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Herbert Hovenkamp: 21st PIK University Professor

Herbert Hovenkamp

Herbert Hovenkamp

Herbert Hovenkamp has been named the University of Pennsylvania’s 21st Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor, effective July 2. The announcement was made on June 14 by Penn President Amy Gutmann and then-Provost Vincent Price.

A world-renowned scholar of antitrust law and policy, Dr. Hovenkamp is now the James G. Dinan University Professor, with joint faculty appointments in the Penn Law School and in the department of legal studies and business ethics at Penn’s Wharton School. 

“Herb Hovenkamp is an exceptionally influential scholar of international renown who brings wide-ranging expertise at the intersection of law and business to Penn,” said President Gutmann. “He is a prolific, highly-cited author whose work informs key decisions in antitrust law and policy. His unique command of complex issues at the global interaction of law, business, patents and innovation will bolster Penn’s acknowledged leadership in these areas, presenting wonderful new opportunities to foster collaboration and integrate knowledge across disciplines. Professor Hovenkamp epitomizes the uniquely collaborative and multidisciplinary skill sets of our PIK professors, and we are thrilled he is joining Penn’s eminent faculty.”

Called “the dean of American antitrust law” by The New York Times in 2011, Dr. Hovenkamp received the John Sherman Award from the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice in 2008, awarded a few times a decade for “outstanding achievement in antitrust law, contributing to the protection of American consumers and to the preservation of economic liberty.” He has been the Ben and Dorothy Willie Professor at the University of Iowa College of Law, where he has taught since 1986, and is coauthor of the landmark 21-volume Antitrust Law, which has been cited more than 50 times by the Supreme Court and more than 1,000 times by federal courts. 

A Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Hovenkamp has been a Fellow of the Rockefeller Foundation and the American Council of Learned Societies at Harvard Law School, Presidential Lecturer at the University of Iowa and the recipient of the University of Iowa Collegiate Teaching Award. Among more than 100 articles and a dozen books, his Enterprise and American Law, 1836-1937 (Harvard University Press, 1991) received the Littleton-Griswold Prize of the American Historical Association, and Science and Religion in America, 1800-1860 (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1978) received the Choice Award. He earned a JD, PhD in American civilization and MA in American literature from the University of Texas following a BA from Calvin College and taught from 1980 to 1985 at the University of California Hastings College of the Law.

“Herb Hovenkamp will be a tremendous catalyst for our eminence in antitrust and patent law,” Dr. Price said. “He is not only a globally acclaimed scholar but also a renowned teacher and mentor. I am confident that his expertise will have a major impact on our students in law, in business and across the University.” 

The Penn Integrates Knowledge program was launched by President Gutmann in 2005 as a University-wide initiative to recruit exceptional faculty members whose research and teaching exemplify the integration of knowledge across disciplines and who are appointed in at least two schools at Penn.

The James G. Dinan University Professorship is the gift of James G. Dinan, a 1981 graduate of Penn’s Wharton School. Mr. Dinan founded York Capital Management, a New York-based investment firm in September 1991 and is the chairman, the chief executive officer and a managing partner of the firm. He is a University trustee and a member of the Wharton Board of Overseers.

Paul Sniegowski: Dean of the College

Paul Sniegowski

Paul Sniegowski

Steven J. Fluharty, dean of the School of Arts & Sciences announced the appointment of Paul Sniegowski, professor of biology, as the Stephen A. Levin Family Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, effective July 1.

“A distinguished evolutionary biologist and award-winning teacher, Paul has demonstrated a deep commitment to excellence in liberal arts education and to student well-being that positions him well to lead our undergraduate programs,” said Dr. Fluharty.

Dr. Sniegowki’s research on population and evolutionary genetics has been widely published in top journals and supported by NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health. He is also dedicated to public outreach on the implications of evolution and how it is taught.

Any look at his involvement in undergraduate education begins with his own teaching, which is hailed by students and faculty alike for its rigor and clarity but also his personal attention to students, whether in large lecture courses, in small seminars, or as a research mentor. He was recognized in 2005 with the School’s highest teaching honor, the Ira H. Abrams Award, and has twice won the department of biology’s Excellence in Teaching Award.

Beyond the classroom, Dr. Sniegowki’s thoughtful engagement on undergraduate matters has long made him sought after for roles around academic and student policy. From 2012 to 2016 he chaired the School’s Committee on Undergraduate Education; he has also chaired the Faculty Senate Committee on Students and Educational Policy, served on the faculty advisory boards of the College of Liberal and Professional Studies and the Center for Teaching and Learning, and chaired the SAS Teaching Awards Committee. Since 2011 he has served as the disciplinary hearing officer for the University’s Office of Student Conduct and Office of the Sexual Violence Investigative Officer.

He has spent his entire faculty career, since 1997, at Penn. He is a member of the graduate groups in biology (which he chaired from 2005 to 2011), genomics and computational biology, and history and sociology of science. He received a bachelor’s degree. in violin performance from the Indiana University School of Music, an master’s degree in biology from Indiana University, and a PhD in evolutionary biology from the University of Chicago.

Dr. Sniegowki succeeds Dennis DeTurck, (Almanac January 11, 2005) who stepped down after 12 years as College Dean. Dr. Fluharty also expressed sincere appreciation to Andrew Binns, former vice provost for education, for his service as interim dean of the College this past semester.

Robert Vonderheide: Director of the Abramson Cancer Center

Robert Vonderheide

Robert Vonderheide

Robert Vonderheide, an internationally renowned cancer immunotherapy and translational research expert, has been named the new director of the Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) of the University of Pennsylvania. He is the Hanna Wise Professor in Cancer Research at the Perelman School of Medicine, and served as ACC’s associate director for Translational Research and executive director of its Translational Centers of Excellence program. He began his new role on July 1.

“Dr. Vonderheide’s career at Penn has been marked by continuous innovation in areas that were scarcely a possibility in the field when he arrived here in 2001,” said J. Larry Jameson dean of the Perelman School of Medicine and EVP of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System. “At each step, he has executed visionary ideas that have propelled translational research advances and made immunotherapy a crucial prong of the fight against cancer. He is uniquely qualified to lead the search for the next generation of treatments and cures.”

Dr. Vonderheide succeeds Chi Van Dang, who served as the ACC’s director since 2011 and became scientific director of the Ludwig Institute.

The ACC has continuously been designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) since 1973, one of 45 such Centers in the United States. It is among the nation’s most highly ranked cancer centers, providing care during more than 230,000 outpatient visits annually, as well as delivering more than 37,000 chemotherapy treatments, over 66,000 radiation treatments and 230 stem cell transplants each year. In 2015, the ACC was rated as “exceptional” during a competitive research funding review, the highest possible rating for an NCI Cancer Center.

