December 10, 2019 Volume 66 Issue 16

The University of Pennsylvania Libraries has received a series of gifts from Arnold and Deanne Kaplan, including the world’s first endowed position in Judaica digital humanities, totaling $12 million (Almanac December 11, 2012). The Kaplans’ contributions also comprise an in-kind gift of collections of Americana and Early American Judaica, research fellowships and an endowment for continuing acquisitions.

The most recent gifts coincide with the release of a new website, The Arnold and Deanne Kaplan Collection of Early American Judaica, offering free access to nearly 7,000 digital copies of items from the collection for viewing and downloading (see Kaplan Collection of Early American Judaica article). Digital copies of recent acquisitions will be made available in the coming year, and all future items will be made available as well.

“The Kaplans’ forward-thinking gifts continue an extraordinary tradition of philanthropy. Their generosity will ensure long-lasting access to a world-class collection,” said Constantia Constantinou, H. Carton Rogers III Vice Provost and Director of the Penn Libraries. “We are proud to be home to a collection that speaks to the history and values of freedom and opportunity and the great tradition of pluralism in Philadelphia and at the University of Pennsylvania.”

The foundation for a partnership between the Kaplans and the Penn Libraries was established more than 10 years ago between Mr. Kaplan and Arthur Kiron, Schottenstein-Jesselson Curator of Judaica Collections. Their initial collaboration, the Jesselson-Kaplan American Genizah Project, centered around the letters of the mid-19th-century rabbi Isaac Leeser. The resulting website served as an early model for using digital technologies to integrate dispersed but related documents and make them accessible to scholars around the world.

This article is related to the The Arnold and Deanne Kaplan Collection of Early American Judaica article.

Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine recently celebrated the November 21 signing of a $6 million gift agreement from Rod Wong (M’03) to endow the Roderick T. Wong PennHealthX Program. 

Established in 2013, Penn HealthX is one of the preeminent student-led organizations within the University of Pennylania’s Perelman School of Medicine and supports medical students interested in health care management, entrepreneurship, technology and business. Over the past six years, it has grown into a nationally recognized program that provides medical students with real-world opportunities to explore, experience and contribute to innovation.

The program is integrated into the medical school curriculum and awards a Certificate in Healthcare Management, Entrepreneurship and Technology to graduating medical students who demonstrate a sustained interest in health-care innovation and meet the program requirements.

This new endowed fund will support the program and create a scholarship to provide financial support to medical students who are pursuing an MBA at Wharton. In recognition of his gift and his long-term involvement with PSOM, the program will now be named the Roderick T. Wong Penn HealthX Program.

In addition to operating a venture fund that offers grants to teams of students who are developing innovative ideas in health care, the program supports internships and provides students with an opportunity to participate in interdisciplinary lectures, workshops and competitions across campus.  

“PennHealthX embodies all the ideals that I deeply care about, and I viewed this as an incredible opportunity to be able to support that at my alma mater,” said Dr. Wong. “I’m proud of all the students who proved that what started out as an experiment is now a crucial complement to the education they get here.”

Dr. Wong received his BS in economics from Duke University, his MBA from Harvard Business School and his MD from PSOM. He is the managing partner of RTW Investments LLC, a health-care investment firm in New York.

We are very pleased to announce the launch of the Environmental Innovations Initiative. Global sustainability, in the face of the current climate crisis, is an essential challenge for our world and our future. At Penn, we take very seriously our responsibility to help shape that future. Over the past 18 months, we have engaged extensive consultations across the University to consider how best to advance this mission from a perspective of research and education. This effort forms a critical part of the new Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0, which reaffirms the University’s commitment to address environmental challenges, in particular the plan’s first goal to “expand the scope of sustainability research.” These conversations have confirmed, as the Climate Action Plan notes, that Penn faculty, students and staff are highly engaged in these vital issues and that there is already a significant amount of activity on our campus.

The Environmental Innovations Initiative will be designed to bring together researchers, scholars and students to develop new ideas and innovative solutions for our global environment. It will maximize Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary strengths, building collaborations across disciplines and creating a catalyst to spur new areas of inquiry. In so doing, it will complement our ongoing initiatives, including most recently the Vagelos Institute for Energy Science and Technology, founded in 2016; the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, founded in 2014; and the Penn Program in Environmental Humanities, also founded in 2014. In particular, the new Initiative will be charged to:

• Facilitate innovative research that maximizes Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary strengths, within and between schools, centers, graduate groups and departments;
• Recruit outstanding faculty members whose new perspectives advance the University’s work across such areas as climate change, sustainability and environmental justice;
• Develop formal and informal educational programs, as well as public events and communications, that further the impact of Penn research and bring new solutions to our campus and a wider global community.

