2016 Penn Law Teaching Awards
The A. Leo Levin Award for Excellence in an Introductory Course
Jacques deLisle is the Stephen A. Cozen Professor of Law, a professor of political science and the co-director of the Center for Asian Law. He is an expert on contemporary Chinese law and politics, including issues such as legal reform, the international status of Taiwan and US-China relations. This year, he taught Torts and International Law.
One student said, “Professor deLisle was extremely knowledgeable about the subject and very enthusiastic about teaching it.” Another said, “Professor deLisle effectively clarifies and elucidates general principles of the law as well as nuances through very engaging class discussion. He presents interesting and humorous hypotheticals, and his enthusiasm for the material is contagious.”
The Robert A. Gorman Award for Excellence in Teaching
Jean Galbraith is an assistant professor of law and a scholar of US foreign relations law and public international law. Her work focuses on the allocation of legal authority among US governmental actors and between domestic actors and international regimes. This year, she taught Contracts, Foreign Relations Law and International Legal Regimes.
One student said, “Professor Galbraith created a class that was intellectually stimulating and enlightening. She taught me how to think about subjects and interwove readings and materials in a way that clarified each one further.” Another said, “Professor Galbraith is excellent at really challenging students to think through their ideas, and pushing them to be able to provide a thorough explanation of their idea. This allows students to really engage with the material and realize its ambiguities and nuances. She is also hilarious, which helps.”
The Adjunct Teaching Award
Casey Cogut, L’73, is a lecturer in law and a member of the Penn Law Class of 1973. He is senior M&A counsel at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. For many years, he has been a leader of STB’s M&A and private equity practices. This year, he taught Transactional Lawyering.
One student said, “Professor Cogut knows this stuff inside out. He provides interest context from his own practice and picks pretty interesting assignments.” Another said, “Casey definitely stimulates interest in the material as he has practiced in the M&A space for decades and has been a part of many huge deals.”
The LLM Teaching Award
Jill Fisch is the Perry Golkin Professor of Law and co-director of the Institute for Law & Economics. She is an internationally known scholar whose work focuses on the intersection of business and law, including the role of regulation and litigation in addressing limitations in the disciplinary power of the capital markets. This year, she taught Corporations, the Strategic Equity Seminar and the Global Research Seminar on Comparative Corporate Governance & Financial Regulation.
One student said, “Professor Fisch is very good at stimulating interests in this subject. She asks sharp questions and gives inspiring answers. It it also a great experience to learn from other students’ answers and questions.” Another said, “Fisch is incredibly brilliant that you hang onto her every word. I loved this class so much. It was incredibly challenging and there was so much material, but I definitely got my money’s worth.”
The Harvey Levin Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence
By democratic vote, the Penn Law 2016 graduating class selected David Rudovsky, senior fellow, to receive this award for Teaching Excellence. Mr. Rudovsky is one of the nation’s leading civil rights and criminal defense attorneys and practices public interest law with the firm of Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing & Feinberg. This year, he taught Evidence and Constitutional Criminal Procedure.
One student said, “An expert in every sense—it is hard not to appreciate Professor Rudovsky’s commitment to the course.” Another said, “Professor Rudovsky is just great. He’s friendly, accessible outside of class, willing to talk about life, the law, and new lawyers’ places in an evolving legal world.”
José Bauermeister: Presidential Professor
Penn President Amy Gutmann and Provost Vincent Price are pleased to announce the appointment of José Arturo Bauermeister as the tenth Presidential Professor, effective July 1, 2016. An expert in the prevention and care of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STD) among sexual minority populations, Dr. Bauermeister will be Presidential Associate Professor of Nursing.
“To save lives through better treatment and prevention of HIV and similarly challenging diseases, we must first meet people where they live,” President Gutmann said. “José exemplifies this approach by grounding his prolific scholarly work in the specific needs of individuals and diverse populations. As a Presidential Associate Professor in Penn Nursing, José will join his expertise and energetic leadership with that of our superb faculty to further strengthen the educational experience of our students and to benefit our community and the world.”
Dr. Bauermeister had been an associate professor of health behavior & health education and the founding director of the Center for Sexuality & Health Disparities in the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan, where he has taught since 2009. His research focuses on advancing innovative, multilevel HIV/STI prevention and care strategies, especially for high-risk adolescent and young adult men. These approaches target diverse social settings, use new technologies and develop interdisciplinary methodologies to promote sexual health. A member of the International Academy of Sex Research and several major editorial boards, Dr. Bauermeister is an author of more than a hundred peer-reviewed articles and his work has been funded by, among others, the NIH, the CDC and the Ford Foundation.
