June 12, 2003
NEWS BRIEFS
Learned fellows
Penn professors David Cass and Michael L. Klein are among 187 Americans recently elected as fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The award, which comes from the international learned society founded in Boston in 1780, recognizes significant contributions in all scholarly fields and professions.
Cass, professor of economics and director of the Center for Analytic Research in Economics and the Social Sciences, is being honored for his work in the refinement and extension of neoclassical theory. Included among his research interests are pure theory of capital, individual behavior under uncertainty and models of financial equilibrium.
Klein, professor of chemistry and physical sciences and director of Penn’s Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter, is being recognized for work on the simulation of molecular materials. He has devised computational methods to predict how the properties of matter respond to changes in pressure and temperature.
Well-preserved
It’s definitely home sweet home for the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center. The Philadelphia Preservation Alliance recently gave the center, Penn, and Belmont Freeman Architects a 2003 Preservation Award for beautifully restoring the 1877 Carriage House. The honor, which recognizes individuals, organizations and restoration projects that are making the best of Philadelphia’s past, commended the center for showing “how an oft-neglected building type can be re-used and contribute to community character.” “I am thrilled that the Carriage House received this award,” said Robert Schoenberg, LGBT Center director. “It offers affirmation that we have succeeded in our twin goals: Providing a beautiful new home for the LGBT Center’s programs and services and restoring an historically significant building with many wonderful architectural features.”
Civic lessons
Teams of students from 16 Philadelphia high schools presented their projects for increasing youth involvement in the political process at the Philadelphia Student Voices Civics Fair May 28 in Houston Hall. The fair, part of the national Student Voices project based at the Annenberg Public Policy Center, showcased a variety of creative approaches to the subject, including multilingual guides to the city primary, a “Race for City Hall” board game and a 20-minute video documentary on problems facing Olney. Teams from Roxborough High School and Carver High School of Engineering and Science split the fair’s $2,500 grand prize.
Mo’ NIH money
The School of Medicine grabbed second place for the fifth consecutive year in the annual ranking of research funds granted to American medical schools from the National Institutes of Health. For fiscal year 2002, Penn walked away with $347.7 million, nearly $21 million more than it received in 2001. Johns Hopkins continues to top the list with $382 million. The University clearly outpaced other local medical schools, with Jefferson netting $74.9 million, Temple $28.1 million and Drexel $16.3 million. NIH grants, which are peer-reviewed, serve as an important benchmark for medical schools.
The science of caring
The School of Nursing honored two of its own May 16 with the awarding of the inaugural Claire M. Fagin Distinguished Research Award to Professor of Nursing Mary Naylor. Naylor was honored for her groundbreaking research that demonstrated how skilled nursing care following hospitalization improves life chances of elderly patients and reduces healthcare costs. In her talk, Naylor described the changes in the healthcare industry that led her to do the research, along with its implications for public policy.
President Judith Rodin presented the award to Naylor and also saluted Fagin, who made research a top priority during her tenure as Nursing School dean and also served as interim president of the University.
Oops!
In our story on Ralph Mueller (Current, May 1), we referred to the Health System board. The governing board for the Health System and School of Medicine is known as the Penn Medicine Board of Trustees.
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