The ACC is also home to more than 400 basic, translational and clinical scientists who work in tandem to advance new treatments and cures for cancers of all kinds. With more than 7,500 patients involved in clinical trials, the ACC is home to the largest clinical research enterprise in the Philadelphia region. During the past five years, the ACC has distinguished itself as the nation’s leader for the development of personalized cellular therapies for cancer, and launched several marquee research and clinical care programs. The Basser Center for BRCA, for instance, is the nation’s first center devoted to research on new treatment and prevention options for individuals who carry BRCA gene mutations that increase the risk of breast, ovarian and other cancers. Experts in the ACC’s Center for Personalized Diagnostics, a joint effort with the department of pathology & laboratory medicine, work to uncover the genetic underpinnings of each patient’s individual tumor through advanced genomic testing, and provide tailored treatment options. And the Center for Precision Surgery, launched in 2016, is pioneering new methods to ensure that rogue cancer cells are able to be detected and removed during surgeries.

“A hallmark of the Abramson Cancer Center is its emphasis on collaboration across disciplines in both research and clinical care—bringing the best of each specialty together to provide patients with the most creative, effective treatment options,” said Ralph Muller, CEO of UPHS. “Dr. Vonderheide has made an important imprint as a strong collaborative leader, both within Penn and through unique research partnerships with other leading cancer centers across the nation, and we are confident these skills will enable him to launch the ACC to even greater achievements.”

Through a focus on novel immunotherapies for pancreatic cancer, melanoma, breast and ovarian cancers, Dr. Vonderheide has mapped new models for speeding translational—or “bench to bedside” research. He has led studies that demonstrated the role of agonist CD40 antibodies as a potential immune therapy for cancer, paving the way to ongoing late-stage clinical trials. His work on innovative vaccine-based approaches for cancer treatment and prevention has been supported by the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute and the Basser Center for BRCA. He has also worked closely with collaborators in Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine on projects that have strengthened both human and canine health. Dr. Vonderheide has also served among leaders of an interdisciplinary team which defined a promising therapy employing both radiation and immunotherapy drugs that together mount a vaccine-like attack against cancer cells in patients with advanced melanoma. His research has appeared in Nature, Science, Cell, the New England Journal of Medicine and other leading medical journals.

At Penn, Dr. Vonderheide is also vice chair for research in the division of Hematology-Oncology, and he serves as co-director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Penn, which was founded in April 2016 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Sean Parker to foster greater collaboration between the country’s cancer centers with the goal of accelerating immunotherapy research (Almanac November 1, 2016). He is also co-leader of the Stand Up to Cancer—Lustgarten Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Convergence Dream Team.

Dr. Vonderheide received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame, and is a graduate of the Harvard Medical School, as well as Oxford University, where he earned a doctorate in immunology as a Rhodes Scholar. He completed residency training in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and a fellowship in medical oncology at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Maria A. Oquendo: Ruth Meltzer Professorship of Psychiatry and Chair of Department

Maria A. Oquendo

Maria Oquendo

Maria A. Oquendo has been appointed as the third chairholder of the Ruth Meltzer Professorship of Psychiatry and chair of the department of psychiatry.

Dr. Oquendo is a leader of global eminence with an expertise in the diagnosis, pharmacologic treatment and neurobiology of bipolar disorder and major depression, with special emphases on suicidal behavior and global mental health. In 2003, when issues regarding antidepressants’ potential risk for inducing suicidal behavior first arose, Dr. Oquendo and colleagues were commissioned by the FDA to develop a classification system to examine suicide-related events in the data. This system is endorsed by the FDA and CDC and now used worldwide.

Dr. Oquendo first proposed suicidal behavior should be its own diagnostic category in 2008, and succeeded in adding it to DSM-5’s appendix in 2013. Critically, this conceptualization addresses the fact that suicidal behavior occurs in conditions from schizophrenia to autism, not only as a depressive symptom.

As chair of the department, one of Dr. Oquendo’s several goals is to bolster basic neuroscience research capacity, while also looking to combine efforts with internal medicine, family medicine and Penn Medicine’s Clinical Care Associates to develop a sustainable model for contributing to the mental health of the Penn community and beyond.

Dr. Oquendo is president of the American Psychiatric Association, president of the International Academy of Suicide Research, and past president of the American Society of Hispanic Psychiatrists. She is also vice president of the Board of Directors of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and a member of the National Institute of Mental Health’s Advisory Council. She is a fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and the American College of Psychiatrists. She has authored or co-authored over 350 peer-reviewed articles.

Dr. Oquendo has received multiple awards for her work, most recently: honorary member of the Sociedad Colombiana de Psiquiatria Biologica, honorary member of the Sociedad Española de Psiquiatria Biologica, and the Virginia Kneeland Award for Distinguished Women in Medicine from Columbia University. Dr. Oquendo graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University, attended the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, and completed her residency training at the Payne Whitney Clinic of New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

The Ruth Meltzer (PAR’61, PAR’63) Professorship was established in 1992 to compliment the Leon Meltzer (W’23, L’26) Professorship of Law and foster the relationship between the department of psychiatry and the School of Law; the aim was to instruct both psychiatrists-in-training and law students in promoting the healthy growth and development of children.

Penn Dental Medicine 2017 Teaching Awards

The Basic Science Award

Eric Stoopler

Eric Stoopler

The Basic Science Award—presented for excellence in teaching within the basic sciences. This year’s recipient is Eric T. Stoopler, D’99, GD’02, associate professor of oral medicine and director of the Postdoctoral Oral Medicine Program. Dr. Stoopler earned both his DMD and certificate in oral medicine at Penn Dental Medicine and has been a member of the faculty since 2002. Dr. Stoopler was course director of Principles of Medicine and is currently course director of Biological Systems VI. He was previously recognized for his teaching with Penn’s Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2013 and the Martin S. Greenberg Teaching Award in Oral Medicine in 2016.

The Robert E. DeRevere Award

Joy Bockstein Abt

Joy Bockstein Abt

The Robert E. DeRevere Award—presented for excellence in preclinical teaching by a part-time faculty member. Robert DeRevere was a member of the Penn Dental Medicine Class of 1945 and served on the School’s faculty. This year’s recipient is Joy Bockstein Abt, D’94, clinical assistant professor of restorative dentistry and course director of fixed prosthodontics. From 2001 to 2004, Dr. Abt was assistant professor of restorative dentistry and director of operative dentistry. She returned to the faculty in 2007 as clinical assistant professor and was appointed course director of fixed prosthodontics in 2008. In addition to fixed prosthodontics, Dr. Abt also teaches in the first-year operative dentistry course, second-year complete removable dental prostheses and partial removable dental prostheses courses, and the third- and fourth-year restorative dentistry clinic. In 2012, Dr. Abt was the recipient of Penn Dental Medicine’s Award for Outstanding Service to Students. Dr. Abt also received the Robert E. DeRevere Award in 2013 and 2014.

