Skip to main content

News

Perry World House Grand Opening

caption: Richard Perry (at podium) during the ribbon cutting, describing the significance of the art collection in Perry World House, which officially opened last week. See below for a glimpse of the art. Photograph by Marguerite F. Miller.

University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann welcomed donors, students, faculty, dignitaries and special guests for a ribbon cutting celebrating the completion of Perry World House, the University’s new hub for global engagement designed by 1100 Architect who incorporated half of the original 19th century worker’s cottage—the part with the mansard roof—into the 21st century limestone-clad structure which is meant to encourage interaction. Located at 38th and Locust, Perry World House was established through a gift from Richard C. Perry, a Penn alumnus and a member of Penn’s Board of Trustees, and his wife, Lisa.

Standing in front of the 17,400-square-foot Perry World House flanked by Penn students carrying flags representing the more than 125 home countries of Penn’s current student body, President Gutmann said, “Penn is a great American university with a truly global perspective. It is a thrilling day, and it is wonderful to have great global thinkers right here. Speaking from the heart, most of all I want to thank our amazing trustee, alumnus and great friend Richard Perry and also great friend Lisa Perry for making this possible.”

Perry World House is a global research center that aims to advance interdisciplinary, policy-relevant approaches to the world’s most urgent global affairs challenges (Almanac March 29, 2016). With its modern, minimalist style, the new Perry World House boasts a physical openness that mirrors its agenda: to be a place for candid discussion. Penn Law Professor William Burke-White, the inaugural director of the research center, said “it’s meant to be a space where visitors from around the globe should feel free to speak openly with one another.”

MacArthur ‘Genius’ Grant: Mary Reid Kelley

Caption: Mary Reid Kelley

Mary Reid Kelley, a senior critic in Penn’s master of fine arts program in the School of Design, has been selected as a 2016 MacArthur Fellow by the John D. and Catherine T. Mac-Arthur Foundation.

Ms. Kelley uses a mixture of painting, poetry and performance to depict historical moments through characters that embody ideas from various time periods. From a soldier in World War I to a French prostitute in Paris during the revolution, her works explore dilemmas within mortality, sex and estrangement.

“Mary Reid Kelley is creating a legacy for future artists and establishing a new standard to which artists of tomorrow can aspire,” said Penn President Amy Gutmann. “We are proud to have her serve as a senior critic at PennDesign, where she is making extraordinary contributions to the development of our students.”

Born in South Carolina, Ms. Kelley studied art and women’s studies at St. Olaf College and received her MFA in painting from Yale University.

She has had solo exhibitions in New York, Los Angeles and London.

Along with her partner, artist Patrick Kelley, her videos have been exhibited at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia and Boston, Rose Art Museum, ZKM Museum of Contemporary Art in Karlsruhe, Germany and the Pilar Corrias Gallery in London among others. The works are in public collections at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Yale University Art Gallery.

Together, the Kelleys have discussed their work and their process at many universities including Penn, St. Olaf College, NYU, Columbia, the Norfolk School of Art, Yale and Brandeis.

The Fellowship is awarded to talented individuals in a variety of fields who have shown exceptional originality in and dedication to their creative pursuits.

Fellows receive $625,000 stipends that are bestowed with no conditions. Nominated anonymously by leaders in their respective fields and considered by an anonymous selection committee, recipients learn of their selection only when they receive a call from the MacArthur Foundation just before the public announcement.

Prior Penn recipients of the MacArthur Fellowships in the past three decades include: Danielle S. Bassett (Almanac September 23, 2014); Angela Duckworth (Almanac October 1, 2013); Sarah H. Kagan (Almanac October 7, 2003); Susan Stewart (Almanac  July 15, 1997) and Stuart A. Kauffman (Almanac July 14, 1987).

Penn’s $2.5 Million NIH Grant for New Skin Biology and Diseases Resource-Based Center

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health has awarded Sarah E. Millar, the Albert M. Kligman Professor and Vice-Chair for Basic Research in the department of dermatology, and George Cotsarelis, the Milton Bixler Hartzell Professor and Chair of Dermatology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, a $2.5 million, five-year grant to establish the Penn Skin Biology and Diseases Resource-based Center (SBDRC).

caption: Sarah Millar

Dr. Millar will be director and Dr. Cotsarelis will be co-director of the new Center, which will be one of three nationally.

The funding will support new research infrastructure, technological innovations, shared research core facilities and other services for investigators carrying out research on skin biology and diseases. In addition, the SBDRC will fund pilot and feasibility studies and will initiate Saturday academy and summer internship programs for local high school students interested in researching skin health and disease.

Members of the SBDRC include researchers interested in mechanisms underlying skin and hair development; regenerative processes, stem cells and wound healing; skin bioengineering; the composition and functions of the microbiome in normal and diseased skin; skin aging and precancerous lesions; atopic dermatitis; autoimmune diseases; and inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis. The SBDRC encompasses basic research on human and animal models, cells and tissues; translational and clinical studies; analysis of health disparities in skin disease treatment and outcomes; and the epidemiology of skin diseases.

“Penn Medicine has an outstanding group of researchers interested in skin biology and diseases who will benefit from this grant,” Dr. Millar said. “Our team will be able to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration with the aim of preventing, diagnosing and treating a wide range of skin-based diseases and conditions. By providing core services and pilot and feasibility grant funding, we also expect to attract new investigators to this field.”

