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Launching Penn Medicine London

Continuing its mission of high-quality patient care, cutting-edge research and innovation, and training the world’s doctors, Penn Medicine has announced it is expanding to the United Kingdom. The new Penn Medicine London officially opened in the city’s Mayfair area on November 19. The initiative, the first of its kind for Penn, provides a path for UK and EU patients to access Penn’s world-class experts and care through referrals and telemedicine, as well as opportunities for collaboration with UK medical schools.

“Penn Medicine has a long history—dating past the founding of our nation­—as a global health-care leader, and we are pleased to extend our reach with a physical presence in the UK,” said Ralph Muller, CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. “We have always been proud of our role in training the world, and this initiative advances that mission by opening new doors and forging new relationships both in the UK and across Europe.”

Penn Medicine’s expertise is especially highlighted by its role as a global pioneer in new approaches to cancer treatment, particularly in personalized cellular therapies and proton beam radiation. Penn developed the first US Food and Drug Administration-approved chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T) therapy, which was recently approved by the European Commission (EC) for treating two aggressive forms of cancer. The approach has successfully eradicated blood cancer in hundreds of patients around the world, including in the UK. Studies show it leads to overall remission rates of 80% among acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients whose cancer could not be contained by the standard chemotherapies doctors have relied on for decades.

Penn is also home to many other “firsts” that have paved the way for modern medicine across the globe, from founding the nation’s first medical school to performing the world’s first x-ray and discovering the first gene linked to cancer. Each day, Penn physicians and scientists propel medical science forward in hundreds of laboratories, and with mobile apps and big data.

“Penn Medicine London will provide enhanced access for patients seeking care from teams who are continuing to pioneer the next generation of prevention and treatment strategies for diseases of all kinds,” said J. Larry Jameson, executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and dean of Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine. “The initiative also provides opportunities for innovative collaborations between Penn and UK and EU medical schools, including research-focused projects as well as physician exchange programs, ensuring the world’s brightest medical minds continue to share ideas and learn from each other.”

To mark the opening of its first enterprise in the UK, Penn Medicine hosted an event in London for friends and partners to gather and learn about what the institution will bring to the UK.

PCI Annual Celebration: Recognizing Faculty Trailblazers

The Penn Center for Innovation (PCI) hosted its third annual Celebration of Innovation last week to honor over 100 patent awardees and honored individuals with the most impressive startups, inventions, devices and deals.

Since Penn’s founding, innovation has been at its core, especially when it comes to the University’s game-changing faculty members. But it’s not every day that these trailblazers are recognized for their revolutionary work.

The event honored faculty members who have worked with PCI—Penn’s very own hub for innovation, venture creation and commercialization—to obtain 107 patents on their creations this past year. 

“Faculty provide the input for everything we do,” said John Swartley, PCI’s associate vice provost for research and managing director. “Without their innovations, we would have no gas for our engine. This is our ‘feel good’ moment and our time to thank everyone.”

Patent awardees received personalized “patent cubes” to mark their achievements, a commemorative gift meant to accumulate in inventors’ offices as the years go on.

The event included a keynote from Wharton Dean Geoffrey Garrett, a steering committee member of PCI. It  also celebrated various Penn spinout companies and leading innovators for their impressive commercialization activities—from devices to deals—during fiscal year 2018. 

Deal of the Year went to Amicus Therapeutics, a biotechnology company working to create therapies to treat orphan diseases; Startup of the Year went to Tmunity Therapeutics, which is developing genetically engineered T-cells; Partner of the Year went to Johnson & Johnson Innovation, which recently opened JPOD @ Philadelphia at the Pennovation Center; Device of the Year went to Michael Kahana, who is working to develop next-generation technologies to improve memory function; Emerging Inventor of the Year went to Boon Thau Loo, whose research focuses on distributed data management systems, internet-scale query processing, and the application of database technologies to networked systems; and Inventor of the Year went to Amos Smith—“a world-renowned synthetic organic chemist who is long past due for PCI to recognize,” said Dr. Swartley. 

A Global Rhodes for Penn

University of Pennsylvania senior Adamseged Abebe of Gondar, Ethiopia, has been awarded an inaugural Global Rhodes Scholarship for graduate study at the University of Oxford. He is one of two chosen from countries around the world for the new award, which allows exceptional students who are from countries not historically eligible to apply. 

One of the most prestigious academic honors, the Rhodes is highly competitive and draws candidates from approximately 60 countries. The new Global Rhodes Scholarships extend the opportunity to the rest of the world, subject to eligibility and university nomination. 

