Honors and Other Things	Print Issue
March 29, 2011, Volume 57, No. 27

ENIAC Day

In recognition of its 65th birthday, the Philadelphia City Council officially declared February 15 “ENIAC Day.” The Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), the first general-purpose electronic computer, was constructed and operated at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering, now part of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. When fully operational, ENIAC occupied a room 30 by 50 feet in size and weighed 30 tons. A total of 40 panels were arranged in a U-shape that measured 80 feet long at the front, and the 18,000 vacuum tubes required were more than 20 times as many as the total employed by all various systems aboard a wartime B-29 bomber. See the online ENIAC museum at www.seas.upenn.edu/about-seas/eniac/

Book of the Year: Dr. D’Antonio
Dr. Patricia D’Antonio, associate professor of nursing and chair of the family & community health division, was honored with the American Journal of Nursing’s Book of the Year Award. Her most recent book, American Nursing: A History of Knowledge, Authority, and the Meaning of Work, offers a new interpretation of the history of nursing in the United States and captures the many ways women reframed the most traditional of all gender expectations—that of caring for the sick—to create new possibilities for themselves, to renegotiate the terms of some of their life experiences, and to reshape their own sense of worth and power.

Distinguished Researcher: Dr. Evans
Dr. Lois Evans, the van Ameringen Professor in Nursing Excellence, has been named the 2011 winner of the Claire M. Fagin Distinguished Researcher Award, an honor from School of Nursing that highlights the research accomplishments of its faculty. Dr. Evans’ scholarship has transformed the care of frail elders. Her research on the phenomena of “sun-downing” in patients with Alzheimer’s disease is considered seminal and continues to be cited in the field. Her collaborative ground-breaking research on the use of restraints resulted in a significant reduction in the use of restraints on the elderly in hospitals and nursing homes. Dr. Evans has also played a major role in launching evidence-based academic clinical practices at the School of Nursing. She was instrumental in the development, launching, and leadership of the LIFE program in its formative years offering primary care to both frail elders and low-income families. Most recently, she has established new areas of inquiry by developing innovative science in the field of geropsychiatric nursing where she has also formulated a collaborative providing educational support for entry level and advanced practice nurses in the field.

Women Who Shake the World: Dr. Gutmann and Dr. Rodin
President Amy Gutmann and President Emerita Judith Rodin are two of the top 150 Women Who Shake the World, according to a list compiled by Newsweek and the website The Daily Beast in honor of the Women in the World summit that took place earlier this month in New York City.

Dr. Gutmann was praised for raising “$3 billion for the University, more than all previous fundraising campaigns combined,” “dramatically increasing financial aid, replacing loans with grants for undergraduates,” and for “expanding Penn’s global partnerships.”

Dr. Rodin is president of the Rockefeller Foundation, which supports and shapes innovations to ensure that more people can access globalization’s benefits and strengthen resilience to risks.

The summit, which included a keynote address by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, brought together women from various backgrounds to share stories and offer solutions to improve the lives of women and girls.

Dr. Gutmann spoke on the next generation of leaders and Dr. Rodin made remarks during the opening of the summit. Both can be viewed on The Daily Beast website, www.thedailybeast.com/newsmaker/women-in-the-world/

Projects for Peace: Mr. Jok
Dau Jok, C’14, is this year’s winner of the Kathryn Wasserman Davis 100 Projects for Peace award from Penn. Mr. Jok is in the process of creating the Dut Jok Youth Foundation in post-conflict Southern Sudan, the goal of which is to “produce generations of Southern Sudanese youth who are academically and socially capable.” The Davis Projects for Peace is an invitation to undergraduates to design grassroots projects that they will implement during the summer. The projects judged to be the most promising and practical will be funded at $10,000 each. The objective is to encourage and support today’s motivated youth to create and try out their own ideas for building peace.