An overall goal of the grant is to enhance basic, clinical and translational skin-based research. “In addition to generating gains for patients, this new Center will strengthen our community of skin researchers,” Dr. Cotsarelis said. “We will aim to increase the number of women and minority faculty members, expand mentoring and enhance research opportunities for junior faculty members. We are excited to launch our community outreach program whose goal is to spark the interest of Philadelphia public school students in skin-oriented research.”

caption: George Cotsarelis

Under the federal funding guidelines, recipients must establish one or more resource cores, which comprise facilities and resources shared by various investigators, enabling them to conduct their independently funded research projects more efficiently and effectively. The new Penn Center will have three research cores:

• Skin Histology and Characterization Core to provide state-of-the-art microscopic services for examining skin tissue to better understand disease

• Skin Procurement and Engineering Core to provide fresh skin and primary skin cells from normal and diseased humans and mice for analysis

• Study Design and Data Analysis Core to provide statistical and bioinformatics services to ensure successful design and implementation of skin-based research projects

Additionally, an Administrative Core will oversee and coordinate activities within the SBDRC.

Additional information and membership application forms are available at https://dermatology.upenn.edu/sbdrc/ or by contacting sbdrc@mail.med.upenn.edu

Consultative Review Committee on the Reappointment of J. Larry Jameson as Executive Vice President of the University for the Health System and Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine

President Amy Gutmann and Provost Vincent Price have announced the formation of a Consultative Review Committee to advise them on the reappointment of J. Larry Jameson as Executive Vice President of the University for the Health System and Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine.  Dean Jameson’s initial term as Dean will end on June 30, 2018. University policy requires that a Consultative Review Committee be established to advise the President and the Provost whenever the reappointment of a Dean is contemplated. In addition, each member of the standing faculty of the Dean’s School is given the opportunity to give confidential advice and views directly to the President and the Provost.

The members of the Consultative Review Committee are:

Chair

  • Steven J. Fluharty, Dean and Thomas S. Gates, Jr. Professor of Psychology, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience, SAS

Faculty

  • Lewis Chodosh, Professor and Chair of Cancer Biology, PSOM; Associate Director for Basic Research, Abramson Cancer Center; Director, Cancer Genetics, Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute
  • Horace DeLisser, Associate Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, PSOM
  • Carmen Guerra, Associate Professor of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, PSOM
  • Caryn Lerman, John H. Glick, MD Professor in Cancer Research, PSOM; Senior Deputy Director, Abramson Cancer Center
  • Daniel Polsky, Professor of Medicine, PSOM; Robert D. Eilers Professor of Health Care Management, Wharton; Executive Director of the Leonard Davis Institute
  • Rebecca Simmons, Hallam Hurt Professor in Neonatology, PSOM
  • Bryan Wolf, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, PSOM; Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Students

  • Stephen Goldstein, PhD student, PSOM
  • Leah Seifu, MD student, PSOM
  • Alumni Representative
  • Rosemary Mazanet, GR’81, M’86

Ex Officio

  • Joann Mitchell, Vice President for Institutional Affairs

Staff to the Committee

  • Adam P. Michaels, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the President
  • Seth Zweifler, Office of the President

The Review Committee welcomes and encourages input from all members of the Penn community. Communications may be directed to any member of the Committee but are most conveniently forwarded to Adam Michaels (adampm@upenn.edu), who is supporting the review process. Comments should be submitted no later than October 31, 2016.

Deaths

Katherine Weiss Pollak, Former CGS Vice Dean

Katherine Weiss Pollak, former vice dean at Penn, died at her home on September 18, at the age of 89.

Ms. Pollak was vice dean of the College of General Studies (now LPS) at Penn from 1976-1997. As vice dean, she developed a post-baccalaureate pre-med program for students who had chosen a medical career but had not taken the required undergraduate prerequisites. The program became a model for others in universities across the US.

She was born in New York City and graduated from Smith College in 1948. She was married for nearly 60 years to the Hon. Louis Pollak, a judge in the US Eastern District of PA Court and former dean of the Penn’s Law School, who died in 2012 (Almanac May 22, 2012).

She is survived by her five daughters, Sally, Susan, Nancy, Libby and Debby; seven grandchildren; and a sister.

Donations may be made in her honor to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, at www.naacpldf.org

Governance

From the Senate Office: SEC Actions

The following is published in accordance with the Faculty Senate Rules. Among other purposes, the publication of SEC actions is intended to stimulate discussion among the constituencies and their representatives. Please communicate your comments to Patrick Walsh, executive assistant to the Senate Office, either by telephone at (215) 898-6943 or by email at senate@pobox.upenn.edu

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Actions

Chair’s Report. After introductions by all those present, Faculty Senate Chair Laura Perna welcomed the members of the Senate Executive Committee (SEC) and offered a brief review of the Senate and its structure. She indicated that the work of five of the Senate’s committees has already begun in earnest for the year and the committees will make reports from time to time as the year continues. She encouraged the 36 “constituency members” of SEC to maintain a line of communication between SEC and their Standing Faculty constituents, and she noted that a full list of constituencies is available on the Senate’s website, http://www.upenn.edu/faculty_senate/sec_members.html  Dr. Perna indicated that Penn Alumni is seeking nominations for the Faculty Award of Merit.