The Joseph L. T. Appleton Award

Marianne Contino

Marianne Contino

The Joseph L. T. Appleton Award—presented to a part-time faculty/staff member for excellence in clinical teaching. This year’s recipient is Marianne Contino. Ms. Contino, a dental hygienist, has been instructing and lecturing students in the School’s predoctoral clinic since 2008, teaching dental hygiene techniques and preventive dental care. This is the second year in a row that she has received the Appleton Award. The Appleton Award is named in honor of Joseph Appleton, a 1914 alumnus of Penn Dental Medicine, who served as dean of the School from 1941 to 1951. The award was founded in 1979 by Dr. Abram Cohen, a member of the Class of 1923 and father of Dean Emeritus D. Walter Cohen, Class of 1950.

The Senior Outstanding Teaching Award

Art Kofman

Art Kofman

The Senior Outstanding Teaching Award–presented to a faculty/staff member who has gone beyond the scope of his/her responsibilities to significantly impact the class’s education at Penn Dental Medicine. This year’s Award was presented to Art Kofman, C.D.T. quality control coordinator and the Office of Laboratory Affairs supervisor for the clinical labs at the School. Mr. Kofman has been sharing his knowledge and expertise in dental lab work with students as a member of the School’s staff for the past 16 years. Among his responsibilities, he coordinates students’ lab work from the School to commercial laboratories and vice versa, guides dental students in lab-related technical issues and provides hands-on assistance as needed for minor adjustments to dental appliances at a chair-side setting.

The Earle Bank Hoyt Award

Brian Ford

Brian Ford

The Earle Bank Hoyt Award—presented for excellence in teaching to a faculty member who is a Penn Dental Medicine graduate. The award was established by a grateful patient in honor of Dr. Hoyt, a distinguished clinician and educator and member of the Class of 1918. This year’s recipient is Brian Ford, D’09, M’12, GD’15, instructor in the department of oral & maxillofacial surgery/pharmacology. Dr. Ford completed his DMD and oral surgery training at Penn Dental Medicine, joining the School’s faculty in 2016. Dr. Ford teaches students in the hospital setting as well as in the oral surgery clinic and he is a lecturer in the second year curriculum.

Two Penn Arts & Sciences Faculty: Endowed Chairs

Dean Steven J. Fluharty announced that two new faculty members joined Penn Arts & Sciences in January as endowed chairs. Sophia Rosenfeld has been named the Walter H. Annenberg Professor of History, and Kathleen D. Morrison the Sally and Alvin V. Shoemaker Professor of Anthropology and curator of South Asia in the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Penn Museum).

Sophia Rosenfeld

Sophia Rosenfeld

A highly distinguished scholar of Enlightenment France and the Age of Revolutions, Dr. Rosenfeld was previously a professor of history at Yale University. She has published two widely-acclaimed books, Common Sense: A Political History (2011) and A Revolution in Language: The Problem of Signs in Late Eighteenth Century France (2001), and currently serves as co-editor of the journal Modern Intellectual History. Dr. Rosenfeld has held numerous prestigious fellowships, including the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, membership in the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton, the Mellon Foundation New Directions Fellowship and the American Council of Learned Societies Frederick Burkhardt Fellowship.

The late Ambassador Walter H. Annenberg received Penn’s Alumni Award of Merit in 1991. He and the late Honorable Leonore Annenberg were both emeritus trustees of the University. The Annenbergs endowed many chairs in Penn Arts & Sciences and made countless generous contributions to the University. They also founded the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania in 1958.

Kathleen Morrison

Kathleen Morrison

Dr. Morrison was previously the Neukom Family Professor in Anthropology in the College at the University of Chicago. At Chicago, Dr. Morrison led the Paleoecology Laboratory, which focused on the analysis of human-environment interactions across the later Holocene, and also served as director of the Center for International Studies, the South Asia Language and Area Center, and the Anthropology Department.

One of the world’s premiere archaeologists, Dr. Morrison’s research is focused on governing regimes, agricultural development, and their environmental impacts in the Deccan Plateau of South India. Her books include Daroji Valley: Landscape History, Place, and the Making of a Dryland Reservoir System (2009), The Vijayanagara Metropolitan Survey (2007) and Fields of Victory: Vijayanagara and the Course of Intensification (1995).

The Shoemakers established this professorship in 1989 in recognition of their strong commitment to the liberal arts at Penn and Sally Shoemaker’s service to the Penn Museum. Al Shoemaker, W’60, HON’95, has served Penn as a member and chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees. In 1994, he received Penn’s Alumni Award of Merit.

Kelly Jordan-Sciutto: PSOM Associate Dean for Grad Ed and BGS Director

Kelly Jordan-Sciutto

Kelly Jordan-Sciutto

Kelly Jordan-Sciutto has been appointed as associate dean for Graduate Education and director of Biomedical Graduate Studies (BGS). Dr. Jordan-Sciutto, chair and professor of pathology at the School of Dental Medicine, joined the department of pathology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in 2001, and was promoted to full professor in 2013. 

Dr. Jordan-Sciutto received her BS cum laude from Villanova University, her PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology from the Thomas Jefferson University and performed postdoctoral work at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Jordan-Sciutto has played an exceptionally active and dedicated role in graduate education in biomedical sciences at Penn. She has membership in four of the seven graduate groups within BGS, and she has served on committees supporting the mission of three of these graduate groups, including academic review, curriculum review, executive committee, outreach, recruiting and admissions. She has also had the opportunity to serve on two BGS graduate group review committees, the BGS Admissions Committee and the Individualized Development Plan Development Committee. Throughout these experiences, Dr. Jordan-Sciutto has gained and contributed valuable insights into a wide range of issues important to graduate education and to the administration of BGS.

In addition to her commitments to BGS and as department chair, Dr. Jordan-Sciutto has extensive involvement at the PSOM. She is a member of the Center for AIDS Research and the Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences and a fellow in the Institute of Aging. She has served as the co-director of the Penn Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program, has chaired two University Faculty Senate committees (Senate Committee for Faculty Development, Diversity and Equity and Senate Committee for Students and Educational Policy), and served as the Secretary for the Senate Executive Committee for the University. To further complement her administrative talents, she has also participated in two leadership-building programs, the Penn Fellows Program and the Harvard Institutes for Higher Education Management Development Program. 

