December 8, 2015 Volume 62 Issue 16

Deborah A. Harley has been appointed the University’s new Sexual Violence Investigative Officer. Ms. Harley was an attorney in private practice as a litigator specializing in family law, civil law, criminal law and campus sexual misconduct matters with the firm of Marino & Conroy. Previously, Ms. Harley worked in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office for nearly 23 years, in a series of progressively responsible positions culminating in her service for six years as chief of the Office’s Family Violence and Sexual Assault Unit.  Ms. Harley served as co-chair of the Mayor’s Task Force on Domestic Violence for three years and was then appointed co-chair of the Domestic Violence Law Enforcement Committee for three years. Ms. Harley was also a member of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Medical/Legal Advisory Board for three years and the Philadelphia Sexual Assault Advisory Council for six years.

Ms. Harley will serve as the University’s principal investigator of all complaints of violations of the University’s policy on Sexual Violence, Relationship Violence and Stalking made against students enrolled in any of Penn’s 12 schools. She will also work with colleagues to educate students, faculty and staff about the process for responding to complaints and assist with efforts to prevent sexual violence. Ms. Harley succeeds Christopher Mallios, who was elected a judge of Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas. Mr. Mallios will assume his judicial post in January 2016.

As the chief of the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Unit, Ms. Harley worked with partner agencies to ensure collaborative, trauma-informed, systemic responses during sexual assault investigations. Ms. Harley, who earned a BS degree magna cum laude from the University of Scranton and a JD from Villanova University School of Law, has taught in a variety of educational and professional settings about sexual violence, relationship violence, stalking and best practices regarding interview methods and response options for addressing sexual misconduct.

“Ms. Harley’s depth of experience in representing complainants and respondents in University sexual misconduct cases, her legal expertise and investigative skills, as well as her commitment to fairness and equity will position her exceptionally well to build on the strong track record left by Mr. Mallios,” said Vice President for Institutional Affairs Joann Mitchell. “Ms. Harley is terrific for this position,” said Mr. Mallios. “She truly understands the dynamics of campus sexual misconduct and has a proven track record of working collaboratively with other responders.”

Ms. Harley said that she “looks forward to working with Mr. Mallios to effect a smooth transition as well as with Penn students, faculty and staff to ensure that all parties continue to be treated equitably and with respect throughout the process.”   

We are pleased to announce the Netter Center Faculty-Community Partnership Award. This is a new annual award of $5,000 to recognize outstanding Faculty-Community Partnership projects in West Philadelphia/Philadelphia. One award will be made annually: $2,500 to a faculty member; $2,500 to the community partner to develop and advance an existing partnership. Junior and senior faculty along with senior lecturers and associated faculty from any of Penn’s 12 schools are eligible for nomination. Please see below for the complete description and process of nomination. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this award, please direct them to Janeé Franklin, ABCS coordinator, at janeef@upenn.edu

—Dennis DeTurck, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and Professor of Mathematics, SAS;

Faculty Master of Riepe College House; Netter Center Faculty Advisory Board Co-Chair

—John Gearhart, James W. Effron University Professor and Emeritus Director, Institute for

Regenerative Medicine; Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology and Animal Biology, PSOM and School of Veterinary Medicine; Netter Center Faculty Advisory Board Co-Chair

—Ira Harkavy, Associate Vice President,

Founding Director, Barbara and Edward Netter Center for Community Partnerships

—Francis E. Johnston, Emeritus Professor, Anthropology, SAS;

Netter Center Faculty Advisory Board Co-Chair

—Terri H. Lipman, Assistant Dean for Community Engagement, Miriam Stirl Endowed Term

Professor of Nutrition, Professor of Nursing of Children, SON;

Netter Center Faculty Advisory Board Co-Chair

—Carol Muller, Professor of Music, Director of Jazz and Popular Music Studies Minor, SAS;

Faculty Fellow, Moorman-Simon Program for Education and Schooling for

Democracy and Citizenship, Netter Center

Faculty-Community Partnership Award Nomination Process: Frebuary 1

The new award recognizes Faculty-Community Partnership Projects. One award will be made annually for $2,500 to a faculty member and another $2,500 to the community partner to develop and advance an existing partnership.

Criteria for Selection

(1) Must be a faculty member whose work is affiliated with the Netter Center for Community Partnerships i.e., engaged with Academically Based Community Service (ABCS), Problem Solving Learning (PSL) or Participatory Action Research (PAR) style pedagogy and/or research.

(2) Can be assistant, associate, or full professor, senior lecturer, or associated faculty.

(3) Must demonstrate record of either long-term or emerging engagement.

Process of Nomination

(1) Nominators should submit a completed packet (as outlined below) by February 1 of the given academic year to the ABCS coordinator at the Netter Center, who will submit applications to the faculty awards committee.

(2) The faculty committee will submit their recommendations by March 15 to Netter Center Director Ira Harkavy, who will make the final selection by April 15.

Nomination Packet

(1) Cover sheet including: Name, title, department, school, mailing address; 100-word abstract describing the partnership, its impacts and its potential for sustainability.

(2) Two letters of support (at least one must be from the community partner).

(3) A two-page CV that highlights community engagement work of the nominee.

(4) 800-word document detailing the following items:

a. Significance of Engagement with the Community

A description of the project; outline the pedagogical practices, the nature of the partnership, and where relevant, the scholarly presentations and/or publications that have come out of or may develop from this work.

b. Impact of the Project

Outline the community and academic impacts of the project, including impacts on Penn.

c. Sustainability

What are future plans for further engagement with this project, or for new related projects? What are the community partners’ expectations of further engagement, and how are these being addressed by the faculty member?