Past-Chair’s Report. In Faculty Senate Past Chair Reed Pyeritz’s absence, Dr. Perna reported that the Campaign for Community (C4C) is entering its second year, with Dr. Pyeritz, Vice Provost for Education Beth Winkelstein and Vice Provost for University Life Val Cade serving as its Tri-Chairs. C4C’s goals are to promote understanding of and respect for multiple points of view on important topics related to the University community, encourage dialogue and discussion among members of the community about issues with the potential for difference and disagreement and create opportunities for all members of the University’s community to participate in conversations about important topics. In the previous year, C4C provided funding to 22 different programs that aimed to strengthen the Penn community by finding ways to discuss and understand key issues that may appear to be difficult or intractable. She added that applications are being sought from faculty, students and staff this year on a rolling basis. Submissions should fit the mission of C4C and should, ideally, be novel programming that would otherwise not occur without C4C support. Applications for existing programming are also accepted. Dr. Perna directed applicants to visit the C4C website, https://provost.upenn.edu/initiatives/campaign/grants

Update on Penn’s Work with the West Philadelphia Community. Jeffrey Cooper, Vice President of Government & Community Relations, and Glenn Bryan, Assistant Vice President of Community Relations, reported on the work of the Office of Government and Community Affairs (OGCA). They described OGCA’s work with city and federal governments and its efforts to foster collaboration among community networks. On the first Thursday of each month, OGCA holds a Community Meeting (open to the public) at the Free Library branch on 40th and Walnut streets in order to grow and sustain cooperative working relationships with community leaders. OGCA offers guided community tours to interested parties in order to provide context for Penn’s history of engagement with surrounding neighborhoods. OGCA advocates for construction, purchasing and human resources contracts with local, minority and women-owned business and residents to foster economic inclusion; in FY2015, these categories accounted for 25% of workforce hours in Penn construction projects. Thirteen percent of total purchasing in FY2015 was expended with minority and women-owned businesses, and 125 unemployed residents have been trained by Penn for employment since 2010, with 72% placed in full-time jobs through the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative. 

Update on Information Security at Penn. Joshua Beeman, Penn Information Security Officer, reported on the inline blocking “University firewall” that will be implemented in October 2016. This “next generation” firewall will block unwanted network traffic while permitting authorized communication based on pre-defined rules and heuristics. Though many Schools and Centers already deploy firewalls locally, the University firewall will serve as a central line of defense, offering a rapid, proactive base of protection to all PennNet users. The firewall will only block traffic on the network that has no legitimate use (as defined by an inclusive governance team comprised of Penn stakeholders from all categories, industry standard rules and Penn analysts evaluating real-time threats). A “Science DMZ” bypass network will be retained to avoid disruption of legitimate or desired traffic. Penn ISC will not interrupt or see into encrypted connections, and the firewall will never be deployed in a manner inconsistent with Penn’s policies on privacy or open expression. Mr. Beeman requested faculty members contact their local support providers for more information and to send any and all feedback and support to ISC. He encouraged faculty to visit the Firewall FAQ, https://www.isc.upenn.edu/university-firewall-faq-general for more information, use Penn’s free-to-use password manager known as LastPass and adopt Two Factor identification for PennKeys.

Discussion and Vote of Draft committee Charges. The specific charges of the Faculty Senate committees were reviewed and approved by majority vote via show of hands. Potential topics for future SEC meetings were also discussed.

Trustees Coverage

On September 22, when the Executive Committee of the University Trustees met, chair David L. Cohen presented a resolution which was passed to accept the findings of the Ad Hoc Committee on Divestment (see supplement in this issue). He responded to the members of Fossil Fuel Penn who had raised this issue at University Council last fall; he thanked the Ad Hoc Committee which reported their findings to the Trustees. The Trustees Executive Committee agreed with the Ad Hoc Committee and no action will be taken on divestment.

Penn President Amy Gutmann mentioned that this fall there are two projects that have been unveiled: New College House (Almanac September 20, 2016), Perry World House, and one more that will be dedicated, the Pennovation Center on October 28.

Provost Vincent Price reported that the number of enrollees for Penn’s online courses has surpassed 2 million with 100 Penn faculty teaching the courses. Three quarters of the learners are from outside the US.

Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli gave the financial report for the 12 months ended June 30, 2016. For the Consolidated University, the total net assets were $14.5 billion, an increase of $1.02 billion over the prior year, largely driven by the integration of Lancaster General Health into the Health System and strong operating performance, but were $835 million below budget primarily due to the downturn in the financial markets and increased pension liability. Market volatility drove the AIF return of -1.4%; total investments were $12.5 billion, of which the endowment comprises $10.7 billion.

Larry Jameson, PSOM dean and EVP for the Health System, reported that Penn Presbyterian Medical Center was well prepared when it had to respond recently to mass casualties, treating several people including the UPPD officer who had been shot.

Supplements

Features

A View of the World Through the Art at Perry World House

A view of a foggy mountainous valley scene

Richard and Lisa Perry strategically sited this photograph, ON-AIR Project DMZ Series #023-2, The Central Front, 8 hours (above), 2004, C-print, 74” x 98” at the entrance of Perry World House for its visual properties as well as its rich commentary on international politics. Contemporary Korean photographer Atta Kim exposed this powerful image which appears tranquil, of the Korean Demilitarized Zone for a period of eight hours. The technique of photographing with such a long exposure removes the human presence from the image, revealing only the lush landscape of the DMZ. While the Korean DMZ is a deadly place for humans due to landmines, the isolation from humans has created one of the most well-preserved natural habitats in the world. Several endangered animal and plant species now exist among the heavily fortified fences, landmines and listening posts.

 

A bronze sculpture depicting folded fabric

On the lawn outside of Perry World House is a 48” x 28” x 14” bronze Masnad (above) from the Torso series, 1980/81 by Bryan Hunt.