“We are so very proud that Adamseged Abebe—Adam to his friends at Penn—is one of the two inaugural Global Rhodes Scholars,” said Penn President Amy Gutmann. “An interdisciplinary approach to global health and non-profit leadership has steered Adam to conduct essential research, making an impact for vulnerable populations in Malawi while mentoring Ethiopian children during the summer.

“His compassion and determination to help others throughout the world is the essential embodiment of a global citizen at Penn. Adam wants to make a difference in the world, and I could not be more confident that he will, aided by this well-deserved recognition as a Global Rhodes.”  

Mr. Abebe is enrolled in a sub-matriculation program that will allow him to complete his bachelor’s in health and societies from the School of Arts and Sciences, along with a master’s in non-profit leadership from the School of Social Policy & Practice. 

He has conducted research on mitochondrial proteins at Penn Medicine; HIV/AIDS, mental health and population health in Malawi; and the impact of Chinese investment on Ethiopian infrastructure. He has also served as a teacher and a mentor for children at a non-profit school in Ethiopia for the past three summers. 

A Penn World Scholar, a Perry World House Student Fellow, a Lipman Family Prize Fellow and a Paul Robeson and Anna Julia Cooper Scholar, Mr. Abebe has served as a founder and president of the Society of African Internationals. He’s also participated in the Undergraduate Urban Research Colloquium through Penn’s Institute for Urban Research, and is a member of Alpha Phi Omega. Currently, he’s studying abroad in Brazil through the International Honors Program.

At Oxford, Mr. Abebe will pursue a master’s degree in international development.

Mr. Abebe applied for the Rhodes Scholarship with assistance from Penn’s Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. The 2019 award brings the number of Penn Rhodes Scholars to 28. 

Penn senior Anea Moore was recently named a 2019 American Rhodes Scholar (Almanac November 20, 2018).

Faculty Award of Merit Call for Nominations: February 28

The Faculty Award of Merit presented by Penn Alumni was established in 2014 by Penn Alumni and the Office of the Provost. It is presented annually to an individual or group of collaborators who has made an outstanding contribution to alumni education and engagement at Penn by sharing their unique scholarship work with the alumni community. Special emphasis is placed on faculty members who go above and beyond the call of duty by engaging Penn alumni with the University as their intellectual home and educate the faculty community about the alumni engagement opportunities available to them. The award consists of a formal citation and will be presented during the fall Alumni Award of Merit Gala.

All Penn faculty, staff and alumni are eligible to nominate a faculty member for this award. For more information about award criteria and eligibility or to nominate a faculty member, visit www.alumni.upenn.edu/education Nominations are due by February 28, 2019.

Summary Annual Report for the University of Pennsylvania Basic Plan

This is a summary of the annual report of The University of Pennsylvania Basic Plan (Plan No. 028) sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania, EIN: 23-1352685, for the period January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017. This annual report has been filed with the Employee Benefits Security Administration, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).

Basic Financial Statement

Benefits under the plan are provided through unallocated insurance contracts and a trust fund. Plan expenses were $21,096,687.  These expenses included $2,913 in administrative expenses and $21,093,774 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries.  A total of 28,866 persons were participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year.

The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $989,608,696 as of December 31, 2017, compared to $813,770,105 as of January 1, 2017. During the plan year the plan experienced an increase in its net assets of $175,838,591.  This increase includes net unrealized depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the plan’s assets at the end of the plan year and the value of assets at the beginning of the plan year or the cost of assets acquired during the plan year. The plan had total income of $196,935,278, including employer contributions of $54,944,321, employee rollover contributions of $1,601,091, gains from investments of $140,373,886 and other income of $15,980.

Your Rights to Additional Information

Under ERISA, you have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, upon request.  The items listed below are included in that report for the University of Pennsylvania Basic Plan:

  1. An accountant’s opinion;
  2. Financial information;
  3. Information on payments to service providers;
  4. Assets held for investment;
  5. Insurance information; and
  6. Information regarding pooled separate accounts in which the plan participates.

To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the office of the Plan Administrator, c/o Joanne M. Blythe, Retirement Manager, University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut Street, 600 Franklin Building, Philadelphia, PA  19104-6205, (215) 898-9947.  The charge to cover copying costs will be $5 for the full annual report or 25 cents per page for any part thereof.

You also have the right to receive from the Plan Administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both for the University of Pennsylvania Basic Plan.  If you request a copy of the full annual report from the Plan Administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report.  The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge.