The initiative will be led by two of our most distinguished faculty members in this area: Joseph S. Francisco, President’s Distinguished Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Kathleen D. Morrison, Sally and Alvin V. Shoemaker Professor and Chair of Anthropology. They will work closely with existing partners across the University and lead an international search next semester for the initiative’s inaugural executive director. In the coming week, they will communicate with all Penn faculty members with more information about the Initiative and how to get involved with it. This work will ultimately include seed money and logistical support for faculty research, conferences and other major public events and interdisciplinary working groups with a significant role for students.

We are proud of the vibrant engagement on our campus with sustainability and climate change, and we are confident that the new Environmental Innovations Initiative will further this engagement and help all of us make a tangible difference in our world.

—Amy Gutmann, President 

—Wendell Pritchett, Provost

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania announced the establishment of the Wharton Sports Analytics and Business Initiative (WSABI). WSABI represents an expansion of school-wide sports business activities by building on the Wharton Sports Business Initiative (WSBI), founded in 2008 (Almanac March 4, 2008). The addition of sports analytics offerings dramatically expands the scope of engagement for industry, alumni and students. 

“With sports being a multibillion-dollar international industry that engages individuals around the globe, Wharton is uniquely capable of applying our prowess in data analytics to yield new understanding of a topic that has fascinated societies for thousands of years,” said Wharton Dean Geoff Garrett. “The Wharton Sports Analytics and Business Initiative will give the leading minds involved in sports—from students to owners to ‘Moneyball’ type data scientists—a ringside seat to better examine the future of sports.”

WSABI is supported by the generosity of Julie & Ken Moelis who are committed to supporting the expanding student interest in the business of sports. WSABI will be part of Analytics at Wharton, broadening the School’s focus in teaching, research and industry engagement initiatives that use big data to improve decision-making and generate actionable business insights. 

Sports business is continually evolving with the emergence of sports analytics, legalized sports betting and e-sports. With WSABI, Wharton students will now have a wide range of opportunities to apply what they learn in classes and connect it to industry. WSABI will serve as the meeting point for academic research, alumni engagement and industry relationships, all within one student-focused initiative.

“Our students are incredibly enthusiastic about sports and the opportunity to transform the entire industry through analytics-driven decision-making,” said Vice Dean of Analytics at Wharton Eric Bradlow. “The Wharton Sports Analytics and Business Initiative will prepare our students to take leadership roles, translating analytics into actionable sports business insights.”  

Under the leadership of Cade Massey, Wharton practice professor and Adi Wyner, Wharton professor of statistics, WSABI will offer a range of programming including: 

• Penn Sports Research Group (PSRG), a select group of undergraduate students learning statistics through the lens of sports
• The Annual Wharton Sports Business Summit
• WSABI University Network, which already includes the Penn baseball team and will grow across Penn schools and departments to create new applications to methods of statistics taught by faculty  
• Industry partnerships, including accessing datasets, from professional sports teams that allow students to work directly at the frontier of sports analytics. These partnerships will also generate internship and job opportunities for students.
• Multiple summer high school programs, including Wharton Sports Business Academy and Wharton Moneyball Academy and Training Camp 

Penn Global is excited to announce the 2019 Call for Proposals for the Penn India Research & Engagement Fund and the Global Engagement Fund.

The Penn India Research & Engagement Fund (Penn IREF), launched in October 2017, is a competitive matching program designed to stimulate and support activity in and on India with a goal of positioning Penn as a key contributor toward the generation of transformative and impactful ideas on major debates in India. Proposals for Penn IREF are due by January 17, 2020. For additional details about and submission instructions for Penn IREF, please visit our website at: https://global.upenn.edu/global-initiatives/penn-india-research-and-engagement-fund

The Global Engagement Fund (GEF) aims to seed creative, faculty-driven projects that will catalyze entrepreneurial research or initiatives in a global context and position Penn as a leader of global research and intellectual innovation. Specifically, Penn Global seeks to promote faculty research and engagement around the world by providing seed funding for new projects that will lead to additional opportunities and continue beyond the scope of the Global Engagement Fund. Proposals for GEF are due February 14, 2020. For additional details about and submission instructions for GEF, please visit our website at: https://global.upenn.edu/global-initiatives/penn-global-engagement-fund 

We strongly encourage faculty and administrators who are interested in applying for either fund to contact global@upenn.edu with any questions and/or requests to schedule a brief meeting to further discuss your ideas. We look forward to learning of your ideas and working with you in the coming months.  

