J. Dean Amro, C’97, and Amira Amro Establish Lectureship to Energize Arabic Language Study

J. Dean Amro, C’97, and Amira Amro have made a gift to Penn Arts & Sciences to establish the J. Dean Amro Endowed Lectureship Fund. This fund will provide financial support to energize Arabic language instruction and curriculum development, with a focus on Arabic pedagogy in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations (NELC).

“This gift will make a lasting impact on the study of Arabic language at Penn,” said Steven J. Fluharty, Dean and Thomas S. Gates, Jr. Professor of Psychology, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience. “The J. Dean Amro Endowed Lectureship will have a ripple effect across the department by enhancing courses that appeal to both beginners and heritage learners, and by creating opportunities for deeper, more engaged learning.”

A lecturer will be named each year in perpetuity to the J. Dean Amro Endowed Lectureship in Arabic Language and Study. The gift will also support areas including public lectures, teaching development initiatives, the production of texts and other materials centered on student learning and the Arabic language program, with particular attention to literature, the arts, and humanistic scholarship more broadly.

As an undergraduate, Dean Amro greatly enjoyed his time studying the Arabic language through classes in NELC. “We are excited to create this fund that has the potential to help Penn become the top place to study Arabic. In this way, we hope to impact the many students who will pass through the program,” he said. “When students get a firm grasp of Arabic, they will more likely appreciate the rich history and dynamic culture.”

The gift is in recognition of Dean Amro’s 25th reunion this spring. The Amros have previously supported the Penn Arts & Sciences Dean’s Discretionary Fund and the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations.

Dean Amro graduated from the College of Arts & Sciences with a degree in international relations and a minor in economics. He is a Principal at The Brodsky Organization, a family-run business, which develops, owns, and manages residential and mixed-use real estate in New York City. He also serves on the Board of Governors of the Real Estate Board of New York. For the last ten years, Dean has been a Trustee of the Lycée Français de New York and was recently elected Chairman of the Board.