Anti-Defamation League’s Americanism Award: President Gutmann

At an evening gala on November 12, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) honored Penn President Amy Gutmann and the University of Pennsylvania with the Americanism Award for the 2014  partnership between ADL and the University.

“I could not be prouder in receiving the ADL’s Americanism Award,” said President Gutmann. “America at its best is what the ADL wants to achieve and what we want to achieve at the University of Pennsylvania.

“At Penn, we know that diversity and excellence go together—indeed, diversity and eminence go together. And we have set out to prove that by becoming a more and more diverse community at the level of our students, our faculty and our staff.”

On April 17, 2014, as part of its partnership with the ADL, President Gutmann and Penn hosted Echoes and Reflections, a multimedia Holocaust resource training workshop for Philadelphia schoolteachers and Penn students. The workshop incorporated testimonies from the USC Shoah Foundation Archive of Visual History housed at Penn (Almanac April 24, 2012), and Dr. Gutmann spoke to the group about Penn’s shared dedication to Holocaust education.

In May, the Penn community joined in the ADL’s 2014 Walk Against Hate in downtown Philadelphia, raising funds to support ADL’s programs on anti-bias, anti-bullying and anti-hate speech education.

And in September, Penn students participated in an ADL A World Of Difference® Institute workshop focused on challenging stereotypes on college campuses.

Access and inclusion are tenets of President Gutmann’s Penn Compact 2020. She has championed the all-grant, no-loan program at Penn, which was launched in 2007. Since then, the program has provided access to a Penn education for thousands of students.

AAU Chair: President Gutmann

The Association of American Universities (AAU) elected President Amy Gutmann as chair of its board of directors. Her one-year term began last month. As AAU chair, President Gutmann will serve as a spokesperson for the nonprofit association, particularly on issues of special concern to research universities. She will represent AAU—an organization of 60 US and two Canadian leading public and private research universities—in meetings with national policymakers and help to develop national policy positions on issues that relate to university research and graduate, professional and undergraduate education. President Gutmann will play a significant role in determining the association’s direction during the coming year. Penn is one of the 14 universities that founded AAU in 1900.

“It is an honor to assume leadership of the AAU at a time when our nation, and indeed the world, are in ever greater need of the creative knowledge and innovative discoveries produced by America’s research universities,” said Dr. Gutmann. “I look forward to working with our partner institutions as we constructively address the most important issues confronting higher education today.”

Penn’s Annual Alumni Awards

The University of Pennsylvania honored these distinguished alumni for their outstanding service to the University at the 80th Annual Alumni Award of Merit Gala last month.

Alumni Award of Merit

James S. Riepe was chairman of Penn’s Board of Trustees from 1999 to 2009 and for whom Riepe College House is named. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Wharton in 1965 and 1967. During his tenure as chair of Penn’s Trustees, he launched the Making History campaign, which raised $4.3 billion; chaired the search committee that brought Amy Gutmann to Penn as president; and developed the Penn Connects campus expansion plan. Mr. Riepe and his wife, Gail Petty Riepe, a 1968 alumna of the College, are avid supporters of the Wharton School, athletics and scholarships, establishing the James and Gail Riepe Scholarship Fund, the James Riepe Trustee Scholarship and a recent gift enhancing one of the President’s Engagement Prizes. He received an honorary degree from Penn in 2010 (Almanac February 23, 2010).

Known to Quaker football fans for his 50-tear tenure as “The Voice of Franklin Field,” John C.T. Alexander earned his bachelor’s degree from Wharton in 1956. After service in the Marine Corps, he had a career in banking, business, marketing and public service. This included volunteer service under two presidential administrations, as chief of the International Voluntary Visitor Program under Ronald Reagan and director of a grant program for the Department of Education’s Center for International Education under George H.W. Bush. His service to Penn extends beyond Franklin Field to his consistent championing of the Class of 1956 Scholarship and support of reunions, including the reunion project, the Class of 1956 Trolley, which now sits at 37th and Spruce Streets, and as president of his class for the past 15 years.

William L. Derby, a 1961 graduate of the College, received an MBA from Wharton in 1965. A distinguished career culminated in his role as senior vice president at Bank of America Corporation. As a student at Penn, he was a star athlete and a member of the Friars Senior Honor Society, the Inter-Fraternity Council and the Varsity Council. He has led the Class of 1961, serving as class president for five years and bringing his dedication to the planning of its successful 45th Reunion, which set records for both 45th Reunion giving and Alumni Day attendance and won the David N. Tyre Award for Excellence in Class Communications. He also established the Derby Family Scholarship in 2006 and supports the Class of 1961 Scholarship.

