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University of Pennsylvania Trustees Extend President Amy Gutmann’s Contract to 2022

David L. Cohen, Chair of the University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees, announced last Tuesday that the University has agreed to extend the contract of President Amy Gutmann for an additional three years to June 30, 2022.  The extension will make President Gutmann the longest-serving President in Penn’s history.

“Amy Gutmann’s outstanding leadership of Penn has been nothing short of transformational,” said Mr. Cohen. “The Trustees strongly support her inspiring vision for Penn and our broader community. Under Amy’s Penn Compact 2020 plan, the University of Pennsylvania has set new records of inclusion, innovation and momentum-driving impact on our city, country and world.  Penn’s eminent faculty has grown ever stronger and more diverse. The quality and diversity of our fantastic students have never been higher.  Penn’s campus has been dramatically transformed with spectacular new living and learning spaces and award-winning green spaces, medical and translational research facilities and a new innovation ecosystem for our city and region.

“When she was chosen in 2004 to lead our University,  Amy was the Provost at Princeton and already a stellar interdisciplinary scholar, teacher, and leader in academe,” added Mr. Cohen. “The selection of Amy as Penn’s eighth President has proven to be one of the best decisions ever made in American higher education. We believe Amy is the best university president in the country.  As a Board, we have an obligation to sustain Penn’s success, and we can imagine no better way to do that than to keep Amy Gutmann at the helm. We are simply delighted that she has agreed to continue to bring her energy, passion, and strategic vision to Penn as our President.”

In her inaugural address over a decade ago, President Gutmann outlined a bold and ambitious vision for the University: the Penn Compact.  Penn’s commitment to the three core values of the Penn Compact—Inclusion, Innovation and Impact—has propelled the University forward during an era of dramatic change.

The cornerstone of the Penn Compact’s commitment to Inclusion is the University’s All-Grant undergraduate financial aid initiative. Penn has awarded nearly $1 billion in grants since implementing All-Grant in 2009, and the average net cost for aided students to attend Penn today is almost $2,700 less than it was in 2005. Foremost among the Penn Compact’s commitment to Innovation is creating a campus conducive to generating ideas: a campus with facilities such as the Penn Center for Innovation, which fast-tracks Penn technologies to meet social needs; the Pennovation Works, a 23-acre former heavy industrial site that the University transformed into an innovation campus; and the Pennovation Center, Pennovation Works’ flagship business incubator and laboratory.  Finally, building on the University’s long history of civic-mindedness, the Penn Compact underscores Penn’s commitment to Impact by bringing Penn knowledge and practice to bear on key local, national and global issues.  Top priorities for Penn’s close-to-home engagement include direct support of Philadelphia public schools such as the model, University-assisted Penn Alexander School. On the global front, the fall 2016 opening of the Perry World House on campus and the spring 2015 opening of the Penn Wharton China Center in Beijing underscore the University’s commitment to bringing the world to Penn and Penn to the world. 

“It has been an absolute honor to serve as Penn’s president for the past 12 years, and I am excited about all that we can accomplish together in the next six,” said President Gutmann. “I am constantly grateful for the strong support that our Trustees provide and deeply appreciate their confidence in my efforts to make a Penn education the very best in the world. Together, the multidisciplinary expertise, civic commitment and collaborative spirit of Penn’s faculty, students, Trustees, alumni and staff are unsurpassed by any university in the world. Over the past two years, we have brought on board eight new deans, enriching an already exceptional leadership team.  Together, we are energized and equipped to carry forward the Penn Compact 2020 vision and to cultivate wonderful new possibilities for fundraising.

“The coming years are going to be exceptional ones for Penn as we build out the campus under the third phase of our Penn Connects plan.  We also are going to continue to attract the most vibrant and diverse faculty and student body, which will assure Penn’s standing at the pinnacle of the world’s universities,” continued President Gutmann. “We can confidently affirm that in the 276-year history of our University, this is the best and most exciting time to be part of ‘our Penn.’ But we will never be complacent as we drive our great University forward to new and as yet unanticipated frontiers of inclusion, innovation and impact.”

In addition to those noted above, selected highlights of President Gutmann’s tenure at Penn include:

• Undergraduate applications have grown from 18,282 in 2004  to nearly 39,000 for the Class of 2020. 

• The undergraduate financial aid budget has grown by 155% since FY2005, from $84 million to $214 million.  The average grant for undergraduate students receiving aid in FY2017 is $45,368.

• The creation of 200 new endowed professorships, and the recruiting of 17 Penn Integrates Knowledge Professors and 10 Presidential Professors.

• Philanthropy of more than $5 billion for Penn, including $4.3 billion through the Making History Campaign, the University’s largest-ever capital campaign.

• Penn’s endowment has grown from $4 billion to $10.7 billion.

• Creation of a $100 million Action Plan for Faculty Diversity and Excellence, resulting in an 18% increase in female faculty and 43% increase in minority faculty.

• Creation of the President’s Engagement Prizes and President’s Innovation Prize, the largest student innovation prizes in the country.

• Penn Connects campus plan, resulting in a $2.7 billion investment creating 5 million square feet of new or renovated space, with plans for $2 billion additional investment in 1.8 million square feet of space.

• Creation of Penn Park, a 24-acre urban oasis linking Penn to Center City Philadelphia.

• Signature architectural buildings, such as the Singh Center for Nanotechnology, the New College House, Perry World House, Golkin Hall, Weiss Pavilion and the Stephen A. Levin Building for Neural and Behavioral Sciences.

• A 29% increase in sponsored research to nearly $1 billion annually, despite flat federal support.

• Penn Medicine has grown to include major new facilities (Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, Roberts Proton Center, Smilow Translational Research Center), Chester County Hospital, Lancaster General Hospital and new physician offices and outpatient facilities across Philadelphia, southwestern Pennsylvania  and southern New Jersey.