Constitution of Awards Committee

(1) The selection committee will be comprised of a Netter Center Faculty Fellow and three other Netter-affiliated faculty members. The committee members will be appointed annually.

(2) The committee will make recommendations only.

Announcement of Awards: Awards and award winners will be announced in Almanac and in the Netter Center’s Annual/Biannual Report. 

This coming tax season, most Penn faculty and staff members will receive a new IRS document called Form 1095-C (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1095c.pdf). Required by the Affordable Care Act, Form 1095-C includes information about the health insurance coverage offered to you by Penn.

You will receive this form if you are:

• a full-time benefits-eligible faculty member,

• a part-time benefits-eligible faculty member enrolled in a Penn benefit plan at any point in 2015,

• or you worked at Penn an average of 30 or more hours per week in 2015 and were offered ACA benefits coverage.

You may receive the form even if you are not enrolled in a Penn benefit plan. It will be mailed to you on or before February 1, 2016.

If you receive a Form 1095-C from Penn, be sure to keep it for your records. You may need the information on the form when you file your 2015 tax return or have your tax return prepared.

If your family members—adult children under age 26, for example—are covered under a Penn healthcare plan, they may also need a copy of your Form 1095-C for their tax returns.

To make sure your Form 1095-C is mailed to the correct address, please review and update your home address on the U@Penn Portal at https://portal.apps.upenn.edu/penn_portal/u@penn.php

After you log in to the U@Penn Portal with your PennKey username and password, select “My Profile” under the “My Personal Data” tab and proceed to update your home address as needed.

Your Form 1095-C will contain details about your eligibility for Penn health plans. The form will also provide information for each of your family members enrolled under your Penn benefit plan. The IRS will use the information from 1095-C to determine who will need to make a Shared Responsibility Payment for failing to have healthcare coverage as required by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

If you worked for other employers during 2015 or had other sources of coverage in 2015, you may receive similar forms from them as well.

For detailed information and updates about Form 1095-C, visit https://www.irs.gov/form1095c and the IRS Affordable Care Act Tax Provisions for Individuals and Families webpages at https://www.irs.gov/Affordable-Care-Act/Individuals-and-Families/Health-Care-Law-and-Your-Tax-Return

—Division of Human Resources

Purpose and Research Focus

The mission of the PennCHOP Microbiome Program is to facilitate research across campus focused on understanding the microbiome and altering its composition and activity to improve health. Pilot/Feasibility Grants are designed to bring together microbiome investigators and to stimulate other researchers to enter the field and investigate the influence of the microbiome in their subject areas. The Pilot/Feasibility Projects can focus on the microbiota at any body site of the human or animal hosts. Projects can focus on composition and/or function of bacterial, fungal, archaeal, viral communities as well as their physiological and pathological effects on their hosts.

There will be two pilot funding mechanisms that will support up to seven pilot grants:

1. Up to five general microbiome pilots.

2. One matching pilot with the School of Veterinary Medicine and one with the Institute for Immunology.

• Criteria for the Penn Vet matching pilot: Proposals that are relevant to understanding host-microbe interactions in either clinical or experimental settings, but which include a faculty member from the School of Veterinary Medicine ideally combined with faculty from another School at Penn.

• Criteria for the Institute for Immunology matching pilot: This Pilot will seek proposals that are relevant to understanding the immunological impact of the microbiome in areas related to Autoimmunity, Cancer Immunology, Host Defense and Infectious Disease, Inflammation or Transplantation. The successful Proposal must include a faculty member from the Institute for Immunology.

Eligibility

All faculty members (including Instructors and Research Associates) of the University of Pennsylvania scientific community who meet the eligibility requirements below are invited to submit proposals. Applicants must be a US citizen or have a permanent resident visa.

1. New investigators who have never held extramural support (R01 and/or P01), or

2. Established investigators in other areas of biomedical research who wish to apply their expertise to a problem involving microbes, or

3. Established investigators in the microbiome field who wish to study an area that represents a significant departure from currently funded work.

Pilot project awardees are eligible for two years of funding; renewals are evaluated competitively.

Please see https://www.med.upenn.edu/penn-chop-microbiome/pilot-feasibility-program.pdf for more information.

—The PennCHOP Microbiome Program

Thomas (“Tommy”) George Tercilla, a freshman in the Wharton School, died of a brain aneurysm on November 29 while at home in Florida for the Thanksgiving break. He was 19 years old.

Mr. Tercilla grew up in Miami and attended Christopher Columbus High School, where he was a member of the Mas Family Scholars Program, an accelerated program of studies for highly motivated students. He graduated in 2015. As a teenager, he volunteered at the University of Miami Mini Canes Summer Camp and His House Children’s Home. He attended Better Families for Tae Kwon Do and received a black belt in 2013. He entered the Wharton School in hopes of working on Wall Street. At Penn, he lived in Ware College House and was a member of the Wharton School’s Dollar cohort.

Mr. Tercilla is survived by his father, Orlando; his mother, Margarita; his sister, Victoria; and his grandmother, Lucia Garcia Barrera.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to benefit the Thomas George Tercilla Scholarship Fund at Christopher Columbus High School, c/o Brother Kevin Handibode, 3000 SW 87th Avenue, Miami, FL 33165. A scholarship fund has also been established in Mr. Tercilla’s name at Better Families for Tae Kwon Do, 6723 SW 81st Street, Miami, FL 33143,  Attn: Mary Beth.