Clinical Excellence: Dr. Kennedy
Dr. David W. Kennedy, professor of rhinology, department of otorhinolaryngology–head and neck surgery at the School of Medicine, has been selected to receive Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.’s “Clinical Excellence Award.” The award, from the creators of America’s Top Doctors ® guide, is designed to recognize physicians who exemplify excellence in clinical medical practice. “We congratulate Dr. Kennedy on receiving this very prestigious honor,” said Dr. Bert W. O’Malley Jr., Gabriel Tucker Professor and chair of otorhinolaryngology–head and neck surgery at Penn. “Dr. Kennedy is a pioneer in sinus surgery in the US, and has taught its techniques throughout the world. His leadership in the field of otorhinolaryngology–head and neck surgery has led to new standards of patient care, and advances in scientific discovery, education, and clinical innovation.”

Epstein Fellowship: Dr. Lamitina
Dr. Todd Lamitina, assistant professor of physiology in the School of Medicine, is the recipient of the 2011 Franklin Epstein Fellowship in Molecular and Cellular Physiology. The fellowship supports summer research at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL) in Maine. Dr. Lamitina’s laboratory investigates the molecular pathways controlling salt and water homeostasis and the role of these pathways in various physiological and disease states. MDIBL is a non-profit research institution that encourages a highly collegial, collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to biomedical research. It annually hosts 50-60 visiting scientists from around the world who represent a broad range of educational backgrounds and academic disciplines including physician-scientists, physiologists, cell biologists, geneticists, bioinformatics experts and chemists.

CCP Board: Mr. Lassiter
Chad Dion Lassiter, lecturer in the School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) and president of Black Men at Penn in SP2, has been appointed by Mayor Michael Nutter to the Board of Trustees of the Community College of Philadelphia. Mayor Nutter said, “These individuals will help strengthen CCP’s ability to effectively serve the diverse communities of Philadelphia, provide our workforce with critical skills for the new global economy, and ensure that Philadelphia’s economy continues to grow and thrive.”  The Community College of Philadelphia is the largest public institution of higher education in the city.

Imig Award for Teacher Ed: Dr. Lytle
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) announced that Penn GSE Professor Susan Lytle and Boston College Professor Marilyn Cochran-Smith have been named recipients of the 2011 David G. Imig Award for Distinguished Achievement in Teacher Education. Drs. Lytle and Cochran-Smith were selected for their ongoing contributions to teacher preparation, particularly because of their recently co-authored book Inquiry as Stance: Practitioner Research for the Next Generation.

Organization of the Year: Penn MERT
Penn’s Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) received the 2011 NCEMSF Organization of the Year award, at the 18th annual National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation (NCEMSF) conference in February. The organization states that the “award recognizes an EMS organization that has demonstrated outstanding service to its campus. This award is frequently a result of marked improvements in staffing, equipment, or level of service provided.” MERT, which has grown in membership by 80 percent since last year, expanded its coverage by an additional two hours each night to cover the gap when Student Health Services is closed.  MERT has also expanded to staff special events such as club athletic events and recreational activities on campus.

Top row left to right: MERT Founder Andrew Mener, Student Advisor Ryan McCormick, Equipment Officer Emma Kofmehl, Administrative Director Julia Lakin, Operations Captain William Doyle, Former Operations Captain Jonna Heldrich, Athletics Coordinator Benjamin Young, Penn Division of Public Safety Fire and Emergency Services Chief Eugene Janda, Former Adminstrative Director Anita Deshpande. Bottom row left to right: Social Coordinator Rachel Gates, Chief Claire Le Guen, Former Chief Sourav Bose, Scheduling Officer Alexandra Tejan, Community Outreach Officer Kendra Hypolite

African Languages Grant: Dr. Mbeje

Dr. Audrey Mbeje, director of the African Languages Center and faculty fellow at Du Bois College House, received a three-year grant (2010-2013) funded by the US Department of Education to develop course modules for online delivery in four strategic languages of Africa, namely, Amharic, Sudanese Arabic, Tigrinya and Zulu—all of which are taught at Penn though the African Studies Center. The project is a response to the national demand for resources in these languages and the online materials will be made available to institutions offering these languages nationwide as well as to the world-wide audience.

