October 20, 2015 Volume 62 Issue 10

Terri H. Lipman, the Miriam Stirl Endowed Term Professor of Nutrition and professor of nursing of children, has been appointed for a five-year term as assistant dean for Community Engagement at Penn’s School of Nursing.

As the interim assistant dean, Dr. Lipman worked tirelessly to expand community engagement within Penn Nursing’s curriculum, its research and its practice mission. She has developed and strengthened collaborations throughout the entire University of Pennsylvania system and the city of Philadelphia, and with the School’s national partners. Dr. Lipman has been a strong mentor to faculty and students alike, resulting in the advancement of community engagement content within Penn Nursing courses and in research proposals.

As a result of her efforts, a Penn Nursing student, Jodi Feinberg, Nu’15, was selected for an inaugural President’s Engagement Prize (Almanac March 31, 2015). In partnership with the Global Health Sub-Committee, Dr. Lipman is working to develop health concepts and competencies across the School’s curriculum in both community engagement and global health.

Dr. Lipman serves as co-chair of the Community Engagement Sub-Committee for the development of a new strategic plan for the School of Nursing. She is the associate program director of the Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program, senior fellow in the Center for Public Health Initiatives, co-chair of the faculty advisory board of the Netter Center for Community Partnerships and a nurse practitioner in the division of endocrinology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. In addition, she has been selected to co-chair the Health Professionals Sub-group for the national Anchor Institutions Task Force. Dr. Lipman leads a program of research related to children with endocrine disorders. She has published more than 100 journal articles, book chapters and monographs and has lectured widely, both nationally and internationally.

Her honors and awards include being the inaugural recipient of the Norma M. Lang Distinguished Award for Scholarly Practice and Policy (Almanac September 18, 2012), the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching (Almanac April 9, 2002) and the Excellence in Nursing Research Award from the Society of Pediatric Nurses.

Provost Vincent Price and Vice Provost for Faculty Anita Allen are pleased to announce the appointment of Katherine Kuchenbecker as the Class of 1940 Bicentennial Term Chair.

Dr. Kuchenbecker is associate professor of mechanical engineering & applied mechanics in Penn’s School of Engineering & Applied Science. She is a world-renowned expert in haptic (touch-based) interactions and interfaces, which enable a user to touch virtual objects and distant environments as though they were real and within reach. Her research focuses on improving the realism and tactile quality of touch-based virtual interactions and interfaces, especially through such applications as robot-assisted surgery, stroke rehabilitation and personal robots, which are advancing new opportunities for interactions among humans, computers and machines.

Director of the Haptics Group at Penn, Dr. Kuchenbecker previously served as the Skirkanich Assistant Professor of Innovation and has received both the Lindback Award, the highest University-wide award for distinguished teaching (Almanac April 15, 2014), and the Trustees Council of Penn Women Award for Undergraduate Advising in 2015. She was named one of the 2010 “Brilliant Ten” by Popular Science magazine and received Early Career Awards from both the National Science Foundation and the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

Dr. Kuchenbecker earned her PhD (2006), MS (2002) and BS (2000) in mechanical engineering, all from Stanford University.

The Class of 1940 Bicentennial Term Chair was established by the Class of 1940 at its 50th reunion to recognize outstanding young professors. It rotates among the four undergraduate schools for five-year terms. It has been held most recently by Philip Nichols of Wharton, Julie Fairman of Nursing and Thomas Sugrue of SAS.

Karen B Hirschman has been named the NewCourtland Term Chair in Health Transitions Research at Penn’s School of Nursing.

The NewCourtland Term Chair focuses on knowledge development
as well as knowledge conversion in areas of transitional, palliative and end-of-life care. The recipient of the NewCourtland Term Chair demonstrates successful records in these lines of inquiry and will focus their efforts on the growth of the Center’s new science in the areas of palliative and end-of-life care, with particular attention to the contributions of nursing in these critical aspects of care delivery. The NewCourtland Term Chair was made possible by the generosity and commitment of Gail Kass and the members of NewCourtland’s Board of Trustees to this field of inquiry.

Dr. Hirschman joined the Penn faculty in 2004 after completing her post-doctoral training in Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine. Her interest in age-related neurodegenerative diseases as well as her background in social work and social welfare permit her to take a unique, interdisciplinary approach in her research.

Dr. Hirschman’s research is centered on advance care planning, decision making, caregiver burden and end-of-life care with a specific emphasis on individuals with cognitive impairments and their family members.

Provost Vincent Price and Vice Provost for Global Initiatives Ezekiel Emanuel are pleased to announce that Nigel Cossar has been appointed director of Penn Abroad. He started on October 1.

Mr. Cossar came to Penn from the University of Melbourne, where he directed the university’s study abroad and international exchange initiatives from 2007-2014. In this position, he led a tenfold increase in students studying abroad (from 300 students in 2007 to more than 3,000 students in 2013), making the university the national leader in education abroad in Australia and one of the largest universities around the world for student participation in study abroad.

