Celebrating the Legacy of Thomas S. Robertson

Beginning his tenure as a full-blown global financial crisis and recession ensued, Robertson provided steady leadership that ensured Wharton continued moving forward on a prosperous path. His legacy, as illustrated in our timeline below, is marked by sound financial policy, significant capital improvements, unprecedented fundraising, growth of academic and research programs, focus on innovation, expansion around the globe, enhancement of social impact interest and achievement, greater engagement with alumni and a stronger tie to the University as a whole.

Serving as dean and as Reliance Professor of Management and Private Enterprise represented a homecoming for Robertson. During his first tenure at the School from 1971 to 1994, he was Pomerantz Professor of Marketing and chair of the Marketing Department, as well as associate dean for Executive Education.

Between these two stays at Penn, Robertson held a series of posts at Emory University—most notably, dean of Emory’s Goizueta Business School from 1998 to 2004. From 1994 to 1998, he was Sainsbury Professor, chair of marketing and deputy dean of the London Business School.

A Scotland native raised in Detroit, Robertson will not be saying goodbye to Wharton. He will return to the Marketing Department.

Before he rejoins the faculty, we celebrate some of his accomplishments as dean with this timeline of key campus moments during his seven years.

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2007-2008

• Appointment of Thomas S. Robertson as the 12th dean of the Wharton School.

Appointment of Michael R. Gibbons as deputy dean.

• Launch of international faculty study trips. Initiation of faculty survey to be completed at five-year intervals.

• Institutionalization of the three pillars—Innovation, Globalization and Social Impact—to ensure Wharton remains at the forefront of business education.

• Launch of international faculty study trips. Initiation of faculty survey to be completed at five-year intervals.

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2008-2009

• Teach-ins on the financial crisis.

• Reaffirmation of strong commitments to undergraduate joint degree programs, including Fisher M&T, Vagelos Life Sciences, Huntsman and Nursing.

• Ongoing commitment to globalization: INSEAD, Indian School of Business, Singapore Management University, Peking University and Tsinghua University relationships.

• Creation of Global Initiatives. Prof. Harbir Singh named vice dean (right).

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2009-2010

Earned “green” distinction for campus renovations, including the Small Business Development Center in Vance Hall, the Leadership Suite in Jon M. Huntsman Hall and the LEED Gold-certified café in Steinberg Hall-Dietrich Hall.

• Appointment of the MBA Review Committee, led by Prof. G. Richard Shell.

• Administration of the first-ever staff satisfaction survey.

Creation of the Wharton Women Faculty Forum. (Pictured: Monica McGrath, vice dean for Aresty Institute of Executive Education and adjunct assistant professor of management.)

• Launch of the undergraduate subconcentration in Social Impact & Responsibility.

• Establishment of regular Staff Town Hall meetings.

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2010-2011

• Recognition of leadership and innovation in the social sector through the Barry and Marie Lipman Family Prize.

• Merger of Business and Public Policy and Insurance and Risk Management departments to form Business Economics and Public Policy.

• Establishment of a post-doc program under the aegis of the Wharton Doctoral Programs.

• Start of work on new location for Wharton | San Francisco.

• Creation of Social Impact Initiative. Prof. Len Lodish named first vice dean.

Creation of Innovation Initiative. Prof. Karl Ulrich named vice dean.

• Launch of K@W High School.

• Wharton Customer Analytics Initiative founded, thanks to Art Bilger, W’75.

• Wharton faculty approve a new MBA curriculum experience.

• Launch of Wharton Digital Press as the successor to Wharton School Publishing.

• The Jay H. Baker Retailing Center begins.

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2011-2012

Opening of new San Francisco campus at Hills Brothers Plaza on the Embarcadero.

• Faculty approval of the new Semester in San Francisco program for 60 full-time MBAs interested in tech and startups.

• Establishment of Jacobs Levy Equity Management Center for Quantitative Financial Research.

• Instituted biweekly student satisfaction surveys.

• Launch of Global Modular Courses.

Test-pilot of the Undergraduate Program’s Wharton Senior Capstone simulation.

• Moved Wharton UG and MBA Commencement ceremonies from Franklin Field to the Palestra.

• Knowledge for Action branding initiative implemented.

• Premier of Accelerated Development Program in India from Executive Education.

Expansion of the Leadership in the Business World summer program for high school students to Wharton | San Francisco.

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2012-2013

• Prof. Katherine Klein becomes vice dean, Social Impact Initiative (right).

• Increase standing faculty by 9 percent to 230.

• Unveiling of the Lifelong Learning Initiative.

• Penn-Wharton Public Policy Initiative, established by Marc J. Rowan, W’84, WG’85; Marc A. Spilker, W’86; and Diane Isaacs Spilker, W’87.

• Creation of the Mack Institute for Innovation Management.

Unveiling of the Wharton-Cisco Connected Classroom.

• Wharton Economic Summit in New York City.

• Tanoto Initiative launched.

• Close of The Campaign for Wharton. Wharton raised $606.8 million, exceeding its goal of $550 million, creating 250 new undergraduate scholarships and 65 graduate fellowships, among other key initiatives.