions, during
which a student can discuss ideas, opinions,
and strategies for potential or actual
business ventures.
Two Undergraduates Win National
community Service Awards
Two of the nine national winners of the
2006 Do Something BRICK Awards
are Wharton undergraduates. The national
youth leadership organization
honors young people who improve their
communities. Ashley Gunn, W'10, was
recognized for starting SAIF (Students
Aiding Indigent Families)—which
now has over 200 student volunteers—
that buys foreclosed houses, repairs and
remodels them, and works with urban
families to purchase the homes below
market value. Michael Page, W'09, was
honored for Talking Pages, Inc., an online
system to lend audio books to the
visually impaired.
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