Since 2014, he has worked in Washington, DC, leading the University of Melbourne’s global development initiatives in the United States. Raised and educated in Australia, he twice studied abroad in the US as an undergraduate at RMIT University in Melbourne and lived and worked in Colorado after graduating from RMIT in 2001. He also earned a Master of International Business from the Melbourne Business School at the University of Melbourne in 2006.

The Translational Biomedical Imaging Center (TBIC) was established under the leadership of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT) in part “to broaden and accelerate translational imaging research through the development of a center to bring together investigators with diverse backgrounds that contribute to various aspects of imaging science and who share a vision of contributing to the advancement of clinical medicine.” Among the approaches adopted by the TBIC to promote the use of imaging technology to facilitate translational research are the support of core facilities, collaborative imaging scientists and retreats/seminars. Building on this foundation, the TBIC announces a new collaborative pilot grant program to help catalyze collaborations between primary imaging scientists and primary biomedical/clinical researchers that integrate novel imaging approaches to enhance translational science and medicine.

These proposals require at least two co-principal investigators: one investigator whose primary research focus is in imaging methodology development and another investigator whose research is focused on biomedical science. At least one of the co-principal investigators should have a primary appointment in the Perelman School of Medicine. All investigators must be members of ITMAT. Please visit http://www.itmat.upenn.edu/membership.shtml for details.

The TBIC adopts a broad definition of imaging science and seeks proposals that focus on anatomic or functional imaging approaches that span from the microscopic to in vivo regimes.  Proposals that include a broad range of imaging methods including image acquisition techniques, image analysis and imaging probe development will be considered. Funding will be based on scientific merit, potential downstream clinical impact and the likelihood that the project will generate independent funding to sustain the effort. Post-pilot award outcomes will be surveyed. The deadline for applications is December 4, 2015 at noon for an award start date of February 1, 2016.

Visit http://www.itmat.upenn.edu/funding.html#tbicshtml for more information related to funding.

For additional information related to TBIC, visit http://www.itmat.upenn.edu/tbic.html or contact Mitchell Schnall at mitchell.schnall@uphs.upenn.edu or James Gee at gee@mail.med.upenn.edu

Lynn Hollen Lees, University Ombudsman

The University of Pennsylvania has had an Office of the Ombudsman since 1971, after a Task Force on University Governance recommended that it be established. Organized to provide a place where members of the University community could bring complaints or concerns, it has functioned since that date to provide a confidential space for the discussion of problems and to explore options for their resolution. During the last 44 years, many new offices and services—such as the Penn Women’s Center, the Office of Student Conduct and the Office of Affirmative Action—have been organized in response to the needs of the students, faculty and staff. There are now multiple places where an individual can go with questions or complaints, and structures have been developed for the appeal of particular decisions. The Wharton School and the School of Veterinary Medicine have each appointed their own Ombudsman for matters within those schools. But the University’s Office of the Ombudsman remains the one central place where anyone in the Penn community can take grievances on any topic for an impartial discussion. Because we are independent from the organizational hierarchies of all of the schools and are overseen only by the President’s Office, we function as an autonomous unit, outside the normal administrative lines of responsibility. We remain neutral as we listen to the concerns of those who consult with us. We operate informally. Our office keeps neither the names of those who visit us nor written records of discussions because of our concerns about confidentiality.

The University Ombudsman has multiple roles. Our first responsibility is to listen and to work to understand the matters put before us. Although we do not conduct formal investigations, we are able to inquire throughout the University about issues raised. We can clarify University procedures and policies and help an individual explore a range of next steps. Only if given permission by those who consult us will we contact anyone against whom a complaint is made. With the consent of all the parties involved, we can arrange to mediate a conflict. The aim of our office is to settle disputes informally and to help individuals resolve problems that inhibit their ability to function effectively at Penn. While our office has no authority to impose resolutions on disputes, we can and do advocate for fairness and for consistency. Although we do not make or enforce policies, we are able to recommend to the administration the review of particular policies or procedures when we see a pattern of problems. Our office does not disclose any information shared with us without permission. The only exceptions to this commitment to confidentiality are: 1) if the information shared gives reasonable cause to believe that there is an imminent risk of serious harm to our visitor or someone else; or 2) we are required by law to disclose the information.

During the 2014-2015 academic year, our office served 137 visitors from all parts of the University; 43.1% were staff, 26.3% students, 22.6% faculty, 4.4% post-docs and 3.7% other. Although the problems raised by individuals are highly varied, as Table 1 outlines, over one-third of our discussions relate to conditions of employment. A range of individual concerns regarding promotion, pay, benefits and office climate are brought to our attention by individuals who either choose not to follow the traditional hierarchical structure, or who are dissatisfied with or reluctant to rely on it. Disputes between manager and employee or among the members of a work unit sometimes benefit from discussions with an outsider. University procedures are another area of concern common to both faculty and staff. University policies are not always communicated clearly or understood completely, and no policy always fits comfortably with the wide range of individual circumstances which it must cover. The timing, tone and style of a message can be as troubling as its content.

