October 27, 2026 Volume 73 Issue 12

A $12 million commitment from The Howley Foundation will expand educational opportunities for Philadelphia high school students while strengthening the region’s nursing workforce. The investment builds on the success of the Howley ASPIRE Nurse Scholars Program at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), an innovative pipeline program that encourages and prepares local students for careers in nursing—including covering tuition at La Salle University’s School of Nursing—while helping address one of Pennsylvania’s most pressing workforce needs.

“We are grateful for The Howley Foundation’s steadfast commitment to Penn and the Philadelphia community,” said J. Larry Jameson, President of the University of Pennsylvania. “As a university, we have a responsibility to ensure that talented young people can access the education, mentorship, and career opportunities that allow them to thrive. The Howley ASPIRE Nurse Scholars Program reflects our commitment to fostering opportunity and creating positive impact that extends beyond our campus across the Philadelphia region.”

Established through a partnership among HUP, The Howley Foundation, and La Salle University, the Howley ASPIRE Nurse Scholars Program introduces Philadelphia high school students to careers in nursing beginning in their junior year. Through an enrichment program, students participate in hands-on learning experiences, including shadow days with nurses and other clinicians at HUP. Along the way, they receive academic mentorship and guidance while gaining firsthand insight into the nursing profession as they prepare for college.

“Cultivating the next generation of nurses is central to Penn Medicine’s ethos,” said Jonathan A. Epstein, Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine and Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System. “Through this important investment in the future of nursing, the Howley Foundation is enhancing our ability to address one of healthcare’s greatest needs. We are proud of the success the Howley ASPIRE Nurse Scholars Program has achieved and excited to build on that momentum in the years to come.”

Each year, the program accepts 25 outstanding Philadelphia high school juniors as Howley ASPIRE Nurse Scholars. Since launching in 2022, the program has received 333 applications from students representing 78 Philadelphia high schools. The program is highly competitive; only one in six applicants is accepted, which shows the deep interest and excitement around the field of nursing, as well as the need for a program of this kind to create access.

“The Howley Foundation’s goal has always been to help students reach their full potential, regardless of their economic circumstances,” said Nick Howley, chairman of the Howley Foundation. “The success of the Howley ASPIRE Nurse Scholars Program has reinforced our belief that when young people are given access to education, mentorship, and opportunity, they can achieve extraordinary things for themselves and for their communities.”

After graduating from high school, eligible scholars who choose to continue in the program and pursue a bachelor of science in nursing at La Salle University receive a scholarship that offsets most of the tuition cost, as well as housing and books, funded jointly by the Howley Foundation and Penn Medicine. While enrolled, students apply for paid positions at HUP to gain clinical experience and continue to receive mentorship from HUP nurses and explore the many career pathways available within nursing.

The program’s partnership with La Salle University reflects a deliberate commitment to setting students up for success—pairing a rigorous nursing education with the academic support structures that allow scholars to flourish. The program has also been supportive of the different paths scholars choose if they pursue nursing. For example, scholars who earn admission to other esteemed nursing programs in the region, including Penn and Drexel, are welcome to remain part of the Howley ASPIRE community. The Howley Foundation remains deeply involved in the students’ journey, with Meg Howley, the executive director of the Howley Foundation in the Mid-Atlantic Region, and others regularly joining interviews and programming to help shape a meaningful experience for each scholar.

“The Howley ASPIRE Nurse Scholars Program provides students with a clear path into the nursing profession while fortifying the future nursing workforce,” said Colleen Mattioni, chief nurse executive at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. “From mentorship and clinical experiences to tuition support at La Salle University, every part of the program is designed to prepare students for success. Additionally, HUP nurses have the benefit of building relationships with these students and watching them grow into trusted and dedicated colleagues.”

The renewed commitment comes at a pivotal moment for the initiative. In May 2027, the inaugural cohort of Howley ASPIRE scholars will graduate from La Salle University with bachelor’s degrees in nursing, marking an important milestone for the partnership and for the students. Upon graduation, the Howley scholars can remain employees in nursing roles at Penn Medicine or pursue careers with other health systems.

“The future of healthcare rests, in no small part, on the people who will shape it,” said Kevin B. Mahoney, chief executive officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. “That means thinking differently about how we develop the talent our patients and health system will need. This innovative pipeline program opens the door to nursing earlier and supports scholars as their careers grow. We are proud to partner with the Howley Foundation on an effort that will benefit students, patients, and communities across Philadelphia for years to come.”

The Howley Foundation established the Howley ASPIRE Nurse Scholars Program with a shared vision of expanding educational opportunities and economic mobility for Philadelphia youth while addressing the growing demand for highly educated nurses. Today, that vision is reflected in 80 scholars participating across the program’s high school, college, and employment phases. The new gift will allow the program to continue welcoming additional cohorts of students over the next five years.

Provost John L. Jackson, Jr. and Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Laura W. Perna announce the formation of the Provost’s Working Group to Establish a New Teaching Faculty Track. 

The Working Group will assess options and develop recommendations related to a new full-time teaching faculty track in the associated faculty at Penn, in response to the May 2026 resolution of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee that “recommends the creation of both a new, tiered teaching faculty track and a process to replace the existing full-time lecturer tracks in the academic support staff category that enables current full-time lecturers of all ranks and types the option to shift into this new track, with the goal of Faculty Handbook revision and implementation by the start of the 2027–2028 academic year.” 

It will aim to a) draft language for the Faculty Handbook that identifies the central and distinctive elements of a new track; and b) propose a process by which current full-time lecturers, senior lecturers, and advanced senior lecturers could be considered for the new track. These proposals will be advisory recommendations subject to the University’s established governance processes and to adoption by the individual Schools.

The members of the Working Group are:

• Laura W. Perna, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty; GSE Centennial Presidential Professor, Graduate School of Education, Chair
• David Asch, Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives; John Morgan Professor, Perelman School of Medicine
• Lisa Bellini, Executive Vice Dean and Professor of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine 
• Kathleen M. Brown, Past Chair, Faculty Senate; David Boies Professor of History, School of Arts and Sciences 
• Nelson Flores, Chair, Faculty Senate Committee on Faculty and the Academic Mission; Professor, Graduate School of Education
• Christopher Ittner, EY Professor of Accounting, Wharton School 
• Jeffrey Kallberg, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Music, School of Arts and Sciences
• Catherine McDonald, Nightingale Professor in Honor of Nursing Veterans and Chair, Department of Family and Community Health, School of Nursing 
• Aswin Punathambekar, Special Advisor to the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty; Professor and Associate Dean for Master’s Programs, Annenberg School for Communication 
• Sudev Sheth, Senior Lecturer, Lauder Institute 
• Santosh Venkatesh, Professor of Electrical and Systems Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science 
• Yu Zhang, Professor and Assistant Dean for Faculty Mentorship, School of Dental Medicine 

In fields from medieval literature and politics to artificial intelligence and climate research, the pursuit of knowledge requires the ability to ask questions without knowing the answers, to take paths uncertain of where they may lead. In that vein, the School of Arts & Sciences has launched the Dean’s Horizons Fund. Rather than directing support to a single department, discipline, or initiative, the fund creates a pool of flexible resources that can then go toward projects aimed at bold research directions.