“José Bauermeister is not only a deeply innovative and influential researcher,” said Provost Price. “He is also renowned as a caring and committed teacher, mentor and colleague. We look forward to the great impact that he is sure to have on the Penn community in the years ahead.”
Dr. Bauermeister earned a PhD (2006) and MPH (2004) in health behavior & health education from the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan and a BA magna cum laude in psychology (2002) from the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez. From 2007-2008, he was the NIH Postdoctoral Fellow of the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at the Columbia University Medical Center.
“José Bauermeister is an accomplished researcher, teacher and community advocate,” said Antonia Villarruel, the Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Penn’s School of Nursing. “I have witnessed his dedication to ensuring that the most vulnerable groups have access to prevention and treatment to reduce HIV infection, improve care and decrease stigma, as well as his inclusive partnerships with students and communities. We are so fortunate José will be coming to Penn and Penn Nursing, where he will join a community of scholars who share his interests and commitment.”
Presidential Professorships, originating in the Action Plan for Faculty Diversity & Excellence first issued in 2011, are awarded to exceptional scholars, at any rank, who contribute to faculty eminence through diversity across the University.
$4 Million for Penn to Continue Musculoskeletal Disorders Research
The Center conducts investigations in many areas of musculoskeletal biology and medicine: bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and discs. The funding will support research aimed at improving the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, low back pain and rotator cuff tears.
Penn is one of only five institutions nationally to receive funding for a Musculoskeletal Center and is already the longest running of these Centers nationally. The Penn Center began its NIH funding in 2006.
According to the NIH review panel, the Center features “a strong leadership team and well-organized administrative structure; state-of-the-art technologies and an exceptional education and enrichment program. Furthermore, the reviewers consider the overall environment and the institutional commitment to be outstanding.” Additionally, they cite the “high level of success in operation and productivity of the existing center over the past ten years.” They concluded that “this is an exceptional application with high impact to the field of musculoskeletal research.”
“We are grateful to the NIH and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Special Emphasis Panel for this important funding,” said Louis J. Soslowsky, the Fairhill Professor in the department of orthopaedic surgery and founding director of Penn’s Center. “Whether through injury, work, sports or intrinsic bodily features, millions of Americans are affected by musculoskeletal disorders. The resulting pain and reduction in quality of life affect families, friends and co-workers, as well as the sufferers themselves. These trends will grow as the baby-boom generation ages and people live longer with chronic conditions. The Center brings together Penn’s globally recognized experts to expand our research and understanding of these debilitating afflictions.”
Penn’s Musculoskeletal Center will provide funds for three cores of musculoskeletal research:
• Micro-computed Tomography Imaging Core, which offers a wide range of imaging approaches to evaluate musculoskeletal tissue injury and repair. (Micro-CT is akin to 3-D x-ray imaging on a small scale with extremely increased resolution.)
• Biomechanics Core, which develops and provides a large array of biomechanical approaches to evaluate musculoskeletal tissue injury and repair.
• Histology Core, which uses and develops a wide range of approaches for the microscopic study of the structure, composition and function of tissues and bones.
In addition to Dr. Soslowsky, other investigators participating in the grant include Maurizio Pacifici, Felix Wehrli, X. Sherry Liu, Robert L Mauck and Robert Pignolo. The Center has 128 faculty members, 112 from five Penn schools and 16 from local institutions.
“This new funding will allow the rich collaborations that have been occurring at the Center over its ten-year history to expand and flourish,” Dr. Soslowsky said. “We will continue to work diligently on behalf of the many millions of people worldwide with musculoskeletal disorders.”
Vernon and Shirley Hill: $1 Million Scholarship Fund for VMD-MBA Training at Penn Vet and Wharton
With a $1 million gift from Vernon and Shirley Hill, Penn Vet will establish the Robert Marshak-Vernon Hill Scholarship Fund. In collaboration with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the fund will support the training of leaders and entrepreneurs with the vision to advance both the science and business of food animal production in order to help ensure global food security.
The scholarships will support qualified individuals in the Penn Vet community who will pursue the combined VMD-MBA degree at Penn Vet’s Center for Animal Health and Productivity and Penn’s Wharton School. Marshak-Hill scholars will be required to develop projects that explore the applications of economic and business principles to the health and productivity of livestock industries.
