Ulrich Named Vice Dean for Innovation

Karl T. Ulrich, the CIBC Professor of Entrepreneurship and e-Commerce, was named Wharton’s Vice Dean for Innovation by Dean Thomas S. Robertson in late August.

In this newly created role, Ulrich will work to identify and implement new research and teaching opportunities for the School. In a letter to the community announcing Ulrich’s appointment, Robertson and Deputy Dean Michael Gibbons wrote: “The Wharton community generates countless ideas for enriching our research and teaching missions. Because we recognize that many of these ideas are never adequately explored, we have established this new office to help us identify and implement the very best.”

Robertson and Gibbons added that “there is no one better suited” to taking on the new role than Ulrich, who during his time at Penn has co-founded both the Weiss Tech House and the Integrated Product Design Program. He is also the co-author of Product Design and Development and Innovation Tournaments: Creating and Selecting Exceptional Opportunities. Ulrich also holds more than 20 patents.

“As Vice Dean, Karl will be a steward for innovation opportunities, providing a vital channel to the Dean’s Office for ideas originating from across all divisions of the School, thereby helping us to become more efficient and effective in fulfilling our academic mission,” Robertson and Gibbons wrote. “We are confident that if we identify and implement two or three additional ideas each year, this could be transformational for the Wharton School.”

Wharton | San Francisco Welcomes New Executive Director

Bernie Birt took over as the new Executive Director of Wharton | San Francisco on September 2.

Birt arrived at Wharton from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where she also served as executive director. At Kellogg, Birt was responsible for the end-to-end direction and administration of admissions, marketing, budgeting and operations, serving over 400 students.

At Wharton, she will work directly with Vice Dean Doug Collom and the Wharton | San Francisco team, as well as with the MBA Program for Executives team in Philadelphia. Birt will also play a significant role in the growth of Wharton’s West Coast campus, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2011.