PHILADELPHIA, June 4, 2024 – It is with great pleasure that Penn Interim President J. Larry Jameson and Wharton Dean Erika James announce that Mary-Hunter (“Mae”) McDonnell has been named as the inaugural Bantwal Family Goldman Sachs Presidential Associate Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
The Bantwal Family Goldman Sachs Presidential Professorship was endowed by Vivek J. Bantwal, W’99 and Sarika Singh Bantwal. The Bantwals were inspired to generously establish this fund as a tribute to Vivek Bantwal’s late father, Jayawant D. Bantwal, whose memory will live on through this esteemed chair.
“Professor McDonnell is known for exploring the nature of organizations and how complex and interwoven forces shape their actions,” said Interim President Jameson. “By drawing from a variety of fields and integrating them into her scholarship, she offers vital insights that explain a foundational aspect of our modern world. We are deeply thankful to Vivek and Sarika for endowing this professorship, which positions Professor McDonnell to continue investigating these important dynamics and their impact on our world.”
Professor McDonnell joined the Wharton School as an Assistant Professor of Management in 2015 and held the Clarence Nickman Assistant Professorship from 2019 to 2020. She was promoted to Associate Professor of Management with Tenure in 2020. In 2023, Professor McDonnell also accepted the position of Faculty Co-Director of the Zicklin Center for Governance and Business Ethics. Along with her primary appointment as the Bantwal Family Goldman Sachs Presidential Associate Professor at Wharton, Professor McDonnell has a secondary appointment in both Wharton’s Legal Studies & Business Ethics department and in the Sociology department in Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences.
In her research, McDonnell uses organizational theory and sociology to explore the relationships and interactions between politics, corporations, and the stakeholders of both institutions. Professor McDonnell’s recent publications investigate topics such as organizational misconduct and dealings among governmental agents, social activists, and businesses.
“I am filled with gratitude for Vivek and Sarika’s philanthropy and dedication to Wharton, which is exemplified through the creation of this presidential professorship,” said Dean James. “Since Vivek’s graduation in 1999, he has been a committed alumnus, giving generously in many ways, including his current service on Wharton’s Undergraduate Executive Board. I am delighted the Bantwals have made it possible to further recognize Professor McDonnell’s impactful research and leadership.”
Vivek Bantwal is currently a Partner and Global Head of the Financing Group at Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. He has been an active member of Wharton’s Undergraduate Executive Board since 2019 and was the 2024 Wharton Undergraduate Graduation Speaker.
On the motivation behind creating this professorship, Vivek and Sarika Bantwal said, “Looking back on Vivek’s experience as a student at Wharton with fondness and gratitude, we are proud to be able to support Wharton faculty and their pedagogical knowledge and practice today. It is an even greater honor to be able to establish this professorship to commemorate a beloved family member who made the pathway to Vivek’s Wharton education possible.”
The Bantwals’ interest in an exceptional student experience, faculty research, and care for the University community is demonstrated through their giving. Their contributions to the Goldman Sachs Gives Research Innovation Fund provide the Perelman School of Medicine with research funding for inventive projects that improve health equity and outcomes at both a local and global level. The Bantwals previously established the Bantwal Family Goldman Sachs Scholars Fund, dedicated to undergraduate students from Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware counties. Vivek Bantwal is a proud Pennsylvania native and wishes to support talented young people in attending Wharton. The Bantwals are also avid supporters of The Wharton Fund, the Penn Fund, and Penn Medicine, all of which provide critical resources throughout the School and the University.
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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