Penn Provost Vincent Price Named Duke’s Next President

Penn’s Provost Vincent Price, Steven H. Chaffee Professor of Communication in the Annenberg School for Communication and professor of political science in the School of Arts and Sciences, has been named the tenth president of Duke University, starting July 1, 2017.

“Everybody who has worked with Vince will wholeheartedly agree that Duke has made an absolutely superb choice. No one is better prepared or more deserving than Vince to lead a distinguished university such as Duke,” said Penn President Amy Gutmann. 

Since becoming Provost in 2009 (Almanac July 14, 2009), “Vince has brought extraordinary leadership and vision—as well as grace and good humor—to our academic enterprise. Vince helped recruit exceptional deans and faculty members while advancing initiatives to diversify the faculty, develop new forms of teaching and learning, expand Penn’s global engagement (including our new Penn Wharton China Center and Perry World House), and enhance arts and culture on campus. He has also been a major force in facilitating interdisciplinary research and teaching, developing Penn’s online learning initiatives and providing intellectual forums for our community to come together to address some of the most challenging issues of our time,” President Gutmann added. 

Dr. Price is a leading global expert on public opinion, social influence and political communication. His Public Opinion (Sage, 1992) has been published in six languages and taught in courses around the world. His work has been widely cited on such topics as the impact of political polls, the effects of TV news coverage and the factors that shape public opinion. His recent research conducted with Annenberg colleague Joseph N. Cappella and funded by grants from the Pew Charitable Trusts, National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health has explored the increasingly important role of online discussion in shaping public knowledge and opinion.

Before being appointed Provost, Dr. Price served as Interim Provost, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, Chair of the Faculty Senate and Associate Dean of the Annenberg School. His awards for teaching and research include the Robert M. Worcester Award from the World Association for Public Opinion Research, the K. Kyoon Hur Award from the International Communication Association, the Nafziger-White Dissertation Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and the Award of Recognition from the American Association of Public Opinion Research.

In preparation for Dr. Price’s departure from Penn, President Gutmann has begun the process of forming an Ad Hoc Consultative Committee of faculty and students to advise her on the selection of Penn’s next Provost. The Ad Hoc Committee will be chaired by Executive Vice President of the University for the Health System and Perelman School of Medicine Dean Larry Jameson. President Gutmann said she expects to name a new Provost prior to Provost Price’s departure.

A Message to the Penn Community Concerning Our DACA and Undocumented Community Members

We write in response to the several inquiries and petitions that we have received regarding the University’s support for our Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and undocumented students.  We are grateful that so many members of the Penn community have spoken out and communicated their support for our undocumented students. 

Let us be unequivocally clear: We are and remain resolute in our commitment to Penn’s undocumented students, and will do all that we can to ensure their continued safety and success here at Penn. 

As President Gutmann, who has long advocated for immigration reform, wrote in her recent letter to faculty colleagues, undocumented students “have grown up in our communities; they attended our schools; and they have both the strong desire and the impressive capacity to make vital contributions to our nation’s future economic strength and global competitiveness.” At Penn, we are a richer campus for our inclusion and diversity, and our community benefits greatly from the presence of its undergraduate, graduate and professional undocumented students. 

We welcome this opportunity to reinforce our support for the undocumented student community, including the following:

The University of Pennsylvania will not allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)/Customs and Border Protection (CBP)/US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on our campus unless required by warrant. Further, the University will not share any information about any undocumented student with these agencies unless presented with valid legal process. We also endorse the City of Philadelphia’s Fourth Amendment practice that blocks City and campus police from complying with ICE detainer requests for nonviolent offenses. Penn is and has always been a “sanctuary”—a safe place for our students to live and to learn. We assure you that we will continue in all of our efforts to protect and support our community including our undocumented students. 

The University of Pennsylvania commits to ensuring current undocumented and DACA recipients will continue to receive financial aid, fellowship stipends, as well as any related support that is currently being provided, or that will be needed, for these students to complete their studies at Penn. We will continue to provide need-based Penn Grant aid to undocumented students who apply as international students. As always, Student Financial Services (SFS) stands ready to assist any student who is experiencing a family financial crisis or a change of circumstance. Undocumented students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status will continue to be eligible for work-study positions. SFS will continue to assist those without DACA to find other forms of aid to replace work-study. The Student Intervention Services (SIS) team will also continue to support undocumented students in emergent circumstances.

The University of Pennsylvania already has a number of permanent staff who serve as advisors to support the specific needs of undocumented and DACA students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. These advisors are familiar with the specific challenges of undocumented and DACA students; provide additional wellness support and student referrals to resources with a deeper understanding of their unique needs; act as liaisons between offices on the University’s campus such as SFS or the Registrar; and keep up to date with national policies regarding immigration that affect students such as DACA and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA). These advisors are located in Penn Global, the Greenfield Intercultural Center, La Casa Latina and other offices.

The University of Pennsylvania will continue to advocate passionately for comprehensive immigration reform. As Penn’s President and as a past president of the Association of American Universities, Amy Gutmann has repeatedly communicated to our nation’s leaders her support for undocumented students, the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, and the continuation and expansion of DACA. The University will continue to forcefully speak out in support of these critical issues. 

We recognize that many in our community remain anxious about the future. United, we will do everything in our power to ensure the continued security and success of our undocumented students. It is times such as these when we must hold even closer our cherished Penn values of inclusion, diversity, equity and mutual respect. 

With deep respect and warm regards,

Amy Gutmann, President

Vincent Price, Provost

Craig R. Carnaroli, Executive Vice President

Comcast Pennovation Challenge: Internet of Things: January 30

Comcast is seeking five-to-seven faculty and student teams of up to five people to invent and create innovative solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT) on the machineQ platform.

