Adam Alperowicz and Nayha Zubair: IP LawMeet National Champions

Penn Law students Adam Alperowicz, L’17, and Nayha Zubair, L’16, were named champions of the fifth annual Intellectual Property LawMeet in November 2015, along with a team from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law.

The national championship round of the LawMeet was held at the Philadelphia offices of BakerHostetler LLP, and the firm hosted six finalist teams from around the country who had advanced from the regional rounds of competition. During the national championship, the judges—all experienced legal practitioners—acted as the opponents for each negotiating team.

The teams represented either Callista Sparks, a fictional popular performer, or the Magnificent Football League (MFL) in the negotiation of an agreement for Sparks’s appearance at the halftime show of the league’s annual championship game. Mr. Alperowicz and Ms. Zubair were recognized for the representation of the MFL, and the team from University of Missouri-Kansas City was honored for their representation of Sparks.

Markus Blatz: IAAD President

Markus Blatz, professor and chair of preventive & restorative sciences at Penn Dental Medicine, has been named president of the International Academy for Adhesive Dentistry (IAAD). Dr. Blatz was officially appointed to this leadership post during the IAAD’s First Biennial Meeting on Adhesive Dentistry, held last September in Orlando, Florida.

Dr. Blatz was among the founding organizers of the Academy. He is a leader in the field of aesthetic dentistry and co-author of the book Evolution: Contemporary Protocols for Anterior Single-Tooth Implants, which has been translated into eight languages—the most recent being Portuguese, released in conjunction with the IN 2015 Latin American Osseointegration Congress, held in Sao Paulo, Brazil last October. Dr. Blatz was among the invited speakers, presenting two lectures, “Material Update for Implant-supported Prostheses” and “Restorative Material Options for Aesthetic and Functional Success in Implant Dentistry.”

Peter Conn: Executive Director, Athenaeum of Philadelphia

Peter Conn, professor emeritus of English and education at Penn, was named executive director of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia, effective January 1. The Athenaeum of Philadelphia is an independent member-supported library and museum that engages members, scholars and the general public to join actively in the cultural and intellectual life of Philadelphia and participate in historical, literary and educational activities.

Dr. Conn earned his PhD from Yale University. At Penn, he served as dean of the College, graduate chair of English and American civilization, founding director of Civic House and deputy and interim provost. He has won numerous teaching awards, including the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching (Almanac May 29, 1973). His works on American literature and culture include The American 1930s: A Literary History; Literature in America: An Illustrated History and Pearl S. Buck: A Cultural Biography, which was named a “Notable Book” by The New York Times and won the Athenaeum Award.

Kleinman Center Team: Second Place, Columbia Energy Competition

After a grueling week tackling a complex energy hypothetical, a team of five Penn graduate students presented its findings to a panel of industry judges and secured second place in the 11th Annual Columbia University Energy Symposium Case Competition last November, sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton.

The national competition pulled in diverse teams from graduate programs across the United States, who developed responses to contemporary challenges facing the energy industry. Responses required an interdisciplinary approach, including expertise in business, finance, policy and energy technologies.

This year’s case study asked students to act as chair of the public utility commission in a state trying to balance renewable deployment and technology integration. Students addressed key policy issues including rates and subsidies for various stakeholders.

“Team Kleinman,” sponsored by Penn’s Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, won $1,500 following their successful 15-minute presentation.

Team members included Max Davidson, SAS, Master of Environmental Studies; Gregory Luehrs, Wharton, Master of Business Administration; Miriam Posner, SAS Fels, Master of Public Administration; Robert Ritchie, SEAS, Master of Science in Engineering, Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics; and Vishwanth Kumar Vankadari, SEAS, Master of Science in Engineering, Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics.

Brian Litt: Research Recognition Award for Clinical Science

Brian Litt, professor of neurology, neurosurgery and bioengineering at Penn, was honored with the American Epilepsy Society (AES) Research Recognition Award for Clinical Science last December at the Society’s 69th annual meeting in Philadelphia. The $10,000 Research Recognition Awards are given annually to active scientists and clinicians working in all aspects of epilepsy research.

Dr. Litt is a pioneer in the emerging field of neuroengineering and is praised for his research focusing on hardware development, machine learning and high-speed computing for implantable devices. He is also well known for his laboratory work translating basic science into new diagnostic and therapeutic technologies.