November 10, 2026 Volume 73 Issue 14

Vijay Kumar’s service as the Nemirovsky Family Dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science has been extended to June 30, 2029, subject to approval by the Board of Trustees.

The announcement was made on November 5 by Penn President J. Larry Jameson and Provost John L. Jackson, Jr.

The reappointment follows a review of the major accomplishments of Dean Kumar’s term as dean, along with an assessment of emerging priorities and strategic opportunities for Penn Engineering.

“Dean Kumar is widely respected as a collaborative and visionary leader who has guided Penn Engineering through a period of remarkable growth while advancing its impact across the University and beyond,” said President Jameson. “Under his tenure, the school has made significant progress toward its strategic priorities, with a sustained commitment to excellence in research, education, and innovation. His leadership is exemplified by major advances across faculty recruitment, research growth, educational innovation, and fundraising.”

Notable achievements of Dean Kumar’s tenure across a wide range of areas include:

• Leadership and growth in research: Penn Engineering has significantly expanded the scale and impact of its research enterprise while sharpening its focus on translation and societal impact. This includes advancements in critical areas such as human health, physical intelligence, and sustainable infrastructure; strengthened commercialization and industry partnerships; and the creation of new mechanisms like the Futures Fund to support bold ideas and diversify pathways for research funding.
• Academic and educational innovation: Under Dean Kumar’s tenure, Penn Engineering has expanded its faculty by more than 40%, increased enrollment across its programs, and strengthened its position as a leader in AI and engineering education. Key initiatives include the Ivy League’s first undergraduate degree in artificial intelligence, the growth of Penn Engineering Online into a global platform, and a modernized undergraduate curriculum designed for emerging fields and evolving workforce needs.
• Transformational fundraising and institutional growth: Dean Kumar has secured more than $400 million in philanthropic commitments over his tenure, more than tripling annual fundraising over the last decade. This has enabled major investments in faculty excellence, student opportunities, and new facilities, including Amy Gutmann Hall and the Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology.

“Dean Kumar’s many accomplishments reflect his strategic and inclusive leadership,” said Provost Jackson. “Through sustained success in faculty recruitment, research growth, innovation, and fundraising, he has positioned Penn Engineering for continued excellence and impact in the years ahead.”

At its next meeting, the Board of Trustees will receive a resolution to extend Dean Kumar’s term for an additional two years.

A new chapter is unfolding for the physical sciences at Penn, with construction on Penn Discovery Commons set to commence in spring 2028. Slated to open in 2031, the project will transform the area currently home to David Rittenhouse Laboratory (DRL), paving the way for future breakthroughs and sweeping discoveries. A key priority area for both the University and for Penn Arts & Sciences under its strategic vision, SAS Horizons: Pathways for a Changing World, the 325,000-square-foot Penn Discovery Commons will mark the largest investment Penn has ever made in the physical sciences. 

It’s a testament to the transformational research that will shape the future of the University, said Mark Trodden, Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences and the Thomas S. Gates, Jr. Professor of Physics & Astronomy. “World-class facilities attract world-class faculty; those faculty educate and mentor the next generation of scientists, mathematicians, physicians, and leaders in all careers our students eventually pursue. Together, they make discoveries that can lead to new technologies, deepen our understanding of the Earth and the universe, and help address some of society’s most complex challenges.”

Currently DRL is one of the most heavily used teaching spaces on campus: Last year, 596 classes across disciplines were taught in the building, with 17,543 enrollments. The modernized teaching spaces in Penn Discovery Commons will serve students across the University. 

Once completed, the complex will also house the departments of physics & astronomy, Earth & environmental science, and mathematics; the Center for Particle Cosmology, and the Center for Soft and Living Matter; along with a host of dynamic new spaces. Elements of the existing structure will remain, but freshly designed high-performance laboratories and theoretical research areas will reinforce the vibrant research environment. “Faculty and students continue to do extraordinary work in DRL, but they do so in spaces that were not designed for the science of today or the discoveries of tomorrow,” Dean Trodden said. “Science has changed, and our facilities need to keep up.”

Envisioned by CO Architects, Penn Discovery Commons will include a seven-story tower facing Shoemaker Green. Large glass expanses will maximize natural light, while providing views of the surrounding landscape. Students will learn in nearly 40 teaching spaces including classrooms, teaching labs, and lecture halls, as well as a teaching observatory and a makerspace, and they will have access to a variety of individual and group study spaces. In addition, Penn Discovery Commons will have the capacity to house more than 20 advanced experimental labs, and will foster collaboration among some 350 scientists housed there through a variety of appealing common spaces. The building project is a major philanthropic priority for both the School of Arts & Sciences and the University.

When it opens, Penn Discovery Commons “will be the largest academic, classroom, and research building in Penn’s history,” said University Architect Mark Kocent. “Its scale has been carefully crafted to respect and harmonize with the context of the historic Palestra and Franklin Field, as well as the Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology.”

That placement is intentional, anchoring a cohesive complex on the eastern edge of campus aimed at encouraging innovation. Dean Trodden said the multi-year endeavor ultimately represents the future of science at Penn. “Penn Discovery Commons is an investment not simply in a building,” he said, “but in the people and discoveries that building will make possible.”

Provost John L. Jackson, Jr. and Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Laura W. Perna announce this year’s Ivy Plus Leadership Fellows of the Faculty Advancement Network, a consortium of seven research universities collaborating to advance excellence at scale through a thriving professoriate. Senior Vice Provost Perna and Senior Vice President for Institutional Affairs Joann Mitchell serve as Penn’s Steering Committee members for the Faculty Advancement Network. 

Penn’s Ivy Plus Provost Leadership Fellows will participate in the Ivy Plus Faculty Advancement Network Institute on Faculty Voice and Collaborative Leadership, a year-long program that brings together faculty from leading research universities to explore faculty leadership, institutional decision-making, communication, and collaborative approaches to strengthening academic communities. 