By all accounts, the Internet of Things (IoT) opportunity is vast and will continue to grow, with up to 30- to 50-billion devices set to be online by 2020. IoT has the potential to create new products and services that foster social impact through increased communications and efficiency. Smart homes and smart buildings connected and communicating are some of the outcomes that are becoming real-world possibilities. Building a robust, carrier-grade network will open up this market to a large number of potential users, developers and businesses who have not been able to gain access to IoT opportunities due to a combination of prohibitive cost, lack of network and development complexity.

Comcast recently announced machineQ, a new business trial venture focused on business-to-business solutions and a platform for the Internet of Things (http://corporate.comcast.com/news-information/news-feed/comcast-launches-enterprise-internet-of-things-trial-venture). Initial trial markets will cover the large metropolitan areas in Philadelphia and San Francisco.

MachineQ is invested in finding solutions that enable partners to gather, transmit and analyze data from and to control connected devices with the goal of creating innovative solutions and applications. Key opportunity areas include: Hospitals, Airports, Venue/Facility Management/Malls, Universities, Supermarkets/Restaurants, Smart Cities/Infrastructure, Smart Agriculture, Connected Laboratories and Amusement Parks.

Comcast will provide development kits and gateways to accepted teams of up to five people along with coaching and technical assistance/office hours during the development process.  All teams will have the opportunity to pitch to key executives and investors at a Demo Day in March.

See http://bit.ly/comcastpennovation

Two winning teams will receive:

• 1st Prize: $3,000 plus six-month memberships to the Pennovation Center to further develop ideas into startups

• 2nd Prize: $1,500 plus six-month memberships to the Pennovation Center to further develop ideas into startups

• Both teams win: Automatic acceptance into Penn’s I-Corps program which provides training on customer discovery and business plan creation. 

January—Ongoing recruitment of teams

January 30—Proposals due 

Week of February 6—machineQ 101 & Training session

Week of February 13—Office hours

Week of February 27—Office hours

Week of March 13—Office hours

Week of March 27—Demo Day

Intellectual Property and Ownership for Penn affiliated teams: In the event that an idea relies on, or produces, Penn-owned Intellectual Property, it will be treated in accordance with Penn’s policies (see http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/volumes/v63/n01/pdf/071216-supplement.pdf). With respect to any idea that (a) does not contain Penn-owned IP according to the Penn Patent Policy and (b) is not chosen for prototype development, the participant(s) will be free to pursue the development of the idea on their own time and at their own expense with no further obligation to the Innovation Challenge.

Deaths

Constantin Cope, Radiology

Constantin “Stan” Cope, professor emeritus in the radiology department at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, died on November 6 of heart failure at Spring Village at Floral Vale in Yardley, Pennsylvania. He was 89 years old.

He helped to create and develop the field of interventional radiology and invented many types of catheters still used today. He is also credited with development of the first lymphatic interventional procedure, the thoracic duct embolization.

Dr. Cope was born in Paris, France and was educated in England during the London Blitz. He earned a bachelor of science from London University and a master of business and science from Middlesex Hospital Medical School, then moved to the United States and earned a medical degree from New York Medical College.

Dr. Cope became a US citizen and was drafted into the Army as a medical officer during the Korean War. When the war ended, he completed his training as an internist at Memphis VA Medical Center.

In 1963, Dr. Cope was hired as an attending physician at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, where he served as staff physician and chief of the vascular roentgenology section in the department of diagnostic radiology. At the same time, he began to work in partnership with William Cook, who had just started manufacturing guide-wires, needles and catheters out of his apartment. Today, Cook, Inc. is one of the largest medical companies in the world and manufactures many Cope devices, such as the Cope loop drainage catheter, Cope gastrostomy set, Cope mandril wire guide and the Cope nephroureterostomy stent.

Dr. Cope joined HUP in 1986 as a lecturer in radiology and became a professor of radiology in the standing faculty, and a clinician educator in the School of Medicine, with a secondary appointment in gastroenterology in 1987. He also held a secondary appointment as professor of radiology in surgery and a clinical position with Clinical Practices of the University of Pennsylvania (CPUP). 

He retired and was named professor emeritus in 2004 (Almanac May 4, 2004). Upon retirement, he moved with his wife, Mary Grace (Heller) to Bend, Oregon.

Dr. Cope received the Society of Interventional Radiology’s Gold Medal, along with Mr. Cook, in 1999; the New York Medical College Alumni Gold Medal in 2001; and the society’s Leaders in Innovation Award in 2004. The society also created an award, the Dr. Constantin Cope Medical Student Research Award, in his honor. Its purpose is to introduce interested medical students to the greater interventional radiology community.

He authored or coauthored more than 200 scientific articles and was the lead author of 1990’s Atlas of Interventional Radiology.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Grace; three sons, Leonard, Daniel and James; two daughters, Evelyn Stainthorpe and M. Constance Cope Franckle; 10 grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

Dr. Cope donated his body to science. Donations may be made in his memory to Penn Medicine, www.pennmedicine.org

Eugene Galanter, Psychology

Eugene H. Galanter,  former professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, died of complications from cancer on November 9. He was 92 years old.

Dr. Galanter served in the US Army during World War II and earned a Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Croix de Guerre with Palm and Presidential Unit Citation.

When he returned to the United States, he attended Bryn Mawr College and later transferred to Swarthmore College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree. He earned a PhD in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1953 and taught at Penn until 1956, when he was invited to Harvard University to work with S.S. Stevens. In 1958, he joined Stanford University’s Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. He returned to Penn in 1959 and encouraged many psychology professors to come to Penn. 

He left for the University of Washington in 1962 to chair the psychology department. He joined Columbia University’s psychology faculty in 1966 and became emeritus professor there in 2008. While at Columbia, he founded the Psychophysics Laboratory and performed theoretical research while running research projects for NASA, FAA, the Office of Naval Research, the US Army and the National Science Foundation. He received NASA’s Distinguished Scientist Research Award.

