Two Penn professors named Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania

Penn professors Angela Duckworth and Marci Hamilton were recently named Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and First Lady Frances Wolf.

The annual Distinguished Daughter event has taken place since 1948 and recognizes women who demonstrate exceptional service through their career or volunteer efforts. On Sept. 25, five other women were honored alongside the pair of Penn professors. 

“Our commonwealth is a better place because of their selfless dedication and hard work, and we cannot thank them enough,” Frances Wolf said.

At Penn, Duckworth is the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Psychology, and a faculty co-director of both the Behavior Change For Good Initiative and Wharton People Analytics. Hamilton, a 1988 Penn Law School graduate, is the Robert A. Fox Leadership Program Professor of Practice, and a senior fellow in the Program for Research on Religion at Penn.

The press release, from the Pennsylvania government website, noted that Duckworth is the founder and CEO of Character Lab, a nonprofit that provides parents and teachers with advice and information through the use of technology. The release cited her #1 New York Times Best Seller book entitled “Grit,” which she discussed at a recent event for Penn students.

As for Hamilton, the press release cited her work as founder and CEO of CHILD USA, a think tank that conducts research on child abuse and neglect and promotes policies designed to prevent the mistreatment of children. The press release also noted her scholarship on religious liberty and child sex abuse statute of limitations.

Past Penn honorees include President Amy Gutmann and Communication professor Kathleen Hall Jamieson, both honored by then-governor Ed Rendell in 2010. Gutmann was honored for her leadership of the University, while Jamieson was recognized for her work in analyzing political communication.