Vernon Hill, a 1967 undergraduate alumnus of the Wharton School, and his wife, Shirley, are long-time supporters of Penn Vet. They have named the scholarship in honor of Dr. Robert Marshak, Penn Vet Dean from 1973 to 1987. Dr. Marshak’s passion for research and teaching in animal health and production has been instrumental in providing opportunities for Penn Vet students to impact world health and global food security.
“Dr. Marshak transformed veterinary medicine, and we are pleased to partner with him as Penn Vet and the Wharton School take the next big step,” said Mr. Hill. The Hills’ generosity to Penn Vet also includes a gift of $10 million in support of the Vernon and Shirley Hill Pavilion, a teaching and research center that opened in 2006, and the establishment of the Penn Vet World Awards in 2007, an innovative program that encouraged and rewarded visionary thinking and life-changing accomplishments in veterinary medicine.
“Vernon and Shirley Hill’s generous gift comes at a time when increasing numbers of veterinary students are expressing interest in how veterinarians can apply their special skills and knowledge to help address the inter-related problems of world hunger, poverty, and food-security,” said Dr. Marshak. “It is our hope and expectation that the VMD-MBA combined-degree program, coupled with mentoring by superb faculty at the Center for Animal Health and Productivity at Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center, will inspire graduates to seek careers in food safety and security in the global landscape.”
The integrated training will emphasize innovative solutions to the complex business, health, environmental and societal challenges associated with intensive and small-scale livestock and poultry production in a global environment with a rapidly increasing demand for animal-sourced protein. Qualified individuals will benefit from the joint curriculum at two of the nation’s top educational institutions, where they will receive experience in veterinary medicine and business platforms on leadership, economics, finance, competitive strategy and marketing.
Those completing the multi-year program will obtain their veterinary and MBA degrees and a certificate in food animal production medicine. Marshak-Hill graduates will have unique qualifications for leadership roles in food animal agribusiness, government, non-governmental organizations, public health, research and academia.
“At Penn Vet, we benefit from our close proximity to other renowned schools on the University of Pennsylvania campus,” said Joan C. Hendricks, the Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. “We are incredibly grateful to Vernon and Shirley Hill for making this unique interchange of knowledge possible, and for helping us ensure that veterinarians have an important voice in issues of global significance.”
“The value of a Wharton education lies not just in the traditional foundations of business, but in how we apply those principles to other disciplines,” said Dean Geoffrey Garrett, Reliance Professor of Management & Private Enterprise and professor of management at the Wharton School. “These applications directly impact the critical issues that face our nation and world. With this gift, Vernon and Shirley Hill demonstrate their understanding of how Penn is uniquely suited to address these concerns.”
The combined VMD-MBA degree program at Penn Vet and the Wharton School was established in 1981. David Galligan, professor of animal health economics and director of the Center for Animal Health & Productivity at Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center, will oversee the updated program and will mentor the Marshak-Hill scholars.
Penn Vet’s Center for Animal Health & Productivity serves the agricultural community by developing innovative animal management tools and strategies for promoting economic efficiency and environmental sustainability.
Penn Alexander School Principal: Michael Farrell
The School District of Philadelphia announced the appointment of Michael T. Farrell as principal of Penn Alexander School. Mr. Farrell will take over the position that had been held by founding principal Sheila A. Sydnor, who retired at the end of the school year. Ms. Sydnor will assist in the transition process.
“Penn Alexander School is one of the brightest spots in The School District of Philadelphia as a result of Sheila Sydnor’s stellar leadership,” said William R. Hite, superintendent. “For more than four decades, she has led Philadelphia students towards excellence, both inside and outside of the classroom. We are excited that Michael Farrell will build on the school’s tradition of success and wish Ms. Sydnor well in retirement.”
Mr. Farrell was selected by Superintendent Dr. Hite in consultation with a committee of teachers; School Advisory Council, Home and School, and Philadelphia Federation of Teachers representatives; and University of Pennsylvania and School District officials. The selection process took place over three months. Candidates participated in rigorous interviews, data and observation feedback exercises and school site visits. The committee provided information and feedback throughout the process.
Mr. Farrell is the founding principal of Mastery Charter Schools Thomas Elementary in South Philadelphia, where he has served since 2013. He was previously an assistant principal, school leader, special education coordinator and teacher at various Philadelphia, including Science Leadership Academy.