You also have the legally protected right under ERISA to examine the annual reports in the offices of the Employer at the address for the Plan Administrator, above, and at the US Department of Labor in Washington, DC, or to obtain a copy from the US Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs.  Requests to the Department should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, Room N-1513, Employee Benefits Security Administration, US Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210.

Summary Annual Report for the University of Pennsylvania Matching Plan

This is a summary of the annual report of The University of Pennsylvania Matching Plan (Plan No. 001) sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania, EIN: 23-1352685, for the period January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017. This annual report has been filed with the Employee Benefits Security Administration, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).

Basic Financial Statement

Benefits under the plan are provided through unallocated insurance contracts and a trust fund.  Plan expenses were $175,788,431. These expenses included $25,414 in administrative expenses and $175,763,017 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries.  A total of 26,298 persons were participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year.

The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $4,674,037,029 as of December 31, 2017, compared to $4,079,727,416 as of January 1, 2017.  During the plan year the plan experienced an increase in its net assets of $594,309,613.  This increase includes net unrealized depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the plan’s assets at the end of the plan year and the value of assets at the beginning of the plan year or the cost of assets acquired during the plan year.  The plan had total income of $770,098,044, including employer contributions of $66,580,244, employee contributions of $69,907,801, employee rollover contributions of $12,493,560, earnings from investments of $620,862,679 and other income of $253,760.

Your Rights to Additional Information

Under ERISA, you have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, upon request. The items listed below are included in that report for the University of Pennsylvania Matching Plan:

  1. An accountant’s opinion;
  2. Financial information;
  3. Information on payments to service providers;
  4. Assets held for investment;
  5. Insurance information; and
  6. Information regarding pooled separate accounts in which the plan participates.

To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the office of the Plan Administrator, c/o Joanne M. Blythe, Retirement Manager, University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut Street, 600 Franklin Building, Philadelphia, PA  19104-6205, (215) 898-9947. The charge to cover copying costs will be $5 for the full annual report or 25 cents per page for any part thereof.

You also have the right to receive from the Plan Administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both for the University of Pennsylvania Matching Plan.  If you request a copy of the full annual report from the Plan Administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report.  The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge.

You also have the legally protected right under ERISA to examine the annual reports in the offices of the Employer at the address for the Plan Administrator, above, and at the US Department of Labor in Washington, DC, or to obtain a copy from the US Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs.  Requests to the Department should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, Room N-1513, Employee Benefits Security Administration, US Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210.

Summary Annual Report for the Supplemental Retirement Annuity Plan of the University of Pennsylvania

This is a summary of the annual report of The Supplemental Retirement Annuity Plan of the University of Pennsylvania (Plan No. 002) sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania, EIN: 23-1352685, for the period January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017.  This annual report has been filed with the Employee Benefits Security Administration, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).

Basic Financial Statement

Benefits under the plan are provided through unallocated insurance contracts and a trust fund. Plan expenses were $37,201,474.  These expenses included $840 in administrative expenses and $37,200,634 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries.  A total of 25,751 persons were participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year.

The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $1,248,527,917 as of December 31, 2017, compared to $1,036,688,990 as of January 1, 2017.  During the plan year the plan experienced an increase in its net assets of $211,838,927.  This increase includes net unrealized depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the plan’s assets at the end of the plan year and the value of assets at the beginning of the plan year or the cost of assets acquired during the plan year.  The plan had total income of $249,040,401 including employee contributions of $49,994,629, employee rollover contributions of $37,073,352, gains from investments of $161,883,135 and other income of $89,285.

Your Rights to Additional Information

Under ERISA, you have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, upon request. The items listed below are included in that report for the Supplemental Retirement Annuity Plan of the University of Pennsylvania:

  1. An accountant’s opinion;
  2. Financial information;
  3. Information on payments to service providers;
  4. Assets held for investment;
  5. Insurance information; and
  6. Information regarding pooled separate accounts in which the plan participates.

To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the office of the Plan Administrator, c/o Joanne M. Blythe, Retirement Manager, University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut Street, 600 Franklin Building, Philadelphia, PA  19104-6205, (215) 898-9947.  The charge to cover copying costs will be $5 for the full annual report or 25 cents per page for any part thereof.

You also have the right to receive from the Plan Administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both for the Supplemental Retirement Annuity Plan of the University of Pennsylvania.  If you request a copy of the full annual report from the Plan Administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report.  The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge.