David M. Silfen, C’66, vice chair of Penn’s Board of Trustees and chairman of the School of Arts & Sciences’ Board of Overseers, died on November 28. He was 69 years old.

Mr. Silfen had served as a vice chair of Trustees since 2010. He became a Trustee in 1998 and served on the Executive, Nominating, External Affairs, Budget & Finance and Development committees, as well as the Investment Board and the ad hoc Committee on Campus Development that helped shape the Penn Connects master plan. As chair of the Trustees’ Development Committee from 2004-2009, he also took an active role in planning and executing the University’s $4.3 billion Making History campaign.

A longtime member of the Board of Overseers of the School of Arts & Sciences (SAS) and its Executive and Development committees, Mr. Silfen was named Overseers’ chair in 2009. He provided invaluable advice to the SAS deans in areas such as fundraising, budgeting and strategic planning. He was one of the School’s most articulate advocates and took a key role in working to increase the rigor of the undergraduate program, to make opportunities for SAS students to take courses at other Penn schools and to involve other SAS Overseers and alumni as partners in the School. His tenure saw a renewed commitment to faculty diversity, the creation of the undergraduate Integrated Studies Program, record-breaking graduate applications, the construction of the Krishna P. Singh Center for Nanotechnology, the appointment of Steven Fluharty as dean of SAS, the successful completion of the School’s involvement in the Making History campaign and the groundbreaking of the new Neural-Behavioral Sciences Building, scheduled to open in 2016.

A Charter Trustee, Mr. Silfen was among the University’s most generous supporters. In 2005, he and his wife, Lyn, pledged $12 million to fund two Penn Integrates Knowledge professorships (Almanac March 14, 2006).

Their gift also created the annual David and Lyn Silfen University Forum in which Penn faculty join experts from around the world to discuss the most challenging questions confronting our society. The September 2015 forum was held in Beijing in conjunction with the opening of the Penn Wharton China Center (Almanac September 22, 2015). In 1992, the Silfens funded the David M. Silfen Term Professor of History of Art.

They also provided support for undergraduates, creating the Silfen Student Study Center in the Perelman Quadrangle (Almanac February 20, 1996), funding a project to study and enhance the curriculum in the College of Arts & Sciences, establishing junior travel fellowships in art history, and supporting the Penn History Review, a publication created by undergraduate history majors.

During his undergraduate years, Mr. Silfen was a history major and a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, the Mask & Wig Club, the People to People Club and the varsity golf team. There is now the Silfen Golf Simulator Room on the third floor of the Pottruck Health & Fitness Center. After graduating from the College in 1966, he went on to earn an MBA from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business.

In 1968, he joined Goldman Sachs, where he became a partner in 1978 and later rose to membership on the Executive Committee, the firm’s senior governing body. As the co-head of the Equities Division, with worldwide responsibility for sales, trading and capital market activities for all equity securities, he helped build the firm’s equity derivatives business. When he retired in 1996, he was Goldman’s second-longest-tenured partner. He remained a senior director at the firm and continued to serve as an advisor to his former colleagues.

In addition to his service at Penn, Mr. Silfen was the chairman of the Smithsonian Institution’s Investment Committee, a former vice chairman of the Smithsonian National Board, a member of a commission of the National Museum of American Art, a director of the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival and a trustee of the Riverdale Country School. At Columbia, he served on the Board of Overseers of the business school, established the David and Lyn Silfen Leadership Series and received the school’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

Mr. Silfen is survived by his wife, Lyn; their children, Adam, C’98, WG’03, and Jane, C’07; and their grandchildren,  Anson and Riley.

Gaetan A. Campisi, a retired professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, died at home in Broomall, Pennsylvania on November 30. He was 91 years old.

Dr. Campisi was born in Philadelphia and attended South Philadelphia High School, then graduated from Temple University in 1948 with his dental degree.

He was a dental surgeon with a private practice in Aston, Pennsylvania, where he specialized in pediatric dentistry from the mid-1950s until his retirement in 1998. He was also a professor at Penn Dental for 31 years. He taught in the dental clinic, which provided dental care for those in need, particularly children. Upon his retirement from dentistry, he worked part-time in the Falvey Memorial Library at Villanova University.

Dr. Campisi is survived by his children, Desiree (Robert), Anthony (Raymond) and Andrea (Alex).

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to Penn Dental Medicine, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Room F-31, 240 S. 40th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Contributions will help families in need with dental care.

William G. Agnew, a driver with Penn Accessible Transportation, died of a heart attack on November 19. He was 77 years old.

Mr. Agnew joined Penn’s department of transportation and parking in 1997. He was employed as a driver of the Handi-Van until the time of his death.

According to Trish C. Williams, house dean at Du Bois College House, “For the past six years or so, I was one of his passengers at least twice a week. But Mr. Bill didn’t consider me as just a passenger. He saw me as a ‘customer’ and treated me as such. As a ‘customer’ I was entitled to a special kind of service: I got picked up and dropped off as close to my destination as he could get, even if it meant breaking a rule. I never had to cross a street while walking with a cane. He gave me advice on how to take care of my knee after a replacement. But most of all, when Mr. Bill asked me, ‘How you doing today, Patricia?’ I was able to answer honestly and talk about my aches and pains. He really wanted to know how I was feeling. He was very good at his job and I will miss him immensely. ”

Mr. Agnew is survived by his daughters, Mary Anne, Annelie C. and Virginia G. (Brandon Schmidt); his grandson, Oliver Ryan Schmidt; and three brothers, Richard, Nicholas and Edward. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Colman Church, 11 Simpson Road, Ardmore, PA 19003.