 

An image of a pop-art-esque surreal painting

On the main stairway is a large-scale acrylic on canvas painting, 84” x 72” (above) by “a wonderful British painter” Michael Craig Martin who, as explained by Mr. Perry during his remarks at the ribbon-cutting, pays homage to some of art history’s greatest moments, the piece, Common History (Totem), 1999 which alludes to Marcel Duchamp’s Fountainurinal, Jasper John’s Ballantine Ale Cans, and the pipe from René Magritte’s Treachery of Images (which includes the phrase “This is not a pipe”).

 

Butterfly-like shapes around a stairwell

Artist Patty Udell (above) is a long-time friend and former classmate of Richard Perry. In his remarks at the ribbon-cutting, Mr. Perry told the story of Ms. Udell’s father giving him a job at a chain of movie theaters to support himself as a student on financial aid. Ms. Udell created this site-specific work in 2016 for the Perry World House’s Global Policy Lab, where it can also be seen through the building’s windows on 38th Street. The Untitled installation, in plaster and gouache on the wall runs the length of the stairs.

 

A view of the densely-packed Xuanwu District in Nanjing

Xinjiekou, Xuanwu District Nanjing, 2004 (above), C-print, 75” x 100”, this photograph in the first floor lounge by Sze Tsung Leong of the Nanjing’s central district reveals layers of the city’s history, or in the artist’s words, “the dense sedimentation of history.” From the photographer’s vantage point, one can see the ruins of imperial period vernacular houses, followed by partially demolished apartment housing blocks from the Communist period, and—in the distance—new office and residential towers.

 

A high-contrast potrait on a black background

Photographer and filmmaker Shirin Neshat is celebrated for her technique of overlaying black and white photographic portraits with meticulously executed calligraphic text. This portrait (above)—Ava—comes from Ms. Neshat’s Book of Kings series of 2012. In these striking portraits of Iranian and Arab youth, Ms. Neshat’s calligraphic texts are drawn from the ancient Persian book of epic poems Shahnameh, as well as from contemporary poetry by Iranian writers and prisoners. At the second floor reception desk is (Masses) from the Book of Kings series, 2012, ink on LE 40¼” x 30¼” silver gelatin print.

 

A brightly-colored mural with several circular shapes in a conference room

In the Perry World House classroom (above) is Warren Isensee’s oil on canvas, 60” x 96” Mood River, 2000. There are works from all corners of the world throughout the building.

Research

Stigma of Record Stays with Individual, Regardless of Crime Type, Conviction

According to a new qualitative study from the University of Pennsylvania and Northwestern University, a criminal record can stay with an individual long after a case finishes, regardless of how minor the crime, whether charges were dismissed without a conviction and whether that person’s rehabilitation efforts were successful. This is particularly true in a digital age that makes such records much more accessible to potential employers, landlords and others.

The researchers, Charles Loeffler of Penn and Simone Ispa-Landa of Northwestern, published their findings in the August issue of the journal Criminology.

To better understand the experience of someone in today’s economy living with a criminal past, they went to a walk-in clinic working to help people wipe clean their records. Individuals there received information about the research, then had the chance to participate in a 30- to 45-minute interview while waiting to begin the expungement process. During the research period, summer 2012, Drs. Loeffler and Ispa-Landa spoke to 53 men and women ages 17 to 60 from a range of backgrounds.

“Recruiting participants at the clinic provided us considerable variation in the seriousness of what people had been arrested for and charged with, as well as what remedies they’d be eligible for. We focused on their subjective experiences,” said Dr. Loeffler, the Jerry Lee Assistant Professor of Criminology. “We wanted to understand how their experiences differed depending on the extent of their criminal record.”

The researchers gathered information on how criminal records intersected with factors such as housing, education and employment. They found individuals with a criminal record faced challenges in finding employment no matter the extent or seriousness of the record.

“You might predict that individuals with more substantial records would be subject to greater amounts of screening and stigma,” Dr. Loeffler said. “Instead, now you have a more uniform stigma, certainly in the employment sector, that adheres to people regardless of the extent of the criminal record.”

The researchers hypothesize the reason is twofold: One, employers can more easily find criminal records than ever before. Rather than needing to visit a physical location for this information, they can access it online. Second, larger national corporations do a significant amount of entry-level hiring, and it is likely the organizations with across-the-board guidelines that work against someone in this situation. 

According to Dr. Loeffler, understanding how individuals experience living with a criminal record today can help inform contemporary policy conversations like Ban the Box and automatic expungement provisions designed to minimize collateral consequences of contact with the criminal justice system.

Minorities, Women Less Likely to Receive Life-Saving Stroke Treatment

Minorities and women suffering from a stroke may be less likely to receive the clot-busting treatment known as tissue plasminogen activator or tPA, according to a new study from Penn Medicine and other institutions published in the online issue of Neurology.

The elderly and those with milder stroke symptoms were also less likely to receive intravenous tPA, a drug which has been shown to significantly improve chances of cure from stroke disability, after arriving at a hospital.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study of over 61,000 ischemic stroke patients in the United States between 2003 and 2011 who arrived at a hospital within two hours after the start of symptoms and had no documented reasons that they could not receive the treatment.

Overall, they found that 25% of the eligible stroke patients did not receive the treatment. Treatment rates did, however, improve dramatically over time. From 2003 to 2004, 45% of eligible patients received treatment compared to 82% from 2010 to 2011. 