“This approach will allow the school to elevate early or experimental research that often falls outside of traditional funding channels,” said Mark Trodden, Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences and the Thomas S. Gates, Jr. Professor of Physics & Astronomy. “It will create close partnerships between our remarkable faculty and student researchers, allowing them to test and refine the kinds of fresh ideas that lead to major leaps in their fields.”

The fund, which is being built through philanthropic support, represents a new model for donor investment in the school’s research mission and is a key priority of the school’s strategic vision, SAS Horizons: Pathways for a Changing World. The Dean’s Horizons Fund will support several projects each year across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The aim is to seed bold, interdisciplinary work, support faculty at all phases of research—especially those ideas at the earliest stages of development—respond quickly to what’s happening in the world, and lift up PhD students as they ask novel questions and lead us down unexpected roads.

The inaugural call for research proposals is underway.

Dear colleagues,

It is my privilege to recognize this year’s recipients of the Penn Medicine Awards of Excellence, selected by a distinguished committee of faculty from the Perelman School of Medicine. These exceptional individuals reflect the very best of our community and exemplify the extraordinary dedication, achievement, and excellence that define Penn Medicine. I am delighted to invite you to join me in congratulating our distinguished 2026 awardees, whose profiles are highlighted below.

—Jonathan Epstein, 
Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine
Executive Vice President for the Health System

Clinical Awards

Louis Duhring Outstanding Clinical Specialist Award: Laurie Loevner, Professor of Radiology

The Duhring Award recognizes a clinical specialist physician who blends biomedical science, recent advances in clinical research, and insight to provide cutting-edge services to patients and colleagues. The awardee is able to apply clinical knowledge innovatively and creatively and maintains a commitment to patients that goes beyond the norm and exemplifies Penn Medicine’s goal for clinical care and professionalism.

Laurie Loevner is an internationally recognized neuroradiologist whose exceptional clinical expertise has advanced the diagnosis and management of complex neurological and head and neck diseases. A leading authority in head and neck oncologic imaging, she has translated advances in MRI and other imaging techniques into more precise surgical planning, treatment selection, and disease monitoring for patients. Dr. Loevner is also a deeply engaged clinical partner, working closely with multi-disciplinary teams and providing imaging interpretations that help guide complex decisions and expedite care. Through her distinctive patient-facing approach to radiology, extraordinary accessibility to patients and colleagues, and commitment to integrating diagnostic expertise into every stage of care, Dr. Loevner has helped redefine the role of the radiologist as an essential member of the clinical care team.

Sylvan Eisman Outstanding Primary Care Physician Award: Katie McPeak, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

The Eisman Award recognizes a physician in family or general internal medicine, general pediatrics, or obstetrics/gynecology who strives for continuous improvement and the highest quality of practice, while maintaining a commitment to patients that goes beyond the norm and exemplifies the Penn Medicine goals for clinical care, professionalism, and excellence.

Katie McPeak is an exceptional primary care pediatrician whose career has been defined by compassionate, relationship-centered care and a commitment to improving the health of underserved children and families. At CHOP’s Karabots Primary Care Center, she provides comprehensive care while addressing the medical, developmental, behavioral, and social factors that shape each child’s health, building trusted relationships with families that often span many years. Dr. McPeak has also led innovative efforts to integrate social needs screening, improve access to preventive care, and connect families with essential resources across CHOP’s Primary Care Network. Through her dedication to patients, collaborative approach to care, and leadership in improving how primary care is delivered, Dr. McPeak exemplifies the profound impact a primary care physician can have on children, families, and communities.

Luigi Mastroianni, Jr. Clinical Innovator Award: Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas, Associate Professor of Pediatrics

The Mastroianni Award recognizes a physician who has made significant contributions toward the invention and development of new techniques, approaches, procedures, or devices that change medical practice and are of major benefit to patient care.

Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas is a pioneering physician-scientist whose work creates new therapeutic possibilities for children with rare and previously untreatable genetic diseases. Her most groundbreaking achievement was the development and delivery of the first personalized gene-editing therapy for an infant with CPS1 deficiency, demonstrating that a treatment tailored to an individual patient’s genetic variant can move from therapeutic design to clinical use in mere months. Beyond this landmark case, she has built an innovative program spanning gene therapy, precision gene editing, and inherited metabolic disease, while developing the clinical and translational infrastructure needed to bring these advances to patients. Through this work, Dr. Ahrens-Nicklas is establishing a new model for individualized genomic medicine, which will expand life-changing treatment options for patients with ultra-rare diseases.

Alfred Stengel Health System Champion Award: Yevgeniy (Eugene) Gitelman, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine

The Stengel Award recognizes a physician who has made significant contributions toward the clinical integration and efficiency of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, along with demonstrated commitment to the improvement of quality care.

Yevgeniy (Eugene) Gitelman is a physician and clinical informatics leader whose innovations have transformed how clinicians, patients, and information connect across Penn Medicine. Drawing on his experience as a practicing hospitalist and software developer, he has created and led enterprise-wide tools that strengthen care coordination, streamline clinical workflows, reduce administrative burden, and improve access to care. His contributions range from platforms supporting safe patient handoffs and system-wide communication to technologies enabling virtual care, population health outreach, automated workflows, and more effective use of the electronic health record. By combining frontline clinical insight with thoughtful technology and a deeply collaborative approach, Dr. Gitelman has made care delivery across Penn Medicine more connected, efficient, and responsive to the needs of patients and clinicians.

Mentoring/Professionalism Awards

Arthur K. Asbury Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award: Roy Hamilton, Professor of Neurology

The Asbury Award recognizes a faculty member who has fostered the professional development of other faculty by providing inspiring and effective counsel in a manner that enables professional growth and development.

Roy Hamilton is an extraordinary mentor whose generosity, insight, and sustained investment in others have shaped the careers of faculty across Penn. Known for his remarkable accessibility and thoughtful guidance, he helps colleagues navigate pivotal career decisions, refine their scholarship, pursue new opportunities, and develop confidence in their own professional paths. His mentorship extends beyond advice to active sponsorship—connecting faculty with collaborators, leadership roles, speaking opportunities, and resources that enable them to grow and thrive. Equally attentive to the personal demands that accompany academic careers, Dr. Hamilton approaches mentorship with empathy and an understanding of each individual’s goals and circumstances, fostering a culture in which colleagues feel supported, challenged, and empowered.

Duncan Van Dusen Professionalism Award for Faculty: Daphne Owen, Associate Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine

The Van Dusen Award recognizes a faculty member whose respectful approach, integrity, self-awareness, and personal accountability are exemplary of the campaign for the ongoing elevation of the culture at Penn and for the promotion of exceptional patient care experiences.