Another large cluster of issues brought to us concerns academic matters. Disputes over status in a program, treatment within a class or a lab, or research ownership are sometimes brought to our office. It can be difficult for students and post-docs in vulnerable positions to raise their concerns effectively with their direct supervisors. The Office of the Ombudsman offers a place where such issues can be explored in a confidential fashion.

Over the past 20 years, there have been changes in the issues presented to the Ombudsman for resolution. Since the classification system used by the office has changed little since the early 1990s, it is possible to compare the distribution of clients and of cases for the years 1992-1995, with those from the past three years, 2012-2015. While the proportion of cases brought by staff members has remained constant over time (42.9% and 42.7%), more faculty on average consult our office now (18.7%) than during the 1990s (8.6%). Because of overall growth in faculty size, this does not however represent an increased propensity among all faculty to consult with the Ombudsman. In contrast, undergraduates make up a smaller share of our visitors now (9.7%) than 20 years ago (16.8%). This is not surprising because of the wide range of administrative units whose work is geared to student concerns, such as the Office of Student Conduct, the various offices overseen by the Vice Provost for University Life, the Graduate Student Center and the Sexual Violence Investigative Officer. Appeals venues in the College now handle many of the procedural complaints that previously might have been brought to our office.

When the concerns brought to our office during the last three years are compared to those of the early 1990s, several changes can be identified. Most striking is the large increase in complaints about the inappropriate behavior of others. Protests about bullying or other forms of abusive treatment in the workplace have been brought by employees who feel aggrieved, and who either are unwilling to raise these issues with a supervisor or feel that their complaints have not been heard. Angry comments can tear apart the web of human relationships that supports the functioning of academic departments, business units, classes and research projects. Although conflict is inevitable in human relationships, it is escalated when the expectation of civility is violated. In contrast, the proportion of cases relating to University procedures, as well as their absolute number, has decreased, as have cases concerning promotion and pay. The existence of appeals procedures in the various schools and the Human Resources Division should help to explain the decline in this set of complaints. We hope that these changes reflect improved administrative practices.

Very few cases of alleged discrimination or sexual harassment have been brought to our office in the last several years. This can be explained in several ways, and one possible hypothesis is that the University over the years has created or expanded alternative services that promise a greater degree of confidentiality to those who feel victimized. Our office continues to explore ways to expand the blanket of confidentiality we can offer those involved in these episodes, including the alleged victim, the accused, bystanders, friends and anyone else who may be affected, either directly or indirectly, by the events.

During the past year, we have worked to broaden awareness of the Office of the Ombudsman through presentations to University committees and administrative units, as well as conversations with the Faculty Senate Tri-chairs and Senate Committees. Our availability to help individuals settle problems should be more widely known. We plan to continue these consultations across campus during the upcoming year. We wish to encourage Penn faculty, staff and students to raise concerns with us before they escalate to a level at which they become much more difficult to resolve.

The Office of the Ombudsman is located in 113 Duhring Wing, adjoining the Fisher Fine Arts Library in the center of the Penn campus, and it can be reached via phone at (215) 898-8261. Our website (www.upenn.edu/ombudsman/ ) gives additional information on the office and its activities. We reply to inquiries and schedule appointments promptly. Anyone requesting a consultation need not disclose his or her identity and may remain anonymous. To protect the privacy of individuals, walk-in visitors and electronic communications detailing issues or concerns are strongly discouraged. The University Ombudsman has traditionally been a faculty member, who works part-time for a term of two or three years. Continuity in the office is provided by a full-time Associate Ombudsman. Marcia Martinez-Helfman (who holds both JD and MSW degrees) joined our staff in 2011. Her expertise in mediation and in the area of staff relations has been invaluable to the office. Active in the International Ombudsman Association, she has helped our office align its procedures with best practices in the profession. Participation in the conferences and workshops sponsored by the International Ombudsman Association keeps our office in touch with our peers across the country and around the globe.

Provost Vincent Price recently launched a Campaign for Community, whose goal is to foster “constructive conversations about difficult issues.” We share this commitment and encourage all members of the University community to reexamine how we interact with one another.

Table 2

The Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT) invites proposals from ITMAT members and ITMAT associate members in the Research Associate or Instructor A category. It is not too late to become a member or an associate member if you would like to apply for the grant and meet membership criterion. If you are interested, please visit the membership section of the website (http://www.itmat.upenn.edu/membership.shtml) for details.

The proposals must center on the translational space—in terms of drug development, from proof of concept in cells or model systems through to mechanistic studies in humans or, in drug development, completion of dose selection in Phase II. Programs that plan to progress within that space and that deploy technologies and approaches conventionally segregated from each other within the traditional boundaries of academic medicine will be especially favored. The proposals are due by December 4, 2015 for a proposal start date of February 1, 2016. Please visit http://www.itmat.upenn.edu/funding.shtml for detailed instructions.

Elaine Catherine Pierson-Mastroianni, clinical associate professor emeritus of obstetrics & gynecology and former head of student health at Penn, died of lung cancer on October 10. She was 89 years old.

Dr. Pierson-Mastroianni was born in East Tawas, Michigan and graduated from East Tawas High School in 1943. She attended the University of Michigan on a full scholarship, earning her bachelor’s degree in zoology and then her medical degree (1956). In 1957, she joined the faculty at Yale as a resident in obstetrics and gynecology.

