Penn Arts and Sciences Appoints Biden, Neukrug as Professors of Practice

Penn Arts and Sciences has appointed former U.S. Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., HON’13, and former Commissioner and CEO of the Philadelphia Water Department Howard Neukrug, CE’78, as the School’s first Professors of Practice. These professorships are intended to bring accomplished leaders from business, government, or the arts into Penn Arts and Sciences’ classrooms to complement the expertise of the School’s standing faculty. 

As Benjamin Franklin Presidential Practice Professor, Joseph Biden holds joint appointments in Penn Arts and Sciences and the Annenberg School for Communication, with a secondary affiliation in the Wharton School. Biden served as a U.S. senator from Delaware for 36 years before being elected the nation’s 47th vice president. During his career he played a pivotal role in shaping U.S. foreign policy, developing deep relationships with world leaders. At Penn, Biden will lead the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, located in Washington, D.C. and focused principally on diplomacy, foreign policy, and national security. He will also have an office on the Penn campus. 

Howard Neukrug is a professor of practice in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science. At the Philadelphia Water Department, Neukrug was responsible for all aspects of a drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater system serving 2.3 million people. He created Philadelphia's $2.5 billion "Green City, Clean Waters" program, which revolutionized how American cities approach land and water management for sustainability and resiliency. He is an honorary diplomat of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers and an advisor to the Environmental Protection Agency and the water industry. Neukrug is establishing a Regional and Global Water Policy Center at Penn.