Daphne Owen is an exceptional physician whose compassion, humility, and personal commitment to patients have made a profound impact on the communities she serves and on her colleagues. In her clinical practice and longstanding work with Puentes de Salud, she cares for patients facing complex medical, financial, linguistic, and social barriers with an approach grounded in dignity, careful listening, and trust. She routinely goes beyond the immediate clinical encounter to help patients and families understand their care, navigate the health system, and overcome obstacles that might otherwise prevent them from receiving needed treatment. Through her thoughtful communication, collaborative spirit, mentorship, and steadfast advocacy for vulnerable patients, Dr. Owen models a deeply human approach to medicine that strengthens both the patient experience and the culture of care at Penn.

Research Awards

Marjorie A. Bowman New Investigator Research Award: Paula Chatterjee, Assistant Professor of Medicine

The Bowman Award recognizes achievements in the health evaluation sciences, with a particular emphasis on patient-oriented research that addresses fundamental clinical problems as well as the organization and delivery of healthcare.

Paula Chatterjee is a nationally recognized emerging leader in health services research whose innovative work is advancing how healthcare systems serve low-income and underserved populations. Her research has brought new clarity to how safety-net hospitals are defined and financed, revealing how payment policies and resource allocation directly shape the delivery and quality of care for vulnerable patients. She has also researched Medicaid expansion, value-based payment, and rural healthcare, identifying opportunities to better align health system resources with the clinical needs of patients and communities. Generating findings that have informed state and federal policy, Dr. Chatterjee’s scholarship exemplifies the power of health evaluation sciences to translate rigorous evidence into meaningful improvements in healthcare delivery, access, and outcomes.

Michael S. Brown New Investigator Research Award: Joseph P. Zackular, Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Established in honor of Nobel Laureate Michael S. Brown, M’66, the Brown Award recognizes emerging faculty investigators engaged in innovative discoveries.

Joseph Zackular is an investigator whose discoveries are reshaping scientific understanding of how pathogens, the gut microbiota, and host immunity interact to influence infectious disease. His research has uncovered fundamental ecological principles governing Clostridioides difficile infection, revealing how microbial communities influence pathogen fitness, virulence, and disease severity, while challenging assumptions about the effects of C. difficile colonization during early life. His work has led to the development of the first nucleoside-modified mRNA-LNP vaccine targeting C. difficile, demonstrating how fundamental biological insights can inspire new approaches to disease prevention. Through his creative and rapidly expanding research program, Dr. Zackular is establishing new perspectives in host-microbiome-pathogen interactions and emerging as a leader in microbiology and infectious disease.

Stanley N. Cohen Biomedical Research Award: Roberto Dominguez, William Maul Measey Presidential Professor of Physiology II

The Cohen Award was established in honor of Stanley N. Cohen, M’60, whose contributions launched a new era in biological research technology. The award recognizes achievement in the broad field of biomedical research. 

Roberto Dominguez is an internationally recognized structural biologist whose pioneering research has transformed scientific understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern actin cytoskeleton dynamics. His work has revealed the structural basis of processes such as actin filament polarity, assembly, disassembly, and remodeling, providing fundamental insights into how cells achieve directed movement, maintain their architecture, and transport intracellular organelles. Through innovative structural and biochemical approaches, his work has also elucidated the mechanisms by which key regulators of actin dynamics, including formins, gelsolin, the Arp2/3 complex, and leiomodin, control these processes, while connecting these insights to muscle myopathies, neurological disorders, and visceral myopathy. His discoveries have deepened scientific understanding of the molecular machinery that underlies directed movement at the cellular and organismal levels, providing new perspectives on the causes and potential treatment of human disease.

Health Equity Scholarship or Research Award: James Guevara, Professor of Pediatrics & Epidemiology

The Health Equity Award recognizes a Penn Medicine faculty member whose scholarly work has significantly advanced health equity. It honors long-term contributions that reduce health disparities, expand healthcare access, and drive transformative impact for underserved or marginalized communities. 

James Guevara has dedicated his career to advancing health equity for children and families through research, interventions, and community engagement. His work has addressed barriers to developmental services for underserved children, including the development of a family navigation model that significantly improves early access to intervention, while his research in maternal mental health has pioneered digital approaches to supporting mothers with postpartum depression. He has also advanced early childhood literacy through his partnership with Reach Out and Read and behavioral strategies designed to strengthen parent-child reading in low-resource communities. A practicing pediatrician in West Philadelphia, an accomplished mentor, and a national leader in health disparities research, Dr. Guevara exemplifies how scholarship grounded in the needs of local communities can translate into meaningful improvements in access, care, and outcomes for children and families.

William N. Kelley, MD, Biomedical Research Award: Michela Locci, Associate Professor of Microbiology

The Kelley Award honors William N. Kelley’s remarkable legacy of identifying and nurturing emerging talent in biomedical research. It recognizes faculty at the assistant or associate professor level whose fundamental discoveries in basic, applied, or innovative science have advanced their fields and strengthened Penn Medicine’s eminence and reputation in biomedical research.

Michela Locci is an emerging leader in immunology and vaccinology whose fundamental discoveries have advanced scientific understanding of how germinal center responses generate protective immunity and how these responses are regulated in vaccination and disease. Her studies have revealed key mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of mRNA vaccines, including the previously unrecognized immune-stimulating properties of lipid nanoparticles and mRNA, while her studies of human lymph nodes have provided important insights into vaccine responses in healthy and immunocompromised individuals. She has also uncovered new mechanisms regulating T and B cell responses in autoimmune disease and is extending these approaches to the immunopathogenesis of long COVID. Through creative research spanning basic and human immunology, Dr. Locci is helping define new principles of immune regulation while elevating Penn Medicine’s leadership in vaccine and immunology research.

Samuel Martin Health Evaluation Sciences Research Award: Christopher Forrest, Professor of Pediatrics

Established in 1996 to honor the late Samuel P. Martin, III, executive director of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics and chair of the healthcare systems unit of the Wharton School, the Martin Award is granted to a member of the School of Medicine faculty for a body of work with an emphasis on health services research.

Christopher Forrest is a nationally recognized leader in pediatric health services and outcomes research whose work has transformed how child health is measured, studied, and improved at scale. As founder of PEDSnet, a national pediatric learning health system spanning 12 children’s hospitals and more than 17 million patients, he has created an infrastructure supporting hundreds of studies in comparative effectiveness, COVID-19, chronic disease, and health outcomes. His recent scholarship has provided influential evidence on the worsening health of U.S. children, advanced scientific understanding of pediatric long COVID, and generated practice-changing insights into treatment for children with chronic kidney disease. Through his innovative use of real-world data and rigorous health evaluation methods, Dr. Forrest has helped shape pediatric research, clinical practice, and health policy both nationally and locally.

William Osler Patient Oriented Research Award: Angela DeMichele, Mariann T. and Robert J. MacDonald Professor in Breast Cancer Care Excellence

Established in 1996 to honor Dr. Osler, a “Father of Clinical Medicine” who revolutionized clinical teaching research in the 1880s, the Osler Award recognizes achievement for research in which an investigator directly interacts with human subjects.