In the mid-1960s, Dr. Pierson-Mastroianni moved to Philadelphia with her husband, Luigi Mastroianni Jr., who became the head of obstetrics & gynecology at Penn, and their three children. In 1968, she joined Penn as a staff physician for the student health clinic in obstetrics & gynecology. In 1969, she also joined the faculty as an instructor.

In 1971, she wrote Sex is Never an Emergency: A Candid Guide for College Students, which cost only $1 and was given to every incoming student at Penn. More than 200,000 copies were sold. She also co-wrote Female and Male: Dimensions on Human Sexuality with sociologist Bill D’Antonio (1974).

In 1979, she was promoted to clinical associate professor (Almanac January 31, 1980). She was accorded emerita status in 1992.

Dr. Pierson-Mastroianni is survived by two sons, John and Robert; a daughter, Anna; her brother, James Edward Pierson; and seven grandchildren. Her husband, Dr. Mastroianni, died in November 2008 (Almanac December 9, 2008).

Patrick S. Pasquariello Jr., a pediatrician who worked at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for 54 years, died on August 29 of heart failure at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. He was 85 years old.

Dr. Pasquariello grew up in North Philadelphia and graduated from St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in 1948. He earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s University in 1952 and his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in 1956. He also served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy.

Dr. Pasquariello became an intern at CHOP in 1961. He served as chief resident under C. Everett Koop, who later became Surgeon General of the United States. He joined the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1962. He became associate professor of pediatrics in 1977 (Almanac July 15, 1977), and was promoted to professor of pediatrics in 1990 (Almanac July 17, 1990). He became professor emeritus in 2005 (Almanac July 12, 2005).

Throughout his career at CHOP, his many leadership roles included director of the Office of Continuing Medical Education, interim chief of the Division of General Pediatrics, director of the spina bifida program and general pediatric consultant for the “22q and you” center and the cranial-facial reconstruction clinic.

In 1989, Dr. Pasquariello created CHOP’s diagnostic and complex care center, designed to help children with problems that are difficult to diagnose. The center was named in his honor in 2009.

He is survived by his wife of six decades, Mae Agnes, CW’53, GRD’85, who has served as co-president of the class of 1953; two daughters, Caroline, an anesthesiologist at CHOP, and Ann Agnes; one son, Patrick S. III; four grandchildren; a sister; and nieces and nephews.

Donations in his memory may be made to the Patrick S. Pasquariello Jr., MD, Endowment Fund, c/o Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104.

University Council Meeting Agenda

Wednesday, October 28, 4 p.m., Bodek Lounge, Houston Hall

I. Approval of the Minutes of October 7, 2015. 1 minute

II. Follow Up Comments or Questions on Status Reports. 5 minutes

III. The history and current status of open expression at Penn. 40 minutes

IV. Presentation by the President, Provost and other Administrators on the State of the University.  60 minutes

V. New Business. 5 minutes

VI. Adjournment.

During the American Academy of Nursing’s annual policy conference in Washington, DC  last week, three Penn Nursing faculty members were inducted as fellows: J. Margo Brooks Carthon, assistant professor of nursing; Helene Moriarty, adjunct associate professor of nursing and JoAnne Reifsnyder, adjunct assistant professor of nursing.

Ira Harkavy, associate vice president and founding director of the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, has been appointed by the director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), France A. Córdova, to serve as chair of the Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE) from February 1, 2016 through May 31, 2017.

This Congressionally mandated committee to the NSF advises the Foundation on policies and programs to encourage full participation by women, underrepresented minorities and persons with disabilities within all levels of America’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) enterprise.

Mark Haskins, professor of pathology and medical genetics at Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine, received an award from the International Society for Mannosidosis and Related Diseases (ISMRD) at the Glycoproteinoses: Fourth International Conference on Advances in Pathogenesis and Therapy in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Haskins was recognized for his lifetime of service and knowledge of lysosomal storage diseases.

The Trustees’ Council of Penn Women (TCPW) will present their 4th Annual Advising Awards at the TCPW Fall Conference on November 6 to Grace Kao, professor of sociology, education and Asian American studies in SAS and Katherine Kuchenbecker, the Class of 1940 Bicentennial Term Chair in SEAS.

To mark the quarter-century milestone of the Council, the TCPW 25th Anniversary Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising was established to recognize undergraduate advisors who have distinguished themselves in providing outstanding assistance and advice to their advisees and who have made a significant impact on the academic experience of these students.

TCPW is an international network of Penn alumnae. By power of their example, these leaders support, foster and promote the advancement of women and women’s issues within Penn, thus enriching the University community as a whole.

Whitney Stewart, a University of Pennsylvania freshman and political science major from Sarasota, Florida, is the recipient of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Youth of the Year Award for 2015-2016. She also earned the title of 2015-2016 Southeast Youth of the Year. She received the award last month at a ceremony in Washington, DC. Ms. Stewart will receive $145,000 in academic scholarships and prizes and will serve as the official spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Club and its Young Alumni & Friends Club.

