PHILADELPHIA, January 28, 2025 – The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (Penn LDI) are pleased to announce a landmark $3.5 million gift to establish the Davis Family SUMR Program Endowment Fund, with an additional $1 million matching challenge from the Leonard and Sophie Davis Fund. This fund will provide long-term support for the Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research (SUMR) program, a cornerstone initiative focused on advancing equity in the health care profession.
The Davis Family SUMR Program Endowment Fund will allow the program to expand its impact by increasing support for undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds in pursuing research careers aimed at expanding access to health care. The gift also fortifies the established SUMR+ Program, an extended mentorship and training opportunity for select scholars. Additionally, the gift will support Penn LDI programs focused on improving insurance coverage and health care access, including policy engagement activities, ensuring that research findings are communicated effectively to policymakers and other stakeholders.
Wharton Dean Erika H. James emphasized the importance of the Davis Fund’s commitment to Wharton and Penn LDI: “This remarkable gift represents the power of collaboration in addressing systemic challenges in health care. By supporting programs like SUMR, we are helping to create and maintain a pipeline of health care researchers and leaders that will advance innovation in health care through powerful policy decisions.”
Expanding Access to Health Care Through Research and Training
Founded in 2000 by Penn LDI and Wharton’s Health Care Management Department, the SUMR program offers a 12-week immersive research experience for students committed to addressing inequities in health care access. With over 425 alumni and an impressive 85% of participants pursuing health care careers, SUMR has been instrumental in shaping the next generation of leaders dedicated to improving access to care. The recently established SUMR+ initiative extends the program to 15 months, enabling select scholars to deepen their expertise and tackle more complex challenges in the field.
“The Davis Family’s extraordinary generosity underscores their commitment to expanding access to health insurance and to health care services,” said Rachel M. Werner, MD, PhD, Executive Director of the Leonard Davis Institute, Robert D. Eilers Memorial – William Maul Measey Professorship in Health Care Management and Economics, Wharton School, and Professor of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine. “This gift not only broadens the reach of SUMR but ensures that our students have the resources and mentorship needed to drive impactful change in health care delivery and policy.”
The Matching Challenge
The Davis Fund’s $1 million matching grant invites additional support for the SUMR and SUMR+ programs, effectively doubling the impact of new contributions. This match will accelerate the growth of the program, providing increased stipends to attract top talent and enabling innovative policy engagement efforts to translate research into actionable solutions.
“The Leonard and Sophie Davis Fund has a long history of supporting initiatives that create meaningful change,” said Alan S. Davis, President of the Fund. “This gift builds on our family’s legacy by empowering diverse voices in the health care field and expanding access to care for underserved populations.” Davis added, “The goal is twofold: I hope this matching gift will inspire others to join in supporting this important work and help expand LDI’s impact.”
A Continuing Partnership
The Davis family has been long-standing and stalwart supporters of Penn LDI and Wharton. The Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics is named in honor of Leonard Davis, founder of the Colonial Penn Group, Inc., and a pioneer in creating the nation’s first health insurance plans for retirees. Leonard Davis, alongside his wife Sophie, dedicated his life to advancing health care services and education. His innovative solutions addressed the lack of insurance options for older Americans, setting a model for the industry.
A close collaborator of Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, founder of AARP, Leonard Davis played a pivotal role in advocating for Medicare legislation and testified before Congress on aging-related issues. In 1967, he established the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at Penn to address the financial challenges of health care, and in 1976, he endowed the country’s first school of gerontology at the University of Southern California. The Davis legacy continues to inspire progress in improving access to care and aging research.
Alan Davis, the son of Leonard and Sophie Davis, continues the legacy of support at Penn, philanthropy, and health advocacy through his role as President and CEO of the Leonard and Sophie Davis Fund.
For more information about the Davis Fund’s $1 million matching challenge, please contact Molly McKenzie, Director of Regional Development, Wharton External Affairs, mollymck@wharton.upenn.edu.
About the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics
The Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (Penn LDI), founded in 1967, is the University of Pennsylvania’s hub for interdisciplinary research and education on health care delivery, health equity, health policy, and population health. As a leading academic institute dedicated to data-driven, policy-focused research, Penn LDI connects all 12 of Penn’s schools, the University of Pennsylvania Health System, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia through a diverse set of programs, research support, and more than 500 affiliated researchers. Penn LDI trains the next generation of health services and health policy researchers through a resource-rich environment and innovative educational programs. For more information, visit www.ldi.upenn.edu.
About the Wharton School
Founded in 1881 as the world’s first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With a faculty of more than 235 renowned professors, Wharton has 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year, 100,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education’s individual, company-customized, and online programs, and thousands of pre-collegiate students explore business concepts through Wharton’s Global Youth Program. More than 105,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. For more information, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu.
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