Angela DeMichele is a pioneering clinician-researcher whose patient-oriented investigations have transformed the treatment of breast cancer and advanced more personalized approaches to care. Her work helped establish CDK4/6 inhibitors as a cornerstone of therapy for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, while her leadership in the I-SPY adaptive clinical trial platform has accelerated the evaluation of new treatments and biomarkers for women with high-risk disease. Most recently, her research on dormant tumor cells has identified new ways to detect patients at risk for late recurrence and demonstrated the potential to intervene before metastatic disease develops. Through innovative clinical trials, biomarker-driven strategies, and decades of translational investigation, Dr. DeMichele has reshaped breast cancer treatment and improved outcomes for patients.

Arthur H. Rubenstein Lifetime Achievement Award: Mitchell Lazar, Willard and Rhoda Ware Professor of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases

The Rubenstein Award recognizes faculty at any rank who have made sustained and significant contributions to science throughout their careers at Penn. It honors an exceptional body of work that reflects enduring scholarly achievement, meaningful impact on the field, and a lasting legacy of scientific excellence.

Mitchell Lazar is a pioneering physician-scientist whose more than three decades of work at Penn have transformed scientific understanding of nuclear receptor biology, metabolism, and circadian regulation. His landmark discoveries include the identification and characterization of REV-ERB nuclear receptors, the discovery of resistin, and fundamental insights into PPARγ, NCOR, and HDAC3 that have reshaped understanding of obesity, diabetes, inflammation, and hormone action. His work has also revealed how circadian rhythms regulate metabolism through dynamic changes in gene expression and genome organization, establishing new links between the biological clock and metabolic disease. His body of work at Penn has led to his election to the National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Sciences, the highest honors for a physician-scientist in the United States. Beyond his scientific achievements, Dr. Lazar has demonstrated exceptional institutional leadership, mentorship, and service at Penn, including 23 years as chief of endocrinology and metabolism and more than two decades leading the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. His influence can be seen not only in the discoveries that have shaped his field, but also in the programs he has built, the scientists he has nurtured, and the research community he has helped cultivate.

Teaching Awards

Leonard Berwick Memorial Teaching Award: Robert Micheletti, Associate Professor of Dermatology and Medicine

The Berwick Award was established in 1981 as a memorial to Leonard Berwick by his family and the department of pathology. It recognizes “a member of the medical faculty who in his or her teaching effectively fuses basic science and clinical medicine.” This award is intended to recognize outstanding teachers, particularly among younger faculty.

Robert Micheletti is dedicated to advancing education in complex medical dermatology. As chief of hospital dermatology and chief of dermatology at Pennsylvania Hospital, and program director of Penn’s combined medicine-dermatology residency program, he plays an active role in training medical students, residents, and fellows. His clinical and research interests span vasculitis, severe drug reactions, hidradenitis suppurativa, and other complex dermatologic conditions, areas in which he is also a frequent invited lecturer. Dr. Micheletti’s commitment to education and clinical excellence has been recognized with multiple teaching awards and election to Penn Medicine’s Academy of Master Clinicians.

Robert Dunning Dripps Memorial Award for Excellence in Graduate Medical Education: Amanda Leonberg-Yoo, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine

The Dunning Dripps Award was established by the department of anesthesia in 1984. As a pioneer in the specialty of anesthesia and chair of the department from 1943 to 1972, Dr. Dripps was instrumental in the training of more than 300 residents and fellows, many of whom went on to chair other departments. This award recognizes excellence as an educator of residents and fellows in clinical care, research, teaching, or administration.

Amanda K. Leonberg-Yoo has shaped nephrology training at Penn through her leadership as program director of the nephrology fellowship since 2019. Under her direction, the fellowship has become one of the largest and most sought-after programs in the country, and she helped establish a specialized Med-Peds nephrology track in collaboration with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Her commitment to clinical reasoning, bedside teaching, procedural skills, and mentorship across all levels of training have earned her multiple teaching honors, including the Outstanding Program Director Award and the J. Russell Elkinton Faculty Teaching Award.

Jane M. Glick Graduate Student Teaching Award: Robert Bowman, Assistant Professor of Cancer Biology

The Glick Award was established in 2009 by the Glick family in remembrance of Jane Glick and her dedication to the Biomedical Graduate Studies (BGS) programs.

Robert Bowman has demonstrated a strong commitment to graduate education, helping prepare students to become thoughtful and successful cancer biologists. As co-director of the course Concepts in Cancer Biology since 2023, he has provided dedicated curricular leadership while ensuring that students are exposed to foundational concepts and emerging topics essential to the field. His commitment to rigorous scientific training and student development embodies the qualities of mentorship and educational excellence Dr. Glick represented.

Michael P. Nusbaum Graduate Student Mentoring Award: Mingyao Li, Professor of Biostatistics in Biostatistics and Epidemiology

The Nusbaum Award was established in 2017 to honor Mikey Nusbaum as he stepped down from his role of BGS director. Mentors embody the skills, experience, and wisdom essential to success in science; they serve as models for how one conducts their life in balance with a demanding career; and certain faculty play pivotal roles in guiding students in reaching their scholarly potential. All BGS faculty are eligible for this award, which will recognize excellence in graduate (PhD) mentoring.

Mingyao Li is widely recognized for her dedication to graduate education and mentorship. As chair of the biostatistics program in the graduate group in epidemiology and biostatistics (GGEB) since 2019, she has provided invaluable leadership while remaining deeply engaged in the academic development of her students. Her commitment to supporting trainees and fostering their success exemplifies the values of mentorship, engagement, and excellence that are central to BGS and that Mikey Nusbaum established during his time as director.

See Almanac April 7, 2026 for winners of Lindback and Provost’s Teaching Awards from the Perelman School of Medicine faculty.

Dipti Pitta, the Mark Whittier and Lila Griswold Allam Professor of Ruminant Nutrition at Penn Vet, has received a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture Research Facilities Act Program to build a new calf nursery and dedicated housing for growing and breeding heifers. 

“The first months of a calf’s life shape its health and productivity for years, but we haven’t been able to follow animals closely enough to understand how,” said Dr. Pitta, the project’s director. “By keeping calves and heifers at the Marshak Dairy from birth through their first lactation, and pairing that with automated feeding and precision monitoring, we can finally see how early-life care translates into lifelong health, welfare, and performance. That knowledge will help producers make better decisions, and it gives our students a real-world classroom and exposure to dairy medicine.”

The investment holds promise for both animal health and the productivity of American dairy farms. Early-life care shapes a cow’s health and performance for years to come, yet the lasting effects of early interventions remain poorly understood. By generating a longitudinal database spanning the neonatal period, the growing heifer stage, and the transition to the milking herd, the Marshak Dairy will help establish evidence-based benchmarks for raising healthier, more productive, and more resilient animals. The facility will also serve as a training ground for veterinary and animal science students pursuing careers in dairy science, and as a working demonstration site where producers can see the tools, technologies, and management practices that can advance dairy production systems across the country.

