As I go about my day to day on campus, through the classrooms and conference rooms of Huntsman Hall and Steinberg-Dietrich, and out to Wharton’s always supercharged conferences, programs, and networking events, friendly faces ask, “How’s your summer?” implying that the rules of R&R are in full swing.

Double-fisting it with BlackBerry and iPhone, glancing at days filled with back-to-back meetings, deadlines, and the ever-present juggling of my children’s sports and social schedules, I respond with a cheerful, “Fine!”

Perhaps this sounds familiar.

But knowing the Wharton community as I do, I know you’ll make the most of celebrating the season be it work or play. And when you do find time to relax, we bring you the latest edition of Wharton Magazine to help you
unwind. Among Wharton’s summer highlights:

  • Commencement 2011 marked the first day of the rest of their lives for 630 undergraduates and 1,000 MBAs. They are entering a business world where the only constant is change. Dean Thomas S. Robertson promoted that message when he predicted that, in 20 years, they would be working in industries that do not now exist.
  • What can for-profit businesses learn from non-profits? A lot, says Wharton Marketing Professor Peter Fader. For starters, non-profits are masters in assembling databases and they are open to academic collaboration.
  • Renewal, Regalement, Remembrance. Wharton’s three-day Reunion in May was…Remarkable. At Dean Robertson’s Town Hall, he described plans for the reinvention of Wharton based on Innovation, Global Presence, and Social Impact.
  • MBA students are gaining leadership skills by participating in Wharton’s Leadership Ventures around the world. We focus on just one of 13 programs— the boot camp experience at the Officer Candidate School at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia. Experience a day in the life of Wharton men and women who met the challenge with gusto.

And be sure to visit Wharton Magazine online at www.whartonmagazine.com and catch extras including amazing video clips from Wharton alumni and events on campus and around the globe, along with the award-winning Wharton Blog Network (www.WhartonMagazine.com/blog).

Happy summer, and happy reading.

Sherrie A. Madia, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Communications,
External Affairs