Dr. Galanter was the author of 12 books and more than 150 articles on learning theory. He was also an entrepreneur. He founded the Children’s Computer School in 1980 and the Summer Computer Institute at Amherst College in 1981. In 1999, he founded Children’s Progress Inc., an educational technology company.

Dr. Galanter served as chairman of the Committee on Learning at the Salk Institute. He also was chairman of the board of Tompkins Hall Nursery School and served on the board of St. Hilda’s and St. Hugh’s School in New York.

Dr. Galanter and his daughter, Michelle, co-invented and co-patented the Galanter Educational Evaluation Lattice, the basis for the Children’s Progress Academic Assessment (CPAA).

He is survived by his wife, Patricia; daughters, Alicia, Gabrielle and Michelle; and eight grandchildren, Philip Walton, Theodore Walton, Margot Walton, Felix Walton, Roxanne Walton, Dexter Camara, Dashiell Camara and Kalyan Reynolds.

Governance

November 30: Council Coverage

At the semester’s final Council meeting last Wednesday, Penn President Amy Gutmann spoke about the statement that had been disseminated via email earlier that day, “Concerning Our DACA and Undocumented Community Members”. Dr. Gutmann stressed that the University is resolute in its commitment and highlighted some of the key points about its advocacy efforts on behalf of undocumented students at Penn.

Provost Vince Price said he shared the president’s commitment. He then introduced the main topic of the meeting: increasing opportunities for student/faculty  innovation and entrepreneurship through numerous initiatives and entities around campus. Vice Provost for Research Dawn Bonnell then gave an overview of how Penn supports innovation with the Pennovation Center and its partners, as well as prizes such as the President’s Innovation Prize and the President’s Engagement Prize. She noted that Penn’s ecosystem of innovation, which includes the Penn Center for Innovation, is robust and dynamic, with competitions, events, education and student clubs. David Hsu, associate faculty director of Weiss Tech House (WTH), spoke about its student-led hub of entrepreneurship and innovation. WTH provides critical seed resources to the Penn community. David Asch, executive director of the Penn Center for Health Care Innovation, spoke about its many projects to make people healthier, reduce the cost of healthcare and enable and accelerate innovation. Karl Ulrich, vice dean of entrepreneurship & innovation at Wharton and professor of mechanical engineering at SEAS, described various programs that are available to any Penn student regardless of major/school affiliation to address important challenges through entrepreneurial thinking.

President Gutmann said that Penn is making innovation one of its highest priorities, and it will be more prominently central to the University’s mission. Provost Price pointed out that next year’s Academic Theme Year will focus on Innovation; he said, “now is the time, this is the place.”

During the Open Forum portion of the meeting, Paul Lewis, E’01, a long-time senior IT support specialist in SAS, encouraged Penn to close on Election Day to allow for more civic engagement; Robert Ashford, MSW’17, president of Peer Recovery, urged Penn to become a collegiate recovery community offering a continuum of services for students like himself who are in long-term recovery from substance use disorders.

Honors

Emily Johnson Batista: Distinguished Alumni Award, Iowa State

Emily Johnson Batista, a reference librarian at Penn’s Lippincott Library and head of circulation services at the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library, was recently honored with a Distinguished Alumni Award from Iowa State University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The award recognizes outstanding alumni from the department of world languages & cultures at Iowa State.

Ms. Batista, who earned a bachelor’s degree in German from Iowa State in 1975, was honored for her contributions as a librarian serving in public, special, government and academic libraries.

“We are thrilled to recognize Emily with a Distinguished Alumni Award from our Department of World Languages and Cultures,” Kim McDonough, director of alumni relations in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said. “Her impressive contributions to her professional field are worthy of special recognition, and we could not be more proud to honor her as an outstanding College of Liberal Arts and Sciences alumna.”

Throughout her career, Ms. Batista has used automation to enhance library services. Her areas of expertise include circulation and access services, resource sharing services, library management systems and library staff management.

Ms. Batista is also an active leader in the American Library Association. Following her graduation from Iowa State, she earned a master’s degree in library science from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.

Herman Beavers: Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Herman Beavers, a professor of English and Africana studies at Penn, has been elected to t he board of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Dr. Beavers and three other new Commissioners will serve from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019, at which point they will be eligible for reelection.

MSCHE is a voluntary, non-governmental membership association that defines, maintains and promotes educational excellence across institutions with diverse missions, student populations and resources. It is the primary institutional accreditor for Penn, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell and other institutions of higher education in Delaware, Washington, DC, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, including distance education and correspondence education programs offered at those institutions.

Theodore Caputi: Mitchell Scholar

University of Pennsylvania senior Theodore Caputi has been selected to receive a George J. Mitchell Scholarship for graduate studies in Ireland. 

Sponsored by the US-Ireland Alliance, the scholarship covers tuition, accommodations, a living-expense stipend and an international travel stipend. 

Mr. Caputi, from Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, is working toward a bachelor of arts in mathematics from the School of Arts & Sciences and a bachelor of science in economics from the Wharton School. He plans to pursue a master’s degree in health promotion at University College Cork. 

In 2014, Mr. Caputi founded Penn Leadership Training Institute, a nonprofit organization and the largest student-run volunteer service group in Philadelphia. He is a Benjamin Franklin Scholar and a Joseph Wharton Scholar and has conducted research on the ramifications of the legalization of marijuana, authored policy briefs regarding the Affordable Care Act and the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and had several first- or sole-author publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Mr. Caputi is a policy fellow at the University of Florida Drug Policy Institute. In addition, he is founding president of Penn Drug and Alcohol Peer Advisors and has served on local, state and federal boards addressing substance use, including the Drug Free America Foundation National Advisory Board, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Prevention Alliance Board of Directors and Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission Board of Directors.