At the beginning of the December 2 University Council meeting, Penn President Amy Gutmann spoke—in light of events at other institutions’ campuses—about the persistence and prevalence of racism. She said that she and her leadership team have been meeting with students concerning incidents of bias and other forms of behavior counter to Penn’s values. She said that such behavior is distressing and destructive and that Penn must not be complacent and cover flaws but rather use shortcomings to be smarter and partner together. She noted that the Campaign for Community (C4C) is a way to address such topics constructively.

EVP Craig Carnaroli presented a look at “Penn Connects: A Vision for the Future—A University Transformed.” The Plan represents the strategic aligning of Penn’s vision, in the Penn Compact, with the resources from the Campaign for Penn and the execution of the vision. He provided a retrospective of the planning process since 2004. In 2006, a long-range plan was approved and the following year, it was integrated with the Making History Capital Campaign.

In recent years, Penn has acquired 56 acres— the US postal lands and the DuPont Marshall Labs. Those actions spurred an interest in sustainability; the Green Campus Partnership was formed and Penn launched the Climate Action Plan. Dr. Gutmann signed the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment.

Penn Connects has resulted in numerous new and renovated buildings as well as more open space, including Penn Park, funded by a $3.8 billion investment. Penn has attracted private investment and generated economic development and has transformed the campus environment. Penn has learned to be a good neighbor; the President stressed that Penn is not expanding to the west of campus into residential communities.

Penn Connects continues to make more progress and garners recognition for preservation, construction, design and sustainability with 13 LEED-certified projects to date.

The Open Forum included seven presentations by Penn staff, students and an alumnus.

The first pertained to a staff member who has worked at Penn full-time and then part-time before returning full-time, but is not able to bridge the time or count the part-time years toward the ‘Rule of 75’ for purposes of retirement benefits. Council’s Personnel Benefits Committee is investigating this and will make recommendations.

A student who had been sexually assaulted while studying abroad spoke about the need for more resources for survivors who are not on campus and the need for a more supportive environment. Sexual assault will be the focus issue at next month’s Council meeting.

Another student spoke about religion as a form of diversity and a desire for more institutional awareness of various religions’ holidays.

Then, four speakers addressed divestment of endowment funds from the fossil fuel industry; some favored divestment and one spoke against it.

A proposal to divest had been put forth by the group Fossil Free Penn in October. As a result, an Ad Hoc Advisory Committee will be formed to determine if the proposal meets the University’s high standards for divestment. Secretary Leslie Kruhly explained that the Committee will consist of faculty, staff, students and alumni. Those interested can self nominate by January 22.

See https://secure.www.upenn.edu/secretary/divestproxy.html

1. No instructor may hold a final examination nor require the submission of a take-home final exam except during the period in which final examinations are scheduled; when necessary, exceptions to this policy may be granted for postponed examinations (see 3 and 4 below). No final examinations may be scheduled during the last week of classes or on reading days.

2. No student may be required to take more than two final examinations on any calendar day during the period in which final examinations are scheduled. If more than two are scheduled, the student may postpone the middle exam. If a take-home final exam is due on a day when two final examinations are scheduled, the take-home exam shall be postponed by one day.

3. Examinations that are postponed because of conflicts with other examinations, or because more than two examinations are scheduled on the same day, may be taken at another time during the final examinations period if the faculty member and student can agree on that time. Otherwise, they must be taken during the official period for postponed examinations.

4. Examinations that are postponed because of illness, a death in the family, for religious observance or some other unusual event may be taken only during the official periods: the first week of the spring and fall semesters. Students must obtain permission from their Dean’s office to take a postponed exam. Instructors in all courses must be willing to offer a make-up examination to all students who are excused from the final examination.

5. No instructor may change the time or date of a final exam without permission from the appropriate Dean.

6. No instructor may increase the time allowed for a final exam beyond the scheduled two hours without permission from the appropriate Dean.

7. No classes or required class activities may be held during the reading period.

8. The first examination of the day begins at 9 a.m. and the last examination concludes by 8 p.m. There will be one hour between exam time blocks.

9. All students must be allowed to see their final examination. Exams should be available as soon as possible after being graded with access ensured for a period of at least one regular semester after the exam has been given. To help protect student privacy, a student should have access only to his or her own exam and not the exams of other students. Therefore, for example, it is not permissible to leave student exams (or grades or papers) in publicly accessible areas.

10. Students may not be asked for their Social Security numbers. Instructors may not publicly display a student’s Penn ID or any portion of the Social Security number, nor use name, initials or any personally identifiable information to post grades. Even when an identifier is masked or absent, grades may not be posted in alphabetical order, to protect student privacy.

11. Final exams for College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS) courses must be given on the regular class meeting night during the week of final examinations. No change in scheduling is permitted without unanimous consent of all students in the class and the director of LPS. LPS final exams may not be administered during the last week of class or on a reading day.

In all matters relating to final exams, students with questions should first consult with their Dean’s offices. Faculty wishing to seek exceptions to the rules also should consult with their Dean’s offices. Finally, the Council of Undergraduate Deans and SCUE urge instructors to see that all examinations are actively proctored.

—Vincent Price, Provost

Sunday Akintoye, an associate professor in Penn’s School of Dental Medicine, was selected as a Fulbright Scholar. The award will enable him to spend several months of the 2015-2016 academic year in Nigeria, his native country, teaching and mentoring students and young faculty members.