Denise Green Winner, W’83, brings a high level of energy to Penn both as a volunteer leader of the Penn community in Los Angeles and as executive vice president of the Class of 1983. She balances this along with a successful career in financial engineering and computer programming with her own company, Winner Squared Inc., and her athletic skill as a marathon and ultra-marathon runner. In the 1997 New York City Marathon, she was the fastest American ultra-marathoner and the fourth fastest in the world, winning gold medals at the Maccabiah Pan Am Games in 1986, the Australian Carnival in 1988 and the Master’s Half Marathon at the Maccabiah Games in 2013.

Creative Spirit Award

Founder of TED and a renowned author, architect and an award-winning graphic designer, Richard Saul Wurman, AR’58, GAR’59, was honored for his life-long commitment to and excellence in the arts. He earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture at Penn and received the Arthur Spayd Brooks Gold Medal, as well as two graduate fellowships. Widely known as an innovator, Mr. Wurman is also credited with coining the term “information architecture.”

Young Alumni Award

Nicole E. Oddo graduated from the College in 2005. While at Penn, she was a percussionist in the Penn Band. As her career moved her to Phoenix, Chicago and Philadelphia, she has continued to raise the Quaker spirit as a volunteer leader, serving in leadership roles with each city’s Penn Club. Upon finishing her term as president of the Penn Alumni Club of Philadelphia, Ms. Oddo became the new chair of the Regional Clubs Advisory Board.

Warren L. Wang earned dual degrees from the School of Engineering & Applied Science and Wharton in 2000. He has served on the board of the Wharton Club of Southern California, as a club liaison for Penn Club of Los Angeles, as a member of the Regional Clubs Advisory Board and as a leader of the Los Angeles chapter of the University of Pennsylvania’s Asian Alumni Network. He is currently president of the Wharton Club of Western Pennsylvania.

Class & Club Recognition Awards

The Class of 1989 received the Class Award of Merit for its leadership, teamwork, organization and innovative programming, planning seven reunion pre-parties across the country that led to exceptional results. The Class broke the previous attendance record with 759 participants and raised $5.6 million with its 25th Reunion.

The Class of 2009 received the David N. Tyre Award for Excellence in Class Communications for its use of various platforms to connect with classmates about its fifth reunion. The campaign resulted in 797 attendees, the largest fifth reunion attendance and the largest class attendance of any Penn reunion, setting a new record for donor participation in a fifth reunion with a gift of $310,760.

The Penn Alumni Club of Westchester and Rockland Counties received the 2014 Club Award of Merit. The club has attracted new members through creative events that leveraged the talents of local alumni, while also mentoring and supporting other Penn alumni clubs and club leadership.

Lienhard Award: Dr. Aiken

Linda Aiken, Claire M. Fagin Leadership Professor in Nursing, has received the 2014 Gustav O. Lienhard Award from the Institute of Medicine for her research demonstrating the importance of nursing care and work environments in achieving patient-centered, affordable healthcare.

“Linda’s research on nursing, quality and the safety of patient care has far reaching implications for national and global health and epitomizes the path breaking scholarship being done at Penn Nursing,” said Penn President Amy Gutmann. “We are proud to have her contribution to nursing education, patient-to-nurse ratios and improved work environments recognized by the Institute of Medicine. Her pioneering work has had a critical effect on improving healthcare.”

The 29th recipient of the Lienhard Award, Dr. Aiken has focused her research career around successful patient outcomes, along with the roles that nurse education, workloads and working environments play in those outcomes. She has taken her work one step further, by translating her research findings into practice and policy in the United States. The Award recognizes outstanding national achievement in improving personal health care services. It consists of a medal and $40,000.

Institute of Medicine: Dr. Aronowitz

Robert Aronowitz, a physician and historian at the University of Pennsylvania, has been elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine (IOM), one of the nation’s highest honors in the health care field. He joins 69 other new members and 10 foreign associates in the 2014 class.

Established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, IOM has become recognized as a national resource for independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on health issues. With their election, members make a commitment to volunteer their service on IOM committees, boards and other activities.