In addition to these roles, Dr. Jordan-Sciutto is a prolific scientist. Her research laboratory investigates molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration associated with neuroinflammation during HIV infection. Currently, the lab is focusing research efforts on the role of cell cycle proteins, the endogenous antioxidant response and unfolded protein response in HIV associated neurocognitive dysfunction (HAND). Her work has led to a greater understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying neuronal damage and dysfunction in HAND with implications for identifying drugable targets for treatment of this and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Epstein, the William Wikoff Smith Professor of Cardiovascular Research, extended gratitude to Michael P. Nusbaum, for his nearly four years of extraordinary service as associate dean and BGS director. Through Dr. Nusbaum’s leadership, and now continuing under Dr. Jordan-Sciutto’s guidance, BGS will continue to serve as a national model for interdisciplinary education in the biomedical sciences, nationally recognized for its commitment to developing and supporting a diverse student body through its various outreach programs at the undergraduate and post-baccalaureate levels, extensive recruitment efforts and peer-mentoring programs for underrepresented trainees.

Launching Penn’s Human Capital Management Transformation Initiative

In early June, the Human Capital Management (HCM) Transformation Initiative was launched University-wide. Much more than a technology project, HCM is a full-scale re-visioning of how Penn manages critical resources that support Schools and Centers, from hiring and recruitment to benefits administration to time reporting and payroll.

Over the next two years, this innovative endeavor will streamline human resources—and payroll-related processes, modernize our systems and position the University for the future. Executive sponsors of the initiative are Jack Heuer, vice president for human resources; MaryFrances McCourt, vice president for finance and treasurer; Trevor Lewis, vice president for budget & management analysis; and Tom Murphy, vice president for information systems and computing and chief information officer.

Implementation of the HCM Transformation Initiative is led by the HCM Program Office, which includes program manager Manny Ramirez, functional managers Chris Blickley and Julie Shuttleworth, and technical manager Julie Meyer. A Steering Committee composed of representatives from across the University will help guide the initiative and ensure ongoing collaboration with Schools and Centers. After a rigorous evaluation process, Penn has selected Workday as the HCM software provider and Deloitte as the systems integration partner. Interra Consulting will continue to provide Program Management Office, process, and change management assistance.

Planning for HCM began in 2015, and more than 300 individuals from across the University have contributed valuable input and feedback. This collaborative effort included mapping processes, assessing current systems, reviewing a model for service delivery and evaluating the proposed technology solutions. Involving Schools and Centers is key to the initiative, and the team will continue to deepen engagement across the University to ensure success.

When complete, HCM’s streamlined processes and agile cloud technology will help us keep pace with the complex needs of a world-class educational and research institution. They will also help us better support faculty and staff, who bring to life the University’s commitment to inclusion, innovation and impact.
A town hall on the HCM Transformation Initiative was held on June 27. The town hall presentation and more information about HCM is online.

—Jack Heuer, Vice President for Human Resources
—MaryFrances McCourt, Vice President for Finance and Treasurer
—Trevor Lewis, Vice President for Budget & Management Analysis
—Tom Murphy, Vice President for Information Systems and Computing, University Chief Information Officer

Proposals for Research Grants on Improving the Criminal Justice System

The Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration is a research center at Penn Law focused on preventing errors in the US criminal justice system. With affiliated faculty from across the University, the Center takes an interdisciplinary, data-driven, “systems approach” to understanding the most crucial problems in the criminal justice system and proposing solutions. The Quattrone Center is now accepting proposals to fund faculty research projects that would contribute to the Center’s mission to prevent errors and otherwise improve the US criminal justice system. Funding through the program can be used to support faculty time, research assistants or other support staff, data acquisition costs and other research-related costs. A short (three-page) written proposal and budget are required; proposals will go through an internal peer review process and the Center will begin reviewing and funding proposals in July. Links to more information about the grant program and how to apply can be found at Quattrone Center Grants for Penn Faculty.

The program is open to Penn faculty. For inquiries regarding this program, please contact the academic director of the Quattrone Center, Paul Heaton at pheaton@law.upenn.edu

Penn Association of Senior and Emeritus Faculty (PASEF) 2016–2017 Annual Report

Overview

PASEF’s members are senior (age 55 and over) and retired standing faculty at Penn. Its mission is to organize programs and activities for its members and encourage them to continue to remain active in the intellectual and social life of the University, and to provide service to the University and the community. A major function of PASEF is to assist senior faculty in their transition to retirement by providing retirement planning seminars and information. PASEF was founded in 2004, and its current membership numbers approximately 900 senior faculty and 600 retired faculty. The Association of Senior and Emeritus Faculty (ASEF–PSOM) is an analogous organization for faculty at the Perelman School of Medicine. The two organizations regularly cooperate in planning joint programs and activities. PASEF is a member organization of the Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education (AROHE).

Administration

Governance and administration. PASEF operates under a set of bylaws and is governed by a Council which meets monthly during the academic year. The President, President-Elect and Past President form the Steering Committee. Council members for 2016-2017 are listed in Appendix A. PASEF receives an annual budget from the Provost and reports to Vice Provost for Faculty Anita Allen, who has been especially supportive. During the past year excellent assistance has been provided by members of the Provost’s staff, including Gearline Robinson-Hall, Julie Shuttleworth, and Kathy Swartz.

Facilities. PASEF has an office in Duhring Wing, next to the office of the Faculty Senate. Staff support is provided by a half-time employee, the PASEF coordinator, Sarah Barr. Through the efforts of Vice Provost Allen, PASEF has acquired a room adjacent to its current office. Both the current office and the new space can accommodate meetings of small groups. PASEF’s website is www.upenn.edu/emeritus

Retirement

PASEF and ASEF–PSOM provide resources and give presentations to aid senior faculty in planning the transition to retirement. During the past year four informational events were given, and a reception to recognize newly emeritus faculty was held.

Reception for newly emeritus faculty. Recently between 50 and 60 standing faculty have taken emeritus status each year, and PASEF and ASEF–PSOM co-sponsor a reception in the fall to honor the retirees. This past year’s event was held at the Sweeten Center with Vice Provost Allen as the featured speaker. Tributes for each of the retirees were read. Retirees and their guests attended.

Road to Retirement programs and Hitchhikers Guide. Each spring, PASEF presents two Road to Retirement information programs and, with ASEF–PSOM, partners with Human Resources for a third presentation. In March, senior and retired faculty spoke about their retirement decisions and experiences in emeritus status. In April, Hilary Lopez and Vicki Mulhern, University staff experts on retirement, discussed retirement options and the details of retiree benefits. Representatives from Social Security and Medicare spoke in May at the event organized by Human Resources. A fourth event in March was sponsored by ASEF–PSOM, a presentation by a representative from Vanguard.

In January, PASEF published the tenth edition of its Hitchhiker’s Guide to Faculty Retirement under the editorship of Martin Pring. Sections on financial planning for retirement, transition to emeritus status, and retiree relations with the University are included, and the publication is available on the PASEF and ASEF–PSOM websites.

