Honors & Other Things |
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November 12, 2013, Volume 60, No. 13
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Related: Penn Children’s Center’s NAEYC Accreditation
First Kennedy Community Mental Health Award: Dr. Beck
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Dr. Aaron T. Beck, an emeritus professor in the department of psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine, became the first recipient of the Kennedy Community Mental Health Award from the Kennedy Forum, a new initiative led by former US representative Patrick J. Kennedy focused on improving the lives of people with mental illness, while, at the same time, recognizing the enormous strides made in patient care and research over the last 50 years.
Dr. Beck was honored as the ‘father of cognitive therapy’ and as one of the most influential individuals within the community of mental health. He created and refined cognitive therapy over the course of his research and clinical career.
Dr. Beck received the award October 23 at the inaugural Kennedy Forum gala in The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s signing of the Community Mental Health Act, a landmark bill that laid the foundation of contemporary mental health policy and transformed the way mental illness was treated.
Vice President Joe Biden gave the opening remarks, stressing the need for more brain research and removing the stigma of mental illness. Chelsea Clinton and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius were also in attendance.
Dr. Beck has published more than 600 scholarly articles and 24 books and has developed widely-used assessment scales.
He has received many prestigious awards, including the 2006 Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award for developing cognitive therapy, which fundamentally changed the way that psychopathology is viewed and its treatment is conducted. He has been listed as one of the “10 individuals who shaped the face of American Psychiatry” and one of the five most influential psychotherapists of all time.
Dr. Beck also serves as director of the Aaron T. Beck Psychopathology Research Center, which is the parent organization of the Center for the Prevention of Suicide. His current research focuses on cognitive therapy for suicide prevention, dissemination of cognitive therapy into community settings and cognitive therapy for schizophrenia.
The Kennedy Forum gala was paired with a full-day conference on October 24, featuring panel discussions and breakout sessions covering a wide range of topics including: advances in mental health research and treatment; community approaches to mental and substance use disorders and intellectual and developmental disabilities; and improvements in treatment of mental health, intellectual and developmental disabilities and substance use disorders from the Affordable Care Act and Mental Health Parity Act. |
ICA President-Elect: Dr. Jordan
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Dr. Amy Jordan, associate director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC), has been elected President Elect-Select of the International Communication Association (ICA), the leading international organization devoted to scholarship in the field of communication. Dr. Jordan will assume the presidency of the ICA in 2015.
Dr. Jordan, director of APPC’s Media and the Developing Child program, is an adjunct professor of communication at the Annenberg School for Communication, where she teaches courses on media policy, media effects and children and media. |
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National Awards for Penn Chemists
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Two chemists at Penn Arts & Sciences will receive awards from the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society.
Edmund J. Kahn Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Marsha Lester will receive the Francis P. Garvan–John M. Olin Medal, which recognizes distinguished service to chemistry by women chemists. Dr. Lester’s research has included the use of novel spectroscopic methods to characterize important and previously uncharted regions of chemical reaction pathways. She has extensively studied intermolecular interactions and reactions involving the hydroxyl radical, which plays a critical role in combustion and atmospheric chemistry.
Blanchard Professor of Chemistry Larry Sneddon will receive the 2014 F. Albert Cotton Award, recognizing distinguished work in synthetic inorganic chemistry. Dr. Sneddon’s research has encompassed both inorganic chemistry and materials science and has included the syntheses and properties of organometallic and main-group compounds; inorganic polymers and solid state materials; organometallic and inorganic catalysis; the design, syntheses and applications of chemical precursors to advanced ceramic materials; nanostructured ceramics; ultra-high temperature materials for aerospace applications; and, most recently, the development of new methods for hydrogen storage—a major hurdle that must be overcome to enable the use of hydrogen as an alternative energy carrier.
They will be honored at an awards ceremony in March in conjunction with the 247th ACS National Meeting in Dallas. |
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Music Walk of Fame: Mr. Shay
Mr. Gene Shay, the long-time host of the weekly Sunday night “Folk Show” on XPN, was inducted into the Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame during a ceremony held last month. He coined the name “World Café” for the popular WXPN-FM show carried on NPR. A plaque bearing his name is located on the Avenue of the Arts.
Established in 1986, the Philadelphia Music Alliance is a community-based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Philadelphia’s rich musical legacy by increasing awareness of the city’s great musical tradition and supporting the current music scene. |
Quality of Life Award: Dr. Strumpf
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Dr. Neville Strumpf, professor of nursing, is the recipient of the M. Powell Lawton Quality of Life Award from the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging. The award honors older individuals who are nationally recognized for significant professional accomplishments, who have demonstrated commitment to public service, who continue an active lifestyle and who have contributed to improving the quality of life for others.
During her career, Dr. Strumpf was engaged in research focused on the problems of frail elders in hospitals and nursing homes, in particular the overuse of physical restraints. Since retiring from Penn in 2009, she continues to consult and is also actively engaged in numerous community-based initiatives related to the aging, including president of the Board of Directors of the Ralston Center, a member of the Board of Directors at Foulkeways and a volunteer consultant for Communicare. |
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Penn Law Alumni Awards
On October 29, the Penn Law School honored six of its graduates and its longtime dean of students for their career achievements, pro bono work, service to the legal profession and service to the School. The 2013 Penn Law Alumni Award honorees are:
Sandra Strokoff, CW’71, L’75—Louis H. Pollak Public Service Award honors a career of advancing justice through service to others.
The Hon. Frederica “Freddie” Massiah-Jackson, L’74; The Hon. Harvey Bartle, III, L’65; Charles I. “Casey” Cogut, L’73—Alumni Award of Merit honors professional achievement and service to the Law School.
Lawrence J. Fox, C’65, L’68—Howard Lesnick Pro Bono Award honors an alumnus/a who has embodied the spirit of the Public Service Program through a sustained commitment to pro bono/public service throughout a private sector career.
Nicole Isaac, L’04—Young Alumni Award honors the professional achievement of an alumnus/a who has graduated within the past 10 years.
Gary Clinton, dean of students and counsel to the dean—Distinguished Service Award honors service to the Law School. |
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