President J. Larry Jameson’s Remarks for the University of Pennsylvania's 269th Commencement Ceremony

By J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD

May 19, 2025

Thank you, Reverend Howard.

To our national anthem singer, Carlee Reid: that was inspiring, and “pitch perfect!”

Of course, the expert would be our Commencement Speaker, Elizabeth Banks, but more about this later...

Today, Franklin Field is filled with joy thanks to the support and pride of our families and friends. Let’s hear it for them!

And, from the audience, let’s hear it for our graduates!

Your Class is historic for many reasons. For example, you have done something that only two classes in our entire history can claim. You are graduating in the same year that the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl. Go Birds.

You have other claims to history, too.

Many of you finished high school and started college during the pandemic. You persisted with graduate and professional studies through the twists and turns of COVID.

You have persevered and advanced in a world that is only changing faster – where, ironically, the word “unprecedented” is something we hear all the time.

When the ground under our feet is shifting, how do we find our footing?

Here is one example. Earlier this year, parts of Los Angeles were ravaged by wildfire.

Many people – perhaps some here today – fled, lost their homes, or even loved ones. Firefighters from across the country came to help. LA neighbors rallied in support.

Not long after, I was in this area visiting alumni and Penn families. As you would expect, the conversation often turned to the fires and the methods for putting them out – including a technique called backburning, or fighting fire with fire.

This approach seems counterintuitive. But, the fire consumes available fuel – brush and oxygen – which can help slow the destruction. In this kind of crisis, firefighters need courage, cool heads, and – most important – they must adapt to succeed.

Across Spruce Street, at our medical school, you will find other examples of creativity and adaptation.

Dr. Carl June’s CAR-T cell breakthroughs are the whitecoat equivalent of fighting fire with fire. This novel approach unleashes engineered immune cells against cancer.

Despite decades of naysayers, Nobel Prize winners Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman developed modified mRNA as a new form of treatment. This technology helped end the COVID pandemic in record time, saved countless lives, and will revolutionize health care as we know it.

This is why we must continue to invest in research.  Penn could not be more proud or more committed to these revolutionary advances, and the pioneering work happening in all of our Schools every day.

From wildfires to wild innovations, the lessons are clear: In volatile times – when the pressure is on, the odds are long, and the stakes are high – adapting creatively can make a huge difference.

You are well prepared for this. Your professors, peers, coaches, and communities have been helping you hone your skills.

Watching you adapt in real time, I have observed 3 essential characteristics, all Ben Franklin traits that are memorialized in our values – and inscribed in our sidewalks!

They are: Curiosity, Creativity, and Self-Improvement.

First, Curiosity. The drive to test new ideas, try new passions, triumph and stumble, and seek new friends. The boldness to try fresh adventures, even though they make you feel uncomfortable. The curiosity that secured a 2025 Rhodes Scholarship for your classmate, Ohm Gandhi.  Keep feeding your curiosity. No matter how fast the world advances, you will be open and ready to seize opportunity.

Next, Creativity. As you have grown at Penn, you have proven adept at novel thinking. You kickstarted businesses, created art and contributed to culture, leveraged AI, conducted original research, and excelled in patient care and service to our community. The winners of the President’s Engagement Prizes, Innovation Prizes, and Draw Down the Lightning grants are just a few examples of your creativity. Never stop creating or undergoing your own reinvention.

Lastly, Self-Improvement. Each of us and everything we do will be, to some extent, imperfect – with one exception: this year’s flawless season for our men’s squash team. And, let’s not forget the incredible performance of our women’s lacrosse team – for the second straight year, they advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals.

In already uncertain times, our flaws and failures can spark anxiety. That fear can hold us back. But the point is not perfection; it is that we always strive to be better.

Curiosity, Creativity, and Self-Improvement: These are Penn values. They are your values.

Use them often, keep them sharp, and they will serve you well.

It is by adapting that you will help to shape the future.

Graduates, we are so proud of what you have accomplished. We will be even more proud of what you go on to achieve. As you join hundreds of thousands of Penn alumni, keep your Penn memories close, your Penn friends even closer, and know that this University will always be yours.

Thank you all. Congratulations to the terrific Class of 2025!