Later this year, Ms. Stewart will travel to the White House to meet President Obama.

Penn’s first Green Purchasing Awards were bestowed at the annual Purchasing Services Supplier Show on September 30. This new award honors the leading actions of any individual or team that significantly advances the development of sustainable purchasing practices at Penn.

The Bright Idea Award was presented to the team that established the ULT (ultra-low temperature) Freezer Efficiency Program, which works with labs to replace electrically inefficient freezers with high-efficiency freezers, using financial incentives from the Green Fund to offset the cost of the replacements.

Another Green Purchasing Award recipient was David Roush, director of ITS Operations from Penn Law, for achieving the highest percentage of green office products purchased in the previous fiscal year.

To learn more, visit http://www.purchasing.upenn.edu/news/151006_01.php

(Above, from left to right) ULT team members Sarah Fisher, sustainability strategic planning associate (FRES), Eric Weckel, executive director, space planning and operations (PSOM); with Marie Witt, vice president of business services; and team member Andrew Zarynow, energy planning engineer (FRES).

Three well-known Penn provosts are among the Penn people whose likenesses have been immortalized over the centuries, besides Benjamin Franklin, on the University of Pennsylvania campus.

Charles Lennig, sculpted by John J. Boyle in 1900, honors Charles Lennig, a wealthy chemist who manufactured aluminum; he was a major benefactor who gave $700,000 in 1891, inspired by John Henry Towne. The 32” x 32” bust, atop a pedestal, was presented by Mr. Lennig’s son, Nicholas. Conserved in 1995, the bronze statue is located near the southwest corner of College Hall."

William Pepper was a Penn alumnus who was the valedictorian of the College, Class of 1862, and an 1864 graduate of the Medical School. He taught morbid anatomy and clinical medicine at Penn’s School of Medicine before serving as the 11th provost for 13 years. He opened the Hospital. The statue of Dr. Pepper was commissioned by the Pepper Testimonial Committee and was sculpted by Karl Bitter in 1895. The 9-foot statue is made of bronze and sits in the Class of ’55 Courtyard in Wynn Commons, Perelman Quadrangle.

George Whitefield was sculpted by R. Tait McKenzie in 1918. Reverend Whitefield, an 18th-century evangelical minister of the Church of England, was a lifelong friend and inspiration to Penn’s founder, Benjamin Franklin. The ‘New Building’ at 4th and Arch streets where Rev. Whitefield held his revivals was chosen by Franklin as the site for the Academy of Philadelphia and later, the College of Philadelphia, both predecessors of the University of Pennsylvania. The bronze statue adorns Ware College House in the historic Quadrangle.

Charles Custis Harrison was sculpted by Frank Lynn Jenkins, who completed it in 1925, the year it was dedicated. It was a gift of Trustee John C. Bell, Class of 1884. Mr. Harrison, a graduate of the College, Class of 1862, served as Penn’s 12th provost from 1894-1910, a period during which Penn saw tremendous expansion. He was a Trustee from 1876 until his death in 1929. He developed the historic Quadrangle, Penn’s dormitory system, and raised funds for many buildings. The 64” x 40” x 52” statue is made of bronze and located in the Fisher Hassenfeld Courtyard in the historic Quadrangle.

Edgar Fahs Smith was sculpted by R. Tait McKenzie in 1925. The 6-foot statue honors Dr. Smith, who served as Penn’s 13th provost from 1911-1920. He had served as vice provost from 1899-1910. He was a renowned professor of chemistry who researched, taught and directed the chemistry laboratory. He was president of the American Philosophical Society and the American Chemical Society. The sculpture is located on Smith Walk at 34th Street.

Chuck Bednarik, sculpted by Brian Hanlon, was erected on the north side of Penn’s Franklin Field in 2011. The bronze statue honors Chuck Bednarik, shown above with his statue when it was unveiled (Almanac November 8, 2011). He has been called the finest athlete in the history of Penn and the Philadelphia Eagles. Mr. Bednarik played center for the Quakers at Penn from 1945-1948. The statue, an idea originally presented by a group of Philadelphia businessmen in 2010, gained momentum in the media, eventually raising nearly $100,000.

In collaboration with several campus partners, the Penn Libraries is pleased to present the annual Engaging Students Through Technology Symposium.

The guiding question for this year is: Ed Tech 2020: What Will Learning Look Like?

The symposium will be held on Friday, October 30 from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. in Claudia Cohen Hall and the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center.

It will include a faculty panel, an undergraduate student panel, two rounds of concurrent workshops and a lightning round. Stanton Wortham (faculty director, Online Learning Initiative) will share opening remarks. The faculty panel includes Jim English (English), Peter Fader (marketing), Joe Farrell (classical studies), Philip Gressman (mathematics) and Mélanie Péron (Romance languages). Peter Decherney (cinema studies and English) will facilitate the undergraduate student panel. Discussion will build on perspectives collected from an undergraduate student survey at http://tinyurl.com/wic2015student

Workshop themes include data visualization techniques, uses of Canvas, social media and 3D printing. The program is designed for faculty, teaching staff and graduate students, and is co-sponsored by CAMRA, the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Penn Language Center, the Online Learning Initiative, SAS Computing and the Weingarten Learning Resources Center (VPUL).

