Dr. William Zucker
Deeply appreciative of the education he received at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, Ira Riklis has long been a contributor to the University. Recently, he increased his support through an endowment—the Dr. William Zucker Entrepreneurial Intern Fellowship—named in honor of his advisor, mentor and dearest friend. The fellowship provides paid internship opportunities for outstanding students who plan to spend the summer in an entrepreneurial setting. Following their internships, the students are expected to serve as Ambassadors of Entrepreneurship who work with staff to promote the entrepreneurial career path to other Wharton students.
The fellowship is a fitting tribute to the memory of Dr. Zucker, who passed away in 2006. His classes were known for bringing studies from the academic arena into real life. Two classes, in particular, “Entrepreneurial Decision Making and Land Development” and his Entrepreneurial Inner-City Housing Markets course, were legendary for both the exhaustive requirements they placed on students and for their blend of practical and academic principles and practices. Ira Riklis credits Dr. Zucker for much of what’s he’s learned about being a successful entrepreneur. And through this fellowship, he hopes a new generation of students can enjoy similar successes.