Weingarten receives $2.6 million donation for new testing center and academic support

The Weingarten Learning Resources Center has been granted $2.6 million to improve its academic programs and disability services. 

The donation provided by the Moh Foundation will contribute to academic support for students through new technology and programs, especially students with disabilities, Penn Today reported. Weingarten is Penn’s learning support hub which includes free tutors, educational workshops, and academic accommodations. The Moh Foundation — founded by 1992 Wharton graduate Michael Moh and Peggy Moh — is a private family foundation that supports underserved populations.

The donation will also contribute to a new testing center which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2022 in Penn Libraries’ Biotech Commons. According to Penn Today, the new testing location will provide a new exam site for students who need testing accommodations, which can include extra time and specific lighting. Currently, testing locations for students who need accommodations are scattered throughout campus.

“With a shared interest in promoting equity and inclusion, our foundation was committed to funding Penn’s most urgent priorities around accessibility and support services for students with disabilities,” Moh Foundation President Peggy Moh told Penn Today.

This donation comes after the recent push for more support for students with disabilities who face challenges on campus, which include difficulty accessing campus buildings and services. 

This is not the first donation Penn has received from the Moh Foundation. In 2020, the foundation gifted The Wharton School the Moh Foundation Applied Insights Lab, which focuses on people analytics in collaboration with private companies and nonprofits. 

Weingarten Executive Director Jane Holahan believes the donation will be influential in changing the narrative around disability at Penn.

"This is a truly transformative gift," Holahan told Penn Today. “We are destigmatizing disability and empowering all of our students through an integrated learning model."