New Gift Supports Social Sciences Hub in Center of Campus
Scheduled for completion in 2018, the Ronald O. Perelman Center for Political Science and Economics represents Penn Arts and Sciences’ most ambitious capital project in support of the social sciences in decades. Launched with a leadership gift from alumnus and parent Ronald O. Perelman, the project will transform the former West Philadelphia Trust Building at 36th and Walnut Streets into a social sciences hub that will foster the teaching and research experiences required to facilitate direct contributions to pressing matters of national and international concern.
Now, a generous new commitment from parents Fred and Robin Tedori brings the project one step closer to reality.
“We supported this project because we were inspired by President Gutmann’s and Dean Fluharty’s passion for educating the next generation of political scientists and economists,” says Fred Tedori, PAR’08, PAR’10, PAR’16, PAR’18. “It is our hope that the new building will benefit the entire Penn community, as well as students majoring in economics and political science and the all-important interdisciplinary programs associated with them.”
Preliminary rendering: View from the corner of Sansom and 36th Streets (photo credit KPMB Architects)
In addition to the Perelman Center for Political Science and Economics, the Tedoris have provided leadership support for the Neural and Behavioral Sciences Building and the Krishna P. Singh Center for Nanotechnology.
“I am enormously grateful to Fred and Robin Tedori for the impact they are having on teaching and research at Penn,” says Penn President Amy Gutmann, “Their generous gift to the Perelman Center will help create a new home for political science and economics—two of Penn’s most popular undergraduate majors and areas of study that have significant influence on our understanding of the world and the global economy.”
“The Tedoris’ generosity helps the School of Arts and Sciences achieve a key priority—reuniting the Department of Political Science under one roof and putting both economics and political science faculty members in close proximity to their related research centers, graduate students, and undergraduates,” says School of Arts and Sciences Dean Steven J. Fluharty. “At a time when great issues that intertwine politics and economics are central to research and teaching in both disciplines, a wide range of productive synergies is likely to result.”
ENHANCING THE UNDERGRADUATE EXPERIENCE
Providing state-of-the-art space for teaching and learning, the Perelman Center will enhance Penn students’ capacity to pursue original research, draw on sophisticated computing resources, and develop strong mentoring relationships with faculty. The new center will include dedicated areas where students can study independently, plan and host events for some 12 undergraduate student groups in political science and economics, and receive advising support.
A HUB FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES
Envisioned as a campus nexus in the 24/7 digital world of fiscal cliffs, changing tax policy, the European Union crisis, and global struggles over human rights, the Perelman Center will be home to distinguished research centers and programs, including the Center for Advanced Study of India, the Program for Opinion Research and Election Studies, the Christopher H. Browne Center for International Politics, the Penn Institute for Economic Research, the Center for the Study of Contemporary China, and Penn’s Program on Democracy, Citizenship, and Constitutionalism. Through public engagements, seminars, special workshops, and outreach, these centers will bring interdisciplinary scholarly expertise to bear
on contemporary events both near and far.
“We are grateful for all of the generous support that is helping to make this project possible–including major gifts from alumna Laura J. Alber and Ned Klingelhofer; and alumnus Michael J. Halpern and Nancy J. Steiner, parents” said Dean Fluharty.