J. Larry Jameson: John Phillips Memorial Award

J. Larry Jameson, the executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and dean of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has been awarded the John Phillips Memorial Award for Outstanding Work in Clinical Medicine by the American College of Physicians (ACP). 

ACP is a national organization of internists and the largest medical specialty organization in the US. The award will be presented at ACP’s Convocation Ceremony on March 30, 2017, at the San Diego Convention Center, during the ACP’s Internal Medicine Meeting.

The John Phillips Memorial Award for Outstanding Work in Clinical Medicine was established by ACP’s Board of Regents in 1929, in honor of the late John Phillips, former governor and regent of the college. This award is bestowed for outstanding lifetime work in clinical medicine which has been innovative and/or had a regional or national impact.

Vincent Lo Re, III: HIVMA Award

Vincent Lo Re, III, an assistant professor of infectious disease in Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, was honored with the 2016 HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) Research Award for his significant contributions to the field of HIV medicine. The award was presented on October 27 as part of IDWeek 2016 in New Orleans.

“It is an honor to be recognized with the HIVMA Research Award,” Dr. Lo Re said. “This Week is about advancing science and research in order to better understand and treat infectious diseases and I am humbled that my work can contribute to this larger effort in some way.” 

The annual award recognizes researchers who have made outstanding contributions to HIV medicine in clinical or basic research early in their careers. Dr. Lo Re’s research has advanced the understanding of hepatitis infection in HIV-infected patients. He developed new methods to identify liver-related outcomes—particularly decompensated cirrhosis, acute hepatic failure and hepatocellular carcinoma—which are used by researchers throughout North America. Clinicians and policymakers cite his findings to justify initiating HCV treatment in chronic HIV-infected patients even in the absence of advanced hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis.

Paul Meyer: Montgomery County Planning Award

Paul W. Meyer, the F. Otto Haas Executive Director of the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, was recently designated the recipient of the 2016 Planning Advocate Award from the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners and the Montgomery County Planning Commission. This award recognizes citizens, appointed/elected officials or boards and community organizations that have made significant and sustained contributions to advancing or promoting planning in Montgomery County.

Mr. Meyer has been an exceptional advocate for the planning, preservation and stewardship of Montgomery County’s valuable green spaces for more than 35 years. He has dedicated many years of service as a member of the Springfield Township Planning Commission and the Montgomery County Open Space Board. He is passionate about ensuring that future generations have the opportunity to be inspired by the natural world and be connected to nature through greenways and trails, parks and preserved open areas.

“I want to share this recognition with all who work to preserve open space and a sense of place in Montgomery County,” Mr. Meyer said. “The accomplishments have been amazing, but much more remains to be done. I appreciate this recognition and I salute the entire Montgomery County Open Space Team.”

Morris Arboretum: Chestnut Hill Historical Society Architectural Hall of Fame

Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania was chosen recently as one of five inductees into the Chestnut Hill Historical Society (CHHS) Architectural Hall of Fame. Properties chosen for this honor represent groundbreaking approaches to planning and design. Designees were selected by more than 1,400 votes from the general public.

The Arboretum is a cultural landscape comprises beautiful historic and new buildings set within an internationally important arboretum. The Arboretum’s Dorrance H. Hamilton Fernery, the only remaining freestanding Victorian fernery in North America, was submitted for the award. The fernery was originally built in 1899 and restored in 1994. Contributors include Chandler; Cope and Stewardson; Eyre; Cret; McGoodwin; Olmsted Brothers; and Andropogon.

Morris Arboretum: Mid-Atlantic Megalopolis Grant

The Morris Arboretum was recently awarded a grant from the Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections program of the National Science Foundation. Cynthia Skema, botanical scientist at Morris Arboretum, led the “Mid-Atlantic Megalopolis” (MAM) proposal.

As the largest, oldest and most populated urban corridor in the US, the Mid-Atlantic Megalopolis (MAM) presents a unique opportunity for the study of the effects of urbanization on a flora. The $1.5 million award for the MAM project supports the Arboretum and 10 other collaborating institutions in a three-year effort to image, transcribe label data from, and georeference about 700,000 herbarium specimens collected in the Mid-Atlantic region. Morris Arboretum’s digitizing partners on this grant include: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Delaware State University, Howard University, New York Botanical Garden, Rutgers University, Towson University and the University of Maryland. Additionally, Mid-Atlantic specimens at the following institutions will be digitized by one of the partners: Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Muhlenberg College and Staten Island Museum.

Digitization of each specimen in the MAM Project will result in a high-resolution image, a database record of collection metadata (for example, where and when it was collected and who collected it) and a georeferenced point, all of which will be made publicly available online. The increased accessibility of these data will help to achieve a better scientific understanding of living urban systems, a critical need for urban planners, restoration ecologists, environmental engineers, landscape architects and conservationists engaged in creating more sustainable and better designed cities, including the constructed and restored natural environments of our urban areas. The data collected in this project will be freely available online to scientists, researchers and teachers, as well as the general public. For more information on the MAM project and a link to the data portal, visit mamdigitization.org

Therese S. Richmond: HHS National Health Committee

The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing’s) Therese S. Richmond, the Andrea B. Laporte Professor of Nursing and associate dean for research & innovation, has been appointed as a member of the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Advisory Committee on National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives for 2030.

Richmond joins 12 other nationally recognized subject matter experts in health promotion, disease prevention, epidemiology, health literacy, communication and law to serve on the committee.

The committee will spend the next two years examining current scientific evidence and submitting recommendations to the HHS Secretary with rationales to inform the development and implementation of the nation’s disease prevention and health promotion objectives for Healthy People 2030. The HHS will use these recommendations, along with public and federal agency comments, to develop the next iteration of the Healthy People initiative. The Healthy People initiative establishes specific, science-based, measurable objectives with targets that are used to benchmark and monitor progress over the course of a decade. Healthy People 2030 will apply to years 2020 through 2030.