In 1975, Ms. Sydnor began her career as a teacher in the School District. She was selected from a national search in 2001 to lead Penn Alexander, formally known as the Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander University of Pennsylvania Partnership School (Almanac October 15, 2002). Ms. Sydnor previously served as principal of M.H. Stanton Elementary School in North Philadelphia.
Penn Alexander was nominated this year as a US Blue Ribbon School by the Pennsylvania Department of Education for its success in closing the achievement gap. The school was also a City Leader among kindergarten through eighth grade schools on the 2014-2015 School Progress Report.
Penn Libraries’ New MOOC: “The History of Medieval Medicine through Jewish Manuscripts”
The Penn Libraries is proud to announce the launch of the first Massive Open Online Course Collaboration (MOOC) from the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies and the Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries: “The History of Medieval Medicine through Jewish Manuscripts.”
Launched on June 1, this online mini-course is a introduction both to medieval medicine and to the value of manuscript study taught by Y. Tzvi Langermann, professor of Arabic at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University and last year’s Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies-Herbert D. Katz Center Jewish Manuscript Studies Fellow (Almanac July 14, 2015). Dr. Langermann presents a case study that builds from a unique manuscript codex produced in the 15th century containing three important medical manuscripts in Judeo-Arabic (Arabic in Hebrew characters). Compiled in Sicily by a physician identified as David ben Shalom, the manuscript bears witness to the rich cultural exchanges among Latin, Jewish and Arabic communities during this time, especially in the sciences. This course, walks the student through the basics of medical knowledge training and practice in the Jewish Middle Ages and beyond, and shows how clues gleaned from elements of a particular manuscript (such as marginal notes, mistakes and handwriting) shed light on the purpose, use and readership of these texts. The course includes eight 5-7 minute long video lectures that explore the highlights of this extraordinary manuscript.
“The History of Medieval Medicine through Jewish Manuscripts” is offered free to anyone with an internet connection at www.edX.org (search the term “Langermann”). The course is self-paced and takes about two hours to complete. The content will not be inaccessible to the novice, but the nature of the material and the level of scholarship should interest graduate students and colleagues from a range of disciplines. There is an active discussion forum and a link to the full manuscript in digital form. The course will initially be monitored by a TA with specialties in medieval Jewish history and Hebrew and Judeo Arabic language. Dr. Langermann himself will also occasionally participate in the discussions and respond to student queries.
Mobile CPR Project: Bringing Life-Saving Skills to Philadelphia Residents
Three years ago, Radnor Township Police Officer Anthony Radico, at 46 years of age, was just finishing a routine workout at a gym in Upper Darby when suddenly, he went into cardiac arrest. His sister, who was at the gym with him, ran for help. Luckily for Mr. Radico, Amanda Beal was also at the gym that day. Upon seeing that Mr. Radico was unresponsive and had no pulse, Ms. Beal, who had learned cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) just one year prior as part of a master’s program in occupation therapy but had never used the technique in a real life scenario, began administering chest compressions. Ms. Beal continued CPR until paramedics arrived. Before being resuscitated with an automated external defibrillator (AED), Mr. Radico was “down” for 7-8 minutes—a certain death sentence had Ms. Beal not been there to help. Today, Mr. Radico, a father of three, is back to work on the police force.
Cardiac arrest kills more than 1,000 Philadelphia residents every year, yet there is a therapy that people can learn that can double a victim’s chance of survival. CPR can be done by anyone, yet the percentage of people who receive bystander CPR in Philadelphia is half the national average.
To tackle the issue and help overcome this health disparity, experts from Penn Medicine’s Center for Resuscitation Science and department of emergency medicine officially launched Philadelphia’s Mobile CPR Project, a public health initiative that aims to educate as many Philadelphia residents as possible in hands-only CPR, free of charge using an innovative video learning approach that takes less than 30 minutes per training. Funded by Independence Blue Cross, project organizers will host training sessions in at community centers, shelters, schools, religious organizations and community health fairs. Certified health care providers will travel to a training sessions in the Mobile CPR van, bringing all of the necessary presentation materials, and providing CPR Anytime® kits that participants can bring home with them to show their families or use to practice their skills. The overall goal of the initiative is to bring vital, life-saving training to those who might not seek such training on their own.
In 2012, Penn Medicine piloted the Mobile CPR Project in Hartford, Connecticut. The initiative resulted in more than 5,000 Hartford residents trained in delivering CPR.