Dr. Aronowitz is chair of the department of history & sociology of science in Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences and also holds an appointment in Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine.
Part of the IOM’s mission is to recognize professionals not only in medicine but in the social sciences and humanities. Dr. Aronowitz’s career has encompassed a broad range of disciplines, from English literature and linguistics to medicine and history. Dr. Aronowitz’s research interests revolve around the history of medicine and epidemiology and the role that risk and efficacy have played in driving trends and outcomes in health care.

Honorary Fellow: Dr. Berry

The American Society for Legal History (ASLH) elected Mary Frances Berry an Honorary Fellow of the Society. Dr. Berry is the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and professor of history in the School of Arts & Sciences. Election as an Honorary Fellow is the highest honor the Society confers.

“No one has done more than Mary Frances Berry to advance our understanding of race, gender and the Constitution in the United States, as evidenced by her work and by the work of the many scholars she has influenced,” said Michael Grossberg, ASLH president.

In 1987, Dr. Berry joined the Penn faculty where she teaches courses on the History of American Law and the History of Law and Social Policy. She also advises graduate students in legal history and African-American history.

Dr. Berry came to Penn after a distinguished career in public service. President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the US Commission on Civil Rights in 1980; President Bill Clinton named her chair 13 years later. During her 25-year tenure, the Commission emerged as a visible protector of minority rights, creating significant reports on issues ranging from environmental justice and affirmative action to conditions on Native American reservations. She earned a reputation as a courageous advocate on behalf of politically unpopular causes and as an independent thinker who vastly expanded the commission’s mandate.

President of GAPNA: Dr. Cacchione

Pamela Z. Cacchione, the Ralston House Endowed Term Chair in Gerontological Nursing, and interim program director of the Psychiatric Mental Health Program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, has been elected president of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA), a national organization of advanced practice nurses, nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists who care for older adults. The organization advocates for excellence in quality care for older adults, works to increase the numbers of advanced practice nurses prepared to care for older adults, helps to advance the scope of practice for advanced practice nurses caring for older adults. It also supports consumers regarding issues on aging.

“This is a time of great opportunity for our organization as we work to influence advanced practice nursing and health policy, and support expert practice, education and research that enhances the care of older adults,” said Dr. Cacchione. “Our organization is a strong resource for clinical practitioners who care for these patients.”

Sinclair Lecturer: Dr. Davies

Peter F. Davies, Robinette Foundation Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine was selected as the 2014 Sinclair Lecturer, the British Atherosclerosis Society’s highest recognition of distinguished research. The lecture was delivered at the Society’s Autumn conference at Queens College, Cambridge University.

van der Pol Gold Medal: Dr. Engheta

Nader Engheta, H. Nedwill Ramsey Professor of Electrical and Systems Engineering in Penn Engineering, is the recipient of the Balthasar van der Pol Gold Medal from the International Union of Radio Science (URSI) for “groundbreaking contributions and innovations in electromagnetic theory and applications of composite materials, metamaterials and nanoscale optics, bio-inspired imaging and sensing and material-based optical nanocircuitry.”

The van der Pol Gold Medal is one of the highest awards URSI gives and is awarded only once every three years. The Medal is awarded to outstanding scientists for career achievements with evidence of significant contributions within the most recent six-year period. The award honors the memory of Balthasar van der Pol, a physicist who was closely associated with URSI for many years.

Dr. Engheta’s research activities span a broad range of areas involving the physics of fields and waves. He is a leading figure in the field of metamaterials, which combines physics, engineering and nanotechnology to bend and manipulate waves in ways that natural materials cannot.

The URSI is a non-governmental and non-profit organization under the International Council for Science. It is responsible for stimulating and coordinating, on an international basis, studies, research, applications, scientific exchange and communication in the fields of radio science.

Board Chairman: Mr. Hollenberg

The University architect David Hollenberg, has been elected as chairman of the Board of Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc., to serve through June 2015.

ESPHS works to preserve and restore the architecture of Eastern State Penitentiary; to make the Penitentiary accessible to the public; to explain and interpret its complex history; to place current issues of corrections and justice in an historical framework; and to provide a public forum where these issues are discussed. While the interpretive program advocates no specific position on the state of the American justice system, the program is built on the belief that the problems facing Eastern State Penitentiary’s architects have not yet been solved and that the issues these early prison reformers addressed remain of central importance to our nation.