Activities and Events

Monthly lectures. PASEF sponsors lectures throughout the academic year. These are open to all members of the University community and span a wide range of topics which are of general interest. PASEF’s Program Committee was chaired by Jerry Porter. The Committee arranged eight monthly lectures and a featured lecture each semester. The Fall Lecture, given each year in October in conjunction with the 25-Year Club Dinner, was presented by University Architect David Hollenberg, and the Spring Lecture speaker was David Rudovsky, Senior Fellow at Penn Law. In addition, the Library Committee headed by Vivian Seltzer arranged four lectures on a variety of topics. All of these lectures are listed with their titles in Appendix B on the Almanac and PASEF sites. Links to video recordings of some of the lectures are on the PASEF website.

Spring outing. Each year PASEF schedules a spring outing to a location of cultural or historical interest in the Philadelphia area. This year’s event was a tour of Mural Arts installations in West Philadelphia and Fairmount, reprising a well-received event in 2014. In the interim, since the previous such tour, many new murals were added. After the tour, the group gathered at Belmont Mansion for lunch. This event was jointly sponsored with ASEF–PSOM.

Membership initiatives. The Membership Committee, chaired by Anita Summers, hosted three focus group meetings to seek feedback and suggestions from members. The Committee presented several recommendations which were approved by the Council. These include organization of special events such as attendance at concerts, a special table at the University Club where members can meet for lunch and conversation on a regular schedule, a second annual cultural outing in the fall, and additional planning for retirement presentations. The Committee also recommended a survey be conducted to assess the contributions of retirees to the University and the community. The Committee is constructing the survey questionnaire, and a fall distribution is planned.

Speakers Bureau. With encouragement and funding from Vice Provost Allen, PASEF launched its Speakers Bureau in the spring of 2016. This work was spearheaded by Jack Nagel as chair of the Speakers Bureau Committee. The Bureau enables community groups, including retirement communities, civic and religious organizations, and high schools, to identify and invite PASEF members to speak to audiences in the Philadelphia area. The current roster of speakers numbers 25 and includes both senior and retired Penn faculty from Schools across the University. Information about the Bureau and the speakers and their topics is on the PASEF website.

Library Committee. The Committee, chaired by Vivian Seltzer, presented four lectures during the spring (see Appendix B). In addition, several small-group technology workshops were offered by a Library staff member. These covered the use of computer and internet tools, and software.

Faculty Senate

For the last ten years, PASEF has sent a non-voting representative to the Senate Executive Committee (SEC). After discussions last year, the Senate leadership granted PASEF non-voting membership on four Senate Committees, starting in 2016–2017. The committees are the Senate Committee on Faculty and the Administration; the Senate Committee on Faculty and the Academic Mission; the Senate Committee on Students and Educational Policy; and the Senate Committee on Faculty Development, Diversity, and Equity.

PASEF Annual Election

Joan Goodman chaired this past year’s Nominating Committee. The Committee’s proposed slate was approved by email voting. Lois Evans was named President-Elect, Howard Hurtig Secretary, and Martin Pring the SEC Representative. New at-large Council members who will serve three-year terms are Janet Deatrick, Walter Licht and Ann Mayer. Marc Dichter and Murray Gerstenhaber will fill vacancies as at-large members for one-year terms.

—Paul Shaman, President (2016–2017)

Appendix A: PASEF Council Members, 2016-2017

Roger M.A. Allen, Professor Emeritus, Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations (SAS); President–Elect

David Balamuth, Professor Emeritus, Pysics & Astronomy (SAS); Representative to the University Council Committee on Personnel Benefits

Lois Evans, Professor Emerita, Family & Community Health (Nursing); Secretary

Joan F. Goodman, Professor Emerita, Literacy, Culture & International Education (GSE); Chair, Nominating Committee

Howard I. Hurtig, Professor Emeritus, Neurology (PSOM)

John C. Keene, Professor Emeritus, City & Regional Planning (Design); Representative to the Faculty Senate Committee on Faculty Development, Diversity, and Equity

Lynn Hollen Lees, Professor Emerita, History (SAS)

Roberto S. Mariano, Professor Emeritus, Economics (SAS)

E. Ann Matter, Professor Emerita, Religious Studies (SAS)

Marshall W. Meyer, Professor Emeritus, Management (Wharton); Representative to the Faculty Senate Committee on Faculty and the Administration

Jack H. Nagel, Professor Emeritus, Political Science (SAS); Chair, Speakers Bureau Committee

Gerald J. Porter, Professor Emeritus, Mathematics (SAS); Chair, Program Committee

Martin Pring, Professor Emeritus, Physiology (PSOM); Representative to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee

Gino C. Segrè, Professor Emeritus, Physics & Astronomy (SAS); Representative to the Faculty Senate Committee on Faculty and the Academic Mission

Vivian C. Seltzer, Professor Emerita, Human Development & Behavior (SPP); Chair, Library Committee

Paul Shaman, Professor Emeritus, Statistics (Wharton); President

Anita A. Summers, Professor Emerita, Business Economics & Public Policy (Wharton); Past President; Chair, Membership Committee; Representative to Faculty Senate Committee on Students and Educational Policy

Past Presidents: Rob Roy MacGregor, Benjamin S. P. Shen, Neville E. Strumpf, Ross A. Webber

Appendix B: PASEF Lectures, 2016-2017

Andrew Feiler, Without Regard to Sex, Race or Color: The Past, Present and Future of One Historically Black College

David Hollenberg, Penn Transformed: The Last Ten Years, and What’s to Come (Fall Lecture)

Jerome Singerman, Scholarly Publishing at the Crossroads (Library Committee Lecture)

Yvonne Paterson, Using the Immune System to Fight Cancer

Kermit Roosevelt III, Allegiance

William Noel, Lost and Found: The Archimedes Palimpsest (Library Committee Lecture)

Gino Segrè and Bettina Hoerlin, The Pope of Physics: Enrico Fermi and the Birth of the Atomic Age

Beth Simmons, Human Rights and International Law

Jack Nagel, A Remedy for the Electoral College

Daniel Lee, Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems

Yvonne Paterson, Faculty or Entrepreneur? (Library Committee Lecture)

Bob and Molly Freedman, Jewish Sound Archive (Library Committee Lecture)

David Rudovsky, Criminal Justice Reform and Civil Rights (Spring Lecture)

Amy Gadsden and Rodolfo Altamirano, Immigration Trends and Policy at Penn

Deaths

Elias Burstein, Physics

Elias Burstein

Elias Burstein

Elias (Eli) Burstein, professor of physics emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania, died on June 17. He was 99, only three months shy of a century.