Last year’s symposium attracted over 130 participants from all 12 schools across the University. The opportunity to share ideas across disciplines is a key feature of this annual symposium.

For more information and to register, visit http://commons.library.upenn.edu

Please send questions to wic1@pobox.upenn.edu

In recognition of International Open Access Week, the Penn Libraries presents “Open Dialogs on Open Access,” a month of events that will provide an opportunity to discuss the different nuances of open access in the creation and dissemination of information across the disciplines. The symposium will run now through November 16 and feature conversations with Penn faculty, librarians and students as well as representatives from the University of Pennsylvania Press, the Office of the General Counsel and Palgrave-Macmillan. Registration is encouraged but not required unless otherwise noted.

Today, from noon-1 p.m., Creative Commons: A License to Share Knowledge, Katie Rawson, coordinator for digital research & librarian for literature in English and Sarah Wipperman, ScholarlyCommons repository service manager & analyst, Penn Libraries; Meyerson Conference Room, 2nd floor, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center. Register: http://libcal.library.upenn.edu/event/2205902

For the other dates, times and descriptions, visit http://repository.upenn.edu/penn_oa_events

The Associations of Senior and Emeritus Faculty of the Perelman School of Medicine (ASEF-PSOM) and the University of Pennsylvania (PASEF) will honor the new emeritus and recently retired faculty in a program/reception on Wednesday, November 4 from 4:30-7 p.m. at the Sweeten Alumni House, 3533 Locust Walk.

They will celebrate the careers and special memories of the 2015 faculty retirees. To see the names of those who have retired in the past academic year and are being honored at this celebration, see the ASEF-PSOM website at www.med.upenn.edu/asef/  To RSVP, email myers@mail.med.upenn.edu

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. In honor of this month, we are dedicating October’s Wellness Walk to those who are currently battling breast cancer, have lost their battle to breast cancer and are survivors of breast cancer. We are asking everyone who can to show their support by wearing pink. It can be a pink hat, shirt, socks, jewelry, scarf, etc. The more pink, the better. We want to help bring awareness as we walk throughout the Penn community. So grab your coworkers and join us for just an hour as we take advantage of the great benefits walking produces, while we also remember those who are still on their journey to recovery, pay tribute and honor those who are no longer with us and celebrate those who have survived.

The walk will take place on Friday, October 23  at noon. We will meet in front of College Hall by the Ben Franklin statue. There will be an option to participate in a 1-mile or a 2-mile route. Even if you do not have time or feel that you cannot walk the entire course, please still come out and join us for as long as you are able. You may drop out at any time throughout the walk.

Register for the walk at https://www.hr.upenn.edu/myhr/registration/events?category=all  We want to acknowledge and thank our colleagues from the Center for Public Health Initiatives, our collaborators who will be leading October’s walk.

The classic film The Phantom of the Opera will once again be front and center at the University of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, October 27 at 7 p.m. in Irvine Auditorium.

This annual show is an opportunity to experience the 1925 silent film The Phantom of the Opera with live organ accompaniment. The Phantom of the Opera is an adaptation of the Gaston Leroux’s novel of the same name directed by Rupert Julian. The film features Lon Chaney in the title role as the masked and facially deformed Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House, causing murder and mayhem in an attempt to force the management to make the woman he loves a star. It is most famous for Lon Chaney’s intentionally horrific, self-applied make-up, which was kept a studio secret until the film’s premiere.

Famed improvisational organist Peter Krasinski will play the 10,731-pipe Curtis Organ. This Halloween tradition is free and open to the public.

Mr. Krasinski is a world-renowned conductor, organist and teacher, and he specializes in the art of live silent film accompaniment. Come see The Phantom of the Opera the way it was meant to be enjoyed as Mr. Krasinski performs on the 11th largest organ in the world.

This Halloween, the Penn Museum, in conjunction with the Mexican Cultural Center and the Mexican Consulate in Philadelphia, invites guests of all ages to a celebration enjoyed in Mexico, and increasingly in places throughout the world: Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. With more than a few ghoulish skeletons and macabre decorations, this event brings family and friends together to pray for and remember loved ones who have died. Far from a morose affair, Day of the Dead is a celebration, rich in traditions and connections—it is at heart a celebration of life.    

The fourth annual Day of the Dead Celebration at the Museum will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 31 with pageantry and giant puppetry, music and dance, storytelling, papier-mâché artistry, sugar skull and mask making, face painting, special foods including traditional, sweet, “pan de muerto” buns and spicy hot chocolate, Maya-style.

Everyone is invited to bring a photo and a memento of their own to place at a communal altar, remembering the passing of a loved one. Halloween costumes are encouraged, and costumed guests under 12 will receive half price admission to the event. Guests dressed in a Day of the Dead-themed costume such as La Catrina, or as a traditional Mexican icon like Frida Kahlo can join a parade and costume contest.