Dr. Akintoye will help to update the dental school curriculum at the University of Lagos to incorporate more instruction in how to conduct research. He will serve as an advisor to the senior students as they embark on thesis projects, and will teach a course on research methodologies.

He has also developed a research project that will be feasible to carry out with the equipment available to the students in Lagos. The investigation will look at the issue of how aging-related changes manifest in teeth, specifically examining changes in key molecular markers in dental pulp.

Jean Bennett and Paul A. Offit have been elected as new members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s most prestigious honorary societies and a leading center for independent policy research. They were inducted at a ceremony in October at the Academy’s headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Dr. Bennett is the F.M. Kirby Professor of Molecular Ophthalmology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Offit is the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology and professor of pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Bridgette Brawner, assistant professor of nursing at Penn, was appointed to the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) National Advisory Committee, which is dedicated to advising MFP staff; developing partnerships with professional, academic and clinical institutions; and soliciting support from individuals and groups for the initiative.

Dr. Brawner’s research agenda focuses on multi-level, multi-method, bio-behavioral approaches to sexual health promotion in disenfranchised populations. One consistent thread throughout her research to date has been a passion and vision for physical and mental health among urban women and girls, with a commitment to maintaining strong community ties.

In celebration of the 35th anniversary of its founding, the National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI) announced the establishment of the D. Walter Cohen, DDS Service to Science Award. D. Walter Cohen, dean emeritus of the School of Dental Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, is the inaugural recipient. He received the award in October at the NDRI celebration.

In subsequent years, the D. Walter Cohen, DDS, Service to Science Award will be presented to an individual whose career exemplifies a commitment of service to science.

Third-year Penn Dental Medicine student Kazuma Kitagaito, D’17, MSE’17, was recognized for his clinical research with an award presented in November at the 21st annual Hinman Student Research Symposium in Memphis, Tennessee, sponsored by the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry and the Hinman Dental Society. Mr. Kitagaito received one of four clinical research awards for outstanding presentations from among the 94 participating students.

Mr. Kitagaito’s project evaluated the pre-treatment of composite resin restorations with the antimicrobial agent chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) as an intermediate step in inhibiting the matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) to preserve resin/dentin bond durability. The project was directed by Fusun Ozer, associate professor of restorative dentistry at Penn Dental Medicine.

Roger LaMay, general manager of WXPN, was elected by the NPR Board of Directors as chair of the Board. He was re-elected to a second term on the Board in September, and will continue his three-year term as member director. He started his one-year term as chair at the November Board meeting in Washington, D.C.

A 30-plus year broadcast veteran, Mr. LaMay joined WXPN, the non-commercial, member-supported radio service of the University of Pennsylvania, in January 2003. He is responsible for the overall operations of the station, including fundraising, programming and marketing. During his tenure, WXPN forged a long-term partnership/distribution agreement with NPR and NPR Music, moved and expanded its annual summer music festival and launched its popular Free at Noon live weekly concert series.

Mr. LaMay earned his master’s degree in organizational dynamics from Penn in 2000 and his bachelor’s degree from Skidmore College.

Maureen Rush, vice president for public safety and superintendent of the Penn Police Department, was honored by Security Magazine as one of the “Most Influential People in Security.” She was one of only three honorees in the education sector.

Additionally, the University of Pennsylvania was ranked #1 in safety and security in the higher education sector for the ninth consecutive year in the publication’s “Security 500” list. This top-500 ranking creates a reliable database for organizations to measure themselves in comparison to the performance of their colleagues.

PennDesign graduate students Wei Tang and Jianan Zhang won first and third place, respectively, in the Bower Lewis Thrower Architects (BLTa) Student Design Competition.

Now in its fifth year, the competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in certified architectural programs. BLTa, a Philadelphia firm, identifies a local building site each year and asks contestants to redesign it. This year’s competition was at the Leon H. Sullivan Human Services Center near Temple University on North Broad Street.

As the competition winner, Mr. Tang received a cash award of $1,000 and secured a paid internship with BLTa during 2016. Ms. Zhang received a cash prize of $250 for her design entry.

The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy honored Daniel Yergin with the inaugural Carnot Prize. The Prize memorializes French scientist Sadi Carnot, who in 1824 published “Reflections on the Motive Power of Fire” at the age of 28. The Prize is intended to honor those who have revolutionized our understanding of energy policy.

This year’s Carnot Prize was presented in October by former Governor Edward Rendell, C’65, during the opening celebration for the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy’s new space in Penn’s iconic Fisher Fine Arts Library. Dr. Yergin is recognized for his “distinguished contributions to energy policy through scholarship and practice.”

Dr. Yergin is vice chairman of the research firm IHS, a world-recognized authority on global energy policy and markets. He concluded his latest book, The Quest: Energy, Security and the Remaking of the Modern World (2011), with the story of Carnot. He won the Pulitzer Prize for his previous book, The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power (1991), which has been translated into 19 languages.

Penn Bookstore Sale-A-Bration

The Penn Bookstore’s Annual Winter Sale-A-Bration on Thursday, December 10 and Friday, December 11 includes 20% discounts on Penn branded merchandise, books, games and other items along with free gift wrapping. Complimentary holiday photos holiday will be taken from 2-6 p.m. From 4-6 p.m., hot chocolate and cookies will be served. The Computer Connection on the second floor of the Bookstore will also have discounts, prizes, refreshments and giveaways.

The PennCard Center is holding a special recarding event on December 10 and December 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. In addition to getting the magnetic strip PennCard replaced at no cost with a contactless PennCard, you can enjoy the holiday festivities. Bring in your current PennCard in order to have the free replacement card created.