—Penn Global

This is a summary of the annual report of The University of Pennsylvania Basic Plan (Plan No. 028) sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania, EIN: 23-1352685, for the period January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018. This annual report has been filed with the Employee Benefits Security Administration, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).

Basic Financial Statement

Benefits under the plan are provided through unallocated insurance contracts and a trust fund. Plan expenses were $27,207,272. These expenses included $3,501 in administrative expenses and $27,203,771 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries. A total of 25,235 persons were participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year.

The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $973,835,010 as of December 31, 2018, compared to $989,608,696 as of January 1, 2018. During the plan year the plan experienced a decrease in its net assets of $15,773,686. This decrease includes net unrealized depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the plan’s assets at the end of the plan year and the value of assets at the beginning of the plan year or the cost of assets acquired during the plan year. The plan had total income of $11,433,586, including employer contributions of $58,454.415, employee rollover contributions of $4,209,616, losses from investments of $51,248,444 and other income of $17,999. 

Your Rights to Additional Information

Under ERISA, you have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, upon request. The items listed below are included in that report for the University of Pennsylvania Basic Plan:

1. An accountant’s opinion;
2. Financial information;
3. Information on payments to service providers;
4. Assets held for investment;
5. Insurance information; and
6. Information regarding pooled separate accounts in which the plan participates.

To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the office of the Plan Administrator, c/o Joanne M. Blythe, Retirement Manager, University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut Street, 600 Franklin Building, Philadelphia, P. 19104-6205, (215) 898-9947. The charge to cover copying costs will be $5 for the full annual report or 25 cents per page for any part thereof.

You also have the right to receive from the Plan Administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both for the University of Pennsylvania Basic Plan. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the Plan Administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge.

You also have the legally protected right under ERISA to examine the annual reports in the offices of the Employer at the address for the Plan Administrator, above, and at the US Department of Labor in Washington, DC, or to obtain a copy from the US Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, Room N-1513, Employee Benefits Security Administration, US Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210.

This is a summary of the annual report of The University of Pennsylvania Matching Plan (Plan No. 001) sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania, EIN: 23-1352685, for the period January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018. This annual report has been filed with the Employee Benefits Security Administration, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).

Basic Financial Statement

Benefits under the plan are provided through unallocated insurance contracts and a trust fund. Plan expenses were $210,344,582. These expenses included $29,205 in administrative expenses and $210,315,377 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries. A total of 27,516 persons were participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year.

The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $4,423,936,223 as of December 31, 2018, compared to $4,674,037,029 as of January 1, 2018. During the plan year the plan experienced a decrease in its net assets of $250,100,806. This decrease includes net unrealized depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the plan’s assets at the end of the plan year and the value of assets at the beginning of the plan year or the cost of assets acquired during the plan year. The plan had total losses of $39,756,224, including employer contributions of $71,224,630, employee contributions of $74,396,410, employee rollover contributions of $3,333,179, losses from investments of $188,885,692 and other income of $175,249. 

Your Rights to Additional Information

Under ERISA, you have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, upon request. The items listed below are included in that report for the University of Pennsylvania Matching Plan:

1. An accountant’s opinion;
2. Financial information;
3. Information on payments to service providers;
4. Assets held for investment;
5. Insurance information; and
6. Information regarding pooled separate accounts in which the plan participates.

To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the office of the Plan Administrator, c/o Joanne M. Blythe, Retirement Manager, University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut Street, 600 Franklin Building, Philadelphia, P. 19104-6205, (215) 898-9947. The charge to cover copying costs will be $5 for the full annual report or 25 cents per page for any part thereof.

You also have the right to receive from the Plan Administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both for the University of Pennsylvania Matching Plan. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the Plan Administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge.

You also have the legally protected right under ERISA to examine the annual reports in the offices of the Employer at the address for the Plan Administrator, above, and at the US Department of Labor in Washington, DC, or to obtain a copy from the US Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, Room N-1513, Employee Benefits Security Administration, US Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210.

This is a summary of the annual report of The Supplemental Retirement Annuity Plan of the University of Pennsylvania (Plan No. 002) sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania, EIN: 23-1352685, for the period January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018. This annual report has been filed with the Employee Benefits Security Administration, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).

Basic Financial Statement

Benefits under the plan are provided through unallocated insurance contracts and a trust fund. Plan expenses were $50,844,126. These expenses included $2,426 in administrative expenses and $50,841,700 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries. A total of 28,741 persons were participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year.