Professor of physics and astronomy at Penn since 1958, he enjoyed a prolific career that spanned seven decades. He did it all. He worked on fundamental studies of infrared photoconductivity in silicon and germanium, and he carried out groundbreaking research on semiconductors, insulators, metals and two-dimensional electron plasmas in semiconductors. Much of this work improved the understanding of optical properties in the solid state. In his later years at Penn, he was known for his work on SERS, Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering; these SERS ideas continue to influence researchers in present-day metamaterials. Finally, near the end of his career, he was deeply engaged in understanding optical properties of fullerenes (buckyballs) and other carbon structures. In 1983, he was named the Mary Amanda Wood Professor of Physics (Almanac March 29, 1983). He trained well over 40 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, many of whom have had very distinguished careers of their own. Mark Trodden, current chair of the department, commented, “Eli was one of the most distinguished faculty in our department’s history, and his impact can be seen in much of what we do today.”

In addition to physics research, Dr. Burstein, along with Bob Hughes, chemistry, Bob Madden, metallurgy, and Norm Hixson, associate dean of engineering, founded the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter (LRSM) in 1960, as an academically unique, interdisciplinary materials research laboratory. They obtained the first LRSM grants from the Department of Defense, and starting in 1972, the materials center garnered funding support continuously from the National Science Foundation. Arjun Yodh, the current LRSM director noted, “Eli was engaged with the LRSM for almost 60 years, and recently, we have enjoyed his company almost every year at our annual ‘Burstein Lecture,’ named in his honor.”

Dr. Burstein received his bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College in 1938 and his master’s degree from the University of Kansas in 1941. He took graduate courses in chemistry and physics at MIT and in physics at Catholic University, before joining the US Naval Research Laboratory’s Crystal Branch in the Physics Section. He became head of that branch and also headed the Semiconductors Branch. His doctoral studies were interrupted by WWII, although he subsequently obtained four honorary doctorates.

Dr. Burstein was called a “pioneering physicist” by The New York Times and recognized as one of the first scientists to do research on semiconductors and insulators. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1979, was named a John Simon Guggenheim Fellow in 1980 and was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2002.

He is survived by his wife, Rena; daughters, Joanna Mitro (Gary), Sara Donna and Mimi (Glenn Frantz); and grandchildren, Graham and Susanna Mitro.

Mary Catherine Glick, Pediatrics

Mary Catherine Glick,

Mary Catherine Glick

Mary Catherine (Susy) Glick, Gr’58, professor emerita of pediatric research at the University of Pennsylvania, died on March 6. She was 91.

While pursuing her PhD in microbiology at Penn, Dr. Glick was a research fellow. After earning her PhD in 1958, Dr. Glick was hired as a Woodward Fellow at Penn’s William Pepper Laboratory of Clinical Medicine. She was also a research associate in biochemistry-anatomy. In 1965, she became assistant professor of experimental therapeutic research and in 1972, was named associate professor of pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecology. She became professor of therapeutic research in 1965.

She served as secretary of the Faculty Senate in 1989-1990 (Almanac March 21, 1989).

In 1996, she retired and became professor emerita of pediatric research.

Dr. Glick pioneered the field of terminal glycosylation of membrane glycoconjugates and their role in disease, specifically neuroblastoma and cystic fibrosis. She was the 2009 recipient of the Rosalind Kornfeld Award for Lifetime Achievement in Glycobiology, which honors scientists with a distinguished scientific career that has made significant contributions to the field.

She helped to establish the incorporation of the Society for Complex Carbohydrates, was president of the Society for Glycobiology in 1982 and was president of the International Glycoconjugate Organization in 1995. She served as associate editor for Glycoconjugate Journal, Cancer Research and Glycosylation & Disease.

Richard Magee, ISC

Richard Carl (Rick) Magee, senior application developer for Information Systems & Computing (ISC) at Penn, died on June 17 at the age of 65.

Mr. Magee graduated from Villanova University. He joined Penn ISC in 2007 to work on mainframe systems on the Student Team. He was known as a Java expert with a variety of programming skills who tackled many different assignments.

Music played an important part in his life, and he was a member of two bands, the Marltones and the Elmwood Bend Band.

He is survived by his wife, Linda; four children, Christopher, Phillip, Jonathan and Stephanie; a grandchild, Ceiran; and two sisters, Frances Kryzan and Mary Ann Wauters (Ronald).

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the American Cancer Society, 1851 Old Cuthbert Rd., Cherry Hill, NJ 08034.

Jack McCloskey, Basketball

Jack McCloskey, a former Penn basketball player and coach who later managed the Detroit Pistons, died on June 1. He was 91.

While Mr. McCloskey was a Penn student and an intercollegiate athlete for the Quakers, he was an honorable mention All-American in football and a varsity letterwinner in football, basketball and baseball during the 1943-1944 season. He was commissioned to the US Navy in 1944. After his discharge he signed a contract to play baseball with Philadelphia Athletics, which made him ineligible for varsity sports at Penn.

After graduating from Penn in 1948 with a degree in education, Mr. McCloskey played basketball with the Philadelphia Warriors and with the Eastern Basketball Association, which awarded him MVP honors in 1953 and 1954.

He was Penn’s head basketball coach from 1946-1966. He brought the team to seven straight winning seasons, including Penn’s first Ivy League Championship season in 1965-1966. He left Penn with an overall record of 146-105. He stands fourth all-time for wins in a career at Penn.

He is survived by his wife, Leslie; his sons, Michael, Steve, Roman and John; his daughters, Robin and Molly; a stepson, Ryan Gray; a stepdaughter, Lisa Haugen; 14 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Lesley Pitts, Human Resources

Lesley Winifred Pitts, a longtime Penn employee in human resources, died on June 16. She was 91.

Ms. Pitts was born and raised in New Zealand, and met her husband, George, while he was stationed there during World War II. The couple married and moved to Philadelphia after the war.

She worked as a Penn Benefits Specialist from 1966 until her retirement in 1990.

She is survived by three sons, Terrance, Paul (Carol) and Bruce (Lynda); four grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Amy Reed, HUP Anesthesia

Amy Reed, anesthesiologist and patient safety advocate at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, died of uterine cancer on May 24 at age 44. Dr. Reed and her husband, Hooman Noorchashm, campaigned to outlaw the use of the electric morcellator as a gynecological surgical device after the use of this device in a hysterectomy caused Dr. Reed’s cancer to spread.

Dr. Reed graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Penn State University in 1995. She earned an MD and a PhD in immunology from Penn’s School of Medicine and worked at Penn as a TA in CGS (now LPS). She was a postdoctoral researcher in the department of surgical research at the Perelman School of Medicine in 2001 and a postdoctoral fellow in the department of anesthesia in 2005. She completed her medical residency at Penn in 2011. Then, she spent the next two years working at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, where she worked in surgery and intensive care unit. She returned to Penn in 2014 where she became a clinical associate in anesthesia.