The project will fulfill the USDA grant’s matching requirement by securing funds through institutional backing, complementary grant programs, philanthropy, and corporate sponsors. It will be completed in phases, with space for neonatal calves, growing heifers, and lactating heifers. The final phase will include the installation of automated feeding systems, environmental controls, behavioral monitoring, and precision technologies. 

Through her Agricultural Systems and Microbial Genomics Laboratory, Dr. Pitta and her team investigate the microbial composition of the ruminant gut to lower methane emissions and to improve animal health, production, and welfare.

In an advancement of early detection of oral cancer, researchers from Penn Dental Medicine’s Center for Integrative Global Oral Health (CIGOH) are leading the development of national living guidelines for patients, dentists, and other healthcare professionals.

Announced on September 29 by the American Dental Association (ADA), this new living clinical practice guideline reinforces that dental visits can be the first line of defense against oral cancer.

One person dies every hour from oral cancer in the U.S., making early detection key to saving lives. During regular exams, a dentist checks the mouth and lips for unusual sores or other abnormalities. A dentist also checks the neck for additional changes that may need follow-up care. If a lesion is detected during the oral exam, a biopsy remains the best next course of action and the only definitive method to confirm the diagnosis of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and oral and lip squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs).

“Oral cancer is a disease where timely recognition and appropriate management can have profound significant benefits for patients,” said Alonso Carrasco-Labra, a professor and director of the Cochrane Oral Health Collaborating Center at Penn Dental Medicine. “Our goal with this living guideline is to ensure that dentists have recommendations they can trust, not only based on the best evidence available today, but continually updated as important new evidence emerges. By bringing rigorous evidence synthesis directly into clinical guidance, we can shorten the distance between research and practice and improve care for patients.”

A team of methodologists at CIGOH at Penn Dental Medicine led development of the updated guideline with a multidisciplinary panel convened through the ADA’s Living Guideline Program. This first-of-its-kind program allows recommendations to be continually updated as new evidence becomes available. “At CIGOH, our team of methodologists monitors emerging evidence in real time and integrates it into our guidelines as soon as it meets predefined evidence thresholds,” said Olivia Urquhart, associate director of healthcare guidelines at CIGOH. “This living model is how we close the research-to-practice gap, putting effective tests and interventions into clinicians’ hands shortly after compelling evidence is published.” 

For clinicians, this updated guideline is a science-first approach to patient care. Regular oral exams for early detection of oral cancers can lead to better patient outcomes and may mean the difference between life and death.

For patients, keeping regular dental appointments is critical, along with not ignoring a sore, lump, red or white patch, or other changes in the mouth that last longer than two weeks. If these symptoms or changes persist for more than two weeks, follow up promptly with a dentist.

The Center for Integrative Global Oral Health (CIGOH) is Penn Dental Medicine’s first policy center, focused on seeking creative evidence-informed solutions to address unmet oral health needs by providing critical infrastructure to develop and test effective interventions and policy. Within CIGOH, the Cochrane Oral Health Collaborating Center at Penn Dental Medicine engages researchers from around the globe in systematic reviews and meta-analysis of research to develop the best available evidence on oral health topics to help clinicians, policymakers, patients, and caregivers make well-informed care decisions.

Ellen Kennedy, professor emerita of political science in the School of Arts & Sciences, died on September 22, 2026. She was 78. 

Dr. Kennedy earned a BA in political science at Trinity College in 1968, an MA in political science from Indiana University in 1970, and a PhD in government from the London School of Economics & Political Science in 1977. Before joining Penn’s faculty in 1989, Dr. Kennedy taught at the Universities of London, York, Manchester and at the University of Freiburg. She was promoted to full professor in July 2003. She was active in the Faculty Senate and served on various committees, including the 1992 School of Arts & Sciences Planning and Priori-ties Committee that analyzed the status of  and shape a five-year plan for the school (Almanac October 26, 1993). She retired from Penn in 2015. 

Dr. Kennedy was an eminent political theorist whose work on Carl Schmitt shaped scholarship on law, constitutionalism, liberalism, and sovereignty. Her translations made Dr. Schmitt accessible to a broad intellectual audience and her writings on Dr. Schmitt’s work opened his thinking to political theorists, legal theorists, and other academics. She also wrote on the political economy, publishing a monograph on the Bundesbank that resulted in her serving as a consultant to European banking institutions and policy makers, according to an online tribute from Penn’s political science department.

Outside of Penn, Dr. Kennedy was a research fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Friedreich Ebert Foundation as well as the British Academy and the Nuffield Fondation. She authored the books Constitutional Failure: Carl Schmitt in Weimar (Duke University Press, 2004), The Bundesbank (Johns Hopkins, 1997), The Bundesbank: Germany’s Central Bank in the International System (Council on Foreign Affairs, 1991), and Freedom & the Open Society: Henri Bergson’s Contribution to Political Philosophy (Garland, 1987). She also co-edited the volume Women in Western Political Philosophy (Harvester, 1986).

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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. 

Wednesday, November 4, 2026
3–5 p.m. ET

1. Tri-Chairs’ Report
2. Finalize the Minutes of the Regular Meeting on October 7, 2026, and the Special Meeting on October 15, 2026
3. 2027 Senate Nominating Committee
4. Reports from Constituencies
5. Presidential Search Committee
6. Update from the Office of the Provost
   Discussion with Provost John Jackson, Jr.
7. Potential Impacts of Proposed Revisions to Uniform Guidance for Federal Research Grants
   Discussion with David Meaney, Vice Provost for Research, and Michael Ostap, PSOM Senior Vice Dean and Chief Scientific Officer
8. Proposed Revisions to the Guidelines on Open Expression
9. New Business

Nine faculty and professional staff will spend this academic year immersing themselves in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as part of the 2026-2027 Penn Commonwealth-Engaged Scholars Program. Through a series of on-campus discussions with leaders from across Pennsylvania and a statewide tour during spring break, these scholars will contemplate how the University of Pennsylvania can be an anchored, engaged, and interwoven institution within the state, delivering innovative solutions to public problems through education, research, and service.

The competitively selected scholars include:

• Mattheau S. Comerford, Assistant Professor, School of Arts & Sciences
• Candice Dias, Executive Director, Center for Guaranteed Income Research, School of Social Policy and Practice
• Martin J. Hackett, Assistant Dean of Strategic Communications, School of Veterinary Medicine
• Richard M. Ingersoll, Professor of Education and Sociology, Graduate School of Education
• DeMarcus A. Jenkins, Assistant Professor, School of Social Policy and Practice
• Lauren Kemp, Senior Associate Director, Employer Engagement, Wharton School
• Iliana V. Kohler, Practice Professor in Sociology, School of Arts and Sciences
• Ken Miles, Executive Director, Penn Center for Inclusive Innovation & Technology, School of Social Policy and Practice
• Ericka S. Weathers, Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Education

This is the second PCES cohort. The program is funded through a Draw Down the Lightning grant through the Office of the President. 