Model Supervisor Award
Established in 2007 as part of the Models of Excellence Program, the Model Supervisor Award is given annually to an outstanding Penn supervisor who demonstrates exemplary supervisor behaviors and serves as an outstanding role model for others to emulate.

Finalists for the 2011 Model Supervisor Award are as follows:

• Libby Moore, administrative and financial officer, Institute for Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine

• Kathleen M. Thomas, clinical research operations manager, Department of Radiology, School of Medicine

• Paul Weidner, director of finance training, Finance

These individuals were chosen from a select group of eight supervisors across campus. The other nominees include:

• Seth Gillihan, assistant professor, Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine

• Veronica Holloway, administrator, Division of Family and Community Health, School of Nursing

• Derek Hunsberger, senior residential services administrator, Housing Services, Business Services

• Maggie Krall, director of administration, Combined Degree and Physician Scholar Programs, School of Medicine

• John MacDermott, director for instructional technology, School of Arts and Sciences Computing, School of Arts and Sciences

The Model Supervisor Award winner will be announced live by President Amy wGutmann at the Models of Excellence Awards Ceremony on Thursday, March 31. All Penn faculty and staff are welcome to attend. If you’d like an invitation, contact Human Resources at QOWL@hr.upenn.edu or (215) 898-1012 or visit www.hr.upenn.edu/quality/models for more details.

Ivy Classic: Penn Gymnastics
Penn Gymnastics won the Ivy Classic last month, ending Cornell University’s three consecutive titles. This was Penn’s first Ivy Classic title since 2007 and its 12th title in the history of the event. Overall, the team scored highest in the vault and balance beam.

Ford Focus Global Test Drive Competition
A video by freshmen in Management 100: Qingyu Wu, Stephanie Weiner, Krishen Somers, Vivian Poon, Tanay Mehta, Christine Lim, Mac Gorcey-Biblowitz, Brian Engel, Julie Cheng, Joseph Zhong is one of the winners of the Ford Focus Global Test Drive competition. The video focused on the nonprofit organization Givology, an “online giving marketplace for education that leverages small dollar donations to support grassroots projects and student scholarships in the developing world.” Launched by Penn students in 2008, Givology will use the $10,000 prize for “high-impact education projects.” The prize also comes with a trip to Madrid, Spain to test drive the 2012 Ford Focus. Competitors had to submit a short video explaining why they should be selected to participate in the event and how they might “Start Something More” with a charitable cause in their community with a donation from Ford.

Penn IUR Urban Leadership Awards
Last week, the Penn Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR) hosted the 7th Annual Urban Leadership Forum, “Building the Sustainable Community,” to celebrate exemplary leaders who are guiding cities toward a sustainable and vibrant future. This year’s awardees are:

Raphael Bostic, assistant secretary for policy development and research, US Department of Housing and Urban Development

Henry Cisneros, executive chairman, Cityview, and former Secretary, US Department of Housing and Urban Development

Jane Golden, executive director, City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program

John Timoney, former Miami Chief of Police and author, From Beat Cop to Top Cop: A Tale of Three Cities

Penn IUR co-directors Eugénie Birch, at left, and Susan Wachter, at right, with the recipients of the 7th Annual IUR Leadership Awards: Raphael Bostic, Jane Golden, John Timoney, and Henry Cisneros.

RealArts@PENN Interns 2011
RealArts is a program for all Penn students, sponsored by the College of Arts & Sciences. It was created in 2007 to integrate art-world practice into the intellectual life of the University. The interns for this summer are:

The intern at MTV Networks, in the creative services department, will be Jared McDonald, a junior majoring in English with a concentration in creative writing.

The Rolling Stone magazine intern will be Jessica Goodman. Ms. Goodman is a senior studying creative writing and will complete minors in gender studies and cinema studies.

Interning with the Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Board will be Victor Gamez. A junior, Mr. Gamez is majoring in philosophy.

Jamie Napoli, a junior majoring in English with a concentration in creative writing, will be working at Brooklyn Films in Los Angeles with producer/director Jon Avnet (Risky Business, Uprising, Black Swan etc.), C’71, overseer for the School of Arts and Sciences.

