Beth Winkelstein named new Vice Provost for Education

Beth Winkelstein, bioengineering professor and associate dean for undergraduate education in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, will serve as the new vice provost for education beginning on July 1, Provost Vincent Price said.

Winkelstein will replace Vice Provost for Education Andrew Binns. 

The vice provost of education is responsible for undergraduate and graduate education at Penn, developing policies and initiatives that promote academic success, innovation and interdisciplinary learning. Winkelstein will chair several councils and collaborate with the office of the vice provost for university life to manage student services and resources. She will also oversee a wide range of departments, including College Houses and Academic Services, the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships and the Office of Student Conduct.

“Beth Winkelstein is a world-renowned researcher, an educational innovator, a widely admired administrator — and a Penn graduate,” Provost Price said in a statement. “I cannot imagine a more dynamic and experienced leader to advance the exemplary legacy of Andy Binns as Vice Provost for Education. I am most grateful to the consultative committee, led by Dwight Jaggard, whose insights, dedication, and conversations with faculty across the university helped us arrive at this outstanding result.”

Winkelstein’s research focuses on the physical consequences of injury, especially bodily harm resulting from sports, automobile accidents or degenerative diseases. Her work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense, and she is the author of "Orthopaedic Biomechanics" as well as over a hundred papers and book chapters.

She has served as associate dean for undergraduate education in the Engineering School since 2012, having worked previously as chair of the Graduate Group in Bioengineering and a Penn Fellow. She has also worked in partnership with Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Dennis DeTurck to implement Penn’s multi-year grant from the American Association of Universities to revamp education in science, technology, engineering and math. She is a two-time recipient of the Ford Motor Company Award for Faculty Advising, an honor given by Engineering School students.

Winkelstein has taught at Penn since 2002 and received a bachelor's degree in bioengineering from the Engineering School in 1993, as a Benjamin Franklin Scholar.

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