Hinshaw Award: Dr. Jemmott

Loretta Sweet Jemmott, the van Ameringen Professor in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing and director of the Center for Health Equity Research, has received the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research (FNINR) 2014 Ada Sue Hinshaw Award for her distinguished research in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention among African American adolescents. Dr. Jemmott’s work is acknowledged by her colleagues as the vanguard in health promotion and disease prevention, particularly in the field of behavioral intervention research.

For the past 10 years, Dr. Jemmott has been involved in extensive outcome-based, theory driven and culturally competent federally-funded research designing and evaluating interventions to reduce HIV risk-associated sexual behaviors. To date, three of her evidenced-based interventions have been translated into programs used both nationally and internationally by community-based organizations and clinics in high-risk urban areas.

The Ada Sue Hinshaw Award is the preeminent award given by FNINR in honor of the first permanent director of the National Institute of Nursing Research, acknowledging the substantive and sustained program of science that affords the recipient recognition as a prominent senior scientist. In addition to this distinguished award, Dr. Jemmott was also named an FNINR ambassador, along with Victoria Rich, associate professor of nursing administration. Drs. Jemmott and Rich were appointed for their contribution to ensuring that nursing’s role in science is highly relevant and deserving of funding.

Benjamin Franklin Medal: Two Penn Physicists—Dr. Kane and Dr. Mele

Two University of Pennsylvania physicists have been chosen as 2015 recipients of the Benjamin Franklin Medal, one of the world’s oldest science and technology awards. The laureates will be honored April 23 at an award ceremony at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

Charles Kane, the Class of 1965 Endowed Term Chair Professor in the School of Arts & Sciences’ department of physics & astronomy, and Eugene Mele, also a professor in that department, are among eight scientists recognized with Benjamin Franklin Medals this year for their achievements in chemistry, civil engineering, computers and cognitive science, earth sciences, electrical engineering, life sciences and physics.

“Recognizing global breakthroughs in science and technology and outstanding business leadership is instrumental in inspiring the next generation of great scientists and engineers,” said Larry Dubinski, president and CEO of the Franklin Institute. “These are some of the greatest minds and most influential pioneers of our time who come to Philadelphia to receive this honor and inspire us all. They are the Franklins of today, and through their remarkable contributions there is no question that they will inspire the Franklins of tomorrow.”

The 2015 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics goes to Drs. Kane and Mele for their work that introduced a new class of materials known as topological insulators. These materials are electrical insulators on the interior but conduct electricity on their surface; their special properties could be useful for applications ranging from low power electronics to creating a topological quantum computer. They share the medal with Shoucheng Zhang of Stanford University. 

Founded in honor of Benjamin Franklin, the Franklin Institute is one of America’s oldest and premier centers of science education and development. The Franklin Institute Awards have recognized preeminent accomplishment in science and technology on an international level since the Institute was founded in 1824.

Robertson Stem Cell Investigator: Dr. Phillips-Cremins

Jennifer Phillips-Cremins, assistant professor in the School of Engineering & Applied Science’s department of bioengineering and the Epigenetics Program in Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, has been named one of the three 2014 New York Stem Cell Foundation Robertson Stem Cell Investigators. The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) has granted Dr. Phillips-Cremins $1.5 million for the next five years to study how the three-dimensional organization of DNA within cells directs the development of the human brain.

NYSCF’s Robertson Stem Cell Investigator Award was created to support talented scientists as they make the transition from post-doctoral research to establishment of their own laboratories. The Investigator awards build off NYSCF’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, the largest program of postdoctoral support for stem cell researchers in the United States.

“NYSCF’s support is of immense value at this critical early juncture in my career and is a testament to the fantastic environment here at Penn,” said Dr. Phillips-Cremins. “The award will empower the students in my lab to pursue high-risk, high reward ideas and potentially make some real breakthroughs that could benefit those who suffer from debilitating neurological disorders.”

National Academy Academician: Professor Weiss

Marion Weiss, Graham Professor of Architecture, is among a select group of prominent artists and architects elected into the National Academy. As a National Academy Academician, distinguished practitioners are recognized for their “exceptional creative work and contribution to the arts.” 

Elected annually by the Academy membership, these artists and architects are being recognized for their contribution to American art and architecture. 

National Academicians are central to the Academy’s core mission of promoting art and architecture in America. Each Academician contributes a representative work—the diploma presentation—upon election. These works from Academicians, spanning the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries, form the Academy’s ever-evolving permanent collection of over 7,000 paintings, sculptures and drawings, as well as architectural drawings, photographs and models.