The Celebration is free with admission.

Centerpiece and Remembrance

The modern Mexican Day of the Dead holiday is a rich blending of traditions, its origins tracing back to beliefs and activities of indigenous peoples of Central and South Mexico, as well as Catholic celebrations of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Throughout Mexico and around the world, the Day of the Dead brings family and friends together in a jovial manner to pray for and remember deceased loved ones.

Creating ornate Day of the Dead altars is one of the most important traditions in Mexican, Mexican-American and Latino communities worldwide. The altars typically have three levels: one for food and flower offerings to those who have died, one that touches on religious traditions, including the pre-Hispanic tradition that to remember someone is to “bring them back” among the living and a final level that dedicates the altar to someone.

The centerpiece of the day will be an elaborate altar to be created by renowned Philadelphia artist and muralist Cesar Viveros and Mexican Consulate personnel. Fittingly, this year’s central altar honors another muralist, Mexico’s Rufino Tamayo (1899-1991). Mr. Viveros chose to dedicate this year’s centerpiece altar to Mr. Tamayo, who shunned the political style of his contemporaries, instead expressing what he believed represented traditional Mexico. He lives between Mexico and New York, and his work includes lithographs and woodcuts. He is also credited with inventing the Mixografia technique, which results in prints with three-dimensional texture.

Mr. Viveros recently gained international acclaim working on a Philadelphia-based project for the World Meeting of Families. He designed The Sacred Now mural, earning himself and his collaborators a Guinness World Record for most contributions to a painting by numbers. Across 16 paint days, more than 2,700 people, including area residents and World Meeting of Families attendees, helped finish the work, which Pope Francis signed in front of a crowd of thousands.

In addition to the centerpiece altar, visitors can also view colorful altars created by local community groups and Mexican restaurants, including Novedades Marisol and Lupita’s Mexican Market both from Norristown, the Springside Chestnut Hill Academy’s Spanish Club and El Rey restaurant in Philadelphia. Community groups will vie for prizes on their own creative altars, on display for the day.

Conference

23    Tenth Annual Kolb Senior Scholars Colloquium: Voices of the Dead: A Global Perspective on the Archaeology of Death; 2-5 p.m.; Widener Lecture Hall, Penn Museum (Anthropology; Classical Studies).

Film

22    Rati Chakravyuh; a screening and conversation; Ashish Avikunthak, filmmaker; Shekhar Deshpande, Arcadia University; Rahul Mukherjee, cinema studies; 3:30 p.m.; Slought (Slought; Cinema Studies).

Talks

21    Social Inheritance and Differences in Human Learning & Development; Ezekiel Dixon-Roman, SP2; noon; Penn Bookstore (Penn OAA.EOP).

22    The Vocal Memnon Colossus; Patricia Rosenmeyer, University of Wisconsin-Madison; 4:30 p.m.; rm. 402, Claudia Cohen Hall (Classical Studies).

27    Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis; Joan Wallach Scott, CUNY; 4:30 p.m.; rm. 209, College Hall (History).

Open Dialogs on Open Access

At noon; Meyerson Conference Room, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library; register at https://repository.upenn.edu/penn_oa_events/

22 Researching the Public Domain & Open Access; Robert Terrell, Office of the General Counsel; John Mark Ockerbloom, Penn Libraries.

23 Open Access Projects at Penn; Eric Alan Weinstein, the Unbinding Prometheus Project; Chris Mustazza, Penn Sound.

Arm yourself for the season and get your flu shot.

Penn faculty and staff are welcome to attend the Student Health Service (SHS) sponsored flu vaccine clinics:

• Thursday, October 22 in Bodek Lounge, Houston Hall from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, October 28 in Hall of Flags, Houston Hall from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

No appointment or pre-registration is necessary for the SHS clinics. Please present your valid PennCard at the clinic to receive the vaccine—free to faculty and staff.

• Monday, November 2 in Bodek Lounge, Houston Hall from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.:

Human Resources will provide free flu shots to faculty and staff.

    Registration is required: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/flu        

The University of Pennsylvania Police Department Community Crime Report

Below are the Crimes Against Persons, Crimes Against Society and Crimes Against Property from the campus report for October 5-11, 2015. View prior weeks' reports. —Ed.

This summary is prepared by the Division of Public Safety and includes all criminal incidents reported and made known to the University Police Department between the dates of October 5-11, 2015. The University Police actively patrol from Market St to Baltimore and from the Schuylkill River to 43rd St in conjunction with the Philadelphia Police. In this effort to provide you with a thorough and accurate report on public safety concerns, we hope that your increased awareness will lessen the opportunity for crime. For any concerns or suggestions regarding this report, please call the Division of Public Safety at (215) 898-4482.