PCES is co-led by Lia Howard, fellows director and director of the Political Empathy Lab in the SNF Paideia Program; Michael Smith, assistant vice president in the Office of Government and Community Affairs; Antonia M. Villarruel, the Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Penn Nursing; and F. Hoopes Wampler, Penn’s senior associate vice president for alumni relations. 

Aisha Fukushima and Lisa Sharon Harper have been named Equity in Action Visiting (EAV) Scholars. Ms. Fukushima is an award-winning speaker, poet, musician, and cultural strategist of mixed African American and Japanese heritage. For over two decades, she has used creative expression—across poetry, music, and workshop facilitation—to cultivate healing, belonging, and cross-cultural connection. She is a four-time TEDx speaker and has served as a U.S. State Department Cultural Ambassador. Ms. Harper is the founder and president of Freedom Road, a groundbreaking consulting and communications group. She is also a theologian whose writing, speaking, activism, and training has sparked and fed the fires of reformation in the global church. She is the host of the Freedom Road podcast.

EAV Scholars is an initiative of Penn’s Office of Social Equity & Community that aims to strengthen the Penn community by hosting scholars, activists, and community organizers that use the arts, lecture, and dialogue to shine a light on issues of social justice. Scholars from diverse backgrounds and disciplines will engage in research, teaching, and conversation. They are selected based on their expertise in areas such as activism, community organizing, criminal justice reform, and gun violence prevention. In keeping with Penn’s ongoing commitment to engaging with important societal issues, at the heart of this initiative is a “call to action” that gives attendees an opportunity to engage with the broader community in meaningful ways with a deepened articulation of opportunities for social impact.

Ms. Fukushima will hold a multimedia poetry reading and conversation today, October 27, while Ms. Harper will hold a book talk, Q&A, and book signing on October 28. To register, visit https://www.sec.upenn.edu/eavs26-27. 

Seven faculty members from the University of Pennsylvania have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), one of the nation’s highest honors in the fields of health and medicine. Leaders in the fields of genetics, anesthesiology, veterinary medicine, and reproductive health are among the 100 new members elected by current NAM members.

This year’s new members include:

• Marisa S. Bartolomei, the Perelman Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology and director of the Center of Women’s Health and Reproductive Medicine. Dr. Bartolomei is elected for research identifying one of the first imprinted genes, a rare class of genes essential for development and human health. She defined imprinting regulation and provided insights into mechanisms of imprinted gene dysregulation and associated clinical disorders.
• Max B. Kelz, the Lee Fleisher Professor at the Perelman School of Medicine and vice chair for research of the department of anesthesiology and critical care. Dr. Kelz is named for research including the discovery that the induction of and emergence from general anesthesia have distinct neural mechanisms. He has also identified the phenomenon and mechanism of sex differences in anesthetic sensitivity. These discoveries have improved clinical care and led to innovative approaches to enhance recovery for surgical patients.
• Meghan Lane-Fall, an adjunct professor of anesthesiology and critical care in the Perelman School of Medicine. Dr. Lane-Fall is recognized for her expertise on the application of implementation science to maternal health research. Her NIH-funded research combines the science of organizational behavior change with human factors engineering to drive equity improvements in maternal care and outcomes in acute and community settings across the United States.
• Nicola J. Mason, the Paul A. James and Charles A. Gilmore Endowed Chair Professor and a professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Mason is named for her comparative research within the One Health initiative, which has enabled maximum leverage of pet dogs with spontaneous diseases to inform human translation. Her clinical and translational work in client-owned canine patients with vaccines, cellular and gene therapies, and monoclonal antibodies has led to therapeutic advances in both veterinary and human medicine.
• Courtney A. Schreiber, the Stuart and Emily B.H. Mudd Professor of Human Behavior and Reproduction, Obstetrics, and Gynecology at the Perelman School of Medicine. Dr. Schreiber is recognized for research that has improved miscarriage care through mifepristone pretreatment, eliminating unnecessary Rh testing, and redesigning early pregnancy services via the PEACE model. Her exemplary leadership in complex family planning has established board certification and a national subspecialist workforce, advancing evidence-based care and health equity worldwide.
• Kiran Musunuru, the Barry J. Gertz Professor for Translational Research at the Perelman School of Medicine and co-director of the Penn Medicine/CHOP Orphan Disease Center. Dr. Musunuru is recognized for the discovery of multiple novel genes and mechanisms involved in cardiovascular diseases, followed by pioneering work in creating somatic gene-editing therapies, contributing to the first demonstration of therapeutic base editing in human patients and the development of the first bespoke gene-editing therapy administered to an individual patient.
• Carsten Gerhart Bönnemann, an adjunct professor of neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine and chair of the department of genomic and translational neuroscience. Dr. Bönnemann is recognized for making numerous groundbreaking contributions to precision medicine, including gene discovery and deep phenotypic characterization; development of novel animal and cell-based models for translational studies; and the development and implementation of targeted genetic treatment for neurogenetic disorders of childhood, including leading the first intrathecal AAV clinical trial.

Including these new members, Penn now has 124 members of the NAM, a prestigious group of health care thought leaders, clinicians, and researchers.

The Basser Center for BRCA at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, the world’s first comprehensive center aimed at advancing research, treatment, and prevention of BRCA-related cancers, has named Judy E. Garber of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute as the recipient of the 2026 Basser Global Prize.

Each year, the Basser Global Prize recognizes a leading scientist who has advanced BRCA1 and BRCA2-related research. Individuals with mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are at an increased risk of breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate cancers.

Dr. Garber is a pioneering cancer geneticist and medical oncologist whose work has transformed care for people with inherited BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. She has helped establish cancer genetics as a core part of breast cancer care, leading efforts to identify people at high genetic risk, improve prevention strategies, and develop more effective treatments. Through her research and clinical leadership at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dr. Garber has helped translate discoveries about BRCA-related cancers into treatments and care guidelines that are now used around the world.

“The Basser Global Prize honors leaders whose discoveries have changed the course of BRCA-related cancer research, and Judy Garber’s contributions have been instrumental in that progress,” said Susan M. Domchek, executive director of the Basser Center for BRCA. “For decades, Dr. Garber has combined scientific insight, clinical innovation, and unwavering dedication to patients to advance our understanding of inherited cancer risk and improve care for people with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Her leadership has shaped the field of cancer genetics and helped bring life-changing therapies to patients.”

Dr. Garber is the Susan F. Smith Chair and chief of the division of cancer genetics and prevention at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and founder of the Dana-Farber Cancer Risk and Prevention Clinic.

One of Dr. Garber’s most important discoveries is recognizing how the biology of BRCA-associated cancers could be used to guide treatment. She led the first neoadjuvant clinical trial using the chemotherapy medicine cisplatin for patients with basal-like breast cancer, an aggressive subtype that is common among women with BRCA1 mutations. The trial showed promising rates of complete tumor response and helped lay the foundation for a new approach to treating these cancers. 

