| Honors & Other Things |
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September 30, 2008, Volume 55, No. 6
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Dr. Hankenson: Fuller Albright Award
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Dr. Kurt D. Hankenson, assistant professor of cell biology, was awarded the Fuller Albright Award by the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR). Dr. Hankenson, is the first veterinarian to receive this award. His expertise in mouse phenotyping, in thrombospondin biology, and in mesenchymal stem cell biology, has provided him with a wide-variety of collaborative relationships that exist with investigators across the country and world-wide. |
Dr. Jemmott: Top 10 Recipient
Dr. John B. Jemmott III has been honored as one of the 10 researchers whose work in HIV/AIDS education received the most investigator-initiated (R01) grant funding from the NIH during the fiscal year of 2007. Dr. Jemmott is the Kenneth B. Clark Professor of Communication at the Annenberg School and a professor of communication in psychiatry and director of the Center for Health Behavior and Communication Research in the School of Medicine.
Mr. Levy: Into the Open Exhibition
Mr. Aaron Levy, executive director and senior curator at the Slought Foundation, is co-curator of the US representation at the 11th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia. The exhibition, Into the Open: Positioning Practice, highlights the means by which architects reclaim a role in shaping community and the built environment. Other organizers include US Commissioner William Menking, along with Andrew Sturm, director of architecture for the PARC Foundation. Mr. Levy is also a lecturer in the department of English.
Dr. Steele: IMS President-Elect
Dr. J. Michael Steele, C.F. Koo Professor of Statistics and Operations and Information Management in the Wharton School, has been named the 2008-09 President-Elect of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (IMS). The Institute is an international academic society for the statistics profession, dedicated to the development, dissemination, and application of statistics and probability.
Penn: Top Wired College
The University of Pennsylvania has been named a Top Wired College by The Princeton Review and PC Magazine’s “Most Connected Campuses” rankings. Penn is number 16 in the nation among “teched-out” campuses.
Dental Med Alumni Merit Awards
The Penn’s School of Dental Medicine has honored three alumni with the annual Alumni Award of Merit for 2008: Dr. Marc Ackerman, Dr. Leonard Cole, and Dr. Rowland Hutchinson. Dr. Ackerman graduated in 1998 and is currently an orthodontist in Florida. Dr. Cole of Ridgewood, New Jersey, a 1957 graduate, has a private dental practice and teaches political science. Dr. Hutchinson, class of 1958, has served as a faculty member and dean of several dental schools. The Award of Merit recognizes loyalty to the school, excellence in the profession and community involvement.
Leonore Annenberg Award
The Annenberg School for Communication has presented alumnus Bill Novelli, C’63, ASC’64, with the Leonore Annenberg Award for Distinguished Graduates. Mr. Novelli is the CEO of AARP. The award is given to an Annenberg alumnus who has demonstrated a commitment to helping others and who has made significant contributions to the community and to the country.
NBIC Research Excellence Award
The Nano/Bio Interface Center (NBIC) will present Rice University’s nanophotonics pioneer Dr. Naomi Halas with its Research Excellence Award. Dr. Halas, the Stanley C. Moore Professor in Electrical and Computing Engineering and founder/director of Rice’s Laboratory for Nanophotonics, is being recognized for her contributions to the innovative synthesis of nanostructures. She will accept the award and give the keynote address at NBIC’s NanoDay@Penn ceremonies on October 29.
Medicine: Top Score from AMSA
The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) has given the School of Medicine a top ‘A’ score for having one of the best conflict of interest policies. According to the AMSA, only 21 of 150 medical schools surveyed have strong policies. AMSA “evaluates restrictions on gifts, paid speaking for products, acceptance of drug promotion samples, interaction with sales representatives, and industry-funded education, among other criteria.
ISC: ISO Certification
Information Systems and Computing (ISC) has received certification from the International Organization for Standardization for its data center, making the University of Pennsylvania the first in the Ivy League to do so.
“The ability of our organization to obtain international certification provides tangible proof that ISC is focused on being the best it can be,” ISC Vice President Robin Beck said.
“We are proud to have earned recognition from ISO, an organization known for sharing technological advances and good management practices and for disseminating innovative ideas,” Data Center IT Senior Director Donna Manley said.
ISC started the certification initiative three years ago.
“We saw ISO certification as part of our on-going efforts of continuous improvement in services we provide to our clients at Penn,” said Ray Davis, executive director of ISC’s Systems Engineering Operations, to which the data center reports. “We knew the work required to achieve ISO certification would be a high bar to measure ourselves against. We also knew working through the process would provide more pronounced and interactive opportunities for employees to contribute directly to Penn’s success. This win-win scenario made the additional work well worth the effort.”
Increases in efficiency will result in cost reductions of more than $150,000 annually, Ms. Manley said.
ISO is the world’s largest developer and publisher of international standards. It has 157 member countries.
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