The Mobile CPR Project launch is part of the Philadelphia Regional CPR Awareness Coalition’s CPR Ready campaign, an initiative that also launched last month, designed to increase the number of people in the region who are qualified and willing to perform bystander hands-only CPR, as well as use an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Penn Association of Senior and Emeritus Faculty (PASEF): President’s Annual Report for 2014-2015
Jack Nagel, PASEF President 2014-2015 and Professor Emeritus of Political Science
Since its founding in 2004, PASEF has served Penn’s retired and senior (age 55 and over) standing faculty by providing information useful to those planning to retire or already retired, and by organizing programs that encourage retired faculty to maintain connections among themselves and with the intellectual and social life of the University. Although PASEF’s membership encompasses faculty from all Penn schools, the Perelman School of Medicine has its own Association of Senior and Emeritus Faculty (ASEF-PSOM), with which PASEF cooperates.
Events and Activities
PASEF regularly sponsors programs that offer members opportunity for intellectual stimulation and social interaction. As was also the case last year, most of these events were planned by a joint PASEF/ASEF-PSOM Program Committee (Lynn Lees, chair, Janice Bellace, Howard Goldfine and Peter Wilding).
Monthly luncheon talks: The Committee organized seven talks by Penn faculty; an eighth was cancelled due to a snowstorm. Attendance ranged between about 20 and 40. For a list of speakers, see www.upenn.edu/emeritus under “Previous Events.”
Featured speakers: The Committee also recommended speakers for the Fall Lecture preceding the 25-year Club Dinner in October and the Spring Lecture and Reception in April. This year’s lecturers were PIK professors Adrian Raine and Sarah Tishkoff. Their well-received talks attracted audiences of about 60 and 50, respectively.
Spring outing: In May each year, PASEF organizes an excursion to a site of outstanding aesthetic, cultural and historic significance in the Philadelphia area. This year’s outing was an exploration of the Wissahickon Valley initiated and planned by David Pope, a PASEF Council member and former President of the Friends of the Wissahickon, leaders of which generously guided our tour.
Facilitating the Transition to Retirement
For senior (not-yet-retired) members, PASEF offers informational resources to help in planning the transition to retirement and events assuring them that life after retirement can be stimulating and fulfilling.
Reception for newly emeritus faculty: Each fall, ASEF-PSOM and PASEF jointly sponsor a reception to honor faculty who have retired in the previous year. This year’s reception, organized under the leadership of Jeanne Myers, attracted 58 guests, including 11 honorees.
Road to Retirement programs: In March. four retired faculty spoke candidly about their own decisions to retire and their experiences in retirement. In April two staff experts on retirement, Vicki Mulhern and Hilary Lopez, explained Penn’s retirement options, benefits for retirees and other nuts-and-bolts aspects of the transition to retirement. About 50 people attended each event.
Hitchhiker’s Guide: Thanks to the editorship of Martin Pring, PASEF annually updates its Hitchhiker’s Guide to Faculty Retirement. Besides posting the Guide on our website, we also printed copies to distribute at Road to Retirement programs.
Information and advocacy about benefits: Members frequently contact the PASEF office with questions about health and other benefits. When a University policy is at issue, the PASEF president and David Balamuth, our representative to the University Council Committee on Personnel Benefits, take up the question with appropriate officials.
New Initiatives
Report on retirement communities: Last year, a joint PASEF/ASEF-PSOM group led by Howard Goldfine and James Saunders gathered information on 14 continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) in the Philadelphia area where one or more retired Penn faculty reside. Tables summarizing their findings are posted on the PASEF website, providing a starting point for members who are thinking about moving to a CCRC.
Lifelong learning: In July 2014, a PASEF committee (Anita Summers, chair, Roger Allen, Peter Kuriloff and Howard Rosenberg) recommended that Penn establish a non-credit lifelong learning program that would involve (but not be restricted to) retirees as instructors and attendees. The committee developed their plan after studying similar programs at 15 universities. Following consultations, Vice Provost Allen proposed that PASEF operate a one-year pilot program and offered funding for added staff time and expenses. After careful consideration, the PASEF Council in January 2015 voted to decline Dr. Allen’s offer. PASEF had not envisaged assuming operational responsibility for the program; and the experience of other universities suggested that a larger budget, longer initial commitment and full-time director would be needed for a successful launch.
Speakers bureau: As a more modest alternative, the Council authorized a new committee to develop a plan for a speakers bureau—a list of retired faculty interested in speaking if invited by retirement communities, religious congregations, civic groups, etc. Vice Provost Allen subsequently authorized additional funds, if needed, to establish and maintain the speakers bureau. Our Speakers Bureau Committee is still at an early stage in the process of identifying speakers and community organizations.