This year’s Ivy Plus Provost Leadership Fellows are: 

• Philip T. Gressman, professor of mathematics in the School of Arts & Sciences, who studies the intersection of harmonic analysis and geometry, including geometric averaging operators, oscillatory integrals, and applications to partial differential equations.
• E. James Petersson, professor of chemistry in the School of Arts & Sciences, who develops chemical tools to study protein structure and function, with a focus on protein folding, neurodegenerative diseases, and the development of novel therapeutic peptides.
• Elly R. Truitt,  the Janice and Julian Bers Professor and chair of the history and sociology of science in the School of Arts & Sciences, who studies the history of science and technology in medieval Europe, with particular attention to scientific instruments and the exchange of scientific knowledge across cultures.
• Aleksandra Vojvodic, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, who studies computational materials design, with a focus on developing new catalysts for chemical transformations and energy conversion.

This year’s Ivy Plus Praxis Leadership Fellow is Margo Natalie Crawford, the Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Professor for Faculty Excellence and professor of English in the School of Arts & Sciences, who studies African American literature and visual art and black diasporic cultural movements. The three-year Ivy Plus Praxis Leadership Fellowship explores opportunities for advancing the humanities at Penn and beyond.

Dolores Albarracín, the Amy Gutmann Penn Integrates Knowledge (PIK) University Professor, has received two new National Institutes of Health (NIH) awards to develop and test innovative interventions that use artificial intelligence, communication science, and community engagement to address pressing public health challenges. She is a faculty member in the Annenberg School for Communication and the department of psychology in the School of Arts & Sciences, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, and director of the center’s communication science division.

Together, the five-year awards provide more than $1.69 million in first-year funding, including $885,939 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and $812,484 from the National Institute of Mental Health. 

“Testing the Effectiveness of a Remote Intervention to Reduce Infection Risk in Rural Areas of the United States” will evaluate a virtual intervention designed to reduce HIV, hepatitis C, and overdose risks in rural communities affected by substance use. The project builds on Dr. Albarracín’s earlier work with rural communities in Appalachia and the Midwest, increasing health service use and well-being and reducing the stigma of substance use in these areas.

The five-year study will bring together people who have recently used substances and members of the broader community in facilitated online groups aimed at increasing social integration, reducing stigma, and promoting healthier behaviors. The researchers will test an artificial intelligence-powered “co-pilot” designed to train and support community facilitators who lead these groups.

“This national rural project is an opportunity to rigorously test a new generation of evidence-based interventions that are ambitious in both their reach and their design,” said Dr. Albarracín. “We’re using AI agents, developed from analyses of the intervention conversations, to train and support facilitators, with the goal of making an effective, complex intervention scalable across rural communities.”

Dr. Albarracín’s co-investigators are Man-Pui Sally Chan, a research associate professor in the Annenberg School; Laura Starbird, an assistant professor of family and community health in the School of Nursing; Qi Long, a professor of biostatistics in the department of biostatistics and epidemiology in the Perelman School of Medicine; and Tianlong Chen, an assistant professor of computer science at UNC Chapel Hill.

“Adaptive, Regionally- and Individually-Tailored, AI-Based Intervention to Increase HIV Testing and Prevention in Philadelphia,” a collaboration with the City of Philadelphia, will focus on increasing HIV testing and access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among men who have sex with men. 

The five-year study is co-led by Dr. Albarracín and José A. Bauermeister, the Albert M. Greenfield Professor of Human Relations at Penn’s School of Nursing. Dr. Chan and Dr. Starbird are co-investigators.

The team will evaluate whether AI-generated, regionally and individually tailored social media and text-message outreach can increase routine HIV testing, improve engagement with PrEP, and support other HIV-prevention outcomes. The intervention will be tested alongside the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s existing HIV-prevention campaign, Philly Keep On Loving.

“Our partnership with the Department of Public Health gives us a unique opportunity to generate scientific evidence while strengthening real-world implementation by combining community engagement, AI-enabled personalization, and public health practice,” Dr. Albarracín said. 

Dr. Bauermeister agrees: “People’s decisions about HIV testing and prevention are shaped by their individual circumstances as well as the communities and environments in which they live,” he said. “By combining AI-enabled tailoring with community and public health expertise, we can learn how to deliver the right information and services to the right people at the right time.”

Together, the awards reflect Dr. Albarracín’s ongoing efforts to understand how communication, social relationships, and emerging technologies can be harnessed to improve public health and expand access to evidence-based prevention and care.

Dimes will be turned into dollars again this season as Penn Medicine and the Philadelphia 76ers continue to support local grassroots organizations through donations tied to on-court assists. For the third year in a row, the Assists for Safe Communities program will facilitate the donation of $76 for every pass by a 76er that leads to points. On November 2, the program announced the six new recipient organizations for the 2026-27 season.

• As I Plant the Seed—A North Philadelphia group offering multiple services to families, including mental health support, educational programs, and job skills training
• 5 Shorts Project of CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia—An organization focused on providing under-resourced communities with the ability and equipment to create media that reflects their lives
• Boss Impact Academy—A multi-program organization with a focus on providing mentorship for children in Camden County
• Diamond Beauty Academy—A training program that seeks to provide young people from under-resourced communities with the tools to embark on steady careers in beauty, hair, and fashion industries
• Mentor Leaders Produce Mentor Leaders—A mentorship program for children and young adults that seeks to provide leadership, literacy, and life skills to its mentees
• A New Dawn Incorporated—A community gardening/farming operation that uses trauma-informed approaches and focuses on sustainability, technology, and community wellness

Last season, the 76ers recorded 2,019 assists, which raised more than $153,000 to be split among the previous class of organizations.

“It’s always exciting to welcome a new cohort of organizations because we know how impactful this program has been—not only in terms of the financial support awarded, but also in elevating their missions and forging connections,” said Ajeenah Amir, director of civic engagement & community partnerships at Penn Medicine. “The work that’s done by these committed groups, supported by Assists for Safe Communities, is crucially important to the health and well-being of our region.”

Assists for Safe Communities began in the 2024-25 basketball season to support organizations that, while differing in their missions and approaches, each move toward a goal of eliminating violence and improving the lives of people across the Philadelphia region.

“Together with Penn Medicine, we are proud to continue growing our Assists for Safe Communities program and advancing awareness around violence prevention,” said Mike Goings, vice president of social responsibility and fan development for the Philadelphia 76ers. “Now in its third year, we have seen firsthand how this initiative has expanded its reach and created meaningful impact throughout our communities. We are excited to welcome this new group of recipients this season and drive positive change in our community.”