10/06/15      9:45 AM         3737 Market St         Harassment     Unwanted calls received

10/06/15      10:37 AM       3565 Sansom St        Assault            Complainant receiving unwanted attention

10/06/15      4:06 PM         3400 Spruce St         Weapons          Male had revoked permit/Arrest

10/06/15      10:20 PM       3082 South St           Theft                 Property taken from unsecured locker

10/06/15      11:29 PM       4000 Walnut St         Other Offense    Male wanted on warrant/Arrest

10/06/15      11:32 PM       3400 Chestnut St      DUI                    Intoxicated driver arrested

10/07/15      11:32 AM       3431 Chestnut St      Fraud                 Male attempted to cash unauthorized check/Arrest

10/07/15      4:03 PM         3800 Locust Walk     Sex Offense       Confidential

10/07/15      10:53 PM       4033 Spruce St         Other Offense    Citation issued for loud music

10/08/15      4:40 PM         4000 Walnut St         Fraud                  Gift cards received with no value

10/09/15      12:19 AM       3900 Spruce St         DUI                    Intoxicated male/Arrest

10/09/15      6:57 AM         3700 Market St         Sex Offense       Confidential

10/10/15      8:41 AM         3800 Hamilton Walk Narcotic              Male in possession of narcotics/Arrest

10/11/15      3:21 PM         3300 Chestnut St      Drunkeness        Intoxicated male/Arrest

10/11/15      3:56 PM         3935 Walnut St         Theft                   Unsecured purse taken from pocketbook

18th District Report

Below are the Crimes Against Persons from the 18th District: 5 incidents with 1 arrest (2 aggravated assaults, 1 assault, 1 indecent assault and 1 robbery) were reported between October 5-11, 2015 by the 18th District covering the Schuylkill River to 49th Street & Market Street to Woodland Avenue.

10/06/15    9:38 AM    4600 Market St    Aggravated Assault/Arrest

10/06/15    10:37 AM    3565 Sansom St    Assault

10/08/15    3:09 PM    4700 Locust St    Indecent Assault

10/11/15    4:22 PM    4822 Sansom St    Aggravated Assault

10/11/15    7:03 PM    300 S 45th St    Robbery

sweetgreen: $50 in gift cards—Rebecca Greipp, HUP

Penn Visa Card Program: Football Party: Six  tickets to Penn v. Yale—Dan Hill, Audit, Compliance & Privacy

Eastern State Penitentiary: Six tickets to historic prison—Luke Ferrandino, HUP

Cheesecake Factory: $50 gift certificate—Donna Moré, Pennsylvania Hospital

Philadelphia Flyers, Sixers, Eagles & Phillies:  Autographed merchandise & bobble head—
Kachet Duval, CPUP

SSM: Logo merchandise—Tristine Laurito, HUP Corporate

Philip Rosenau Company: $50 iTunes gift card—Jennifer Israelite, Nursing student

Q: Can I participate in Penn’s Way 2016 without donating money?

A: Yes, we encourage all employees to participate regardless of their planned gift amount. Employees who contribute elsewhere and/or those wishing to participate without giving may do so by checking the appropriate box on the online pledge form or by indicating a $0 gift amount on the paper pledge form. All employees who participate will be eligible for the weekly employee prize raffle as well as the midway prize and grand prize.

Visit the Penn’s Way website for more information about what a gift can provide, pledge forms, a payroll deduction guide, an agency list and more frequently asked questions & answers: http://www.upenn.edu/pennsway/

Stylus, a peer-reviewed literary and art journal with emphasis on medical humanities, along with Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, announce the Fifth Annual Call for short stories, essays, poetry, op-eds, visual arts and photography, as well as proposals for special issues. The deadline for submitting pieces is October 30.

Submit entries at: www.themedicalstylus.com/submit/ and address questions to Sibel Ozcelik at sozcelik@law.upenn.edu

Another tip in a series provided by the
Offices of Information Systems & Computing and Audit, Compliance & Privacy.

It’s natural to think you can avoid becoming a victim of cybertheft by avoiding suspicious websites and deleting fake emails. In recent years, however, cybercriminals have started using another method to hack into your computers: telephone calls.

The telephone call scam works in a variety of ways. A scammer may call you claiming to be a computer tech from a well-known company such as Microsoft, or a fake alert window may pop up in your internet browser that instructs you to call “technical support.” Once you are on the telephone, the scammer attempts to convince you to install software that allows them to take control of your computer remotely. This scam works because it takes advantage of our reasonable concerns about computer viruses and other threats, and by enticing us with offers of free software or services to help protect our systems.

Once the cybercriminal has access to your computer, he or she can do many things, including encrypting your data to make it unreadable until you pay to decrypt it, reconfiguring your computer to make it more vulnerable to cyber attacks, and installing malicious software to capture your personal, sensitive data, including online banking user names and passwords.

The easiest way to protect yourself is to never give control of your computer to an unsolicited third party, never provide credit card or financial information to someone claiming to be from tech support and never give your password on the telephone. No legitimate organization should ever ask you to do this.

If you receive a questionable, unsolicited call from someone claiming to be a tech support person, hang up and contact your Local Support Provider (LSP) using a trusted phone number or email address. If you think you may have fallen for a fake tech support telephone call scam, contact your LSP or the Office of Information Security (security@isc.upenn.edu) as soon as possible.

For more information on these types of scams and how to protect yourself, see:

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0346-tech-support-scams