You also have the legally protected right under ERISA to examine the annual reports in the offices of the Employer at the address for the Plan Administrator, above, and at the US Department of Labor in Washington, DC, or to obtain a copy from the US Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, Room N-1513, Employee Benefits Security Administration, US Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210.

Summary Annual Report for University of Pennsylvania Health and Welfare Plan for Retirees and Disabled Employees

This is a summary of the annual report of the University of Pennsylvania Health and Welfare Plan for Retirees and Disabled Employees (Plan No. 530), sponsored by The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, EIN 23-1352685 for the period that began on January 1, 2017 and ended on December 31, 2017.  The annual report has been filed with the Employee Benefits Security Administration as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).  Please note that not all employees are eligible to participate in the Plan.  Please consult your Plan materials for specific eligibility information.

Retiree benefits were provided through a combination of self-insured payments from the University’s general assets, payments from a trust fund established to fund retiree benefits and insurance contracts with third party insurance companies.

Medical, Dental and Prescription Drug Benefits

Insurance Information

The Plan has contracts with Aetna Health, Inc., Keystone Health Plan East, AmeriHealth and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company to pay medical and dental claims incurred under the terms of the contracts. The total premiums paid for the plan year ending December 31, 2017 were $905,039.

Basic Financial Information

The value of Plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the Plan, was $483,851,190 as of December 31, 2017, compared to $407,178,000 as of January 1, 2017.  During the plan year the Plan experienced an increase in its net assets of $76,673,190.  This increase includes net unrealized depreciation in the value of Plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the Plan’s assets at the end of the year and the value of assets at the beginning of the year or the cost of assets acquired during the year.  The Plan had total income of $98,374,233, including employee contributions of $6,973,697, employer contributions of $26,468,339 and gains from investments of $64,932,197.

Plan expenses were $21,701,043.  These expenses included $1,837,574 in administrative expenses and $19,863,469 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries.

Life Insurance Benefits

The Plan has a contract with Aetna Life Insurance Company to pay life insurance claims incurred under the terms of the contract.  The total premiums paid under this contract for the plan year ending December 31, 2017 were $800,256.

Your Rights To Additional Information

You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request.  The items listed below are included in that report:

  1. An accountant’s opinion;
  2. Financial information;
  3. Information on payments to service providers;
  4. Assets held for investment; and
  5. Insurance information.

To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the office of the Plan Administrator, c/o Joanne M. Blythe, Retirement Manager, University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut Street, 600 Franklin Building, Philadelphia, PA  19104-6205, (215) 898-9947. The charge to cover copying costs will be $5 for the full annual report or 25 cents per page for any part thereof.

You also have the right to receive from the Plan Administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the Plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both.  If you request a copy of the full annual report from the Plan Administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report.  The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge.

You also have the legally protected right under ERISA to examine the annual reports in the offices of the Employer at the address for the Plan Administrator, above, and at the US Department of Labor in Washington, DC, or to obtain a copy from the US Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs.  Requests to the Department should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, Room N-1513, Employee Benefits Security Administration, US Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20210.

Deaths

Dorothy Cheney, Biology

caption: Dorothy CheneyDorothy Cheney, emeritus professor of biology in the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania and renowned primate researcher, died November 9 at her home in Devon, Pennsylvania, from breast cancer. She was 68.

Dr. Cheney was born in Boston and attended Abbott Academy in Andover and then went to Wellesley College, where she earned a BA in political science. She had planned to become a lawyer until her husband, Robert Seyfarth, teamed up with noted zoologist Robert Hinde at Cambridge University to study baboons in South Africa. She joined her husband on the trip, and it changed her career path entirely. Inspired, she went on to receive her PhD in zoology in 1977 from Cambridge University.

They joined the faculty at Rockefeller University in New York and then UCLA before coming to Penn in 1985. She began as an assistant professor in biology; he joined the psychology department. The popular animal behavior class they taught influenced generations of Penn students. Dr. Cheney received the Biology Department Teaching Award in 2009. She became a full professor before her retirement in 2016, at which time she earned emeritus status. A kind, thoughtful professor willing to share her time and intellect with students, she was known to be unflinchingly self-critical and rigorous in her work and writing and taught students the value of exhibiting that same level of critical thinking in their own lives, recalled Dr. Marc Schmidt, co-director of the Biological Basis of Behavior Program.