She is survived by her husband; two daughters, Nadia and Ava; four sons, Joseph, Joshua, Luke and Ryan; her mother, JoAnn Tunis Trainer; her father, William Reed; three brothers, Matthew Reed, Justin Reed and Daniel Trainer, and four sisters, Alison Perate, Andrea Kealy, Amber Trainer and Sarah Trainer.

Robert Sauer, Veterinary Medicine

Robert M. Sauer, V’52, a former faculty member at Penn Vet, died on October 23, 2016. He was 88.

Dr. Sauer joined Penn at the School of Veterinary Medicine and became an associate professor of pathology. He also headed Penn Vet’s pathology laboratory. From 1968-1974 he worked at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoo and taught at George Washington University School of Medicine. He was chief of veterinary sciences at the Gillette Medical Evaluation Laboratories and a senior pathologist and vice president at Pathco.

He is survived by his wife, Dawn G. Goodman, V’69; two sons and two daughters; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren

Bayard Storey, Obstetrics/Gynecology

Bayard Storey

Bayard Storey

Bayard T. Storey, emeritus professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Pennsylvania, died on June 4. He was 85.

Dr. Storey was a renowned researcher whose work provided a foundation for the analysis of specific forms of male infertility, the development of techniques for the evaluation of sperm function and the generation of new approaches to conception. He also was an expert on sperm glycolysis and mitochondrial function.

Dr. Storey was a founding member of the American Society of Andrology and in 2000, he received the Distinguished Andrologist Award for his contributions to the field of male reproductive health and science. He was a member of the Reproductive Biology Study Section of the Center for Scientific Review of the NIH and served as chair of the Gordon Research Conference on Fertilization and Activation of Development.

Dr. Storey earned his bachelor’s degree from Harvard in 1952, his master’s degree from MIT in 1955 and his PhD from Harvard in 1958.

He worked at Rohm and Haas before joining Penn in 1965 on a special fellowship from the National Institute of General Medical Studies. He was appointed assistant professor of physical biochemistry in the department of biophysics and biochemistry in the School of Medicine in 1967 and became associate research professor of obstetrics and gynecology, physiology and physical biochemistry in 1973. In 1984, he became professor of reproductive biology and physiology in obstetrics and gynecology and physiology.

In 1996, he became emeritus professor of obstetrics and gynecology (Almanac May 7, 1996).

He was married to Frances Elliot Storey for 56 years, until her death in 2014.

A memorial service for Dr. Storey is planned for the fall, with details to be published in Almanac. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Penn Museum, Penn Wissahickon Hospice or Planned Parenthood.

Governance

Trustees' Stated Meeting Coverage

At the Annual Stated Meeting of the University Trustees on June 16, Chair David L. Cohen addressed climate change in the wake of the recent decision by the President of the United States to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. Mr. Cohen said that in early June, Penn President Amy Gutmann, along with 11 other Ivy-Plus presidents, signed a “strong statement” reaffirming the one from 2015—the American Campuses Act on Climate Pledge —which had been signed by 318 institutions. It stated their “commitment to accelerate the global transition to low-carbon energy while enhancing sustainable and resilient practices on our campuses.” He also noted that the Trustees do not see any reason to change their stance from last September in regards to the proposal from Fossil Free Penn (Almanac September 27, 2016).

The Trustees passed Memorial Resolutions for Joseph F. Rascoff (Almanac April 18, 2017) and William J. Zellerbach (Almanac April 4, 2017).

Mr. Cohen was reelected chair and Robert M. Levy was reelected vice chair, both for another year. The executive committee and the investment board were elected. David S. Blitzer was elected a Term Trustee, Julie Brier Seaman was reelected a Term Trustee and Perry Golkin was elected a Charter Trustee. A resolution of appreciation was passed for Krishna P. Singh and he was designated an Emeritus Trustee.

President Gutmann presented three resolutions of appreciation which all passed with applause. One was for Bonnie Gibson who retired as Penn’s Vice President for Budget and Management Analysis, a position she held for 13 of her 30 years at Penn. Another was for Susan Phillips who retired as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for Penn Medicine.

The third was for Vincent Price, Penn’s longest serving Provost and a collaborative leader who has strengthened Penn’s global engagement, enhanced arts and culture at Penn, developed new forms of learning, and diversified the faculty. In recognition of his extraordinary leadership, he received a standing ovation and was designated Provost Emeritus of Penn, as he leaves to become Duke’s 10th President.

Trevor C. Lewis was appointed as Vice President for Budget and Management Analysis (Almanac May 30, 2017); Joann Mitchell was appointed as Senior Vice President for Institutional Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer (Almanac March 28, 2017) and Wendell Pritchett was appointed as Provost (Almanac May 2, 2017).

President Gutmann noted that four Penn faculty members were recently elected members of the National Academy of Sciences (Almanac May 30, 2017) setting a new record for Penn. During Alumni Weekend, more than 13,000 alumni returned, setting an attendance record, as did the fifth reunion class with more than 1,100.

EVP Craig Carnaroli gave the financial report which featured forecasted results for the periods ending June 30, 2017 and June 30, 2018. The total net assets for the Consolidated University are forecasted to increase by $1.2 billion to $15.7 billion due to strong investment performance, and an increase in net assets from operations of $242 million is projected for FY2017. In FY2018 total net assets for the Consolidated University are budgeted to increase by $598 million primarily due to projected endowment returns. An increase in net assets from operations of $130 million is budgeted for FY2018.

PSOM Dean and EVP for the Health System Larry Jameson reported that it was a banner year for PSOM which graduated 176 new physicians in the 250th class. PSOM has a new patient pavilion under construction (Almanac May 9, 2017) and a strategic plan for the upcoming five years.

Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Eric Furda reported that there was a record applicant pool of 40,413 candidates for the Class of 2021 and the Class represents all 50 states as well as DC and PR and 69 other countries. One in eight is a first generation student. All 13 KIPP students who entered Penn four years ago graduated in May thanks to the support of GIC.

The Trustees authorized the spending rule for endowments as well as the FY2018 Operating Budget and Capital Plan for the University and for the Health System. They also authorized up to $500 million for further development and construction of the Pavilion at HUP and $175 million for further development and construction at the Chester County Hospital expansion; the transaction related to Virtua Health and joint ventures with regard to radiation oncology; a new lease for Wharton, External Affairs at FMC Tower, fifth floor.

The Trustees also approved numerous appointments to Penn Medicine, overseers and other boards.