In addition to the vast selection at the Penn Bookstore, shop and save through this year’s Bookstore catalogue (http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pennbookstore/giftcatalog2015/), featuring a selection of insignia apparel and Penn merchandise.

Holiday Sale at the Penn Museum

Don’t forget to bring your PennCard or Penn Medicine card to the Museum Shop for a 25% discount from December 15-20. Call (215) 898-4046 for more information.

40 Winks with the Sphinx

40 Winks with the Sphinx, the Penn Museum’s unique overnight experience, makes a great holiday gift. The night’s activities take intrepid explorers on a journey through time and across continents, with hands-on opportunities to explore ancient Egypt, the mummies and hieroglyphics, the ancient Greeks and Romans and the world of the ancient Maya through games and crafts. In the morning, participants receive Museum admission for the rest of the day. 40 Winks is $55 per person (adults and children); $45 for Museum members. The sleepover program begins Friday evenings (January 15, January 29, February 19) at 5:30 p.m. and concludes Saturday mornings at 9 a.m. One parent or chaperone is required for every five children. For details, other 2016 dates and online registration, visit http://www.penn.museum/40winks

Consider including a copy of The Sphinx That Traveled to Philadelphia: The Story of the Colossal Sphinx in the Penn Museum (Almanac November 24, 2015). This 256-page book was written by Josef Wegner and Jennifer Houser Wegner, long-time associate curators in the Museum’s Egyptian section, to celebrate the centennial of the Sphinx’s arrival in Philadelphia in 1913. It covers the original excavations and archaeological history of the Sphinx, how it came to Philadelphia and the unexpected ways in which the Sphinx’s story intersects with the history of the City, the University and the Museum just before World War I.

The Sphinx that Traveled to Philadelphia, published by the Penn Museum, is designed to be of interest to a wide audience of adult readers but accessible to and engaging for younger readers—including, hopefully, the next generation of Egyptologists—as well. The hardbound book ($29.95) is for sale in the Museum Shop, the Penn Bookstore or online through the Penn Press.

To Spread the Light of Knowledge

As the oldest medical school in the United States, the Perelman School of Medicine is home to many “firsts” and efforts that drew the map for the practice of medicine in the modern era. That legacy is illuminated in To Spread the Light of Knowledge, the limited-edition book published in 2015 to mark the 250th anniversary of the School’s founding.

To Spread the Light of Knowledge contains images of paintings, maps and artifacts that date back to the very beginning, including a high resolution scan of a hand-written ticket for one of School founder John Morgan’s earliest lectures, and one of the first diplomas issued by the School. Moving forward in time, gripping stories emerge: pages from Benjamin Rush’s book detailing his aggressive and controversial approaches to combatting yellow fever with bleeding and purging; the Penn medical student who, during World War II, invented SCUBA and skipped classes to train frogmen in its use and accompany them on combat missions; and the transformative research findings of 20 Penn scientists who won Lasker Awards or Nobel Prizes.

From scientific breakthroughs to the Perelman School of Medicine’s longstanding ethos of service—to the nearby community in Philadelphia and across the globe, caring for soldiers in each of the nation’s conflicts dating back to the Revolutionary War—the book provides a glimpse into a selection of the School’s greatest achievements. It’s also filled with profiles of dozens of men and women who, through their vision and tireless work over the last 250 years, helped to build the strong foundation on which the Perelman School of Medicine’s pursuit of excellence continues today.

Visit the book’s companion website to learn more and order your copy of To Spread the Light of Knowledge: https://www.med.upenn.edu/psom250 (for best browsing experience, use Firefox, Chrome or Safari).

Year-end Giving Guide

Penn’s Center for High Impact Philanthropy has released its 2015 High Impact Year-end Giving Guide outlining some of the most effective giving opportunities. The guide includes evidence-based examples such as a donation of $7 that can provide a home-based newborn care package, one of the most cost-effective ways to save a newborn life in the developing world.

The Center’s experts analyze and hand-pick the philanthropic opportunities based on impact and cost-effectiveness. The guide includes a range of areas of charitable-giving such as supporting new moms, combating neighborhood blight and relief for areas affected by natural or man-made disasters.

This year’s guide includes additional opportunities based on extensive research the Center conducted on organizations that address addiction and substance abuse disorders. The guide is available for free at www.impact.upenn.edu

Expansion of Penn’s eCard Greetings

Penn’s popular eCard Program has unveiled over 20 new greeting cards, including two new animated holiday cards to help spread the spirit of the season the green way. Watch snow fall at the Furness Library, shake a snow globe featuring College Hall, or watch Frosty dance. Whether you want to say Happy Holidays or personalize your message, browse through the wide selection and choose the card and sentiment that fits the occasion. Sending an eCard is free and easy. Visit www.upenn.edu/ecard

World Cafe Live Gift Cards and CDs

World Cafe Live (WCL) gift cards are available in numerous denominations. WCL’s online store at http://shoplive.worldcafelive.com/ has musical gifts including drinkware and apparel bearing the WCL logo. Gift packages are available to enjoy music all year long.

The new Live at the World Cafe 39 CD, featuring the Decemberists and the New Basement Tapes, is available for a pledge in support of ’XPN. Pledges start at $6/month. Past CDs can be purchased online or from local retailers including WCL. For details, see http://www.xpn.org/world-cafe/cds

Penn Glee Club’s Spring 2015 Show

Penn Glee Club’s spring 2015 show,  Philadelphia Noir, was a hilarious crime drama that drew rave reviews. Now, a DVD of the show is for sale ($15) at the Penn Glee Club website, http://www.dolphin.upenn.edu/gleeclub/

Mask and Wig Club’s A Comedy of Terrors

The original soundtrack recording of the Mask and Wig Club’s 127th annual performance, A Comedy of Terrors, features two paranormal investigators looking to resurrect their unpopular TV show. The CD is available from CDBaby (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/themaskandwigcluboftheun9), iTunes and Amazon.

