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Honors and Other Things

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November 2, 2010, Volume 57, No. 10



Pew Fellowship: Dr. Apple

Dr. Max Apple, a writer who teaches fiction and non-fiction writing in the English department in SAS, is one of 12 artists to receive a prestigious Pew Fellowship in the Arts.

Established by The Pew Charitable Trusts in 1991, the program provides a grant of $60,000 over one to two years to artists of exemplary talent in the five-county Philadelphia area. The 2010 recipients work in a wide variety of artistic disciplines, ranging from classical Arab music to jewelry making.

Dr. Apple, who is a first-time applicant to the program, has published two collections of stories, two novels and two books of non-fiction. His 1994 memoir was made into a film, Roommates, starring actor Kevin Bacon.

Amy Gutmann, President of the University of Pennsylvania

PPRA Gold Medal: Dr. Gutmann

President Amy Gutmann will receive the 2010 Gold Medal Award from the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) at a special event on November 9.

The PPRA Gold Medal Award honors individuals and organizations whose accomplishments leave a lasting impact on our community and bring national recognition to Philadelphia.

Dr. Gutmann is being recognized for her work to increase access to higher education and for championing civic engagement with communities both domestically and globally through the Penn Compact. David L. Cohen, chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees, will help honor Dr. Gutmann as a featured speaker at the event.

Other PPRA Gold Medal honorees have included Ambassador Walter Annenberg and Governor Edward Rendell.





Distinguished Service Award: Ms. Higgins

Yvonne Higgins, CIP, executive director of Human Research Protections in the Office of Regulatory Affairs, has received the Distinguished Service Award from Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research, the professional organization dedicated to advancing the highest ethical standards in the conduct of research.

The award honors one individual each year, “who has made a valuable contribution to the ethical conduct of research and to enhanced compliance with federal regulations.”


Naylor
Policy Luminary Award: Dr. Naylor

Dr. Mary D. Naylor, the Marian S. Ware Professor in Gerontology and the director of the NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, has been chosen by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) as the 2010 winner of the Policy Luminary Award.

Dr. Naylor, who is nationally and internationally recognized for her distinguished program of research on patients in transition, is the second person to receive this award, which was established by the AACN in 2009 to recognize outstanding nursing leaders for their contributions to public policy.








O'Brien

Sarnat Prize: Dr. O’Brien

Dr. Charles P. O’Brien, the Kenneth Appel Professor of Psychiatry and vice chair of the department of psychiatry in the School of Medicine, was one of two scientists awarded the 2010 Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health.

Presented by the Institute of Medicine, the $20,000 Sarnat Prize recognizes Dr. O’Brien and fellow scientist Dr. Eric J. Nestler, director of the Friedman Brain Institute at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, for their leading roles in elucidating the biological mechanics of addiction, improving the quality of care offered by treatment programs and ultimately reducing the stigma associated with the condition.

During the course of his pioneering research, Dr. O’Brien developed the Addiction Severity Index, which is used worldwide to determine the extent of patients’ problems and tailor appropriate treatment programs.






Rubenstein

FOCUS Award: Dr. Rubenstein

Dr. Arthur Rubenstein, executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and dean of the School of Medicine, received the FOCUS Visionary Leadership Award at the organization’s annual fall leadership mentoring conference in October.

Dr. Rubenstein was recognized for his staunch support for the goals of FOCUS, which was founded in 1994 within Penn’s Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CCEB) at the School of Medicine to support the advancement and leadership of women in academic medicine and to promote education and research in women’s health.









Exceptional Rating: Abramson Cancer Center

The Abramson Cancer Center has been rated as “exceptional” by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) during a competitive research funding review by the government agency.

The Abramson Cancer Center, which is one of only 40 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States, received the prestigious honor following scientific review and evaluation of essential features of a cancer center, including the high quality of cancer research, state-of-the art research and patient care facilities, experienced scientific leadership and the level of collaboration and translation of science to innovative cancer care.

Supporting Worklife Balance

Penn was selected as the 2010 recipient of the Terri Lynne Lokoff Child Care Foundation (TLLCCF) Corporate Leadership Award. The award recognizes Penn’s dedication to supporting worklife balance and high-quality child care for both Penn families and the surrounding community.

Penn is committed to helping faculty and staff maintain a balance between work, study, personal goals and family responsibilities. In 2006, the University rolled out a multi-phased, multi-year plan to expand its family-friendly agenda. The comprehensive effort includes a variety of worklife balance programs and enhancements such as:

• A backup care program available as of January 2010 that gives eligible faculty and staff access to temporary in-home child and adult care on short notice (Almanac December 8, 2009).

• An adoption assistance benefit that reimburses eligible faculty and staff for up to $5,000 in qualified adoption expenses (Almanac April 21, 2009).

• The expansion of the Penn Children’s Center which allowed for additional classrooms and expanded hours of operation (Almanac November 20, 2007).

• A new family earning threshold at the Penn Children’s Center that increased the number of faculty and staff eligible for subsidized child care rates.

• A partnership with two West Philadelphia child care providers to help them improve their facilities and expand capacity for more children, including space for the children of Penn faculty, staff and students (Almanac February 9, 2010).
The 2010 Corporate Leadership Award will be presented to the University on November 13 at the TLLCCF’s “A Little Night Magic” fundraiser at the Chestnut Club in Philadelphia.

Additional information about the broad array of Penn’s family-friendly programs is available on the Human Resources website at www.hr.upenn.edu/quality/worklife.

High Marks for Sustainability

The Sustainable Endowments Institute (SEI) gave Penn a grade of A- on its annual College Sustainability Report Card, ranking the University among the top US and Canadian schools for its sustainability initiatives for the third consecutive year.

This year, the University received recognition for improvements, specifically in green building and administration. With an A- overall grade, Penn was included in the 52 schools SEI recognized as Overall College Sustainability leaders, the Report Card’s highest level of recognition.

The Report Card is an independent evaluation of campus and endowment sustainability activities and examines nine categories within an institution to make its determinations. To see Penn’s grades in all nine categories, visit www.greenreportcard.org.

Almanac - November 2, 2010, Volume 57, No. 10