Several 76ers players will once again participate with recipient organizations, matching their interests and passions with the missions of the organizations. For example, participants in Free All Minds Academy, a beneficiary organization from the 2025-26 class, were able to attend a panel with Sixers star VJ Edgecombe and Rodney Babb, a violence recovery specialist at Penn Medicine, about mental health and overcoming adversity.

“The Philadelphia 76ers and Penn Medicine’s generosity helped us serve 20 percent more students this year, bringing mentorship and educational support to young men who might otherwise go without it,” said Riccardo Dale, the executive director of Free All Minds Academy. “Their investment is opening doors and showing our young men that their futures matter.”

Assists for Safe Communities remains one of the centerpieces of the Penn Medicine-76ers partnership.

Since becoming partners in 2022, Penn Medicine and the 76ers have collaborated on community-boosting efforts such as the promotion of physical activity, support of neighborhood safety efforts, and contributions to revitalization efforts in the Greater Philadelphia region.

Charles H. (Chuck) Bronk, who held several facilities-related administrative positions in the School of Arts & Sciences and its biology department, died on October 11, 2026 from pancreatic cancer. He was 79. 

Mr. Bronk joined Penn in 1970 as a graduate student in Ralph Erickson’s lab, where he trained in plant biology, applying quantitative analysis to plant morphology and plant growth. He then assumed the roles of greenhouse supervisor and facilities manager for the department of biology before becoming executive director of SAS’s department of facilities planning and operations. There, Mr. Bronk confronted challenges associated with the aging infrastructure of Leidy Labs buildings and helped new faculty members set up their research labs, often on limited budgets. Creatively, he frequented a local U.S. Army Surplus Depot to find high-end used equipment at a fraction of its normal cost. His knowledge of such equipment and his understanding of research requirements, based on his own research background, were helpful, and he combined his knowledge of science with his experience in facilities management during the planning of new science buildings, including the Carolyn Hoff Lynch Laboratory, the Singh Center for Nanotechnology, and the Neural and Behavioral Sciences Building. He ended his career at Penn back in biology, representing SAS as project manager in the installation of a new HVAC system in Leidy Labs.

Mr. Bronk retired to Tinmouth, Vermont in 2015 and devoted time to local community service. There, he was involved in local singing groups, conservation, education, and general fundraising using his background in science and construction to help guide student programs and small construction projects.

Mr. Bronk is survived by his wife, Tracy-lea Byford; his sons and daughter; and seven grandchildren. Donations in his memory may be made to the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge in Boston.

Nelson Dorny, professor emeritus of electrical and systems engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, died on October 2, 2026. He was 89. 

As the first in his family to attend college, Dr. Dorny studied electrical engineering at the University of Maryland before serving a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He continued his education at Brigham Young University, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1961. He then completed a master’s degree in 1962 and a doctorate in 1965 at Stanford University, funded by a National Science Foundation Fellowship.

After finishing his PhD, Dr. Dorny joined Penn’s faculty in 1965. There, he and colleague Kenneth Fegley developed Penn’s systems engineering curriculum during the reorganization of what was formerly known as the Moore School. Drs. Dorny and Fegley were charged with building the department of systems engineering, one of the first of its kind in the nation. They collaborated to develop several new courses and management structures, which still underpin the department’s work today. Dr. Dorny also authored two substantial engineering textbooks, each approximately 700 pages long. 

Dr. Dorny was a renowned and well-loved teacher. “His students recognized the difference. At Penn, students frequently gathered in the hallway outside his office, waiting for opportunities to speak with him—not simply about equations or engineering problems, but about decisions, difficulties, and the direction of their lives,” said his family in an online tribute. “One graduating Ph.D. student told him, ‘I learned more about how to be an effective professor from watching you than from all my other academic activity.’” He received Penn Engineering’s S. Reid Warren Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1996 (Almanac May 14, 1996).

Outside of his teaching duties, Dr. Dorny also served in several leadership roles at Penn. He served on committees of the University Council, including the Student Affairs Committee. In 1979, he was named associate dean of engineering for undergraduate education, and a year later, he was appointed chair of the systems engineering department. Dr. Dorny retired from Penn in 2003 and took emeritus status. 

Dr. Dorny’s expertise was in system theory and system methodology, specifically in probability and statistics, applied mathematics, optimization theory, linear system theory, control theory, computer simulation, and numerical solution of partial differential equations. His research focused on system integration, integrated manufacturing, robotics, and automation. Dr. Dorny received many honors over his career for his research, including being selected by President Richard Nixon as one of fourteen White House Fellows in 1969. During this role, Dr. Dorny served as special assistant to Secretary of Agriculture Clifford Hardin.

Dr. Dorny is survived by his children Brett (Joyce), Jonathan (Alexis), Jennifer, and Christopher (Heather); along with their families.

--

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.

The following is published in accordance with the Faculty Senate Rules. Among other purposes, the publication of SEC actions is intended to stimulate discussion among the constituencies and their representatives. Please communicate your comments to J. Patrick Walsh in the Senate Office by emailing senate@pobox.upenn.edu.

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Actions
Wednesday, November 4, 2026

Tri-Chairs’ Report. Faculty Senate chair Roy Hamilton shared information with SEC members regarding upcoming University events and Faculty Senate activities. 

Update from the Office of the Provost. Provost John L. Jackson, Jr., offered brief updates and responded to questions regarding procedural aspects of the ongoing review of the Guidelines on Open Expression and on issues related to faculty compensation. 

The Future of Research Funding. Several guests joined the meeting: David Meaney, Vice Provost for Research; Kristen Molloy, PSOM corporate director of government and community relations; Michael Ostap, PSOM Senior Vice Dean and Chief Scientific Officer; and Leigh Whitaker, Vice President for Government and Community Affairs.

Proposed Revisions to the Guidelines on Open Expression. Kathy Boesze-Battaglia, chair of the Committee on Open Expression (COE), described the process undertaken by COE to revise the Guidelines on Open Expression, which were last updated in 1993. Professor Boesze-Battaglia also described the major changes proposed to the 1993 guidelines and responded to feedback from SEC members. Comments by all members of the Penn community are accepted via this form or by email to openexpression@pobox.upenn.edu by December 7 and at any of the three listening sessions planned during the week of November 16. All responses are sent directly to the COE.