The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $1,220,041,524 as of December 31, 2018, compared to $1,248,527,917 as of January 1, 2018. During the plan year the plan experienced a decrease in its net assets of $28,486,393. This decrease includes net unrealized depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the plan’s assets at the end of the plan year and the value of assets at the beginning of the plan year or the cost of assets acquired during the plan year. The plan had total income of $22,357,733 including employee contributions of $55,747,884, employee rollover contributions of $22,935,943, losses from investments of $56,426,983 and other income of $100,889. 

Your Rights to Additional Information

Under ERISA, you have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, upon request. The items listed below are included in that report for the Supplemental Retirement Annuity Plan of the University of Pennsylvania:

1. An accountant’s opinion;
2. Financial information;
3. Information on payments to service providers;
4. Assets held for investment;
5. Insurance information; and
6. Information regarding pooled separate accounts in which the plan participates.

To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the office of the Plan Administrator, c/o Joanne M. Blythe, Retirement Manager, University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut Street, 600 Franklin Building, Philadelphia, P. 19104-6205, (215) 898-9947. The charge to cover copying costs will be $5 for the full annual report or 25 cents per page for any part thereof.

You also have the right to receive from the Plan Administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both for the Supplemental Retirement Annuity Plan of the University of Pennsylvania. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the Plan Administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge.

You also have the legally protected right under ERISA to examine the annual reports in the offices of the Employer at the address for the Plan Administrator, above, and at the US Department of Labor in Washington, DC, or to obtain a copy from the US Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, Room N-1513, Employee Benefits Security Administration, US Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210.

This is a summary of the annual report of the University of Pennsylvania Health and Welfare Plan for Retirees and Disabled Employees (Plan No. 530), sponsored by The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, EIN 23-1352685 for the period that began on January 1, 2018 and ended on December 31, 2018. The annual report has been filed with the Employee Benefits Security Administration as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Please note that not all employees are eligible to participate in the Plan. Please consult your Plan materials for specific eligibility information.

Retiree benefits were provided through a combination of self-insured payments from the University’s general assets, payments from a trust fund established to fund retiree benefits and insurance contracts with third party insurance companies.

Medical, Dental and Prescription Drug Benefits

Insurance Information:

The Plan has contracts with Aetna Health, Inc., Keystone Health Plan East, Amerihealth and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company to pay medical and dental claims incurred under the terms of the contracts. The total premiums paid for the plan year ending December 31, 2018 were $1,585,599.

Basic Financial Information:

The value of Plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the Plan, was $471,786,416 as of December 31, 2018, compared to $483,851,190 as of January 1, 2018. During the plan year the Plan experienced a decrease in its net assets of $12,064,774. This decrease includes net unrealized depreciation in the value of Plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the Plan’s assets at the end of the year and the value of assets at the beginning of the year or the cost of assets acquired during the year. The Plan had total income of $15,390,938, including employee contributions of $7,746,611, employer contributions of $28,884,818 and losses from investments of $21,240,491.

Plan expenses were $27,455,712. These expenses included $2,499,423 in administrative expenses and $24,956,289 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries.

Life Insurance Benefits

The Plan has a contract with Aetna Life Insurance Company to pay life insurance claims incurred under the terms of the contract. The total premiums paid under this contract for the plan year ending December 31, 2018 were $682,969. 

Your Rights to Additional Information

You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request. The items listed below are included in that report:

1. An accountant’s opinion;
2. Financial information;
3. Information on payments to service providers;
4. Assets held for investment; and
5. Insurance information.

To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the office of the Plan Administrator, c/o Joanne M. Blythe, Retirement Manager, University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut Street, 600 Franklin Building, Philadelphia, P. 19104-6205, (215) 898-9947. The charge to cover copying costs will be $5 for the full annual report or 25 cents per page for any part thereof.

You also have the right to receive from the Plan Administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the Plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the Plan Administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge.

You also have the legally protected right under ERISA to examine the annual reports in the offices of the Employer at the address for the Plan Administrator, above, and at the US Department of Labor in Washington, DC or to obtain a copy from the US Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, Room N-1513, Employee Benefits Security Administration, US Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210.

Joseph (“Joe”) Bordogna, the Alfred Fitler Moore Professor Emeritus of Engineering in Electrical and Systems Engineering in Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science and also the School’s former dean, died November 25. He was 86.  

Dr. Bordogna was born in Scranton, grew up in South Philly and graduated as the valedictorian of John Bartram High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Penn on a Naval ROTC Scholarship in 1955. After serving in the US Navy, Dr. Bordogna won a Whitney Fellowship to MIT, but before enrolling, he worked at RCA in Camden, New Jersey, for a year to refine his academic interests. After earning his master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT in 1960, he returned to RCA, where he worked in communication systems, radar, transistor technology, holography and lasers. 