After adjusting for hospital and patient factors, including stroke severity, women had 8% greater odds of not receiving treatment than men. African-Americans had 26% greater odds of not receiving treatment than whites, while those of other races had17% greater odds of not receiving treatment than whites.

Additional patient-specific factors associated with non-treatment included history of carotid stenosis, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, heart attacks, presence of a prosthetic heart valve and not presenting to the hospital via EMS. 

The researchers also found, as did previous reports, that people who were treated at hospitals certified as stroke centers were more likely to receive treatment than those at hospitals without the certification, with those at primary stroke centers having nearly twice the odds of receiving tPA. Patients not treated with tPA presented to hospitals that had a smaller number of beds, were less often teaching hospitals or Joint Commission–certified primary stroke centers, and had fewer annual ischemic stroke admissions, the authors found.

 “To improve use of the clot-busting medication, patients and families should be educated about potential stroke symptoms and encouraged to call EMS if stroke is suspected. Continued development of systems of care for stroke should remain a high priority, as well,” Steven R. Messé, first author and associate professor in the division of vascular neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine at Penn, said. “Additional studies should also be taken to address the potential disparities in care for patients with ischemic stroke.”

Teens Less Likely to Choose Sugary Beverages with Health Warning Labels

Teens are more than 15% less likely to say they would purchase soft drinks or other sugary drinks that include health warning labels, according to a study led by researchers at Penn’s Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics in the Perelman School of Medicine. The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, could impact the outcome of health warning requirement policies under consideration in several states and cities.

The study is among the first to examine the way warning labels on sugary drinks affect teens, and builds on research published by the team earlier this year showing that parents were less likely to select sugary beverages for their kids when the drinks had labels warning about the dangers of added sugar, including increased risk of obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.

“The average teen in the United States consumes at least one sugar-sweetened beverage every day, which could account for more than twice the recommended daily serving of sugar,” Christina Robert, lead author and assistant professor of medical ethics & health policy at the Perelman School of Medicine, said. “The rate of sugar consumption in the US is astounding and contributes significantly to obesity, type 2 diabetes and other dangerous and costly health conditions.”

The researchers used an online survey to determine beverage selections of more than 2,000 participants aged 12-18 and from diverse backgrounds. The beverages included either no label, or one of five warning labels. Among the labels, one featured calorie content and the other four displayed a variation of warning text indicating that consumption of sugary drinks contributes to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.

Results showed that 77% of participants who did not see a label said they would select a sugary drink in a hypothetical choice task. Depending on the specific phrasing of the warning labels, participants were between 8% and 16% less likely to select sugary beverages when health warning labels were present.
The researchers also found warning labels contributed to teenagers’ understanding of the potentially negative health effects of regularly consuming sugary beverages. In addition, 62% of participants said they would support a warning label policy for sugary drinks.

Reformed ‘Mean Girls’ Can Help Their Classmates

A study conducted by researchers at CHOP has demonstrated the possibility for former “mean girls” to turn their social influence into a positive force among their peers. Middle school “mean girls” are known for relational aggression such as gossip, rumors and manipulation of social relationships, but they also can be socially influential and popular, according to Stephen Leff, co-director of the Violence Prevention Initiative (VPI) at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and professor of clinical psychology in pediatrics in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Leff led a team that has demonstrated it is possible to turn that influence into a positive force for pro-social behavior not only among relationally aggressive girls themselves, but among their classmates and teachers.

The researchers studied the classroom impact of their behavioral intervention, called Friend to Friend (F2F), that is targeted to ethnic minority girls in third through fifth grades in urban schools, after a randomized clinical trial of the program. F2F is a pull-out small group intervention for relational aggression and bullying behaviors that uses age-appropriate cartoons, videos and role-playing activities to engage with girls and help them slow down, act like “social detectives” in their peer interactions and think in moments when they might otherwise react aggressively. It encourages girls to give others the benefit of the doubt and consider their choices in social settings.

They compared classroom climate in classes where a subgroup of girls had participated in F2F with control classrooms where the eligible subgroup of girls at risk for relational aggression received an educationally-based group intervention focused on homework and study skills.

“In the past, the girls might have been excluding people, and that’s how they used their influence,” said study co-author Brooke Paskewich, program manager for VPI. “If they demonstrate how they use their influence to include people and encourage people to do positive things instead of negative ones, they hold on to popularity and influence while doing something positive.”

In classes of girls who received the F2F intervention, boys and girls uninvolved in the small-group sessions received higher peer ratings in friendship and nice behaviors and improved closeness with their teachers than those in the classes whose relationally aggressive girls received a homework intervention. Boys in the F2F classes also received lower scores on negative behaviors including rumor spreading, exclusion, and fighting, and lower teacher conflict scores.

The team reported these results in the journal Behavior Modification.

Drs. Leff and Paskewich recommend that, even for aggressive girls who are not enrolled in a formal program like F2F, teachers and parents can help build pro-social skills by looking for positive teachable moments and reinforcing social behaviors when they catch kids behaving well.

“We know that kids who are aggressive, especially aggressive girls, have tons of potential and a lot of resilience,” Dr. Leff said. “When they do something right, give them positive attention and reinforce it. When appropriate, look for opportunities for leadership, such as mentoring younger girls, or talking about when they resolved a situation in a positive way.”

AT PENN

Events

Contemporary Turkish Film Festival: Window into Life, Culture in Turkey at the Penn Museum

caption: A scene from the film, Mustang, which tells the story of five orphaned sisters in a Turkish village who live under strict rule while arranged marriages are prepared for them.