Presidential Search Committee. Professor Hamilton shared an update on the matter of faculty engagement with the Presidential Search Committee. An ad hoc committee will be formed to clarify and articulate the SEC position on the current presidential search and its hopes for the future search processes.

An annual meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held on Thursday and Friday, November 12-13, 2026.

The meeting schedule is as follows:

Thursday, November 12, 2026
10–11:15 a.m.—Education Committee
1:45-3 p.m.—Budget and Finance Committee
1:45-3 p.m.—Research Committee
3:30-5:15 p.m.—External Affairs Committee
4-5:15 p.m.—Frontiers Committee

Friday, November 13, 2026
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.—Stated Meeting of the Trustees

The agenda will be posted at https://secretary.upenn.edu/trustees-governance/open-trustee-meeting. Please contact the Office of the University Secretary at (215) 898-7005 or ofc-sec@pobox.upenn.edu with questions regarding Trustees meetings.

Matthew Atherton, an assistant professor of immuno-oncology and member of the Penn Vet Cancer Center, has received the 2026 Zoetis Award for Veterinary Research Excellence. 

Established in 1985, the award recognizes researchers whose outstanding scientific effort and productivity foster veterinary achievement. Dr. Atherton was honored with the award during the 32nd annual Penn Vet Research Retreat on October 23. 

Dr. Atherton’s research centers on harnessing the immune system to treat cancer in dogs. Since establishing his lab in 2022, Dr. Atherton and his team has focused on hematologic (blood) cancers, developing therapies that use a patient’s own T cells, including engineered canine CAR-T cells designed to find and destroy cancer cells. Immune therapies have transformed outcomes for many human cancer patients, but they are not yet widely available in veterinary medicine. Dr. Atherton’s work aims to change that for dogs treated at Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital. His most advanced platform targets histiocytic sarcoma, an aggressive blood cancer in dogs and people alike, and is poised to enter clinical trials in veterinary medicine. Because Dr. Atherton’s approach compares across species, what his team learns about optimizing immune therapies in dogs may also improve treatment for people with aggressive cancers. 

“Dr. Atherton is expanding what is possible in veterinary oncology, bringing a new class of cancer therapies to the field,” said Susan Volk, the Corinne R. and Henry Bower Professor of Surgery at Penn Vet. “Immunotherapies have changed outcomes for many people with cancer, and his work on CAR T cells for dogs is helping close that gap in veterinary medicine. This award recognizes research that is not only scientifically rigorous but poised to change what we can offer our veterinary cancer patients and optimize immunotherapies in all patients.”  

Jiyoun Song, an assistant professor in Penn Nursing’s department of biobehavioral health sciences, has been elected a fellow of the American Medical Informatics Association (FAMIA), a national distinction recognizing professional achievement and leadership in applied informatics. Dr. Song is one of 43 professionals named to the 2027 class. The recognition reflects Dr. Song’s contributions to advancing the application of informatics in nursing and healthcare and a sustained commitment to AMIA and the broader informatics community.

At Penn Nursing, Dr. Song leads several federally-funded research projects that use advanced multimodal AI to analyze nursing and real-world health data, generate clinically meaningful insights, and translate those findings into improved care and patient outcomes. Dr. Song also co-leads the Innovation & Technology Workgroup of the Penn Nursing–Penn Medicine Academic Practice Partnership, helping guide the evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies and AI in clinical practice and education.

Dr. Song is also a faculty member of the NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, an innovation fellow of the Penn Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratory for Healthy Aging, and a senior fellow of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics. She will be formally inducted alongside the rest of the 2027 class on April 14 during the AMIA Amplify Informatics Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

This year’s Stockholm Prize in Criminology has been awarded to the department of criminology’s Anthony Braga in recognition of his significant work and contributions to his field. Widely considered the highest honor worldwide of its kind, the award is akin to the Nobel Prize for criminologists.

Accompanied by more than $100,000, the Stockholm Prize is “awarded for outstanding achievements in criminological research or for the application of research results by practitioners for the reduction of crime and the advancement of human rights.” Dr. Braga, the Jerry Lee Professor of Criminology in the School of Arts & Sciences, will share the award with his colleague David Kennedy, a professor of criminal justice at the City University of New York. They are recognized for their development of focused deterrence, a strategy that blends community mobilization, social service, and law enforcement actions to prevent violent behavior.

Dr. Braga additionally serves as director of Penn’s Crime and Justice Policy Lab (CJP), which promotes evidence-based strategies that reduce gun violence in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Oakland, and other cities across the country. David Kirk, a professor of criminology and department chair, said the honor is “a well-deserved recognition of Anthony’s longstanding work using rigorous science to identify and implement solutions to crime.” In particular, he points to the efforts coming out of CJP, which “exemplify Penn’s commitment to enhancing the social good through collaboration with communities and government partners.”

The Stockholm Prize is determined by a jury of distinguished criminologists and practitioners of criminology. Though public announcement of the award comes in November, Dr. Braga will receive the honor at the Stockholm Criminology Symposium in June 2027. The honor is typically presented by Queen Silvia of Sweden during a ceremony at the symposium.

Liang Feng, Robert Riggleman and Deep Jariwala of Penn Engineering have been elected fellows of the American Physical Society (APS), recognizing their contributions to physics and its applications in photonics, materials science and emerging technologies.

The APS fellowship is awarded by peers for outstanding contributions to physics through original research, technological innovation, education or service. Each year, no more than one half of one percent of APS members, excluding student members, are elected fellows.

Liang Feng, a professor of materials science and engineering (MSE) and electrical and systems engineering (ESE), is recognized for “pioneering contributions to non-Hermitian and topological photonics and to structured light, enabling new approaches for controlling light in integrated photonic systems and applications in communication and quantum technologies.” Dr. Feng’s long-term goal is to make devices that can direct and process optical signals for applications such as high-speed communications and computing. 

“This recognition keeps me motivated to continue doing what we have always done in our lab, which is pursuing world-class research that pushes the boundaries of optics, photonics and laser science and to shape the future,” said Dr. Feng.