In 1964, he earned a PhD in electrical engineering from Penn. He joined the faculty of the School of Engineering that year as an assistant professor. He went on to become director of The Moore School of Electrical Engineering, an associate dean and finally dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science in 1981 (Almanac April 28, 1981). During his tenure at Penn, he won five major teaching awards: The Lindback and S. Reid Warren Jr. Awards, and the off-campus education awards of Western Electric, Westinghouse and United Engineers and Constructors, Inc. He was also the first master of Stouffer College House. 

His research interests included optoelectronics, manufacturing systems, environmental technologies, management of technological innovation, educational innovation and federal science and engineering policy. He made contributions to the engineering profession in a variety of areas, including early laser communications systems, electro-optic recording materials, holographic television playback systems and early space capsule recovery, receiving a commendation for history’s first such recovery during Project Jupiter. He also helped create the National Academy of Engineering’s well known high school course in technology, The Man-made World.

According to Vijay Kumar, Nemirovsky Family Dean for the School of Engineering, Dr. Bordogna was the brain behind Penn’s dual-degree Management & Technology program and the man behind “Broader Impacts,” a phrase he invented to emphasize the benefits of federal research to a congress that was indifferent to higher education. Dr. Bordogna was also a champion of K-12 education and a founder of PRIME (Philadelphia Regional Introduction for Minorities to Engineering). Throughout his career, he worked to include underrepresented populations in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.

In 1991, Dr. Bordogna left Penn to become head of the National Science Foundation’s Engineering Directorate. He was appointed acting deputy director in 1996. He was the NSF’s deputy director and chief operating officer 1999-2005, its longest serving deputy director in history at the time of his leaving. He returned to Penn in 2005, earned emeritus status in 2009 and retired in 2011. The Joseph Bordogna Professorship was established in his name.  

Among his many honors, he received the National Science Foundation Distinguished Service Medal; was an Eminent Member of Eta Kappa Nu; was a member of the IEEE Honor Society; and he was awarded IEEE’s 2008 James H. Mulligan, Jr. Education Medal, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the DC Council of Engineering and Architectural Societies, the US Government Leadership Award of the Semiconductor Industry Association and the Leadership in Technology Management Award from the International Conference on Management of Engineering and Technology.

He is survived by his wife, Frances; son, Ray (E’93) (Whitney Deas); granddaughter, Avery; and numerous cousins. 

 A celebration of his life and time at Penn will be determined at a later date.

David Norman Freeman, former Wharton professor, died on November 16 following a recent diagnosis of cancer. He was 86. 

Dr. Freeman was born in Boston and moved to Wynnewood, then to California, where he attended Tamalpais High School. He completed a post-graduate year at Phillips-Exeter Academy before entering Yale, where he graduated with a BA in mathematics in 1955. He completed a master’s at Cornell in 1958 and then worked for IBM for two years. While there, he won a graduate scholarship and returned to Cornell. In 1963, he earned a  PhD in Operations Research.

After completing his PhD, Dr. Freeman moved to Binghamton, where he resumed work with IBM to manage a team in the development of DOS/360. He left IBM to help lead development of the nation’s largest university computer center at Research Triangle Park in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 

He joined the University of Pennsylvania in 1969 as a professor of statistics and operations in research at Wharton and was director of the Computer Center. He left Penn in 1971 for Rutgers University. A couple years later, he joined a private computer consulting firm as vice president of Ketron.

Dr. Freeman is survived by his wife, Ellen Wood; sisters, Nancy, Corinne and Margery; two half-sisters; children, Jon (Kate), Anne Clothier (Bob) and Greg (Chris); grandchildren, Kara Freeman Michel (Rob), Elizabeth, Anne and Jack Freeman, Sarah and Caleb Clothier, Zachary and Megan Freeman; and great-grandchild, Katharine Michel.

Jan Zygmunt Krasnowiecki, former professor of law, died November 28 in Easton, Maryland. He was 90. 

Mr. Krasnowiecki was born in Krakow, Poland. He fled Poland as a child during World War II to England, where he attended Downside School, later Oxford University, Lincoln College. He left England for the United States in 1952 after receiving a degree in law.

In the United States, he served in the US Army as a sergeant during the Korean War. After his discharge, he attended Harvard Law School. He accepted a teaching fellowship at the University of Chicago and two judicial clerkships in the Illinois Supreme Court, after which he began a two-decade career as a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania in 1959.