Turkish cinema, an important part of the arts and culture scene in Turkey, is a flourishing industry characterized by a wealth of independent filmmakers, enthusiastic audience support nationally and increasing recognition and accolades in international film circles. With smaller budgets than the average American production, and more of a focus on serious or heavy subjects, Turkish cinema is often described as “video art” within the country.

This fall, the Penn Museum, in conjunction with the Turkish American Friendship Society of the US (TAFSUS), presents Philadelphia area film-goers with a rare offering: a curated festival of celebrated Turkish films, running Friday, September 30 through Sunday, October 9. Six films ranging from dramas to an English-language travel documentary offer audiences insight into contemporary Turkish culture. Evrim Kaya, editor and co-host of On Seansi, a weekly Turkish television program on Hayat TV about cinema, introduces the films. Admission is $10 per film.

The Turkish Film Festival is presented in honor of The Golden Age of King Midas, a special world-exclusive exhibition of treasures from the Republic of Turkey, on view through November 27.  Admission to the Museum and the special exhibition, open during regular Museum hours, is additional.

In selecting films for the festival, Lale Iskarpatyoti, TAFSUS vice president, a Turkish cinema fan, and the festival’s curator, consulted with her childhood friend Nihal Koldas, now a renowned Turkish actor, director, scene designer and writer with nearly 30 years in the industry. Together, they selected films that provide a variety of perspectives on life in Turkey,  from its renowned cities to ancestral rural villages. Festival audiences at the Museum can see Ms. Koldas onscreen in Mustang (2015) and Motherland (2015), the latter performance having earned her a Best Actress Award at the International Adana Film Festival.

Though growing in popularity internationally, Turkish films and film festivals remain rare in the United States, with notable exceptions in Boston and New York.

The Turkish Film Festival is a first for TAFSUS, who seek to promote cultural understanding throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. “Quality films can be a great way to gain insight into a people, reflected through their hopes, dreams, and histories. We hope this film festival offers a better understanding of Turkey and its people,” said Ms. Iskarpatyoti.

• Friday, September 30, 7 p.m.
Istanbul Unveiled (1 hour, 1 minute)
Explore Istanbul in this 2013 travel documentary film produced in English.  Scriptwriter Serif Yenen co-produced the film with Saadet Özen and co-directed it with Levent Ayasli.

• Saturday, October 1, 3 p.m.
The Swaying Waterlily (1 hour, 48 minutes)
Handan, 39, and Korhan, 40, are a well-off married couple. They live in a fancy Istanbul neighborhood, have many friends, and a 10-year old daughter. Life is good—or perhaps not. The family has forgotten how to communicate, how to be close, even to show the slightest interest in one another. Handan wants to escape this emptiness and dreams of personal fulfillment with a café of her own or as a writer. Seren Yüce directs this 2015 drama.

• Sunday, October 2, 3 p.m.
Mustang (1 hour, 37 minutes) Discussion follows.
In a Turkish village, five orphaned sisters live under strict rule while members of their family prepare their arranged marriages, in this award winning 2015 Turkish language film directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven.

• Friday, October 7, 7 p.m.
Bliss (Mutluluk) (2 hours, 6 minutes)
A professor (Talat Bulut) crosses paths with a young man (Murat Han) and the teenager (Özgü Namal) he was supposed to dispatch in an honor killing, in this 2007 drama directed by Abdullah Oguz.

• Saturday, October 8, 3 p.m.
The Butterfly’s Dream (2 hours, 30 minutes)
Set in Turkey in the early 1940s, this drama revolves around two male friends, Rustu Onur and Muzaffer Tayyip Uslu. Members of the Garip poets movement, they make a living out of publishing their poems while World War II is in full swing across the world. Life changes as the social class system and religious barriers jeopardize their love lives, their friendship, and their profession, in this 2013 film directed by Yilmaz Erdogan. 

• Sunday, October 9, 3 p.m. Discussion follows.
Motherland (1 hour, 38 minutes)
This 2015 drama by Turkish director Senem Tüzen focuses on a divorced, urban woman who goes to her ancestral village in Anatolia to write a book and is confronted by the unwelcomed arrival of her mother.

Third Annual Learning with MOOCs Conference: Being and Learning in the Digital Age

The Third Annual Learning with MOOCs Conference: Being and Learning in the Digital Age, sponsored by Penn’s Online Learning Initiative will be held on October 6 and 7. These two keynote addresses are free and open to the Penn community; RSVPs are requested to provrsvp@upenn.edu They will both take place in G06 Auditorium on the ground floor of Huntsman Hall.

Thursday, October 6, 9-10:15 a.m.

Keynote address by Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Girls Who Code and author of Women Who Don’t Wait in Line: Break the Mold, Lead the Way.

Friday, October 7, 9-10:15 a.m.

Keynote by Angela Duckworth, Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Psychology and author of the current New York Times bestseller, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.

Thinking About Retirement?

A program on Thinking About Retirement will be held tomorrow, September 28,from 9:30 a.m-3:30 p.m. at the Inn at Penn. Faculty and staff are invited to each concurrent Thinking about Retirement information session which focuses on one of these topics: Income Options, Social Security and Penn Benefits & Medicare. Staff and faculty can attend all three sessions, or just the ones covering their areas of interest.  At Income Options, retirement professionals from TIAA will discuss retirement plan distributions. At Social Security, representatives from the Social Security Administration will share valuable details about this program. At Penn Benefits & Medicare, representatives from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, along with benefits specialists from Human Resources, will explain retirement health care options.

