Every Gift Makes a Difference…
Greetings from Organizational Dynamics at Penn! A leader in providing multi-disciplinary education to mid-career adults through practical, applied scholarship, our wonderful program has a tremendous and lasting effect on the lives of our students. In order to continue impacting lives, particularly in these difficult times, we rely more and more on generous donations from our alumni and friends to ensure our future.
With the loss in October of Russ Ackoff, our trusted colleague, teacher, and friend, we have had the opportunity to celebrate his many contributions to the field. In particular, gifts in Russ’s memory to the Ackoff Library and Virtual Inquiry Center have enabled us to promote and sustain the scholarship and practice of Organizational Dynamics at Penn that he advocated so splendidly during his lifetime. Ongoing support of the Library and the Virtual Center allows us to continue his legacy for generations of students to come. The library houses his more than 350 scholarly publications as well as his private manuscripts and personal collections of books and papers. The Virtual Center will be the central global web-portal for information about system and design thinking.
In addition, donations to Organizational Dynamics at Penn will supplement funding for the launch of Sustainable Development Studies, a new concentration in the MSOD and MPhil degree programs. Already supported by a generous grant from the Dow Chemical Company, this systems approach to sustainability initiatives will add yet another cutting-edge component to our curriculum by better preparing tomorrow’s leaders for effective decision-making in this critical area.
Other funding priorities include the ongoing growth of our Organizational Consulting and Executive Coaching (OCEC) concentration, a cohort-based program with full internship in consulting and coaching, the first offered by any graduate school degree program. We are also seeking support for research activities and Organizational Dynamics student research associates in our projects dealing with sudden cardiac arrest and with diffusion of innovation.
Our continuing success is dependent upon the ongoing generosity and commitment of our alumni and friends. I encourage you to join me now in supporting Organizational Dynamics at Penn. Remember, every gift makes a difference.
With best wishes,
Larry M. Starr, Ph.D.
Director, Graduate Studies
Donate online or send your tax-deductible contribution, payable to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, to Organizational Dynamics, School of Arts and Sciences, Office of External Affairs, 3615 Market Street, Floor 2, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6318.