J. Larry Jameson to step down as Penn’s president, ending a tenure during a time of upheaval at the Ivy League institution

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When J. Larry Jameson took over as interim president of the University of Pennsylvania in December 2023, the Ivy League institution was reeling from the resignation of its president and facing national scrutiny over antisemitism on campus, and navigating deep divisions over the war in Gaza.

More than three years later, Jameson says his work is nearly done.

“My goal was to help restore stability during unanticipated leadership transitions, refocus our community on Penn’s mission, and strengthen Penn for the future during a challenging time for higher education,” Jameson wrote in a message to the Penn community. “With your partnership, resilience, and dedication, we have accomplished these objectives and much more.

Jameson announced Friday that he will step down as Penn’s president in June 2027, ending a tenure defined by efforts to stabilize the university during one of its most tumultuous periods.

“Serving as Penn’s president has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Jameson wrote.

The timing will allow Penn to conduct a deliberate search for its next president as Jameson will remain in his position through the end of the 2026-27 academic year.

A physician-scientist and longtime Penn administrator, Jameson was tapped to lead the university after former President Liz Magill resigned amid backlash over her congressional testimony concerning antisemitism on college campuses.

In announcing that appointment, Penn’s Board of Trustees praised Jameson for helping steady the institution during a period of extraordinary uncertainty. Board Chair Ramanan Raghavendran said there was “nothing more important than leadership” and credited Jameson with guiding Penn through a difficult moment.

His interim role as president was made permanent in March of last year.

Jameson’s presidency unfolded against a continuing backdrop of political and cultural battles engulfing higher education. Penn faced federal investigations, campus protests that led to the arrests of students, criticism from donors and politicians, and growing uncertainty about federal research funding.

Throughout that period, Jameson frequently framed his leadership around Penn’s core academic mission. In his first message as head of the university, he told the university community that he was “trained as a physician—healing is in my nature and skill set” and as a scientist was “hard-wired to ask challenging questions, pursue rigorous inquiry and debate.”

He had also urged students, faculty and staff to work together to create “a new chapter in Penn’s nearly 300-year history.” As part of that effort, Jameson launched Penn Forward, a university-wide strategic planning initiative designed to chart the institution’s future amid rapid changes in higher education, research and technology.

“Together, we will shape Penn’s future and propel Penn forward,” he said last year when announcing the effort.

Before becoming president, Jameson spent more than a decade leading Penn Medicine as dean of the Perelman School of Medicine and executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. During that time, Penn Medicine expanded its clinical network and strengthened its standing as one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers.

Founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1740, the University of Pennsylvania is one of the nation’s oldest universities and Philadelphia’s largest private employer, enrolling roughly 28,000 students across its undergraduate and graduate schools.

Editor’s note: This article has been corrected to reflect that Jameson transitioned from interim president to president last year.