President Rodin: Honors and Awards

Pennsylvania Hospital Award for 'Firsts'

President Judith Rodin was named this year's Fantasy Ball honoree by Pennsylvania Hospital. "The Auxiliary of Pennsylvania Hospital is proud to recognize the contributions of our 2003 honoree, Dr. Rodin," said Kathy Warhol, president of the Auxiliary. "Because Pennsylvania Hospital has such a rich history of 'firsts,' we thought it was fitting to dedicate our Fantasy Ball in the spirit of those who passed before us, and those who continue to pave the way for American women in a variety of fields." Dr. Rodin was honored along with four other women who were firsts in their fields: Dr. Jody Foster; Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell; Anna Bunting; Lucretia Clark.

Gold Medal Award

Dr. Rodin  received the 2003 Gold Medal Award from the Philadelphia Public Relations Association in November. Dr. Rodin was cited for "accomplishments that have left a lasting impact on Philadelphia and that have brought national recognition to the City. During nearly a decade of service, Dr. Judith Rodin has guided the University of Pennsylvania through a period of unprecedented growth and development that has transformed Penn's academic core and dramatically enhanced the quality of life on campus and the surrounding Philadelphia community." The award recognizes individuals and organizations whose accomplishments have a lasting impact on the community and brought national recognition to the city. Previous winners include the Honorable Walter Annenberg (1954) and Governor Edward G. Rendell (1997).

Legend Award

Dr. Rodin also received the Legend Award from the Eastern Technology Council. The award recognizes and honors an individual who has served in a leadership position at one or more companies during their career. The individual possesses a connection to the community, a history of personal accomplishments and an overall proven track record of success in a business environment.

Lifetime Commitment Award

Dr. Rodin also received the Lifetime Commitment Award from LD Access Foundation in November. The Foundation was established in 1996 to protect the rights of learning disabled adults at the post-secondary level, enhance their lives with research and technology, ensure employment opportunities, and advocate for their full participation in a challenging world. It is one of the few organization in the U.S. to focus solely on the post-secondary learning-disabled adult population.

Dr. Lubensky: Buckley Prize

Dr. Tom C. Lubensky, the Mary Amanda Wood Professor of Physics, and Chair of the department of Physics and Astronomy, has received the 2004 Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize from the American Physical Society with Dr. David Nelson of Harvard. The Prize was awarded for seminal contributions to the theory of condensed matter systems including the prediction and elucidation of the properties of new, partially ordered phase of complex materials. The Buckley Prize is considered the American Physical Society's most prestigious award in condensed matter physics. The prize which was endowed in 1952 by AT&T Bell Laboratories (now Lucent Technologies), as a means of recognizing outstanding scientific work.

Dr. Nathans: Book Prize

Dr. Benjamin Nathans, associate professor of history, is the 2003 winner of the Wayne S. Vucinich Book Prize from the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies. He won the prize in the category of monographs in Russian, Eurasian, or East European studies in any discipline of the humanities for Beyond the Pale: The Jewish Encounter with Late Imperial Russia (University of California Press) which discusses the entry and integration of Jews into larger territorial, cultural, and political communities. It was cited as an "exemplary, insightful book, argued with balance and nuance and written with flair." The committee also praised Dr. Nathans for "exhaustive and innovative research."

Dr. Berry: Mary Frances Berry Chair

The University of Michigan has named a chair in honor of Dr. Mary Frances Berry, the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and professor of history. The chair is named The Mary Frances Berry Collegiate Professorship in History and American Culture. Dr. Berry, who joined Penn's history department in 1987, received a Ph.D. in history from the University of Michigan and her JD degree from the University of Michigan Law School.

Dr. Kumanyika: Institute of Medicine

Dr. Shiriki K. Kumanyika, associate dean for health promotion and disease prevention, professor of epidemiology and director of graduate program in public health studies has been elected as a member of the Institute of Medicine. The Institute, part of the National Academies, has announced the election of 65 new members who are chosen for their major contributions to health and medicine or to related fields.

Dr. Lee: National Advisory Council

Dr. Virginia Lee, the John H. Ware 3rd Professor in Alzheimer's Research, and co-director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, has been appointed to serve on the National Advisory Council on Aging for a term of three years. The Council is charged with advising the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Health, the Director of NIH and the Director of NIA, on matters relating to the conduct and support of biomedical, social, and behavioral research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to the aging process and the diseases and other special problems and needs of the aged.

Dr. Grottoli: Research Award

Dr. Andrea G. Grottoli, assistant professor of earth and environmental science, has received the American Society of Mass Spectrometry Research Award for new faculty. She received the award for her work, Developing New Geochemical tools for Paleoclimate Reconstruction: In Situ Calibration of Stable Isotopes in Western Tropical Pacific SCLErosponges.

Professor Libeskind: Visionary Award

Professor Daniel Libeskind, Paul Philippe Cret Professor of Architecture, has received the International Visionary Award from the Interfaith Committee of Remembrance at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. The Committee remarked, "His ideas have influenced a new generation of architects and those interested in the future development of cities and culture."  (Almanac March 4, 2003).

Lord Renfrew: Drexel Medal

Lord Colin Renfrew of the University of Cambridge, has been awarded the Museum's Lucy Wharton Drexel Medal for archaeological achievement. Lord Renfrew is the 28th recipient of the Medal and was honored for his contributions to archaeological theory and science and understanding of European prehistory and linguistic archaeology. Dr. Jeremy A. Sabloff, the Museum's Williams Director presented Lord Renfrew with the medal before Lord Renfrew delivered the Elizabeth Watts and Howard C. Petersen Annual Lecture.

The Medal is the top honor that the UPM bestows on a scholar. It was established by UPM in 1889 to honor exceptional achievement in excavation or publication of archaeological work.

Ms. Merle-Smith: Angell Medal

Ms. Annette Merle-Smith, emeritus member of the Museum's Board of Overseers, is the ninth recipient of the Angell Medal established by UPM to honor distinguished service to the Museum by a Museum supporter. In presenting the award, Dr. Jeremy A. Sabloff, the Williams Director  noted, "Annette Merle-Smith has been an outstanding benefactor of the University of Pennsylvania Museum for many years. Her work on the Museum's Board of overseers, of which she is currently an emeritus member, and her understanding of the Museum, has been superb. She also has been a source of great advice and counsel to me during my tenure as Director. With interests ranging from field research to exhibitions to education, she has been tireless in her support of the Museum."