Library Tech Tools workshops: Working with Kimberly Eke and Anu Vedantham of Van Pelt-Dietrich Library, the PASEF Library Committee (Vivian Seltzer, chair, Steve Dunning and Rob MacGregor) sponsored a program of training sessions for retired faculty on such topics as Google tools, PowerPoint and iPad tips. The first four workshops were over-subscribed, so the Library offered a second series. The enthusiastic response to this initiative suggests that technology workshops should become a regular part of our programming, in cooperation with the Library.
Governance
Bylaws Revision: During the organization’s first decade, PASEF’s practice diverged from its Bylaws in several areas. To resolve those differences, a Committee on Bylaws Revision (Skip Rosoff, chair, Martin Pring and Neville Strumpf) submitted recommendations in December. Council adopted a final set of amendments in March 2015. The following decisions are particularly noteworthy:
- PASEF’s governing body, formerly the Executive Committee, is now called the Council.
- Council includes all chairs of standing committees and also chairs of active ad hoc committees.
- Council no longer automatically includes former presidents as voting members, except for the immediate past president and any others who have been elected to new offices or appointed to chair committees. Former presidents are welcome to attend Council meetings and contribute to deliberations.
- The Steering Committee consists of the President, Past President and President-elect.
- The potential role of Council in nominations and elections has been enhanced.
- Any of three groups may propose amendments to the Bylaws. Adoption of proposed amendments requires a two-thirds vote of Council.
Elections: Following procedures in the revised Bylaws, a Nominating Committee (Janice Bellace, chair, Lynn Lees, Martin Pring and Anita Summers) proposed a slate of candidates, which was approved by Council and then submitted to all PASEF members for an email vote. Although no positions were contested, 141 members cast votes—an increase from 120 in 2014 and 109 in 2013. All nominees were overwhelmingly approved:
- President-elect: Paul Shaman (Wharton)
- Secretary: David Pope (SEAS)
- Representative to SEC: Martin Pring (PSOM)
- Council for 3-year terms: Joan Goodman (GSE), Roberto Mariano (SAS), Larry Palmer (PSOM)
- Council for a 2-year term (replacing Peter Dodson): Ann Matter (SAS)
- Council for a 1-year term (replacing Paul Shaman): Roger Allen (SAS)
Administrative Foundations
Administrative oversight and support: PASEF reports through the Vice Provost for Faculty, Anita Allen, and has benefited from her sympathetic attention. Besides speaking at the October receptions, Dr. Allen has met each year with the Council and confers with the Steering Committee when the need arises. We have also enjoyed excellent help from members of the Provost’s staff, especially Gearline Robinson-Hall, Julie Shuttleworth and Kathy Swartz.
Facilities: PASEF operates from a small but centrally located office in the Duhring Wing. The office is adequate as a workspace for our part-time coordinator and for meetings of four or fewer, but all other functions depend on locations elsewhere. The most important of these is the University Club, where we hold our monthly luncheon talks and Council meetings. Dennis Daly of the University Club and Daria DiCicco of the Inn at Penn have been consistently supportive. For larger events, we are grateful to Tanea Blake and Joseph Policarpo for their help in making arrangements at the Library and Law School, respectively. Thanks are also due Brian Anders of the Sweeten Alumni Center for enabling the October reception to be held again in that fine space.
Webmaster: For several years, the crucial task of managing PASEF’s website was ably handled by member-volunteers: Alan Myers and then Mitchell Marcus. It became evident, however, that the need for regular updates imposed an excessive burden. In March, Kayvon Nikoo agreed to work part-time as PASEF’s webmaster. Mr. Nikoo, a full-time employee of the Perelman School, knows PASEF well; he previously served as our staff person, and his current duties at PSOM include supporting ASEF-PSOM. The new arrangement is working well.
Coordinator: PASEF is supported by a half-time coordinator. From November 2012 through May 2015, Heidi George held that position. She served the organization with exceptional devotion, diligence and effectiveness. In April, to our regret, Ms. George announced that she would be resigning for personal reasons, effective June 1. Early in June, Jocelyne Waller began work as PASEF’s coordinator. Although new to Penn, Ms. Waller has substantial administrative experience at universities in the US and Canada. During the coming year, she will be working closely with PASEF’s President for 2015-2016, Anita Summers.