Inaugural Howard Marks Endowed Professor is Named
Howard Marks, Beta Pi ’64, co-founder and CEO of Oaktree Capital Management, has long been one of the University of Pennsylvania’s staunchest supporters. His generous donations to Penn include being the chief benefactor of the Marks Family Center for Excellence in Writing, the Howard Marks Endowed Scholarships that help Penn students from Southern California, and endowed professorships.
One of his latest contributions to Penn is the Howard Marks Endowed Professorship at the Wharton School. The inaugural recipient of Mr. Marks’ largesse has been named. He is Professor Judd Kessler, author of the recently published “Lucky by Design: The Hidden Economics You Need to Get More of What You Want”.
Professor Kessler received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and graduate degrees from Harvard and the University of Cambridge.
Pi Kappa Alpha 2026 International Convention
Pi Kappa Alpha Inter/National fraternity (Memphis) has never been more successful than it is at this time. A record number of donations and total dollar amount of donations sets the stage for the annual convention to bring pride to all members and to celebrate Memphis accomplishments within the past year.
Memphis announces the convention date, “The 2026 International Convention heads to Las Vegas, July 16-18. Join brothers from across the country for leadership and connection at PIKE’s biggest event yet”.
Jeffrey Blander, Beta Pi ’90, Update
The March/April 2026 issue of The Pennsylvania Gazette provides an update on the accomplishments of Jeffrey Blander, Beta Pi ’90:
“Jeffrey Blander W’93 released a new children’s book, Jessica and the River Fairies, in January. The book is coauthored with his late mother, Ann Blander, and grew from a short bedtime story she wrote for him on a typewriter when he was four years old. Jeffrey writes, ‘She passed away less than a year later, making those rediscovered pages especially meaningful.’ This is his fifth book and second children’s title. His previous children’s book became an Amazon bestseller and reached more than 50,000 readers
globally. He writes, ‘All proceeds from [my] children’s books are donated to organizations supporting children, caregivers, and educators navigating grief and loss’.”