Mr. Krasnowiecki was a nationally recognized expert on land use and the development of planned communities. During his tenure at Penn, he developed a new course on middle and low-income housing and worked with Community Legal Services on model legislation designed to safeguard tenants’ rights in leaseholds. He also  worked with the Public Health Service examining methods of community organization needed to carry out prevention and rehabilitation programs in the neighborhood’s physical environment. He edited the Index of Reported Planning Cases in Pennsylvania 1966 and 1967, prepared under a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs and published annually by the Pennsylvania Planning Association. In 1966, he received a Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching and in 1981 he was given Penn Law School’s Harvey Levin Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence. He remained at Penn Law as a professor until 1986.

He left Penn to start a private practice first as a partner at the Philadelphia law firm Pepper, Hamilton & Scheetz, and later as partner at Klett Lieber Rooney & Schorling (now Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney.) He continued to practice law into his early eighties. 

Mr. Krasnowiecki is survived by his wife, Carol; children, Ann Weikers (Ronald), Sally Pillion (Michael), Molly Shaffer, Michael (Shannon), John (Patty), Matthew; step-son, Steven Hodges; and 10 grandchildren.

To Report A Death

Almanac appreciates being informed of the deaths of current and former faculty and staff members, students and other members of the University community. Call (215) 898-5274 or email almanac@upenn.edu

However, notices of alumni deaths should be directed to the Alumni Records Office at Suite 300, 2929 Walnut St., (215) 898-8136 or email record@ben.dev.upenn.edu

At the December 4 University Council meeting, Secretary Lizann Boyle Rode updated Council members on the disposition of the issues raised at the October meeting during New Business. She noted that the request from the Muslim Student Association for more prayer space was referred to the Council Committee on Facilities to be discussed while FRES and VPUL are also working to identify spaces. In regard to the Campus Climate Survey, she mentioned PVP staffing and that Michele Rovinsky-Mayer has begun her role as the inaugural associate vice president for equity and Title IX officer. There is a series of proposals to address the issue of increased space for the cultural centers in the ARCH. She also said that Penn remains committed to the DACA students.

Maureen Rush, vice president of public safety, gave a presentation on Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. She highlighted the Alternative Response Unit which assists students with non-traumatic injuries—from sprained ankles to intoxication and other medical conditions. The alternative unit is a marked SUV staffed by a paramedic lieutenant and an emergency medical technician. Penn has agreed to cover the costs associated with the medical calls in the pilot program, therefore ensuring that students will not be charged for their treatment and transport. It operates Thursdays through Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. within the boundaries of the Penn Patrol zone. She also explained PennReady, which includes prevention, preparation, response and recovery. Penn’s Crisis Management Plan and the Mission Continuity Program are integral components. She stressed the importance of everyone understanding the appropriate emergency procedures for a particular situation: shelter-in-place, evacuate or lockdown. There was a video explaining the approaches to staying safe.  

The remainder of the meeting was devoted to the Open Forum at which there were 10 topics presented by the speakers who were all students. Two graduate students had concerns about financial issues; two law students spoke about their concerns regarding a controversial professor there; another student spoke about fraternity life and sexual assaults on campus. There were then several speakers who addressed climate change, climate grief, carbon neutrality, Fossil Free Penn and sustainability.  

This is a sampling from The Arnold and Deanne Kaplan Collection of Early American Judaica at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries which offers free access to nearly 7,000 digital copies of items from the collection for viewing and downloading. These items document an astonishingly broad range of commercial, social, religious, political and cultural ties that connected Jews and the general public from the colonial era through the onset of mass migration at the end of the 19th century. 

This article is related to the $12 Million to Penn Libraries to Enrich Judaic Scholarship and Digital Humanities article. 

Visit: https://kaplan.exhibits.library.upenn.edu/

From the Arnold and Deanne Kaplan Collection of Early American Judaica (University of Pennsylvania).

PHILADANCO: Xmas Philes, an Annenberg Center original commission, returns to its roots December 12-14 in Zellerbach Theatre. 

Choreographed by Daniel Ezralow, Xmas Philes pairs PHILADANCO’s colorful tapestry of movement with popular Christmas music in this an eagerly anticipated December tradition. 

Called “infectious fun” by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Xmas Philes celebrates the holidays with humor, Christmas classics and beautiful, contemporary dance.

At 10:30 a.m. on both December 12 and 13, there will be a student discovery performance for grades 2+. 

Regular performances will take place December 12 at 7:30 p.m., December 13 at 8 p.m. and December 14 at 2 and 8 p.m. 

For tickets go to: https://annenbergcenter.org/events/ticket-info.php or the Box Office: (215) 898-3900.