Policies

OF RECORD: FY2018 Postdoc Stipends

The Office of the Vice Provost for Research, in consultation with the Provost Council on Research, is responsible for setting minimum stipend levels for postdoctoral trainees across the University. In recent years, the University has adopted the National Research Service Awards (NRSA) stipend scale.

In keeping with this practice, effective last December the University revised its postdoc stipend levels to meet the NRSA guidelines. See https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-16-131.html

Please note that these stipend levels represent minimums. Schools and departments may establish their own guidelines as long as stipend rates meet or exceed those established by the University. Penn investigators are also expected to comply with any postdoctoral stipend guidelines promulgated by their sponsors, if these sponsor-specified guidelines exceed the Penn minimum stipend levels.

Stipends should be adjusted upwards at the time of the annual postdoctoral reappointment, at the time of the annual grant renewal or at the beginning of the NIH fiscal year.

—Dawn Bonnell, Vice Provost for Research

FY2018 Minimum Stipend Levels

Years of Experience Stipend
0 $47,484
1 $47,844
2 $48,216
3 $50,316
4 $52,140

Events

Update: Summer AT PENN

Exhibits

Now Moundbuilders: Ancient Architects of North America; explore the story of Native American moundbuilding; Penn Museum; For info and tickets visit www.penn.museum

     Feature Creep; Maximillian Lawrence with collaborators; artists explore the process of recognizing significant forms in unfamiliar stimuli; Esther Klein Gallery; Through July 22.

 


AT PENN Deadlines

The Summer AT PENN calendar is now online at www.upenn.edu/almanac. The deadline for the September AT PENN is August 15.

Almanac will resume weekly publication on August 29. That issue’s deadline is August 22.

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 forfor June 26, 2017-July 2, 2017. View 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 June 26, 2017-July 2, 2017. 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.

06/27/17 11:14 AM 256 S 37th St Unsecured items taken from desk drawer
06/27/17 11:14 AM 256 S 37th St Unsecured glasses taken from desk
06/27/17 11:35 AM 3340 Smith Walk Unsecured laptop taken
06/27/17 3:39 PM 3925 Walnut St Merchandise taken without payment/Arrest
06/27/17 6:58 PM 3400 Market St Vehicle taken from highway
06/29/17 4:00 PM 4001 Walnut St Merchandise taken without payment/Arrest.
07/01/17 3:16 AM 3411 Chestnut St Complainant harassed by male
07/01/17 7:30 AM 3800 Chestnut St 2 rings taken
07/02/17 11:14 AM 3549 Chestnut St Glass door broken

18th District Report

5 incidents with 2 arrests (1 aggravated assault, 1 assault, 3 robberies) were reported between June 26, 2017-July 2, 2017 by the 18th District covering the Schuylkill River to 49th Street & Market Street to Woodland Avenue.

06/26/17 5:41 PM S 33rd St Aggravated Assault/Arrest
06/27/17 1:28 PM 4328 Market St Robbery
06/28/17 1:23 PM 45th and Locust St Robbery/Arrest
06/28/17 3:14 PM 3180 Chestnut St Assault
07/01/17 7:06 AM 3800 Chestnut St Robbery

Bulletins

Penn Children’s Center: FY2018 Rates

The Penn Children’s Center, located on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus, offers child care for children ages three months to five years. Accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the Children’s Center is open to all members of the University and surrounding communities with preference given to faculty, staff and students of the University.

The Children’s Center accepts applications year-round and enrollment is subject to availability. Assisted rates are available to University faculty and staff who meet eligibility requirements, subject to space availability and funding. Part-time slots and sibling discounts are also available. Below is the FY2018 tuition rate schedule.

Penn Children’s Center Penn Regular Assisted A Assisted B
FY18 Rate Schedule (per week)        
Infants        
5 Days $449 $517 $270 $337
4 Days $402 $462 $241 $301
3 Days $337 $388 $202 $253
2 Days $236 $272 $142 $177
Toddlers        
5 Days $418 $481 $251 $314
4 Days $367 $422 $220 $275
3 Days $305 $351 $183 $229
2 Days $212 $244 $127 $159
Preschool        
5 Days $331 $388 $199 $248
4 Days $289 $339 $174 $217
3 Days $252 $295 $151 $189
2 Days $182 $213 $109 $137
Drop In        
Infants $100      
Toddlers $100      
Preschool   $80      

Weekly tuition fees are in effect from July 3, 2017-June 29, 2018. The Penn Rate is available to Penn faculty, staff, students and UPHS employees. Assisted A Rates are for University faculty and staff with combined family annual income below $55,000. Assisted B rates are for University faculty and staff with combined family annual income below $65,000.

Please contact the Penn Children’s Center at (215) 898-5268 for additional information or to arrange a tour, or visit the Center’s website.

Penn Commuter Program Update

Effective July 1, 2017, eligible faculty and staff participating in Penn’s Commuter Program who receive SEPTA’s monthly Transpasses and Trailpasses can expect fare increases that will be reflected through payroll deduction. The chart below lists the rate schedule now in effect.

Pass Type SEPTA Retail Cost for a Monthly Pass Monthly Deduction (Pre-tax)1 Weekly Deduction (Pre-tax)1
Transpass $96.00 $86.40 $21.60
Zone 1 Trailpass $105.00 $94.50 $23.63
Zone 2 Trailpass $144.00 $129.60 $32.40
Zone 3 Trailpass $174.00 $156.60 $39.15
Anywhere Pass $204.00 $183.60 $45.90

1The above fares include SEPTA’s five-percent discount as well Penn’s five-percent subsidy. Pre-tax savings are realized up to $255 per month.

To make changes or review your Penn Commuter Program online account, visit www.upenn.edu/penncommuter.

Penn Transportation and Parking: New Website

The departments of Penn Transit and Parking Services have launched a new website that integrates the University’s transit, commuter and parking programs into a convenient, one-stop portal for access by the Penn community. Created to address and support the many audiences these departments serve, the website brings together the two different sites into a unified experience. Incorporating feedback from site users and other stakeholders, the new design offers:

  • Web content that is structured so that it scales and transitions well to mobile use, making transportation, commuting and parking information readily available; i>
  • Convenient maps that display Penn’s integrated transit system; the location of parking lots and garages; and the availability of bike corrals and repair stations across campus;
  • The ability for site visitors to manage sustainable commuting, permit parking and other program participation online; and
  • Home-page alerts about traffic and service-related announcements.

Site users are encouraged to reset the bookmarks for their frequently visited transportation and parking web pages. 

—Business Services

Penn Hotel Rates

The Penn Hotels have announced their Fiscal Year 2018 rates. They are:

  • Hilton Inn at Penn/$264 per night
  • Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel/$194 per night

Please make a note of these rates if you will be hosting out-of-town visitors or hosting an event on campus this year.

—Division of Business Services

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