Amy Gutmann, president of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, has been elected chair of the board of directors of the Association of American Universities. The nonprofit association represents a group of 60 American and two Canadian large research universities. The University of Pennsylvania is one of the 14 founding members of the organization, which was established in 1900. The association focuses on funding for research and research and educational policy.
Dr. Gutmann stated that “it is an honor to assume leadership of the AAU at a time when our nation, and, indeed, the world are in ever greater need of the creative knowledge and innovative discoveries produced by America’s research universities. I look forward to working with our partner institutions as we constructively address the most important issues confronting higher education today.”
Dr. Gutmann has served as president of the University of Pennsylvania since 2004. She also serves as the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science and professor of communication in the Annenberg School for Communication at Penn. Previously, she was provost at Princeton University.
President Gutmann holds a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University. She earned a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science.