At the Penn Museum on Thursday, December 26 and Friday, December 27, 5:30- 8 p.m., there will be a special event for adults—Night Vision: Monsters, Myths and Legends Tour and Happy Hour.

Perhaps you have been curious about the origins of legendary creatures like vampires and werewolves? Have you wondered how to protect yourself against snake-haired or intestine-faced demons? At the Penn Museum, visitors will learn what makes a monster and face off against creatures that go bump in the night. Beer and hard cider provided.

Through Night Vision, adults can see the Penn Museum from a whole new perspective during a happy hour with a twist: learning about the collections in the dark, with only flashlights to illuminate the way. Learn more about the origins of humankind and the deep myths and history of the Museum. 21+ only. Guests must have valid identification.

5:30-6 p.m. Check-in, guests enjoy drinks

6:30-7:30 p.m. Night Vision Tour: Monsters, Myths and Legends

7:30-8 p.m. Guests mingle, last call for drinks

$25 adult; $20 for members. Two drinks included with ticket price; tickets: https://446.blackbaudhosting.com/446/Night-Vision-Monsters-Myths-and-Legends-26Dec2019

On Thursday, December 26; Friday, December 27; Saturday, December 28 and Sunday, December 29 visitors of all ages can adventure around the globe with exciting tours from the Penn Museum’s Global Guides and scavenger hunt explorations of the new galleries, along with art-making, games and oral storytelling in the traditional African style.

Spend much-needed family time at the Penn Museum during the holidays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Register online at: https://tinyurl.com/yx258uqe

Exhibits

Upcoming

12    The Urgent Imperative: Michelle Rothwell; examining the limits and consequences of human behavior toward the natural world; Esther Klein Gallery. Through January 25.

Fitness and Learning

17    Penn Book Talk; discussion of favorite books from 2019; 1 p.m.; Meyerson Conference Room, second floor, Van Pelt Library; info: https://pennbooktalk.wordpress.com/

Below are the Crimes Against Persons, Crimes Against Society and Crimes Against Property from the campus report for November 25-December 1, 2019. 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 for the dates of November 25-December 1, 2019. The University Police actively patrol from Market St to Baltimore and from the Schuylkill River to 43rd St 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.

18th District

Below are the Crimes Against Persons from the 18th District: 5 incidents (2 domestic assaults, 2 robberies and 1 aggravated assault) with no arrests were reported for November 25-December 1, 2019  by the 18th District covering the Schuylkill River to 49th Street & Market Street to Woodland Avenue.

The Office of the University Registrar and the Next Generation Student Systems (NGSS) project are pleased to announce the availability of Curriculum Manager (CM). The August 28, 2019 release built on a successful pilot in the School of Arts & Sciences that began in June 2018.

Curriculum Manager is used by faculty and staff to modify, track and approve new and existing courses and programs. CM uses electronic forms and workflows to manage the curricular approval process.

We wish to thank the core team, including staff members from the Office of the University Registrar, Office of the Provost, and the NGSS project team as well as our partners in the schools and central offices throughout the University who worked collaboratively to develop, test and launch CM. A special thank you goes out to the School of Arts & Sciences for its willingness to pilot and provide feedback on an initial version of CM.

– Margaret Kip, University Registrar

– Rob Nelson, Executive Director for Academic & Technology Planning

– Matt Sessa, Executive Director of Student Registration & Financial Services

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

You probably have a long list of gifts to purchase before the holidays, and the easiest way to shop is while sitting in front of your computer. By entering the online world with a click of mouse, you cross countries and visit multiple stores at once with discounts! This convenience comes with a caution to protect yourself and your financial information while enjoying online shopping. Make a purchase online from a secure site. Look for the lock on the web address or make sure the address starts with https:// (the s is for secure), which means encryption is installed.   

• Visit a familiar website. Avoid clicking on web ads to access a major retailer’s online store. Instead, type the web address you are familiar with to avoid visiting a look-alike site enticing you to provide sensitive financial and personal information. 
• Avoid websites that ask you for personal information such as your social security number or birthdate. Sharing this information may make you vulnerable to identity theft. 
• Keep your browsers updated with the latest updates to patch any security vulnerabilities. 
• Be cautious when using public, open and unsecured wifi. A free public wifi is never fully secure as it doesn’t use encryption technology. 
• Review your browser’s security and privacy settings regularly.
• When making a purchase online using a credit card, your browser may ask you if you would like to save this information for future use. Avoid saving sensitive information to your browser if it is not a trusted and secure device. 
• Don’t forget to check your bank statements frequently. Make sure all purchases are yours and if you note any questionable charges contact your credit card company right away.

