Are you a motivated undergraduate student interested in deepening your ESG expertise? Looking for meaningful opportunities to engage with your peers, faculty, and industry experts?
Turner ESG Fellows are a group of 25-30 undergraduates across Penn who participate in a year-long program of speaker sessions, networking and mentoring opportunities, and professional development across many ESG topics. Alongside your peers, you will develop a working knowledge of real-world environmental, social, and governance topics, learn about different ESG career options both in academia and industry, and network with other students, faculty, and professionals. You will also benefit from mentorship and community-building opportunities, led by our returning Turner ESG Senior Fellows.
The Fall 2024 semester is dedicated to speaker sessions with leading Wharton faculty and industry professionals, as well as community-building activities. The Spring 2025 semester will contain interactive activities such as mentorship, career treks, and presentations to ESG Initiative staff and faculty.
Who is Eligible to Apply?
In order to apply, you must be:
- An undergraduate in your first, second, or third year at Penn or Wharton
- Available to meet on select Thursdays from 12:00 p.m.-1:15 p.m. ET throughout both the fall and spring semesters (students studying abroad for a semester are unable to apply)
- Committed to being a member of the TESG Fellows community by:
- Fully attending all sessions throughout the academic year – members who miss more than two sessions in the fall semester will not be eligible to continue on to the spring semester
- Demonstrating a welcoming and respectful attitude toward all members and guest speakers
- Communicating in a timely manner with all members, especially regarding scheduling conflicts
What is the application timeline?
Applications will open on Tuesday, August 27, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. ET and will close on Tuesday, September 10, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Late applications will not be accepted, nor will supplemental materials sent separately from the formal application.
You may be asked to participate in an asynchronous video interview sometime between September 11, 2024 and September 13, 2024.
All applicants will receive their admissions decision on September 16, 2024. Accepted students must attend an in-person orientation session on September 19, 2024 from 12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. and must commit to participating in the program by September 20, 2024.
How long is the program?
The program will officially begin on September 26, 2024 and end on April 17, 2025.
In the Fall 2024 semester, sessions will be held in person on the following Thursdays from 12:00pm – 1:15pm:
- September 26, 2024
- October 10, 2024
- October 17, 2024
- October 24, 2024
- October 31, 2024
- November 7, 2024
- November 14, 2024
- November 21, 2024
- December 5, 2024
Fellows must attend at least 7 of the above 9 sessions in order to be eligible to participate in the program during the spring semester.
In the Spring 2025 semester, sessions will be held on the following Thursdays from 12:00pm-1:15pm:
- January 16, 2025
- January 30, 2025
- February 13, 2025
- March 27, 2025
- April 10, 2025
- April 17, 2025
There will also be a local Career Trek on Friday, February 7th and two optional sessions on Thursday, February 20th and Thursday, March 13th.
If accepted to the program, you will receive a detailed calendar in both print and online formats.
Turner ESG Senior Fellows
Turner ESG Senior Fellows are a group of select returning Fellows who participate in year-long activities with the Fellows cohort, while also deepening their own leadership and mentoring skills & understanding of ESG and impact investing topics.
Turner ESG Stories
“I thought the Turner ESG Fellowship at the Wharton ESG Initiative was a great way to get involved and combine my professional interests in ESG and personal passion for it.”
– Sapphira Ching, W’24, Concentrations in Finance, Entrepreneurship & Innovation
The support and vision of impact investor Bobby Turner, W’84, catalyzed the launch of the Turner Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Fellows.
As a longtime supporter of social impact activities at Wharton, Turner – CEO of Turner Impact Capital – is an example of, as Joseph Wharton said, harnessing the power of business to “solve the social problems incident to our civilization.” He also helps inform the ongoing priorities and future direction of the Wharton School as a member of the board of overseers. The ESG Initiative is very grateful to Lauren Golub Turner, W’85, and Bobby Turner, W’84 for their support.