1995 Wharton and Engineering graduate Alp Ercil recently donated $10 million to support the development of the Penn Climate Sustainability Initiative.
Credit: Ethan YoungPenn recently received a $10 million donation from 1995 Wharton and Engineering graduate Alp Ercil to support the development of the Penn Climate Sustainability Initiative.
The initiative intends to foster a joint effort between all 12 schools at Penn and several interdisciplinary programs, such as the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, the Environmental Innovations Initiative, and the Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media. Penn will tackle climate and sustainability from different perspectives, leveraging its strengths in interdisciplinary teaching.
The donation will also further the goals highlighted in Penn’s Climate and Sustainability Action Plan, which pledges to reduce carbon emissions and promote a climate-aware environment at Penn.
“Penn has the key pieces in place to make a significant contribution to the urgent issue of climate change,” Ercil told Penn Today. “I am thrilled to help advance this work, accelerate innovation, and strengthen Penn’s role at the forefront of this field.”
Ercil is the founder and Chief Investment Officer of Asia Research and Capital Management Limited, and he currently serves as a member of the Penn Asia Leadership Committee and the Alumni Ambassador Program. He has been a guest lecturer at the Wharton School, and his previous donations to Penn have been towards the Ercil Endowed Scholarship, the M&T Integration Lab, and the UFLC Challenge Fund.
Ercil’s contribution will supply funding for initiatives that will be determined by Interim Penn President Larry Jameson, Provost John Jackson Jr., and a soon-to-be-named inaugural vice provost for climate science, policy, and action.
Penn’s proactive approach towards climate change follows its In Principle and Practice framework, which was introduced by former Penn President Liz Magill in November 2023. Under this framework, Penn plans to take a leading role in addressing climate change by recruiting the best researchers, implementing climate-aware practices, and establishing initiatives that deepen the understanding of climate change’s effects.
“We will draw on our collective strengths in climate science and policy to advance our understanding of these challenges and discover solutions that will make a difference around the world,” Jameson said.
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