Registration is available online at www.hr.upenn.edu/thinkretirement

'Sprinklers Save Lives' Event

The Division of Public Safety will host the “Sprinklers Save Lives” event on Friday, September 30, from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m., to conclude the PennReady Program’s September is Campus Fire Safety and Emergency Preparedness Month activities. “Sprinklers Save Lives” will be held on Hamilton Field, east of 40th Street between Locust Walk and Walnut Street. Personnel from several agencies responsible for safety and emergency management and response will display vehicles and equipment and will be available to speak about how their organizations operate.

A Side-by-Side Burn demonstration will take place at 12:15 p.m. Attendees will see how an investment in sprinklers saves lives and protects property and processes. This portion of the program is a collaborative effort among the DPS, the Philadelphia Fire Department and the PenJerDel Chapter of the National Fire Sprinkler Association. 

Following a brief press conference with Eugene C. Janda, chief of fire and emergency services, and newly appointed Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam K. Thiel, a raffle will be held. Prizes include two iPad Airs, gift cards from the Penn Bookstore and more. Lunch will be offered from 11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

At 1 p.m., the event will conclude with the annual UpennAlert Emergency Notification System and Penn Siren Outdoor System (PennSOS) test notifying the campus about the Shelter-in-Place Awareness Drill.

PHOS Host First-Time Home Buyers 101

Penn Home Ownership Services will present its “First Time Home Buyers 101” workshop on MondayOctober 3 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. The workshop will be held at Learning and Education, 3624 Market Street, Suite 1A. Lending partner Santander Bank will be present to answer questions. Advance registration is required. Visit www.upenn.edu/homeownership for more information.

Penn Family Day: October 8

Visit the Penn Museum on Family Day, Saturday, October 8, where all PennCard holders—and their families—get in free. Guests can stop by at the open window to chat with a conservator at the In the Artifact Lab: Conserving Egyptian Mummies exhibition and conservation space at 12:30-1 p.m. and again from 3:30-4 p.m. Between 1-3 p.m.,  meet the Cartifacts Facilitator in the Egypt (Mummies) Gallery to learn about mummification in Ancient Egypt through touchable artifacts. A family-friendly docent-led tour of Native American Voices: The People—Here and Now begins at 1:30 p.m. Families can stop off at a coloring craft table from 1-4 p.m., or explore the Museum with a scavenger hunt. Visit Magic in the Ancient World, and discover the special exhibition The Golden Age of King Midas (PennCard holders and Penn Museum members, free to Midas exhibition; $5 for other guests).

The Blues

On September 28The Blues, consisting of several films that capture the essence of the blues and explores its profound influence on music and people the world over, kicks off in the Annenberg Center’s Harold Prince Theatre. The films trace the evolution of the blues. The African Roots, American Voices season-long focus on the blues includes four free film screenings from The Blues series, each with a post-show discussion.

Related: Ladies Sing the Blues

Ladies Sing the Blues

A vocalist sings with a band of horn players

Jazz at Lincoln Center presents vocalists Catherine Russell, Brianna Thomas and Charenee Wade at 8 p.m. on SaturdayOctober 1,  in the Annenberg Center’s Zellerbach Theatre. They channel the liberated spirits and pioneering vocalizations of four 1920s blues divas: Bessie Smith (the “Empress of the Blues”); Mamie Smith (the “Queen of the Blues”); Ma Rainey (the “Mother of the Blues”); and legendary stage and screen icon,  Ethel Waters. Backed by a seven-piece band, the ladies demonstrate the ageless relevance of this important genre in American music, tackling love’s follies and stomping the blues away. For tickets, visitwww.annenbergcenter.org or call (215) 898-3900.

Related: The Blues

Crimes

Weekly Crime Reports

The University of Pennsylvania Police Department Community Crime Report

About the Crime Report: Below are all Crimes Against Persons, Property and Crimes Against Society from the campus report for September 12-18, 2016View prior weeks' reports. —Ed.

This summary is prepared by the Division of Public Safety and includes all criminal incidents reported and made known to the University Police Department between the dates of September 12-18, 2016. The University Police actively patrol from Market Street to Baltimore Avenue and from the Schuylkill River to 43rd Street in conjunction with the Philadelphia Police. In this effort to provide you with a thorough and accurate report on public safety concerns, we hope that your increased awareness will lessen the opportunity for crime. For any concerns or suggestions regarding this report, please call the Division of Public Safety at (215) 898-4482.

09/13/16

10:08 AM

4100 Locust St

Theft

Front bike wheel taken

09/13/16 3:43 PM 3700 Spruce St Theft Unsecured bike taken
09/14/16 12:05 PM 3401 Grays Ferry Vandalism School bus spray painted
09/14/16 1:34 PM 3600 Sansom St Disorderly Conduct Female acting disorderly towards police/Arrest
09/14/16 2:25 PM 4010 Locust St Theft Checks taken from checkbook
09/14/16 4:22 PM 3600 Locust Walk Other Offense Female cited for trespassing
09/14/16 5:56 PM 3400 Spruce St Theft Currency taken from wallet
09/14/16 9:37 PM 4039 Chestnut St Theft Package taken from lobby
09/15/16 12:11 PM 209 S 33rd St Theft Secured bike taken
09/15/16 7:47 PM 3100 Walnut St Theft Unsecured cell phone taken
09/16/16 9:36 AM 4300 Sansom St Sex Offense Male exposed himself
09/16/16 10:20 AM 4200 Osage Ave Auto Theft Motorcycle taken
09/16/16 4:28 PM 240 S 40th St Theft Cell phone taken
09/16/16 5:26 PM 3701 Market St Theft Secured bike taken
09/16/16 6:12 PM 3701 Walnut St Theft Currency taken from wallet
09/17/16 9:51 PM 200 S 40th St DUI Intoxicated male/Arrest
09/18/16 6:39 PM 3400 Spruce St Robbery Offenders attempted to take cell phone
09/18/16 10:44 PM 4200 Pine St Robbery Wallet and iPhone taken