Dr. Richmond conducts studies focusing on the interaction of physical injuries and their psychological consequences in order to reduce post-injury disability and improve recovery. Her research focuses on vulnerable, marginalized and low-resource urban populations who bear a disproportionate burden of injury and violence. As associate dean for research & innovation, she also works with faculty to set and implement strategic directors and facilitating systems to improve the research-focused environment of Penn Nursing.

She has received the American Association of Critical Care Nurses/GE Healthcare Pioneering Spirit Award and the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching.

SP2 Students: Youth Master’s Fellows

Three master’s students at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) are among 40 recipients of the Council on Social Work for Education Minority Fellowship Program Youth Master’s Student award.

Alexandria Okeke, Pablo David Rodriguez and Kira White have been selected to join the third cohort of CSWE “Now is the Time” students. Funded by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the fellowship supports training and professional development activities to supplement students’ social work courses. Fellows will participate in virtual webinars throughout the year and attend training in Alexandria, Virginia, in March.The fellowship carries a $6,500 annual stipend.

“We are very excited and proud that three of our students are among the 40 new fellows,” said Joretha Bourjolly, associate dean for academic affairs and director of the MSW program. “These students will be able to build on the strong foundation of course and field work in the MSW program to further their commitment to addressing the mental-health needs of children, adolescents and young adults.”  

After graduating, each fellow has committed to entering the behavioral-health field providing mental-health services to at-risk youth and young adults aged 16–25 in underserved minority communities.

Ms. Okeke plans to use the fellowship to further develop her clinical skills to serve LGBTQ youth of color in the rural South. She is currently interning in Trans Care Services at the Mazzoni Center in Philadelphia, learning about best practices in providing health and wellness services to Philadelphia’s queer and transgender community.

Mr. Rodriguez and Ms. White plan to use their fellowships to work with underserved communities closer to home.  

Mr. Rodriguez said that the fellowship will enable him to augment his work aiding recently immigrated, undocumented Latinos in Philadelphia better access basic services and mental-health care.

Ms. White currently works at the Mill Creek School, an alternative high school in West Philadelphia, and plans to seek full time employment after graduating. She is also pursuing a degree in public health at Penn with a projected graduation of May 2018.

Features

Holiday Shopping at Penn

Penn Bookstore Sale-A-Bration

The Penn Bookstore’s Annual Sale-A-Bration on Thursday, December 8 and Friday, December 9 includes 20% discounts on Penn-branded merchandise, books, games and other items as well as free gift wrapping. Complimentary holiday photos will be offered from 2-6 p.m., with hot chocolate and cookies from 4-6 p.m.

 

Computer Connection

The Computer Connection has launched its Holiday Sale. Its Holiday Wishbook is full of gift-giving ideas for all Penn faculty, staff, students and Penn Medicine employees. The Wishbook also features coupon savings on headphones, hard drives, flash drives, phone cases, tablet cases, Apple Watch accessories and more.

The Computer Connection will host special sales days on December 8 and 9, in conjunction with the Bookstore’s Sale-a-Bration, with $100 off Macs and $25 off iPads (December 8), and $100 off Dell and Lenovo computers (December 9). Plus, they will have cookies and raffle prizes on both days. 

Special pricing is available on December 8 and 9, so if you won’t be able to make it on those days, they encourage you to stop by ahead of time to place your order, email ccxmail@exchange.upenn.edu or call (215) 898-2135 to have them hold it for pick up.

 

Holiday Sale at the Penn Museum

Take your PennCard or Penn Medicine card to the Museum’s gift shop for special discounts from December 13-21. Call (215) 898-4046 for details. History buffs will be interested in The Golden Age of King Midas Exhibition Catalog accompanying the exhibit that ran from February through November.

 

Loren Eiseley’s book

This two-volume work captures the science writings of the late Loren Eiseley, Benjamin Franklin Professor of Anthropology and History of Science. Dr. Eiseley joined the Penn faculty in 1947 as professor and chair of the anthropology department and as a curator. His distinguished career led to his 1959 appointment as Provost. In 1961 he became the University’s first Benjamin Franklin Professor. The Penn Museum celebrated his 100th birthday with a special program (Almanac October 30, 2007).

The collection, published by the Library of America, comprises 1,066 pages of Dr. Eiseley’s 20th century writings and showcases the poetic essay style—called the “hidden essay” for which he was best known. Topics range from evolution to spirits to humans’ relationships with the rest of the world.

 

40 Winks with the Sphinx

Penn Museum’s popular sleepover, 40 Winks with the Sphinx, is a great holiday gift for children ages 6-12 and their parents or chaperones. Intrepid explorers spend the night on a flashlight-led scavenger hunt and evening “expedition” of the Museum. After journeying through Egypt, Greece, Rome and Maya, they’ll roll out their sleeping bags at the foot of the largest granite Sphinx in the world. The event includes breakfast and admission to the Museum the morning after the sleepover. For dates and tickets, visit http://www.penn.museum/programs/kids-and-family/40-winks-with-the-sphinx-sleepover#module

 

Penn Libraries Store

Visit http://www.costore.com/pennlibraries/welcome.asp to purchase a variety of merchandise and clothing with the Penn Libraries logo. The online store also sells a variety of library publications, including its latest exhibition catalog (at right), Color in American Fine and Private Press Books, 1890-2015

 

 

 

Mask and Wig’s Flight Club

The original soundtrack recording of the Mask and Wig Club’s 128th annual performance, Flight Club, is available on iTunes and Spotify. The show, which depicts an airborne love story that goes awry during a blizzard, drew huge crowds and rave reviews earlier in 2016. 