SPECIAL EVENTS

11 Dog Days; a study break to relax and spend time with dogs from Therapy Dogs International; 2-4 p.m.; Meyerson Conference Room (rm. 223), Van Pelt-Dietrich Library; info.: https://pennlibnews.wordpress.com/2015/11/20/therapy-dogs-in-the-library/ Also December 14, 10 a.m.-noon. (Penn Libraries).

PPSA is collecting items to share with three Philadelphia organizations:

• Bethesda Project is in need of new or gently used men’s clothing, as well as toiletries.

• Dress for Success is in need of new or gently used women’s business attire, including accessories, shoes and professional handbags.

• Cradles to Crayons partners with social service organizations to provide much-needed children’s essential items to children up to 12 years old who are living in poverty in the region.

See http://penn-ppsa.org/news/annual-ppsa-clothing-drive-december-1-17-2015/ for details.

The drive, now underway, will run through Thursday, December 17.

Clothing collection locations:

• Biomedical Research Building (BRB), 421 Curie Blvd., 5th floor, room 507

• Career Services, 3718 Locust Walk, McNeil Building, suite 20

• College Office, 120 Claudia Cohen Hall

• EHRS, 3160 Chestnut St., suite 400

• Franklin Building, 3451 Walnut St., 1st floor lobby

• Houston Hall, 3417 Spruce St.,  near suite 200

• Penn Museum, 3260 South St., Kress Entrance

• Psychiatry Department, 3535 Market St., 2nd floor

• School of Nursing, 418 Curie Blvd., mezzanine level

• Steinberg Hall-Dietrich Hall, 3620 Locust Walk, suite 450

PPSA volunteers invite the campus community to join them on December 17 from 1-3 p.m. at the Penn Museum, Classroom #2, to help fold, sort and package the donations. They will be serving light refreshments and holiday cheer!

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 November 23-29, 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 November 23-29, 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.

11/24/15      8:11 AM         Hollenback Dr            Vandalism       Window to auto broken

11/24/15      12:42 PM       4000 Spruce St         Drunkenness    Intoxicated female walking in traffic/Arrest

11/24/15      6:46 PM         268 S 38th St            Theft                 Currency taken from vehicle

11/25/15      7:31 PM         600 University Ave     DUI                   Intoxicated driver arrested

11/26/15      3:10 AM         300 S 41st St             Drunkenness    Male intoxicated and combative/Arrest

11/27/15      3:02 PM         268 S 38th St             Theft                 Golf clubs taken from auto

11/28/15      1:09 AM         400 S 40th St            Other Offense    Male cited for public urination

11/28/15      8:17 AM         3700 Spruce St         Narcotic             Male in possession of narcotics/Arrest

11/28/15      4:54 PM         3925 Walnut St          Other Offense    Male wanted on warrant/Arrest

11/28/15      7:46 PM         4045 Locust St          Theft                  Xbox taken from room

11/29/15      2:51 AM         3600 Walnut St          DUI                    Intoxicated driver arrested

11/29/15      8:40 AM         4051 Locust St          Burglary             Male attempted to break into residence/Arrest

18th District

Below are the Crimes Against Persons from the 18th District: 2 incidents with 1 arrest (2 assaults) were reported between November 23-29, 2015 by the 18th District covering the Schuylkill River to 49th Street & Market Street to Woodland Avenue.

11/23/15      1:46 PM         4901 Chestnut St      Assault/Arrest

11/24/15      5:25 PM         4500 Baltimore Ave   Assault

Despite the recent warm weather, many forecasters are calling for a tough winter, including several weeks of below-normal temperatures and at least one Nor’easter. Prepare for the weather—and inevitable school closures—by making your backup child care plans now.

Penn’s Snow Day Child Care program, offered in partnership with the Penn Children’s Center (PCC), provides backup care for dependents of benefits-eligible faculty and staff when the School District of Philadelphia is closed but Penn is open. Even if your child attends another school district, you can take advantage of the program; however, Snow Day space and pricing are available only when Philadelphia public schools are closed for inclement weather.

Snow Day Child Care is available now through March 31, 2016. Children must be 12 weeks to 12 years old. The University covers most of the cost of care. The reduced rate you pay is based on the child’s age and your salary.

Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Pre-registration is required, so complete the required online forms now and be ready when winter weather finally arrives:

http://cms.business-services.upenn.edu/childcare/temporary-childcare/snow-day-care.html

Visit the Snow Day Child Care webpage for more information:

https://www.hr.upenn.edu/myhr/worklife/family/snowday

For other situations in which you may need backup childcare, Care.com also provides options for benefits-eligible faculty and staff. Learn more on the Backup Care webpage:

https://www.hr.upenn.edu/myhr/worklife/family/backupcare

—Division of Human Resources

Although Penn normally never stops operating, emergencies such as severe weather conditions may sometimes result in the cancellation of classes and/or the full or partial closure of certain areas of the University. Decisions affecting work schedules and class cancellation are made by the Executive Vice President in consultation with the Provost. The University will announce a closing or other modification of work schedules through the following means:

• the University’s emergency information number: (215) 898-6358 (215) 898-MELT

• communications from the Division of Public Safety

• KYW News Radio (1060 AM)

• the UPennAlert Emergency Notification System (for University-related incidents & crises)

The University’s emergency radio identification code numbers (KYW News Radio) are “102” for day classes and schools/centers and “2102” for evening classes. The message that accompanies the code number will provide the operating status of the University. Be sure to keep this information in a place you can easily access.