Robert Riggleman, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering (CBE), is recognized for “revealing how molecular structure and dynamics control phase behavior, glassy relaxation, deformation, and failure in polymer nanocomposites and polymer glasses; and for establishing simulation approaches that connect molecular insights with materials behavior.” His work examines how these materials respond to changes in temperature, deform under stress, and ultimately fail. He has also developed computational approaches that connect molecular-scale processes to the macroscopic behavior of materials.

“Polymers and soft materials shape everything from car parts and gas-separation membranes to the proteins that organize our cells,” said Dr. Riggleman. “By simulating how molecules move and interact, we can connect what happens at the molecular scale to larger questions, like why one material is brittle while another is tough, and use those insights to guide the design of new materials. This recognition helps to motivate that work and highlights the importance of theory and simulation in guiding experimental research and building new collaborations. It is also a group effort, recognizing my fellow Penn Engineering researchers and students I’ve been fortunate to work with.”

Deep Jariwala, the Peter and Susanne Armstrong Distinguished Scholar and an associate professor of ESE and MSE, is recognized for “pioneering contributions to the physics and technology of ferroelectric nitrides—advancing them from newly discovered materials to commercially viable memory technology—and for creating excitonic metamaterials from van der Waals semiconductors, which have applications in nanophotonics.” 

“This recognition helps establish ferroelectric nitrides as a serious technology for next-generation memory and computing, not just an interesting materials discovery,” said Dr. Jariwala. “By enabling memory devices that can also compute, our work could reduce the energy and time spent moving data inside computers, with potential applications ranging from AI to electronics operating in extreme environments. I’m excited to keep advancing this technology toward larger-scale integration, while also exploring how excitonic metamaterials developed at Penn Engineering could enable new approaches to photodetection and light modulation. Most importantly, this recognition reflects the work of the students, postdocs and collaborators who built these research programs with us.”

The election of these APS fellows reflects Penn Engineering’s strength in advancing fundamental discoveries and translating them into technologies with real-world impact. Together, these Penn faculty members’ work spans new ways to control light, understand complex materials and develop next-generation electronic devices, with implications for faster communications, more capable computing systems and emerging technologies.

The Arthur Ross Gallery’s fall exhibition, At Liberty: Life in the City of Brotherly Love During the Early Republic, asks visitors to consider the role of visual culture in creating collective conceptions of Philadelphia and its residents, including America’s first international celebrity Benjamin Franklin, in the decades just before and after the nation’s founding. The objects in the exhibition are on loan from several cultural institutions, the Penn Art Collection and Pennsylvania Hospital, as well as several cultural institutions, including the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Winterthur Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The 41 works on view—including paintings, prints, drawings, and sculpture—portray notable figures alongside depictions of daily life in Philadelphia.

In addition to historical pictures and objects from the 18th and 19thcenturies, the exhibition will include images of the era made to celebrate important national anniversaries, such as the marking of America’s 150th in 1926, through to the present moment, inviting exploration of Philadelphia, the birthplace of the nation and its first capital.

The artworks include a recently restored portrait of British abolitionist Samuel Romilly by artist Gilbert Stuart that hung for many years in Penn’s Houston Hall. Two rarely seen works by the American-born, English-trained painter Benjamin West, given to Pennsylvania Hospital in the 18th century, also have received special conservation work to prepare them for exhibition. A suite of drawings by the German-born painter John Lewis Krimmel depicting typical street scenes from around 1813 complements selected plates from William Birch’s “Views of Philadelphia” published a decade earlier.

Other highlights include several portraits of Penn’s founder Benjamin Franklin, painted by artists who were active in the era of the Revolution, including Charles Willson Peale. The exhibition includes works by three members of Philadelphia’s famous Peale family of artists. Student-created videos from Drexel University’s Digital Peale Project present a fresh, contemporary take on the historical material, aided by digital visualization tools and artificial intelligence.

On view through December 13, the exhibition is curated by Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw, inaugural faculty director of the Arthur Ross Gallery and the James and Nan Farquhar Professor of the History of Art in the School of Arts & Sciences. Penn students will be available in the gallery to provide guided tours on most Saturdays and Sundays from noon-3 p.m., and Wednesdays from 4-6 p.m.

Penn Lifelong Learning Lecture: On Wednesday, November 11, noon-1 p.m. online, join exhibition curator Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw and Lynn Smith Dolby, director of the Penn Art Collection, for a virtual exhibition tour, followed by a Q&A. Register here.

Artist Talk: On Thursday, October 22, 5 p.m. in the gallery, conceptual artist Eileen Neff will preview a photographic installation, Through That Which Is Seen, in a lecture. This project explores the history of dioramas from Peale’s Museum to the current renovations being undertaken at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. Register here.

Curators’ Conversation: At Liberty: On Saturday, November 14, 2-4 p.m. in the Arthur Ross Gallery, join curator Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw for a conversation about exhibiting early American art and history during “America 250,” with Penn Arts & Sciences alumnae Sylvia Yount, G’90 and GR’95, the Lawrence A. Fleischman Curator in Charge of the American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Jill Vaum Rothschild, G’14, GR’21, associate curator of fine and decorative art at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. The panel will be followed by a tour of the exhibition as part of Penn’s Homecoming Weekend activities. Register here.

Film Screening and Q&A: A film screening of Becoming American: Philadelphia’s Story on Sunday, December 6 from 2-4 p.m., invites audiences to consider the people, communities, and experiences that shaped Philadelphia and the emerging nation.

How do we understand the founding of the United States, and whose stories shape our understanding of this pivotal period in American history? As the nation’s early capital, Philadelphia was a center of political debate, cultural exchange, and social change. The film examines the city’s complex history and the diverse individuals and communities whose experiences complicate and enrich traditional narratives of American independence and nationhood.

Together, the film and exhibition offer an opportunity to reflect on life in early America, the ideals and contradictions at the heart of the nation’s founding, and the many perspectives that continue to shape how this history is understood today.

Following the screening, guests are invited to stay for a Q&A discussion with host and executive producer, Oliver St. Clair Franklin. A light reception in the lobby will follow. This event is co-sponsored by Penn’s Center for Africana Studies.