Dr. Seyfarth and Dr. Cheney produced groundbreaking research on the communication and social structures of baboons and other monkeys living in the wild. As a team, they were known for their careful, patient field experiments in Africa and elsewhere. One of their most well-known experiments involved playback of vervet monkey calls and the study of how the monkeys interpreted those calls. Notably, they learned that the monkeys were able to warn each other not only when a predator was present, but specifically what type. Drs. Cheney and Seyfarth published their findings in the 1990 book, How Monkeys See the World: Inside the Mind of Another Species. In 1992, they began a 16-year research project with their graduate students using audio recordings to explore social bonding among baboons in Botswana. In 2007, they wrote Baboon Metaphysics.

Dr. Cheney received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1995. She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (Almanac May 18/25, 1999), the National Academy of Sciences (Almanac July 14, 2015), and she and her husband shared the Distinguished Primatologist Award from the American Society of Primatologists. Dr. Cheney also received the Distinguished Animal Behaviorist Award from the Animal Behavior Society.

Dr. Cheney is survived by her husband; daughters, Caroline Cheney Roberts and Lucia Hall Seyfarth; sister, Margaret; brothers, Drew and Thomas; stepsisters, Robin Bell and Roseanne Currier; stepbrother, David Bell; and a granddaughter.

Steven Derby, Development and Alumni Relations

Steven R. Derby, former assistant VP of development services at the University of Pennsylvania, died on November 4. He was 70.

Mr. Derby graduated from Lower Moreland High School in 1965. He received his BS in economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1969 and earned his MBA from Wharton in 1973.  He actively served in the US Army for 15 months starting in 1969. He attended the Defense Language Institute and graduated as a Russian linguist.

In 1973, Mr. Derby took on the position of assistant to the director of alumni annual giving at Penn. Five years later he became an associate development officer in development and alumni relations. He was quickly promoted to director, and then in 1987 became assistant VP of development services. He left Penn in 1988 to become vice president of development at Temple University, then spent a few years in private consulting before accepting a position at Riddle Memorial Hospital as vice president of development. He retired in 2017.

Mr. Derby is survived by his wife, Marilyn;  children, Michael (Ashley) and Peter (Lauren); brother, Scott H. (Wendy); and grandchildren, Grayson Leigh, Ryder Lane, Penelope Jane and John Michael.

Eugene A. Hildreth, Medicine

Dr. Eugene A. (“Pat”) Hildreth, emeritus professor of medicine, died January 5 in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. He was 93.

Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Dr. Hildreth received his medical degree from the University of Virginia, completed his internship at Johns Hopkins Hospital and then became chief resident at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and an assistant instructor of medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine. He spent two years in the Navy/CIA serving in the Far East 1951-1953, where he was the chief medical officer of a MASH unit as well as the personal physician for Generalissimo and Madame Chiang Kai-Shek. After his military service, Dr. Hildreth returned to Philadelphia.

First an instructor of medicine, he went on to become an associate professor in 1961 and associate dean in 1965. In 1969, he resigned his position to accept the role of chief of medicine at Reading Hospital, a position he held until 1996, but his work at Penn did not end at that point. In 1972, he became a professor of clinical medicine as well as a professor in the department of allergy and immunology. In 1990, Dr. Hildreth earned emeritus status.

Dr. Hildreth served as chairman of the American Board of Internal Medicine, the chairman of the Federated Council of Internal Medicine and chairman of the Board and later president of the American College of Physicians (ACP). While with the ACP, the largest medical specialty organization in the world, he led the organization in seeking reform of health care in America. He was a co-author of the ACP’s first paper describing the need for “Universal Access to Health Care.” Dr. Hildreth was elected to the Council of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science in Washington (IOM). He was invited to testify before congressional committees in Washington on subjects including bioethics, living wills and access to health care. Dr. Hildreth published more than 150 articles, editorials and chapters, and he served as a co-author of the American College of Physicians Manual on Bioethics, 2nd Edition.

Dr. Hildreth was selected to participate in a national working group that included former US Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford to address the issue of “How to Implement the 25th Amendment of the United States Constitution in the Event of Disability of a United States President.” Dr. Hildreth was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and an Honorary Fellow of the Academy of Medicine (Singapore). He was recognized by the International Who’s Who as well as Who’s Who in America.

Dr. Hildreth is survived by his children, Jeffrey (Cynthia), William (Joan), Anne and Katherine Hooven (Robert); six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

David Schaffer, CHOP Ophthalmology

David B. (“Dave”) Schaffer, emeritus professor of ophthalmology at CHOP, died on November 4. He was 81.