Even when Penn is officially closed due to an emergency, there are some essential services that must still be provided, such as Public Safety or Facilities. Staff members in essential positions are still required to work as normally scheduled under these circumstances.

For more information on suspension of normal operations, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/myhr/resources/policy/other/suspensionofnormaloperations

—Division of Human Resources

The Burrison Gallery is calling for submittals of artwork to be considered for exhibition during the Spring 2016 academic term. Any Penn faculty, staff, alumna, alumnus or family member of these groups may submit work for consideration. Selected artists will be given a four- to five-week, one-person show at the gallery with the option of an opening reception. The deadline for submittals is January 30, 2016. Selected artists will be notified by February 15, 2016. See the Gallery’s website for an application form: http://cms.business-services.upenn.edu/universityclub/burrison-gallery.html

The Burrison Gallery is an entity of the University Club, a private club for faculty, staff and associate members who include post-doctoral fellows, graduate students and alumni of the University of Pennsylvania. The Burrison Gallery provides a venue for exhibitions by artists in the University community. Maurice Burrison’s vision was to encourage artistic freedom. His legacy continues as the Burrison Gallery emphasizes the role of art and culture in strengthening collaborative relationships across the University.

Many of us use social networks to share moments in our lives, our opinions, exciting trips and adventures, or just a night out with friends, but we often do so without fully understanding the consequences of sharing “too much information” (TMI). Here are a few things to consider before you upload your next post:

• Private postings can often easily be made public. Even if you allow only a small number of contacts to see your post, those contacts may have privacy settings that allow sharing of your content with an undefined set of their contacts. Additionally, any recipient of your post can take action to copy your content and trigger “viral” spreading thanks to the speed and power of Internet sharing.    

• Some information should not be posted. Don’t share personal, confidential or otherwise sensitive information on social media if it could cause harm to an individual or individuals. Some information, such as health, financial and other highly personal information, is almost always sensitive.  Also, posting your own location and even the location of people you know can be a dangerous practice for victims of harassment or stalking, burglary or people with other privacy concerns.

• Some information may lead to “spear phishing.” You may share information about yourself that may not seem to be sensitive (e.g., birthday, job title, education, names of friends and relatives, likes and dislikes, or favorite charities), but phishing scammers may piece this information together and use it to send you an email that contains information or appears from an individual or business that would make you think that it is legitimate. This is known as “spear phishing.” The email may cause you to provide password information or click on a link or attachment that contains malware.

• Protect all confidential, copyrighted and proprietary information that you have access to as part of your employment at Penn. For example, never share confidential student data (e.g., grades), patient data (e.g., health information), employee data (e.g., performance information), Social Security numbers or other personal data via your personal social media sites. Refer to Penn’s policies on privacy and social media guidance at http://www.upenn.edu/privacy

Penn Business Services, Macbook Air 13” 128 GB plus Brenthaven carrying case ($1,000 value)—Kim Meyers-McCombs, Perelman School of Medicine.

Penn Police will be periodically checking the exterior of registered properties, from Friday, December 18 at 5 p.m. through Sunday, January 10 at 3 p.m. for signs of criminal activity or security breaches during the break. Special checks cannot be provided for interior areas of apartment complexes.

If you would like to register your residence for Special Checks while you are away during Winter Break, visit the Penn Public Safety website and complete the online registration form:

http://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/contact/propertycheck

The Division of Public Safety, in collaboration with the Undergraduate Assembly (UA) and the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA), will be offering the Public Safety Walk-Back Program during reading days and final exams, December 9-18 from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.

An AlliedBarton Public Safety Officer will be posted at the “Split Button” on Blanche Levy Park in front of the library from 10 p.m. until 3 a.m. Approximately every half hour the officer will enter Van Pelt-Dietrich Library to offer walking escorts to anyone in the building. The officer will then perform the escort and return to repeat the process.

The Division of Public Safety is providing this service in addition to its normal Walking Escort Programs. Uniformed AlliedBarton Public Safety Officers provide free walking escort services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, from 30th to 43rd Streets and Market Street to Baltimore Avenue.

Escorts are also available from 10 a.m. until 3 a.m. from 30th to 50th and Spring Garden Street to Woodland Avenue via the University’s partnership with the University City District Ambassador Program.

Officers are dispatched by radio and will accompany the requestor from one location to another, to a Penn Transit stop or to an on-campus SEPTA regional transit stop.

To request a Walking Escort, call (215) 898-9255 (898-WALK).

Learn more here:

https://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/about/security-services/walking-escort/

The last issue of this semester will be published on Tuesday, December 15; it will contain the January AT PENN calendar.

Almanac will resume publishing weekly starting with the Tuesday, January 12 issue. Submissions for that issue are due no later than Monday, January 4, space permitting.

Breaking news will be posted in the Almanac Between Issues section of the Almanac website and sent out to Express Almanac subscribers. To subscribe, see www.upenn.edu/almanac/express.html

A listing of numerous summer camps and programs taking place on Penn’s campus will be published in a late January 2016 issue of Almanac. Those who are planning on holding camps at Penn next summer are encouraged to notify Almanac by Tuesday, January 5 to be included. Email information to almanac@upenn.edu For more information, call (215) 898-5274.