At Liberty: Life in the City of Brotherly Love During the Early Republic is curated by Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw, inaugural faculty director of the Arthur Ross Gallery, and the James and Nan Farquhar Professor of the History of Art. The exhibition is supported by the Wyeth Foundation for American Art, and the Philadelphia Cultural Fund.

How can we advance primary care where it matters most: in the communities we serve? During Homecoming 2026, Penn Nursing will bring together leaders, alumni, and experts for Practicing Where It Matters Most: The Future of Community-Based Primary Care, the inaugural Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program Symposium.

All members of the Penn community, practitioners, students, community organizations, and more are welcome. Participants are invited to attend the full-day experience or register for select sessions.

Morning Session (9:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.)

• 9:30-10:45 a.m.—The Future of Community-Based Primary Care: Federal Perspectives Fireside Conversation between Donna E. Shalala, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Winifred Quinn 
• 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.—The Future of Community-Based Primary Care: A PA Commonwealth Perspective

Afternoon Session (1:30-6 p.m.)

• 1:45-4 p.m.—Interactive breakout sessions—topics to be shared soon
• 4:15-5:15 p.m.—Panel: From Pioneers to Innovators: The Past, Present, and Future Impact of Nurse Practitioners, featuring a tribute to the late Joan E. Lynaugh
• 5:15 p.m.—Closing Reception

Register here: Practicing Where It Matters Most: The Future of Community-Based Primary Care (Homecoming 2026) • Penn Nursing

The 2026 David and Lyn Silfen University Forum, 150 Years of Penn Women: Progress and the Path Forward, will be a timely discussion with a distinguished panel of trailblazing leaders and scholars: Former Penn Presidents Judith Rodin and Ambassador Amy Gutmann; Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker; and Virginia M-Y Lee. The event will be moderated by Penn Trustee Emerita Andrea Mitchell, NBC News’ Chief Washington and Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, with welcoming remarks by Penn President J. Larry Jameson.

Today, women make up more than half of the University of Pennsylvania’s student body and over forty percent of the standing faculty. Women hold leadership roles across campus and the health system and contribute groundbreaking research and life-changing teaching in nearly every field. These strides would have been difficult to imagine in 1876, when two women were the first to enroll as special students at what is now Penn Engineering.

That same year, Philadelphia hosted America’s Centennial Exhibition and World’s Fair, featuring innovations like the telephone, and Susan B. Anthony and Cady Stanton presented the Declaration of Rights of the Women of the United States at Independence Hall. Against this backdrop of dizzying social, political, and economic change, women were still denied the vote. Their full participation on university campuses remained fiercely contested.

At the150-year anniversary of women’s achievement at Penn, the University celebrates extraordinary progress. Society is once again changing rapidly, however, and equal representation and opportunity remain elusive in many sectors, including the highest levels of government and corporate leadership. As institutions like Penn educate and launch generations of exceptional women, and as Penn women faculty advance in their fields, where has most progress been made and where has it stalled? Why have certain sectors advanced more rapidly than others? How can universities further strengthen the pipeline for female talent while advancing practices that lead to lasting change in the world? What will the next 150 years look like for Penn women?

Registration is full, but check here in case seats open up due to cancellations. The event will take place at Harrison Auditorium in Penn Museum. Penn ID will be required for entry. No bags will be permitted inside the auditorium.

Conferences 

13 Cinema & Media Studies: Methods & Practices; invites graduate students and early-career scholars to reflect on the diverse methods and practices in and beyond “cinema and media studies”; participants will explore how different methodological approaches shape the questions we ask, the materials we work with, and the ways we conduct research in and outside academia; 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; room 623, Williams Hall; RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/cinema-conf-nov-13 (Cinema & Media Studies).  

Learning & Workshops 

11 Philadelphia Drug Discovery Forum; will connect scientists from academia, biopharma, and government to advance drug discovery, from target identification to clinical candidates; 4-6 p.m.; Caplan Auditorium, Wistar Institute; register: https://tinyurl.com/wistar-drug-forum-nov-11 (Wistar Institute).  

14 Trees Around the World Tour; take a tour of the Morris Arboretum’s trees from around the world, including specimens from Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas; 11 a.m.; Morris Arboretum & Gardens; free with arboretum admission (Morris Arboretum & Gardens).  

Penn Libraries 

Various locations. Info: https://www.library.upenn.edu/events.  

12 Coffee with a Codex: Florentine Mohel Book; Kislak Center curator Dot Porter and Judaica special collections cataloging librarian Louis Meiselman will discuss an 18th century Mohel book; noon; online webinar.  

16 Cute But Critical: Create Your Personalized Tech Mascot Plushie; build a cute but critical plushie “mascot” that represents the nuances of technologies in your own life; 2 p.m.; Research Data & Digital Scholarship Exchange, Van Pelt Library.  

Music 

Music Department 

In-person events. Info: https://music.sas.upenn.edu/events. 

11 Opera and Musical Theater Workshop: Aspects of Love—The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber; pairs Lloyd Webber’s iconic melodies with poetry and readings by Shakespeare, Dickinson, Rossetti, Frost, Millay, and Eliot. Together, creating musical and literary works that explore love’s joys, disappointments, memories, and enduring power; 7 p.m.; room 419, Fisher-Bennett Hall.  

12 Penn Jazz Ensembles; performances of early jazz, 1950s jazz, Cuban jazz, vocal jazz, jazz arrangements of current popular music, and other styles by small groups of three to six members that rehearse weekly under the guidance of professional Philadelphia-based jazz musicians; 6 p.m.; room 419, Fisher-Bennett Hall.  

Readings & Signings 

19 Powers of Judgment: Hannah Arendt’s Moral and Legal Philosophy; David Luban, Georgetown Law; 4:30-6 p.m.; PCPSE; register: https://tinyurl.com/book-talk-nov-19 (CERL, Katz Center, Philosophy). 

Special Events 

13 Paint The Dance Floor: Cut Up; ICA’s annual dance party headlined by Bearcat, a London-born DJ, producer, and performance artist; a night born out of DIY spaces in West Philadelphia prioritizing queer, black, and brown experimental club DJs and artists; 7 p.m.; Institute of Contemporary Art; register: https://tinyurl.com/ica-dance-party-nov-13 (ICA).  

