Goulian Named Charles and William L. Day Distinguished Professor in the Natural Sciences

Mark Goulian, Professor of Biology and Physics and Astronomy, has been appointed Charles and William L. Day Distinguished Professor in the Natural Sciences. Goulian is a highly influential scholar of microbiology. His research, which focuses primarily on Escherichia coli (E. coli), explores the fundamental mechanisms of signal transduction and gene expression in bacteria. His work combines traditional approaches from bacterial physiology and genetics with single-cell studies and quantitative modeling. Goulian has served as chair of the Energy Cluster Search, the Penn Arts and Sciences Personnel Committee, and the Department of Biology’s Vision Committee, charged with strategic planning.

The Charles and William L. Day Distinguished Professorship was created in 1973 with funds from the estate of Charles Day; a gift from William L. Day in honor of his father, Charles; and memorial gifts in honor of William L. Day. William L. Day, who received Penn’s Alumni Award of Merit in 1967, served as chairman of Penn’s Board of Trustees from 1968 until his death in 1973.