Rodin Legacy >

Under President Rodin, the university that launched the Information Age with ENIAC has again taken a lead role in harnessing new technology to improve the quality of teaching, learning, services, and business operations.

New majors such as Digital Media Design harness new technology to expand the frontiers of art and creativity. Research initiatives in nanotechnology hold the promise of lifesaving medicines and super-efficient machines in the future and could make Philadelphia a leading center in this emerging field. Web-based services such as PennInTouch and the Business Enterprise Network help students and staff get things done more quickly, and Penn’s Digital Library enables scholars everywhere to access some of the world’s finest collections of research material. Penn has also taken the lead in promoting the use of technology both regionally and nationally. Through her role as board chair of Innovation Philadelphia, President Rodin promotes technology as an economic development tool for the region, and Penn is a lead partner in the nationwide effort to build Internet2—a faster, higher-capacity data-communications network.

• New interdisciplinary majors such as Digital Media Design combine use of new technology with artistry and creative thinking.

• Penn has enabled scholars everywhere to access the rich collections of the Penn Library through the development of one of the finest digital libraries in North America.

• New Web-based tools allow business administrators to manage funds more effectively and to speed up purchasing.

• Students can access basic services, registration, grades, financial aid, advising, housing, and more, through a single online interface via Penn InTouch and Campus Express.

• Purchasing and budget management have been streamlined through implementation of the online Business Enterprise Network (BEN).

• Minority- and women-owned businesses have garnered a larger share of Penn’s purchasing dollars through participation in the online Penn Marketplace.

• Penn is a lead partner in the development of Internet2, a super-high-capacity data communications network that involves more than 180 universities working with government and industry.

• Through her role as board chair of Innovation Philadelphia, Dr. Rodin spearheads the regional effort to promote the development of high-tech industry in Philadelphia and its environs.

• Penn has embraced new technology with digital media equipment, Internet-linked classrooms and networked computer labs in the schools.

• The School of Dental Medicine was the first dental school in the world to test DentSim, the world's first virtual reality teaching tool for dental students.

• Through the Center for Technology Transfer, Penn has helped launch more than 30 new companies in the last six years that capitalize on innovative faculty research.