Talks 

10 Persistent Search-and-Rescue with LLM-Orchestrated Teams via Time-Varying Ergodic Search; Victoria Tuck, electrical & systems engineering; Matrix Multiplication via Topology Optimization Using the Eikonal Equation; Christopher Israel, electrical & systems engineering; noon; room 313, Singh Center for Nanotechnology (Electrical & Systems Engineering).  

    Realizing the Potential of NextG Networks: Real-Time Communications and 5G Scheduler Digital Twins; Kyle Jamieson, Princeton University; 3:30 p.m.; room 414, Gutmann Hall (Computer & Information Science).  

11 Election Roundtable: Results, Analysis, and What Comes Next; John Lapinski, Matt Levendusky, Michele Margolis, and Marc Meredith, political science; noon; Hall of Flags, Houston Hall (Knowledge by the Slice).  

    Health & Care in Wartime: Women and Nursing in the American Revolutionary War; Meg E. Roberts, University of Edinburgh; Kirsten Hammerstrom, University of Maryland; noon; Zoom webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/bates-talk-nov-11 (Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing).  

    Monitoring and Intervening on LLMs’ Thought Processes; Eunsol Choi, New York University; noon; room 414, Gutmann Hall, and Zoom webinar; join: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/97645937545 (AI-Enabled Systems: Safe, Explainable, and Trustworthy Center).  

12 Are Medical Experts Asking Patient Preferences to Do Their Dirty Work? Peter Ubel, Duke University; noon; room 1201, Steinberg-Dietrich Hall, and Zoom webinar; join: https://pennmedicine.zoom.us/j/97830223312 (Leonard Davis Institute).  

    How the Spectrum Limits Convex Regularization; Cynthia Rush, Columbia University; noon; room 414, Gutmann Hall, and Zoom webinar; join: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/98220304722 (IDEAS Center, Penn AI, Statistics & Data Science).  

    The Social Codex of Peer Punishment: Rights, Duties, and Taboos; Irenaeus Wolff, University of Konstanz; 1 p.m.; Zoom webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/wolff-talk-nov-12 (Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics).  

    What Can Bombay Teach London? Rahul Sagar, New York University Adu Dhabi; 4:30 p.m.; room 225, PCPSE (Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy).  

    New Findings on Cancer Immunotherapies for Dogs: Applications in the Clinic & Translational Therapies for Humans; Matthew Atherton, Penn Vet; 6 p.m.; online webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/atherton-talk-nov-12 (Penn Vet).  

16 Disc-o-Fever: Discovering Components and Dynamics of Giardia’s Groovy Attachment Organelle, the Ventral Disc; Scott Dawson, University of California, Davis; noon; room 132, Hill Pavilion, and Zoom webinar; join: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/91485597704 (Penn Vet).  

17 Engineering Inputs, Decoding Brain States: Microscale Mechanics and Machine Learning for Whole-Brain Neuroscience; Hang Lu, Georgia Institute of Technology; 10:15 a.m.; Wu & Chen Auditorium, Levine Hall (Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics).  

    Can ML Methods Design Drugs? Regina Barzilay, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; 3:30 p.m.; room 414, Gutmann Hall (Computer & Information Science). 

    Towards a Phenomenology of Sonic Touch: Anthony Cheung’s Tactile Values (2023); Judith Lochhead, Stony Brook University; 5;15 p.m.; room 101, Lerner Building, and Zoom webinar; join: https://tinyurl.com/lochhead-talk-nov-17 (Music).  

    One Team: The Future of Medical Dental Integration; Elizabeth Powell, community oral health; 5:30 p.m.; Penn Dental Medicine; register: https://tinyurl.com/powell-talk-nov-17 (Penn Dental Medicine).  

    Protest & Progress: Penn’s History of Responding to Sexual Violence; Carol Tracy, Women’s Law Project; Jessica Mertz, Girl Scouts; Nicholas Kumar, Planned Parenthood; 5:30 p.m.; Class of 1978 Orrery Pavilion, Van Pelt Library; register: https://libcal.library.upenn.edu/event/17932148 (Penn Libraries).  

    Beat the Clock: Can You Save Social Security? Thomas Fodor, Across the Aisle; 7 p.m.; room 225, PCPSE; register: https://tinyurl.com/fodor-talk-nov-17 (Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy). 

GRASP Lab 

Info: https://www.grasp.upenn.edu/events/.  

11 Rethinking Robot Autonomy: The Case for Online Optimization; Jon Arrizabalaga, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; 3 p.m.; room 307, Levine Hall.  

This is an update to the November AT PENN calendar, which is online now. To submit events for an upcoming AT PENN calendar or weekly update, email almanac@upenn.edu.  

Division of Public Safety 
University of Pennsylvania Police Department Crime Report 

About the Crime Report: Below are the Crimes Against Persons and/or Crimes Against Property from the campus report for October 26-November 1, 2026. The Crime Reports are available at: https://almanac.upenn.edu/sections/crimes. Prior weeks’ reports are also online. –Eds. 

This summary is prepared by the Division of Public Safety (DPS) and contains all criminal incidents reported and made known to the Penn Police, including those reported to the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) that occurred within our patrol zone, for the dates of October 26-November 1, 2026. The Penn Police actively patrol from Market Street to Baltimore Avenue and from 30th Street 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 DPS at (215) 898-7297. You may view the daily crime log on the DPS website. 

Penn Police Patrol Zone  
Market Street to Baltimore Avenue and from 30th Street to 43rd Street 

Philadelphia Police 18th District  
Schuylkill River to 49th Street & Market Street to Woodland Avenue 

Below are the Crimes Against Persons from the 18th District: 9 incidents were reported for October 26-November 1, 2026 by the 18th District, covering the Schuylkill River to 49th Street & Market Street to Woodland Avenue. 

The Division of Public Safety offers resources and support to the Penn community. DPS developed a few helpful risk reduction strategies outlined below. Know that it is never the fault of the person impacted (victim/survivor) by crime. 

• See something concerning? Connect with Penn Public Safety 24/7 at (215) -573-3333. 

• Worried about a friend’s or colleague’s mental or physical health? Get 24/7 connection to appropriate resources at (215) 898-HELP (4357). 