18th District Report

Below are the Crimes Against Persons from the 18th District: 6 incidents with 2 arrests (3 aggravated assaults, 2 robberies and 1 indecent assault) were reported between September 12-18, 2016 by the 18th District covering the Schuylkill River to 49th Street & Market Street to Woodland Avenue.

09/13/16 3:28 PM 4800 Chestnut St Aggravated Assault
09/16/16 10:28 AM 43rd & Sansom St Indecent Assault
09/17/16 2:03 AM 4800 Sansom St Aggravated Assault
09/17/16 2:55 AM 4800 Sansom St Aggravated Assault
09/18/16 7:12 PM 3401 Spruce St Robbery/Arrest
09/18/16 11:42 PM 4228 Pine St Robbery/Arrest

Bulletins

Register by September 30 for 25 Year Club Annual Celebration

The University of Pennsylvania 25 Year Club invites members of the University community with 25 or more years of service to its Annual Celebration on Thursday, October 6, from 5-8 p.m. in Houston Hall. Come for conversation, camaraderie and a light dinner.

Registration is required for attendance; please register by September 30 at www.hr.upenn.edu/25yearclub

The Penn Association of Senior and Emeritus Faculty Lecture that precedes the 25 Year Club reception will be given by University Architect David Hollenberg, who will speak about the evolving Penn campus in the lecture, Penn Transformed: The Last Ten Years and What’s to Come at 3:30 p.m. on the 2nd floor of Houston Hall, in the Class of ’49 Auditorium.

Please contact 25yearclub@hr.upenn.edu or (215) 898-3463 with any questions.

This event is presented by Penn’s Division of Human Resources.

Penn’s Way Campaign & Penn’s Way 2017 Raffle Prizes Week 1

Dear Colleagues:

Penn’s Way, the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Medicine’s workplace charitable giving campaign, continues to be recognized as one of the most successful and generous campaigns in the region. Unprecedented participation levels last year enabled us to exceed our $1.55 million goal for local charitable organizations. Through the combined strength of both the University and Penn Medicine faculty and staff, we are confident that this year’s campaign will again reach our goal of $1.55 million to support the communities in which we live.

The Penn’s Way Campaign runs from September 26 through November 11. Please join us in supporting our region by making your tax-deductible gift now. By using the environmentally friendly Penn’s Way website at http://www.upenn.edu/pennsway to enter your pledge online, you will be supporting your chosen organizations in a secure, quick and convenient way. The website also offers valuable information on our three partner organizations, the Center for Responsible Funding, Penn Medicine and United Way. All three organizations, under the Penn’s Way umbrella, utilize their expertise to confront the ever-increasing challenges facing our community.

Through our Penn’s Way Campaign we can help build stronger neighborhoods, improve the quality of life, and provide options for healthier living for all people in our region.

We hope to have your continued support for the Penn’s Way campaign this year.

Maureen S. Rush
Vice President for Public Safety
University of Pennsylvania
Penn’s Way 2017 Co-Chair

Susan E. Phillips
Senior Vice President for Public Affairs
University of Pennsylvania Health System
Penn’s Way 2017 Co-Chair

Santosh Venkatesh
Professor, SEAS
Chair-elect Faculty Senate
University of Pennsylvania
Penn’s Way 2017 Faculty Advisor 

Peter D. Quinn
Vice Dean for Professional Services
Senior Vice President
University of Pennsylvania Health System
Penn’s Way 2017 Faculty Advisor

 

 

Penn’s Way 2017 Raffle Prizes

Week 1 (10/3 drawing) *

Wyck Historic House: Family membership, value: $75

Nixon Uniform & Medical Wear & Thermo Fisher Scientific: Gift cards for Regal Cinemas ($25) & Olive Garden ($50), value: $75

Philadelphia Union Soccer: two tickets for October 23 match, value: $46

Thermo Fisher Scientific: Gift card for Lowe’s ($50)

Penne Restaurant & Wine Bar: Gift certificate ($100)

*  Drawing dates are estimated; actual drawings take place upon the notification from Payroll that all data has been entered from prior week.  Entries must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday for inclusion in a given week’s drawing.

Q: Who can participate in Penn’s Way?

A: All University and Health System employees are eligible and encouraged to participate in Penn’s Way. Even student workers and contracted employees can use the online pledge system if they have a PennKey and password. Alternatively, they can complete a paper pledge form with their Penn ID. Student workers and contracted employees can only donate via cash, check or credit card — not payroll deduction.

Q: How do I contribute and/or participate in Penn’s Way 2017?

A: University and Health System employees may contribute and/or participate in Penn’s Way 2017 online or by completing a paper pledge form. Online participants may contribute via payroll deduction, cash, check or credit card. Paper pledge participants may contribute via payroll deduction, cash or check. Please note that credit cards may only be processed for online participants and that all major credit cards are accepted.

Back to Top