Editorial | Represent all of academia

As the first Ivy League institution to hire two female presidents in succession, it's safe to say that Penn actively supports gender equity in academia.

In recent years, Penn has maintained a successful policy of hiring women, not only at the faculty level - almost 30 percent are women - but administrative as well.

With this in mind, it's disappointing that of the five faculty appointed as Penn Integrates Knowledge professors - the University's heavily touted program that supports professors with appointments in two schools - all are men.

This past week Penn announced its fifth PIK professor, Phillipe Bourgois, who will hold appointments in the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine.

That President Amy Gutmann, Provost Ron Daniels and the 12 academic deans have failed to find a woman to take one of the first five spots sends the wrong message about our priorities.

The University even recognizes this absence. Gutmann said that Penn is searching and "we will undoubtedly have women as well as men who are recruited for this program. It just so happens that the first five are male."

There was one offer to a woman, but she was unable to accept due to personal reasons.

Gutmann added that "it's a matter of time" until a woman is appointed.

But, in the two years since the program was announced, the University has had time.

If PIK professors are being hailed as the best Penn has to offer, future appointments must reflect the outstanding work that the University's female professors have accomplished.

PIK is part of Penn's larger effort to recruit high-profile faculty. While they supposedly represent a diverse body of expertise, the absence of women runs counterintuitive to that goal: A variety of perspectives is key to "integrating knowledge."

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