• Seeking support after experiencing a crime? Call Special Services - Support and Advocacy resources at (215) 898-4481 or email an advocate at specialservices@publicsafety.upenn.edu 

• Use the Walking Escort and Riding services available to you free of charge. 

• Take a moment to update your cellphone information for the UPennAlert Emergency Notification System 

• Download the Penn Guardian App which can help Police better find your location when you call in an emergency. 

• Access free self-empowerment and defense courses through Penn DPS. 

• Stay alert and reduce distractions; using cellphones, ear buds, etc. may limit your awareness. 

• Orient yourself to your surroundings. (Identify your location, nearby exits, etc.) 

• Keep your valuables out of sight and only carry necessary documents. 

The University of Pennsylvania’s English Language Programs (ELP) have introduced a new Community Tuition Rate to expand access to intensive English language study for eligible residents of Philadelphia and surrounding counties, as well as Penn and Penn Medicine faculty, staff, students, and their eligible dependents.

Designed to support professional, academic, and personal development, the Community Tuition Rate makes Penn’s Intensive English Program more accessible to local learners seeking to strengthen their English communication skills in a university setting.

In addition, ELP now offers a new four-week enrollment option within its intensive program, providing greater flexibility for participants who cannot commit to a full seven-week session. 

Find dates and prices at https://www.elp.upenn.edu/programs/intensive-program/dates-prices. 

Students study alongside learners from around the world while developing speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills and engaging with the Penn community.

For more information, visit https://www.elp.upenn.edu/.

Dear Penn Community,

We have begun our planning for the holiday season. We trust that you are all well, and that you will once again be able to join us in this undertaking during the upcoming holiday season.

The Penn community continues to have a major impact during the holiday season. Your generosity and concern is most valued.

Below is a list of current opportunities. These opportunities are special in that they are designed to bring joy during the holidays. I look forward to working with you as we make a difference in the lives of our beloved community. 

Thank you so very much for your continued generosity. Your contributions allows us to respond to various request from local agencies, and families for donations during the holiday season.  

Thank you for all you do.

—Isabel Sampson-Mapp, 
Associate Director and Director, Penn Volunteers In Public Service, Netter Center

Holiday Food Drive Through November 13

In the season of thanks and giving, please contribute to the Annual Food Drive at the University coordinated by Penn VIPS. We are collecting non-perishable foods (cans and boxed foods) as well as turkeys.

Donations will re-stock pantries at the Salvation Army, Southwest Family Services, the People’s Emergency Center, and local schools, as well as help many deserving families in the area.

Please take donated items to one of our conveniently located drop sites listed below:

Please contact one of the drop site committee members listed below for more information: 

Holiday Giving With Penn Volunteers In Public Service-Gift/Toy Drive/Sneaker Drive: December 1-16

Please join us in the Annual Penn Volunteers In Public Service Holiday Drive. As you buy toys and presents for the holiday season, please consider spreading some cheer to deserving members of our community. All toys and gifts donated will support the efforts of the People’s Emergency Center, Potter’s Mission, Southwest Family Services, local schools, and many more local organizations. New sneakers will benefit Otley House and other local shelters.

All items for the holiday drive must be new, unused and unwrapped. 

Please contact one of the drop site committee members listed above for additional information.

Penn Volunteers In Public Service-Adopt A Family for the Holidays Program

During the holidays in December, departments from across the University “adopt” a deserving family. The department provides the family with toys, food, and gifts so that they too can have a joyous holiday. The adoption is usually done in lieu of departmental gift exchanges. The assigned family is treated to presents and sometimes a holiday dinner. Families participate in the program on a one-time basis. Families are assigned to departments based on requests. Departments choose the size of the family they would like to adopt, and can also request the ages of the children they are interested in adopting.

Departments may request a “wish list” from the family or they may choose their own gifts for the family members. Departments choose the number and types of gifts they will provide. Departments are provided with size of the family, names, ages, and sizes of each family member, and a wish list if requested.

Departments are encouraged to deliver gifts to the families, but they may also request to have gifts delivered. Also, if departments would like to use services like Amazon, gifts can be shipped directly to the family.

Eligibility: Families are selected from the Baring House Family Service Agency, local agencies and shelters. A small number of referrals are also accepted.

Dates: Selection of families begins in November and assignments are made starting in November and ending in mid-December.

Contact Isabel Mapp at (215) 898-2020 or send an email: sammapp@pobox.upenn.edu for additional information and /or to volunteer for this program. 

Become a Drop Site Volunteer

Participate in the four annual drives held by Penn Volunteers In Public Service (Penn VIPS) to benefit members of the surrounding community.

We are in need of locations around the University that can serve a drop-off point during our school, toy, gift drives as well as others. 

Your role would be to help advertise the event and to collect as well as deliver the donated items to our central location.

• March—Change Drive
• August—School Supplies Drive
• November—Food Drive
• December—Toy and Gift Drive
• December—New Sneaker Drive for the Homeless

We look forward to having you join us.

Create Your Own Volunteer Activity

Would you and your colleagues or friends like to participate in a volunteer activity? Penn VIPS is happy to connect you to an activity or help you develop one of your own.

Remodeling the Office? 

No longer need that file cabinet or desk? Want to do something useful with no longer needed items needed by your department that are still in good condition? 

Penn VIPS maintains an extensive list of local agencies, and non-profits in desperate need of your no longer needed items. We connect no longer needed items with members of the community that are happy to put donated items to good use. We can easily make arrangements for pick up. Don’t throw it out! Contact Penn VIPS.

Contact Isabel Mapp at (215) 898-2020 or send an email to sammapp@pobox.upenn.edu for additional information and/or to make a donation.

—Isabel Sampson-Mapp, 
Associate Director and Director, Penn Volunteers In Public Service, Netter Center

Holiday pies by Bon Appétit Catering at Penn are available for order.

Pie flavors include:
$20 Apple Crumb
$22 Pumpkin Chai
$22 Salted Caramel Smores Pie
$22 Sweet Potato Pie
$25 Bourbon Pecan

Pick up dates are 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Monday, November 23 and Tuesday, November 24 at 1920 Lounge & Houston Market at the Market Café. Click here to order online.