 

Penn Glee Club

Penn Glee Club’s new CD, Harmoniously Yours, is available from the Club’s online store at http://www.dolphin.upenn.edu/gleeclub/index.shtml The disc celebrates the tenure of director Erik Nordgren with 28 tunes spanning the years 2000-2015. Those looking for a more seasonal collection from the Penn Glee Club should check out their older album A Song by the Fire, which contains 22 holiday classics and is also available on the online store. 

 

World Cafe Live CDs

World Cafe Live (WCL) gift cards are available in numerous denominations. WCL’s online store at http://shoplive.worldcafelive.com/ has all manner of useful gifts bearing the WCL logo. In addition, the new Live at the World Café 40 CD, featuring artists such as My Morning Jacket and Mac DeMarco, is available at http://www.xpn.org/world-cafe/cds for a pledge in support of WXPN. Pledges start at a $6 minimum. 

 

Quaker Notes Album

Penn’s premiere all-female a capella group released its latest EP on June 6. Entitled The Letter Q, the 7-song iTunes download features cover versions of classic tunes by Amy Winehouse and the Temptations, among others. 

 

Off the Beat

Off the Beat, Penn’s award-winning rock a capella group, releases its 25th studio album, titled Horizon, today on all digital platforms. It contains songs from the group’s performance last year at the International Championship of Collegiate A Capella (ICCA), as well as six other original arrangements. 

 

Penn Band Albums

Fans of the University of Pennsylvania Band are in for an enjoyable holiday season! Over the past year, the Penn Band has released no fewer than three new albums, all of which are available on iTunes, Amazon Music and Spotify. The two-volume set The Band in Space comprises a 70-minute excursion into space, complete with plenty of music and comedy. The Best of Penn contains a selection of University anthems dating from 1926 RCA Victor recordings to the present day. 

On December 1, the Band released its latest album, a reissue of a 1964 recording of the Penn Band. University of Pennsylvania Songs includes several classic Penn anthems and marches. 

 

Penn-Themed eCard Greetings

Send a loved one an electronic greeting and help spread the spirit of the season the green way. Whether you want to say Happy Holidays or personalize your message, browse through the wide selection and choose the card and sentiment that fits the occasion. Sending an eCard is free and easy. Visit www.upenn.edu/ecard

33 to 40

This photo book captures the style and culture of Penn campus in 2016. Its creators consider it part photo-book, part-documentary. 

A limited edition printing of the book is available online at http://33to40.com/

Events

New Workshop from PHOS

As Penn Home Ownership Services closes out the calendar year, it offers a new workshop called “Is Home Ownership for Me?” on Wednesday, December 14 from noon-1 p.m. This session will be led by representatives from the Urban Affairs Coalition (UAC), an organization that unites government, businesses, neighborhoods and individual initiative to improve the quality of life in the region, build wealth in urban communities and solve emerging issues.  

During this one-hour workshop, session leaders will discuss current Philadelphia market issues, initiatives supported by the City of Philadelphia, and other topics that focus on home ownership such as credit, renting versus owning and how to choose a real estate professional. Lending Partner Guaranteed Rate representatives will also be in attendance.

The event will be held in the Business Services Large Conference Room at 3401 Walnut Street, Suite 440A. Advance registration is required. Visit www.upenn.edu/homeownership as space will fill up quickly.

Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass at Annenberg Center: December 9

On Friday, December 9The Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass will perform at Penn’s Annenberg Center. Mixing classical, big band jazz and New Orleans swing, this big brass ensemble brings together top musicians from across the country for a jazzy holiday celebration. For prices & tickets visit: www.annenbergcenter.org/

NGSS Town Hall on Pennant Records and Pennant Aid: December 14

Executive sponsors Michelle Brown-Nevers, Beth Winkelstein and Tom Murphy, along with project owners and project managers for the Next Generation Student Systems (NGSS) project, invite the entire Penn community to a town hall meeting on the planning and development of Pennant Records and Pennant Aid from 2-4 p.m. on Wednesday, December 14, in room G-17 of Claudia Cohen Hall.

Senior leaders will review the importance of the new Pennant systems to the University and the reasons for embarking on the project. Project managers will present a concise overview of the multiyear effort, including an update on funding, scope, anticipated benefits, and projected timeline for both Pennant Records and Pennant Aid. In addition, they will discuss how the new systems are expected to affect administrative and academic functions and communities.

They will also report on the status of preliminary work that has already begun and will highlight the contributions of the many advisory groups and individuals that are crucial to the successful implementation of these new systems.

The bulk of the meeting time will be devoted to questions from the audience. Whether you are just learning about Pennant or want to know how it will affect you, please bring your questions so everyone can benefit from a wide-ranging discussion!

For more information about NGSS and Pennant, consult the project website at http://www.sfs.upenn.edu/ngss/

Stephen Schwarz, Project Manager for Pennant Records
Amy McCole, Project Manager for Pennant Aid

Morris Arboretum’s Holiday Garden Railway: Through December 31

Come see the Morris Arboretum’s Holiday Garden Railway dressed in its wintry finest through December 31! Enjoy the display as part of Friday Night Lights on December 9, 16, 23 and 30. Buy tickets for Friday Night Lights at: www.morrisarboretum.org

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 November 21-27, 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 November 21-27, 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.

