The University of Pennsylvania has received a $22.5 million gift from Gabriel Gilinski and Stephanie Gilinski to expand financial aid and establish endowed faculty positions within Penn Arts & Sciences.
The gift will establish the Gabriel Gilinski and Stephanie Gilinski Endowed Scholarship for undergraduate students in the College of Arts & Sciences, including students coming to Penn from Latin America.
It will also establish two endowed professorships spanning Penn’s history, political science and economics departments.
A visiting professorship will also be created to bring distinguished scholars to Penn for teaching, research and academic collaboration.
The scholarship expands Penn’s broader affordability initiatives, including its Quaker Commitment to meet demonstrated undergraduate financial need with grant-based, no-loan financial aid.
Gabriel Gilinski graduated from Penn in 2008 with a political science degree and a minor in economics.
He currently chairs Grupo Nutresa, a Latin American food company with more than 50,000 employees, 45 factories and operations spanning 17 countries.
The company’s philanthropic arm, Fundación Nutresa, supports educational scholarships as well as healthcare and nutrition programs.
KEY QUOTES:
“Penn is at its best when we bring talented students together with outstanding faculty and give them the opportunity to learn from one another. Gabriel and Stephanie’s generous commitment expands access to a Penn education while investing in the scholars whose outstanding teaching and research enrich our academic community. We are deeply grateful for their partnership.”
J. Larry Jameson, President of the University of Pennsylvania
“On behalf of the School of Arts & Sciences, I am delighted to express our profound gratitude to Gabriel and Stephanie Gilinski. Arts & Sciences is built upon the eminence of our faculty, who pursue the highest standards in their fields while unlocking the brilliance and potential of future generations. It is also shaped by international students and scholars, who bring their unique approaches to bear on some of the most pressing issues of our time. The Gilinskis’ generosity will have a profound impact, not just for individual students and scholars, but for the entire Penn community.”
Mark Trodden, Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences and Thomas S. Gates, Jr. Professor of Physics & Astronomy
“I’m a firm believer in the importance of the liberal arts and in the value of the critical thinking skills I developed through my studies in the College. Exceptional faculty are at the heart of Penn’s mission, and we are proud to support the recruitment and retention of scholars who bring complex problems to life in the classroom, make groundbreaking discoveries in their research, and provide students with unique opportunities to discover and learn.”
“Across Latin America, access to education creates lasting change for families, and I’ve seen the ripple effect it can have, shaping not just one life but an entire community. Penn gives international scholars a place to bring their own perspectives and experiences, and they leave shaped by everything they’ve learned from the classmates around them. That’s part of what makes a Penn education so special to me. I’m proud that this scholarship will make attending Penn possible for students for generations to come.”
Gabriel Gilinski
