Wendell Pritchett is the James S. Riepe Presidential Professor of Law and Education at the University of Pennsylvania. Pritchett served as the Interim University President from February 2022 - June 2022 and previously served as the University Provost at Penn from July 1, 2017, through December 31, 2021. He first joined the Penn Law faculty in 2002 and served as Interim Dean and Presidential Professor for the 2014-15 school year. From 2006-2007, he served as associate dean for academic affairs.
During the past 15 years, Pritchett has played a leadership role in numerous nonprofit organizations. He was board chair of Community Legal Services of Philadelphia during 2005-08. He also served as president of the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation, chair of the Redevelopment Authority of Philadelphia, member of the Pennsylvania State Planning Board, and member of the Cooper University Health Care Board of Trustees. In October 2012, he was elected president of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, a national consortium of higher education institutions.