Dr. Garber also played a key role in advancing PARP inhibitors, a class of drugs designed to exploit DNA repair defects in cancer cells. Her translational research focuses on evaluating novel agents targeting DNA repair defects in breast cancer, including PARP inhibitors for treatment and prevention of breast cancer and other BRCA-associated cancers. 

The 2026 November AT PENN calendar is now available. Click here to view the calendar, and click here to view a printable PDF.

Conferences

29        Symposium: Untimely Meditations; symposium organized by two architecture faculty members that asks what it means to practice and to teach with the long view when the moment demands urgency, by asking several participants to speak not about their own work, but about the influences they carry and the emerging practices they believe we should be watching; 6-8:30 p.m.; Plaza Gallery, Meyerson Hall (Architecture).

Exhibits

31        The Black Hero's Journey: Family and Community Day; a fun-filled family and community day celebrating the stories, characters, and creativity behind the Penn Libraries’ comics exhibition, The Black Hero's Journey; noon-3 p.m.; 6^th floor, Van Pelt Library.

Films

29        Black Zombie; digs beneath the blood-soaked spectacle of modern horror to uncover the zombie’s buried and unsettling origins; features a virtual discussion with director Maya Annik Bedward; 5 p.m.; room 109, Annenberg School; register: https://tinyurl.com/black-zombie-oct-29 (Annenberg School for Communication).

Learning & Workshops

Penn Libraries

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

29        Translating Data into Design with Spirographs; 3 p.m.; Research Data and Digital Scholarship Exchange, Van Pelt Library.

Talks

27        Re-Imagining Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin West’s Celebration of an American Patriot; Carol Soltis, Philadelphia Museum of Art; 5:15 p.m.; Class of 1978 Orrery Pavilion, Van Pelt Library; register: https://tinyurl.com/soltis-talk-oct-27 (McNeil Center for Early American Studies).

            The Private Life of Fascism; Millicent Marcus, Yale University; 6:45 p.m.; Public Trust, 4017 Walnut Street (Center for Italian Studies).

28        HIV and Cancer: Unique Epidemiology, Biology, Prevention Strategies and Management; Keith Sigel, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai; 9 a.m.; room 11-102, Middleman Center, and Zoom webinar; join: https://pennmedicine.zoom.us/j/98976330974%C2%A0 (Center for AIDS Research, Center for Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics).

            The Educational Afterlife of Refugee Resettlement: Race, Schooling, and Cambodian American Youth; Linda Pheng, Penn GSE; 10 a.m.; room 355-356, Stiteler Hall (Graduate School of Education).

            Conformational Dynamics and Neutralization of Class III Viral Fusion Machines; Ryan Roark, microbiology; noon; Austrian Auditorium, Rubenstein Research Building (Microbiology).

            Safe, Robust, and Generalizable Machine Learning for Power Systems; Priya Donti, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; noon; room 414, Gutmann Hall, and Zoom webinar; join: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/97645937545 (AI-Enabled Systems: Safe, Explainable, and Trustworthy Center).

            Can This Marriage Be Saved? Kathleen Brown, history; 3:30 p.m.; room 403, McNeil Building; register: https://tinyurl.com/brown-talk-oct-28 (Penn Association for Senior & Emeritus Faculty).

29        Anti-Fouling Soft Composite Materials Using Stimuli-Responsive Reconfiguration; Samantha McBride, mechanical engineering & applied mechanics; 10:30 a.m.; Wu & Chen Auditorium, Levine Hall (Materials Science & Engineering).

            Memristive Devices and Systems for Energy-Efficient AI Computing; Qiangfei Xia, University of Massachusetts Amherst; 11 a.m.; room 225, Towne Building, and Zoom webinar; join: https://tinyurl.com/xia-talk-oct-29 (Electrical & Systems Engineering).

            Special Briefing on Data Centers: Will They Power the U.S. Economy or Bog it Down in a Swamp of Controversy?; panel of speakers; 11 a.m.; online webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/iur-talk-oct-29 (Penn Institute for Urban Research).

            Preserving Gaudi’s Work in the 21^st Century: The Finca Güell at Barcelona; Camilla Mileto and Fernando Vegas, Universitat Politècnica de València; noon; Kleinman Energy Forum, Fisher Fine Arts Library; register: https://forms.gle/7wCThygxrkiPnL3D7 (Historic Preservation).

            Strategic Behavior in Machine Learning: Case Studies in LLM Detection and Medicare Advantage; Meena Jagadeesan, computer & information science; noon; room 306, Gutmann Hall, and Zoom webinar; join: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/98220304722 (IDEAS Center, Penn AI, Statistics & Data Science).

            Acting Masterclass and Student Conversation; Courtney B. Vance, actor; 5:15 p.m.; Zellerbach Theater, Annenberg Center; register: https://tinyurl.com/vance-masterclass-oct-29 (Africana Studies). Also October 30, 11 a.m.; room 329A, Max Kade Center.

            “More a War of Independence Than One of Revolution”: Black Dissent in 1776 and Beyond; Derrick Spires, University of Delaware; 5:15 p.m.; Class of 1978 Orrery Pavilion, Van Pelt Library; register: https://tinyurl.com/spires-talk-oct-29 (McNeil Center for Early American Studies).

30        Autonomous Robotic Surgery: From Teleoperation to Learning Systems; Axel Krieger, Johns Hopkins University; 10:30 a.m.; Wu & Chen Auditorium, Levine Hall (GRASP Lab).

            Fire-Wide Debris-Flow Runout Hazard Assessments; Katherine Barnhart, United States Geological Survey; 3 p.m.; room 358, Hayden Hall (Earth & Environmental Studies).

This is an update to the October AT PENN calendar. To submit events for upcoming AT PENN calendars or weekly updates, 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 12-18, 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 12-18, 2026. The Penn Police actively patrol from Market Street to Baltimore Avenue and from 30^th Street to 43^rd 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 30^th Street to 43^rd 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 12-18, 2026 by the 18^th 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 2027 Annual Selection Period for retirees and long-term disability recipients will run from Monday, November 2 to Friday, November 13, 2026. This annual event allows participants to review their current benefits and make changes for the upcoming calendar year. The selections you make will be effective as of January 1, 2027. If you do not make changes, your current elections will roll over to the next year. 

Please note: Effective January 1, 2027, prescription drug coverage for retirees and long-term disability members enrolled in a pre-65/non-Medicare medical plan will transition from CVS/Caremark to Navitus. There are no changes to the Medicare plans or SilverScript coverage. For more information, review the Navitus flyer on the HR website. 

You will receive in the mail a 2027 Annual Selection Guide which includes current enrollment information, costs, medical plan comparison charts, and more. Visit the Annual Benefits Selection webpage for complete details.

The Annual Selection Information Fair will be held November 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Golkin Room in Houston Hall. 