11/22/16 2:31 PM 4012 Walnut St Assault Complainant choked by unknown male
11/22/16 2:59 PM 3731 Walnut St Theft Offender took laptop
11/22/16 6:28 PM 3604 Chestnut St Theft Offender took PA instant lottery tickets
11/23/16 9:23 AM 3335 Woodland Walk Theft Template removed from building
11/23/16 5:07 PM 55 S 34th St Theft Hub caps taken from vehicle
11/24/16 7:57 AM 3661 Walnut St Burglary Male broke into store/Arrest
11/25/16 10:40 AM 3400 Spruce St Theft Tablet taken from room
11/25/16 1:03 PM 4038 Locust St Assault Male punched several times by known person
11/25/16 4:19 PM 3900 Spruce St Burglary Various property taken from residence
11/26/16 3:00 AM 200 S 40th St Liquor Law Disorderly male cited for underage drinking
11/26/16 9:30 AM 3604 Chestnut St Theft Merchandise taken without payment/Arrest
11/26/16 4:50 PM 3900 Walnut St Other Offense Male wanted on warrant/Arrest
11/27/16 11:23 PM 4212 Walnut St Theft Secured bike taken

18th District Report

Below are the Crimes Against Persons from the 18th District: 8incidents with 2 arrests (2 assaults, 2 domestic assaults, 2 robberies, 1 aggravated assault and 1 rape) were reported between November 21-27, 2016 by the 18th District covering the Schuylkill River to 49th Street & Market Street to Woodland Avenue.

11/21/16 1:08 AM 26 S 40th St Aggravated Assault/Arrest
11/21/16 1:59 PM 200 blk S Melville Rape
11/21/16 3:41 PM 100 S 47th St Robbery
11/22/16 2:31 PM 4012 Walnut St Assault
11/24/16 12:54 PM 1232 S Melville St Domestic Assault
11/24/16 6:00 PM 4632 Walnut St Domestic Assault
11/25/16 1:39 PM 4038 Locust St Assault
11/27/16 8:21 PM 4826 Walnut St Robbery/Arrest

Bulletins

Suspension of Normal Operations

Although Penn normally never stops operating, emergencies such as severe weather conditions may sometimes result in the cancellation of classes and/or the full or partial closure of certain areas of the University. Decisions affecting work schedules and class cancellation are made by the Executive Vice President in consultation with the Provost. The University will announce a closing or other modification of work schedules through the following means:

• the University’s emergency information number: (215) 898-6358 (215-898-MELT)

• communications from the Division of Public Safety

• KYW News Radio (1060 AM)

• the UPennAlert Emergency Notification System (for University-related incidents & crises)

The University’s emergency radio identification code numbers (KYW News Radio) are “102” for day classes and schools/centers and “2102” for evening classes. The message that accompanies the code number will provide the operating status of the University. Be sure to keep this information in a place you can easily access.

Even when Penn is officially closed due to an emergency, there are some essential services that must still be provided, such as Public Safety or Facilities. Staff members in essential positions are still required to work as normally scheduled under these circumstances.

For more information on suspension of normal operations, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/myhr/resources/policy/other/suspensionofnormaloperations

—Division of Human Resources

Snow Day Child Care Has You Covered

When winter weather arrives, Penn’s Snow Day Child Care program has you covered. The program offers backup child care for benefits-eligible faculty and staff on days when wintry conditions close the School District of Philadelphia but Penn remains open. You can take advantage of the program if your child attends another school district, but Snow Day space and pricing are available only when Philadelphia public schools are closed for inclement weather.

Offered in partnership with the Penn Children’s Center, Snow Day Child Care is available this year from December 5, 2016 to March 31, 2017. Children must be 12 weeks to 12 years old. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Pre-registration is required, so complete the required forms now and you will be ready when winter strikes. 

The University covers most of the cost of Snow Day Child Care. The reduced rate you pay is based on the child’s age and your salary. Visit the Snow Day Child Care webpage at www.hr.upenn.edu/myhr/worklife/family/snowday for more information.

For information about backup care for children and dependent adults, visit the Backup Care web page at www.hr.upenn.edu/myhr/worklife/family/backupcare

One Step Ahead: ‘Tis (Always) the Season…To Guard Against Viruses

Another tip in a series provided by the Offices of Information Systems & Computing and Audit, Compliance & Privacy.

While there have been many notable new tools introduced on campus to help safeguard your computing environment, there is still one evergreen tool you should always have: antivirus software. 

Here is a brief list of antivirus tips to help optimize your protection this year and every year:

• Make sure you have Penn’s recommended antivirus software installed on all the computers you use to handle Penn data. Your Local Support Provider (LSP) can help ensure antivirus software is properly installed and configured for your particular local environment. For more information, visit the Supported Products list at https://www.isc.upenn.edu/how-to/current-supported-computing-products

• Keep your virus definitions up-to-date. Antivirus software is only as good as its ability to identify and block specific threats, a list that grows with each passing day. It is recommended that you set your antivirus software to update its virus definitions on a daily basis.

• Beware of virus warnings from sources other than antivirus software that you installed on your device. The Internet is awash in fake virus warnings, many of which are the result of, or actually used to distribute, viruses and other malicious software. These are often seen as pop-up windows in web browsers, and can also take other forms. Question the legitimacy of any antivirus warning whose appearance is unfamiliar to you; contact your LSP if you have questions about unfamiliar alerts, or wish to confirm the health status of your computing setup.

• Bonus tip: Back up your data regularly and frequently. In the event that your computer is compromised by a virus or some other threat, having a recent (and preferably offsite) backup of your data will save your work, and permit you to resume your routine with as little disruption as possible. Check with your LSP to develop the proper backup plan for your needs.

Find your LSP at:https://www.isc.upenn.edu/get-it-help

 

________________________________

For additional tips, see the One Step Ahead link on the Information Security website: www.upenn.edu/computing/security/

Penn’s Way 2017 Grand Prize Winner

Division of Business Services: iPad Pro 12.9 Deluxe Package: including folding keyboard, extra AC adapter, $50 iTunes gift card & carrying case, total value: $1,000—Maureen McCauley, Penn Medicine

Almanac Schedule

The December 13 issue will be the last issue for this semester. After the upcoming Winter Break, Almanac will resume publishing weekly starting on January 10. Submissions for that issue are due no later than Tuesday, January 3, space permitting.

Breaking news will be posted in the Almanac Between Issues section of the Almanac website and sent out to Express Almanac subscribers. To subscribe, see www.upenn.edu/almanac/express.html

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