February 10, 2022

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2022 VOL. CXXXVIII NO. 4

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

FOUNDED 1885

GUTMANN RESIGNS PENN PRESIDENCY

PHOTO BY SON NGUYEN

Penn President Amy Gutmann has resigned her position to become U.S. ambassador to Germany

U.S. Senate confirms Gutmann as U.S. ambassador to Germany

Gutmann to host farewell event today ahead of departure to Berlin

Former Provost Wendell Pritchett will serve as interim president

The event will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Penn Commons

IMRAN SIDDIQUI Senior Reporter

JARED MITOVICH Senior Reporter

The United States Senate has officially confirmed Penn President Amy Gutmann as the next U.S. ambassador to Germany. Gutmann was confirmed by a vote of 54 to 42 when the Senate convened Tuesday afternoon. President Joe Biden officially nominated Gutmann after months of speculation on July 2, 2021. Shortly after the confirmation, Board of Trustees Chair Scott Bok wrote in an email to the University community that Gutmann has officially resigned the Penn presidency and that she “will shortly be departing Philadelphia for Berlin.” “On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the

entire University community, I want to thank Amy for the extraordinary work she has done in leading the University of Pennsylvania,” Bok wrote. “Her tenure as President has been among the most impactful in Penn’s history. She has led Penn to new heights of eminence and in doing so established herself as one of the most highly regarded academic leaders in the world.” Former Provost Wendell Pritchett, who serves as senior advisor to Gutmann, was tapped as SEE AMBASSADOR PAGE 7

Undergraduate case count continues to climb, rising to over 600 Over 80% of all cases came from the undergraduate community JONAH MILLER Senior Reporter

The undergraduate COVID-19 case count continued to increase sharply last week, reaching a semester high and continuing to hinder the possibility of a return to fully normal campus life for the foreseeable future. Over 80% of all positive cases came from the undergraduate community, which had 633 SEND STORY IDEAS TO NEWSTIP@THEDP.COM

positive tests during the week, the highest ever undergraduate case count. The undergraduate positivity rate also continued to climb for a third consecutive week, reaching 13.05% — up SEE COVID-19 PAGE 3

Amy Gutmann, the longest-serving president in the University’s history, will hold an event today to thank students and reflect on her 18-year tenure following her confirmation as the United States ambassador to Germany. Gutmann, who resigned from the Penn presidency on Tuesday, sent an invitation emailed to all undergraduate students which stated the event will be held on Feb. 10 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The event will take place under the heated tent at Penn Commons, according to University spokesperson Ron Ozio. “Dr. Gutmann wanted a chance to thank everyone this semester before her eventual departure to Germany. Students can walk through the tent to greet her, and there will also be some students performing,” Ozio wrote in a statement emailed to The Daily Pennsylvanian. He declined to comment on what students will be performing, and whether Gutmann will be speaking at the event. Gutmann was confirmed by a vote of 54 to 42 when the Senate convened Tuesday afternoon, seven months after she was officially nominated for the ambassadorship by President Joe Biden. Shortly after her confirmation, Board of Trustees Chair Scott Bok wrote in an email to the University community that Gutmann will soon be sworn in and “will shortly be departing Philadelphia for Berlin.” Gutmann is the first woman to serve as U.S. ambassador to Germany.

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“Working with the inspiring students I’ve known as president has been without a doubt the greatest privilege and joy of my life,” Gutmann wrote in the event invitation. The invitation states that attendees must RSVP to the president’s office in order to attend the event. Attendees will be required to wear a mask and show a green PennOpen Pass upon arrival. College senior Tori Borlase, the president of the Undergraduate Assembly, said she will be attending the event. She noted some of Gutmann’s accomplishments during her tenure and expressed gratitude for Gutmann’s involvement with Penn’s student body. “[Gutmann] has done a lot to increase the amount of scholarships for students, increasing the endowment, and a lot of other initiatives,” Borlase said. “I think Penn will definitely miss how involved she was with students.” On Feb. 4, Penn selected former Provost and special advisor to the president Wendell Pritchett to be interim president until University of Virginia Provost M. Elizabeth Magill begins her tenure as Penn president on July 1. Pritchett, who served as a senior advisor to Gutmann until her confirmation, will be the first Black individual to serve as president of the University. “I do have great faith that the next president of the University will continue to build upon [Gutmann’s] legacy and ensure that Penn becomes the best place that it can be,” Borlase said. CONTACT US: 215-422-4640


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