Michael C. Horowitz returns as director of Perry World House

The University of Pennsylvania will welcome Michael C. Horowitz, director of Perry World House and Richard Perry professor in the School of Arts & Sciences' Department of Political Science, back to campus this fall 2024. Horowitz had been serving in the Biden Administration as the inaugural deputy assistant secretary of defense for force development and emerging capabilities, having first joined the U.S. Department of Defense in 2022 to create the Emerging Capabilities Policy Office.

"It is a great pleasure to welcome Mike Horowitz back to Penn, and to thank him for his outstanding service at the U.S. Department of Defense," says Provost John L. Jackson Jr. "His deep expertise in foreign policy, defense, and international relations has never been more important to our shared understanding of critical world events. And, as we look to the future, his experience with new and emerging technologies-including AI, robotics, biotechnology, and quantum-will be invaluable as he resumes the directorship of Perry World House."

Horowitz resumed the leadership of Perry World House on August 14. In addition to his institutional leadership, he will also drive work on security, defense, and emerging technologies. Security is one of the four global policy pillars at Perry World House; the other three pillars are climate change, democracy, and human rights and global justice.

"Mike Horowitz was instrumental in building and leading Perry World House from its inception in 2016 through his appointment at the Pentagon in 2022," says Ezekiel Emanuel, Penn's vice provost for global initiatives. "Mike's appointment to President Biden's national security team recognized his expertise in defense and emerging technologies. His return to Penn will allow the community to benefit from his knowledge about defense and learn from his expertise in policy development and implementation at the highest levels of the federal government and with U.S. global partners. It will be great for him to be back enlightening the Penn community."

"I am so pleased to return to Philadelphia after a two-year hiatus at the Pentagon," says Horowitz. "It was a tremendous honor to build and lead a fantastic team at the Pentagon, where we worked on many policy issues related to defense, emerging technologies, and international cooperation that were a focus of my research at Perry World House. I am thrilled to be back on campus, where I will apply the policy knowledge and insights I gained from government service to Perry World House and the Penn community as a whole."