Department of Homeland Security tip on Securing Your Web Browser: https://www.us-cert.gov/publications/securing-your-web-browser

One Step Ahead: Safe Shopping https://almanac.upenn.edu/volume-64-number-14#one-step-ahead-safe-shopping

For additional tips, see the One Step Ahead link on the Information Security website: https://www.isc.upenn.edu/security/news-alerts#One-Step-Ahead

Fall Semester 2019: Walk-Back is held from December 11-December 22.

An Allied Universal Public Safety Officer will be posted at The Button on Woodland Walk from 10 p.m. until 3 a.m. Approximately every half hour the officer will enter Van Pelt-Dietrich Library to offer walking escorts to anyone in the building. The officer will then perform the escort and return to repeat the process.

The Division of Public Safety provides this service in addition to its normal Walking Escort Programs. Remember you can call anytime for a walking escort: (215) 898-WALK.

Uniformed Allied Universal Public Safety Officers provide walking escorts to all campus locations. Officers are dispatched by radio and will accompany you from one campus location to another, to your parked vehicle, to a Penn Transit Stop or to an on-campus SEPTA regional transit stop.

Walking Escorts are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, between 30th to 43rd Streets and Market Street to Baltimore Avenue.

Escorts are also available from 10 a.m. until 3 a.m. between 30th & 50th and Spring Garden Street to Woodland Avenue via the University’s partnership with the University District Program.

To request a Walking Escort anytime, call (215) 898-9255 (898-WALK).

https://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/about/security-services/walk-back-program/

Under the special checks program, DPS officers check the exterior of registered properties for signs of criminal activity or security breaches at peak travel times during Thanksgiving, Spring and Winter Breaks. To request a special check register here: https://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/contact/propertycheck/

Winter Break: From Thursday, December 19 at 5 p.m. through Tuesday, January 14, at 3 p.m.

Deadline to register: Tuesday, December 17

The program is available without charge to residents in the Penn patrol zone, bounded by 30th Street west to 43rd Street and from Baltimore Avenue north to Market Street.

Students, faculty and staff who live in the patrol zone are encouraged to register their residence below. Be sure to list your contact information, other occupants, landlord if applicable, vacancy dates, scheduled repairs and someone other than a landlord with access or a key to the property.

Penn Police will periodically check the exterior of registered properties for signs of criminal activity or security breaches during the break. Special checks cannot be provided for interior areas of apartment complexes.

Remember to close and lock all doors and windows before you leave and arrange for packages to be delivered to a secure location while you are away. There are several options for safe package delivery:

• There is an Amazon@Penn https://www.shopsatpenn.com/amazonpenn delivery location on campus at 1920 Commons, visit www.upenn.edu/housing or http://cms.business-services.upenn.edu/residential-services/services-a-support/mail-services.html to learn more.
• Campus Apartments tenants can have their packages delivered to the Campus Apartments office at 4043 Walnut Street.
• Penn affiliates can also have their packages delivered to certain college houses for a nominal fee. Visit http://cms.business-services.upenn.edu/residential-services/services-a-support/mail-services/package-rooms.html
• Utilize other delivery locations such as a FedEx Store or UPS Store.

Additional secure delivery locations: https://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/packages/

—Division of Public Safety

Almanac publishes a supplement every January featuring the camps and programs taking place at Penn over the summer. Offerings listed are camps for children, teens and young adults for an array of activities, from academics and enrichment—including anthropology, business, law, veterinary medicine and music—to recreation and numerous sports camps. To submit a summer camp or program, email almanac@upenn.edu with the following information: name of camp/program; dates held (if multiple sessions, indicate dates for each); age range; summary of 35 words or less; cost (note any discounts); link to enrollment/application forms; deadline, if applicable, to apply/enroll; link, email and/or phone number for more information.  

Grand Prize Winner 

2020 Phillies Game in the Penn Medicine Club Box for You & 15 Friends: Traci Brown, Wissahickon Hospice.

As a Friday the 13th approaches it is fitting to recall one of Benjamin Franklin’s many quotes.

This one, which may have been one of his last great ones, was written on Friday the 13th of November, 1789, in a letter to French scientist Jean-Baptiste Le Roy. Franklin wrote in French and the letter was later translated into English. 

“Our new Constitution is now established, everything seems to promise it will be durable; but, in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes,” Franklin said. He died April 17, 1790.

There will be one more issue this semester: December 17. Today is the deadline for the  December 17 issue.

The December 17 issue will also contain the January AT PENN calendar.  

Weekly publication will resume after the Winter Break with the January 14 issue. The deadline is January 6.