Ira Riklis and his wife Diana are both fiercely loyal to the University of Pennsylvania, their Alma Mater. Both received their graduate degrees there, he in business (of course) and she in Education. And in the years since they graduated, they’ve been happy to be able to offer their support to both the Graduate College of Education and the Wharton School of Business. It’s their way of showing appreciation for the educational experiences they enjoyed there and which have contributed greatly to their successes in life.
They’re pleased that the support they give helps not only the university and new generations of students, but that, on occasion, directly benefits the surrounding communities. As one example, Ira Riklis and Diana can cite a recent Research as Public Work seminar at the Graduate School of Education. In that program, college students, working with local high school kids, converted a vacant lot into a community garden and gathering spot. The result was that students in Penn’s Urban Studies Program were able to apply classroom knowledge to real-world challenges, local kids gained advocates and got a glimpse of opportunities for their future and the community gained a garden and gathering place.