Robert Ghrist Named Inaugural Faculty Co-Director of the Office of Penn First Plus Students

Robert Ghrist Named Inaugural Faculty Co-Director of the Office of Penn First Plus Students

Robert Ghrist, the Andrea Mitchell University Professor with appointments in Penn Engineering’s Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering and the Department of Mathematics in the School of Arts and Sciences, has been named an inaugural co-director of the Office of Penn First Plus Students.

The Office, established in the spring, is designed to to support first-generation and low-income students. There, undergraduate students can form a vibrant community, learn more about resources, and connect with faculty and alumni.

Along with Camille Charles, the Annenberg Professor in the Social Sciences, who teaches in the departments of Sociology and Africana Studies in the School of Arts and Sciences and in the Higher Education Division of the Graduate School of Education, Ghrist will implement new programs, strengthen connections to faculty and alumni, and provide a central hub and strategic vision to sustain these efforts.

Provost Wendell Pritchet announced their appointments in Penn Today.

“Camille Charles and Rob Ghrist,” Pritchett said, “are two of our foremost faculty leaders in helping our students achieve personal and academic success. They are the ideal people to launch this new office, which will provide expanded programs and support to our high-need and first-generation undergraduates. In the months ahead, they will work closely with me, Vice Provost for University Life Valerie Swain-Cade McCullum, Vice Provost for Education Beth Winkelstein, and partners across the University to begin the vital work of this office and to conclude our national search for its inaugural executive director.”

Continue reading at Penn Today.