How to Enroll or Make Changes to Your Benefits

There are two ways to enroll or make changes to your benefits for the 2027 Annual Selection period. You can call the University of Pennsylvania Benefits Solution Center at Health Advocate at (866) 799-2329, or use the Workday@Penn enrollment system and complete the following steps online: 

1. With your PennKey and password log in to Workday at www.myworkday.com/upenn/login.html.
2. From your home page, select the inbox icon in the upper right corner or click “Go to Inbox.”
3. Select “Annual Selection” in your inbox.
4. Click “Let’s Get Started.” Select manage under each benefit offering, then click “Select” or “Waive” next to the corresponding benefit plan (your current coverage will be displayed for each benefits election). 
5. Click confirm and continue and save after each election. 
6. When you have completed all your elections, click “Review and Sign and then Submit.”

All elections or changes must be made by Friday, November 13, 2026, at 5 p.m. ET. 

If you have questions about this year’s Annual Selection Period, please contact the University of Pennsylvania Benefits Solution Center at Health Advocate at (866) 799-2329, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., ET. 

—Division of Human Resources

My students have all kinds of friends, but when those friends come to my attention in class, they seem to be one of two types. The first type is what I’ll call “the good friend.” The good friend helps the student become a better learner. They encourage the student to start on the homework before the day it’s due; they support the student in balancing social activities with studying; and they might even help with course material, if they’ve taken the class before or can help the student figure out how to figure it out on their own.

The second type, as you may have guessed, is “the bad friend.” The bad friend also “helps” the student. They let the student see their graded problem sets from last year. They provide input on a paper draft by completely rewriting it. They advise them that skipping the reading is fine because the professor never checks. And they tell the student what they want to hear: that the exam was unfair, that no one could understand this professor, and that office hours are useless too. The bad friend makes the student’s life easier without helping them learn. (1)

In the same way that the people our students call “friends” can be friends or “friends,” AI can be a student’s friend or “friend.” So the worry about AI in education, that students might hand over the thinking they should be learning to do, is not new. What is new is that students can now carry their “friend” in their pocket, it never sleeps, and it has functionally boundless energy.

There are some big differences between AI and human “friends.” Unlike my human friends, AI is practically always accessible and never runs out of time or patience. AI is more willing to go along with whatever, since if you ask AI for an essay on mind-body dualism, you will usually get one, whether or not it knows what it’s talking about. I also doubt that anyone has real friendships with AI right now, since there is no shared history, no affection or care, and no reciprocity. These are real differences that likely change the temptation, but I don’t think they change the approach we should use in teaching. What matters in teaching is not how compliant the helper is, how much energy it has, or whether the friendship is real. What matters is whether the “help” is actually helping the student learn. And the problem of the compliant, energetic, and fake “friend” is not new. Students with enough capital could always purchase an essay or find a “friend” to “help” them on a problem set. The main change is the price.

Some say there’s a distinct equity problem with AI, but I’m not sure that cuts the way you might expect. Almost all of our students already have some basic familiarity with generative AI. What is unevenly distributed is the ability to get AI to do exactly what the student wants (for better or worse), and this disparity likely tracks social statuses that we wish it didn’t. But notice that the analogous thing has always been true of friends too. Some students arrive on campus already knowing (or having the social capital to find) a “friend” who took the class before, but many don’t. Some students have parents who can explain to them what an integral is, but many don’t. And some students feel comfortable enough in the Penn context to ask for help, but many don’t. Those disparities are hard for us to address because they stem from differences in things we can’t easily provide in class (e.g., social capital). Conversely, the AI-related disparities are easier to address. We can teach AI learning skills in class, discuss expectations explicitly, and model helpful ways of using AI. And because AI is cheaper than social capital, it’s easier to provide a more level playing field when it comes to AI than when it comes to human “friends.”

The upshot is that we should think about AI in our classes the way we already think about students working with friends or “friends.” Just as there are better and worse ways for students to interact with others about coursework, there are better and worse ways for students to interact with AI. And just as there are times when students absolutely should not consult others about coursework, there are times when students absolutely should not consult AI. The student who asks AI to explain a new concept from lecture a sixth time in different words at 2 a.m. is doing exactly what we hope a student might do with an (extremely patient) friend who took the class before, and it’s just as good. The student who has AI quiz them before an exam, or, more controversially, read and give feedback on a draft they wrote, has found a good friend. The student who has AI write the original draft has found a “friend,” and the problem isn’t just that they broke a rule. The problem is that they came here to learn, gave the learning away, and all they got in return was something that merely looks like understanding.

In practice, this means we should treat student AI use more like collaboration and less like contraband. This will likely mean we spend less energy on detection, which works poorly and is likely unfair (2), and more on helping students understand when using AI is genuinely helping them learn and when it’s not. I doubt we can make a clean list of approved and forbidden uses, since the line between help and “help” is highly assignment- and context-sensitive. I don’t feel like I’ve landed on the right adjustments for my own courses yet, so I’m in no position to hand out answers for yours. But teaching innovation comes from faculty experimenting in their own courses, and our response to AI will be no different. For now, we’ll have to figure it out together. We’ll also have to make AI use easier to talk about openly and encourage students to ask when and how it is appropriate, the same way they might ask if they can work with others on the homework or have a roommate look over a draft. And on enforcement, we should of course redesign assignments with the availability of AI in mind, but often, we’ll have to trust students to make the right decisions, just as we already do when it comes to human “friends.” 

To help students see when AI can help and when it will hurt, we, the faculty, will need a reasonably good firsthand sense of what working with AI is actually like. Learning to use AI has real costs, including time, money, and, for some, concerns about privacy, the environment, and contributing to AI training. I recognize that for many, this is unwelcome. But imagine trying to guide students about the appropriate ways of interacting with a friend while never having had a friend yourself. Your intuitions about what’s tempting, what’s realistic, what’s harmful, and what’s harmless would be way off. I’m not suggesting that the remedy is meeting your students’ friends. But I do think you need to know what having a friend is like. So to guide students on when to use AI, you’ll need to use AI yourself.

Luckily, getting started isn’t too hard. Spend an evening asking an AI chatbot to explain something you teach and see where it shines and where it goes wrong. Ask it the same question in different ways and see how the answers change. Try a few different tools too, since some are better at writing and some are better at connecting to the literature. Better yet, give AI one of your assignments and look at what comes back. Then pretend you’re a student who can see some but not all of the weaknesses of the output and try guiding the AI to improve what it produced. That is your students’ new “friend.” You don’t have to like it, but you do need to know what it’s like for them to have it. 
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(1)  Thanks to Karen Detlefsen for suggesting the “bad friend” framing of this idea.
(2)  See, e.g., Debora Weber-Wulff et al., “Testing of Detection Tools for AI-Generated Text,” International Journal for Educational Integrity 19 (2023), and Weixin Liang et al., “GPT Detectors Are Biased Against Non-Native English Writers,” Patterns 4 (2023).
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Daniel J. Singer is an associate professor of philosophy in the School of Arts & Sciences with a secondary appointment as an associate professor of legal studies and business ethics in the Wharton School.

This essay continues the series that began in the fall of 1994 as the joint creation of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Lindback Society for Distinguished Teaching. See https://almanac.upenn.edu/talk-about-teaching-and-learning-archive for previous essays.