Wharton Neuroscience Initiative Gets $10 Million Boost
Another week, and another multimillion dollar donation for the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School to expand its programs.
Last week brought a $5 million donation to launch AI for Business under the school’s Wharton Analytics initiative.
Now, with an anonymous $10 million gift, the school will grow its Wharton Neuroscience Initiative, also abbreviated as WiN.
WiN is targeted at applying brain science in a business context, through new research, corporate partnerships, and learning opportunities for students.
As Wharton dean Geoff Garrett puts it, “WiN isn’t narrowly about brain science. It’s all about making connections – across industries and disciplines and throughout Wharton and Penn.”
According to Garrett, “Exploring links among tech, analytics, business, and how we think, work, and make decisions couldn’t be more important in today’s global climate.”
He added that the $10 million gift “acknowledges the significance of the research and outcomes produced by WiN and will turbocharge its discoveries even further.”
Wharton says WiN will use the gift to expand its programs in several ways.
For one thing, the new funding will lead to more research projects, with an emphasis on collaborations with companies and nonprofits. That will in turn create additional opportunities for students to get involved in research that involves applying brain science in a business context.
Another benefit for students will be “summer research experiences,” in which Wharton says MBA students will be able to work with faculty and outside partners to lead research teams.
The gift’s impact will be felt in Wharton’s curriculum, too, with the development of new courses that can lead into research opportunities.
WiN already lists a variety of relevant Wharton courses on their website, ranging from “Introduction to Brain Science for Business” to “The Social Neuroscience of Communication.”
Michael Platt, a professor who leads the initiative along with executive director Elizabeth Johnson, said WiN was “thrilled and grateful beyond words for this transformative gift, which will allow us to achieve our vision of rethinking and remaking business through the lens of neuroscience, psychology, and analytics.”
For applicants interested in the intersection of brain science and business, the donation certainly highlights what Wharton has to offer.
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