Penn Arts and Sciences welcomed 24 new members to its standing faculty for the 2015-2016 academic year. The appointments include seven professors, one visiting professor, two associate professors, and 14 assistant professors, in 17 departments spanning the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
The group includes the 16th Penn Integrates Knowledge (PIK) Professor, Michael Platt. Platt is a world-renowned neuroscientist whose research focuses on how the brain makes decisions. As the James S. Riepe University Professor, he is the first PIK professor to hold appointments in three schools: the Department of Psychology in Penn Arts and Sciences, the Department of Neuroscience in the Perelman School of Medicine, and the Department of Marketing in the Wharton School. He received his doctorate in biological anthropology from Penn.
Penn President Amy Gutmann said, “Best known for his studies of decision-making, social cognition, and attention, Michael exemplifies Penn’s commitment to integrating knowledge in order to address both timely and timeless questions of great societal impact.”