At Granary Books, publisher of poetic texts and art books in New York City, will be Jessica Sutro, a junior studying medieval and Renaissance literature.

Working in Los Angeles with two screenwriters, David Stern, C/EAS’90; and Stuart Gibbs, C’91, will be Jessica Penzias, a junior studying theater arts and literature.

The intern at Philadelphia Magazine will be Katie Siegel. Ms. Siegel is a junior majoring in creative writing and minoring in sociology.

Urology Award: Dr. Wein
Dr. Alan J. Wein, professor and chief of the division of urology at the School of Medicine, has been selected to receive the Ferdinand C. Valentine Award in Urology from the New York Academy of Medicine’s Section on Urology in April. According to the organization’s website, the award recognizes “a person who has significantly advanced the science and art of Urology.” The award selection committee praised Dr. Wein, stating that, “he is one of the world’s great technical urological surgeons. His brilliance is to simplify complex conditions and communicate his concepts with clarity, elegance and a twinkle of humor.” The award honors Ferdinand C. Valentine, who played an instrumental role in defining the field of urology and the position of the American Urological Association in medicine. Dr. Wein is also director of the Urology Residency Program at HUP.

2011 Women of Color Day at Penn Awards

Awardees (clockwise): Leslie Esdaile Banks, Jannie Blackwell, Rev. Beverly Dale and Constance Gordon

For the 24th consecutive year, Penn and UPHS presented Women of Color Day at Penn, an effort to increase awareness of the concerns, talents and achievements of women of color. The accomplishments of these women were recognized at the Annual Women of Color at Penn (WOCAP) Awards Luncheon on March 4. The recipients of the Outstanding Legacy Award are:

Leslie Esdaile Banks: New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, “L.A. Banks” has penned over 40 novels and 12 novellas in a wide range of genres and is the recipient of the 2009 Romantic Times Booklover’s Convention Career Achievement Award for Paranormal Fiction and the 2008 Essence magazine Storyteller of the Year Award, as well as the 2008 Best 50 Women in Business Award for the State of Pennsylvania. Recently she was featured as a speaker on the HBO special “True Bloodlines” as a prelude to the “True Blood” premier. A native of Philadelphia, Ms. Banks is a 1980 graduate of the Wharton undergraduate program.

Jannie L. Blackwell, a five-term councilwoman born and raised in Philadelphia, is a seasoned advocate for social change with a 30-year reputation for serving community members and the poor and underprivileged in the City of Philadelphia. Since taking office in 1992, Councilwoman Blackwell has emerged as a strong contender and powerbroker in the local political arena. Her overall vision is to improve her constituents’ quality of life—regardless of race, class, gender, or socio-economic status. She continues to believe that there is a solution to every problem, and that when we work together, everybody wins.

Reverend Beverly Dale is a published writer, vocalist, and performer, in addition to being an ordained minister. She is also the former executive director of the Christian Association. Now she tours her original theater piece “An Irreverent Journey from Eggbeaters to Vibrators” for largely secular audiences and leads workshops, usually within a Christian context. The focus of her ministry is to help people of faith heal from the sexual wounding that occurs when they are taught to separate the spirit from the body. She was a board member of the African American Resource Center, the Penn Women’s Center, and she initiated the Open Minds for Africa Forum.

Constance Gordon worked at the University of Pennsylvania for almost 22 years including WXPN, Undergraduate Admissions Office, VPUL Central Office and Makuu Black Cultural Center. In 2008, while maintaining her full-time job, she earned her BA from Penn. During her tenure, she has coordinated a variety of programs, and was a role model to students. Most recently, she coordinated “A Day at Penn,” in which she enhanced the level of the program. Visiting students were heard commenting that it “was the best college visit I’ve ever had.” Ms. Gordon also served as the chair of the WOCAP Tickets and Advertisement Committee for many years and devoted her time to ensure the continuance of the Women of Color Day at Penn Luncheon and Awards Program.