A lifelong educator and scientist, Dr. Schaffer taught comparative anatomy during his senior year at Brown, and he then went on to graduate from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He was still in his residency in 1967 when Dr. Harold G. Scheie named him the first director of pediatric ophthalmology at CHOP, and he remained its department chair until his retirement. He spent his career practicing clinical pediatric ophthalmology, teaching, and training residents and fellows. He earned emeritus status in 1999.  

Working with Dr. Scheie, he was responsible for investigating and publishing a landmark study on the relationship of maternal rubella infection and congenital cataract formation. He also published extensively on other clinical topics, including retinopathy of prematurity and ophthalmic manifestations of systemic diseases. Dr. Schaffer was a member of the executive and editorial committees of the Multicenter Trial of Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity (CRYO-ROP) study. The committee’s research led to the reduction of blindness in premature babies by 50%. Dr. Schaffer was also a medical (as well as wildlife and nature) photographer, co-authoring textbooks that included his medical photos. Dr. Schaffer donated his remains to medical science, enabling students at University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine to advance their education.  

After retiring, Dr. Schaffer volunteered at The Philadelphia Zoo, serving as president of its Docent Council 2014-2016. There, he met his wife, a fellow volunteer, Sandy Kuritzky. They were married in its PECO Primate Reserve in 2002. 

In addition to his wife, Dr. Schaffer is survived by his brother, Lewis; and his son and daughter from his first marriage, Edward and Nicole. A Memorial Service will be held at a later date.

Donald White, Penn Museum

caption: Donald WhiteDonald White, emeritus professor of archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania and curator-in-charge of the Penn Museum’s Mediterranean section for more than 30 years, died on November 21 from injuries sustained in a car accident. He was 83.

Dr. White was born in Boston and raised in Cohasset, Massachusetts. He graduated from the Groton School in 1954 and Harvard College in 1957 with a degree in classics. He then spent several months in the US Army before enrolling in the classical archaeology program at Princeton, earning his doctorate in 1963. He was fluent in Latin, ancient Greek, Italian, German and French, and he also spoke some Arabic.

Dr. White taught at the University of Michigan 1963-1973, serving as chair of the interdepartmental program for classical archaeology beginning in 1969. In 1970, he also took on the role of research curator at the university’s Kelsey Museum of Ancient and Mediaeval Archaeology.

In 1973, he joined the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania as associate professor of classical archaeology, later becoming a full professor. He was the lead curator in the reinstallation of the Greek, Etruscan and Roman galleries at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology to which he devoted nearly 13 years. An avid competitive rower well into his 50s, Dr. White served for several years on the Committee on Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics at Penn. He retired and earned emeritus status in 2004.

Dr. White was especially well known as a field archaeologist. As a graduate student, he joined Princeton’s excavation team at Morgantina in central Sicily, which led to a PhD thesis on the introduction and spread of Demeter’s cult in Sicily.

He then turned to the coastal region of Libya, directing excavations at the port city of Apollonia and then the Sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone at nearby Cyrene. In a series of seasons lasting from 1969 until 1981, Dr. White and his international team excavated an enormous amount of the Cyrene sanctuary, with discoveries ranging from the 7th century BC to the 3rd century AD. As series editor for the Cyrene Final Publications, he edited five monographs and authored three more himself.

In 1984, Dr. White turned to the northwest coast of Egypt, where he conducted three seasons of excavation on a small island near the city of Marsa Matruh (ancient Greek Paraitonion). He concentrated on the Late Bronze Age (second millennium BC) settlement and published his results in two volumes, demonstrating that the site marked an important western distribution point for Minoan, Mycenaean and Cypriot pottery.

Dr. White is survived by his wife, Joan; sons Arthur, Malcolm and Owen; four granddaughters; and a brother. He is also survived by his first wife, Sarah White.

Governance

From the Senate Office: Faculty Senate Executive Committee Actions

The following is published in accordance with the Faculty Senate Rules. Among other purposes, the publication of SEC actions is intended to stimulate discussion among the constituencies and their representatives. Please communicate your comments to Patrick Walsh, executive assistant to the Senate Office, either by telephone at (215) 898-6943 or by email at senate@pobox.upenn.edu

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Actions

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Chair’s Report. Faculty Senate Chair Jennifer Pinto-Martin reported that a “Your Big Wellness Idea” contest will be launched in the spring of 2019. All interested faculty are encouraged to help with the planning and the judging efforts. Dr. Pinto-Martin also reported that a mini Teach-In is still in the planning stages to be held in early April. More details to follow in January.

Past Chair’s Report. Past Chair Santosh Venkatesh described a “tuition block” for undergraduate tuition that was initiated in the current Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19). The block involves the four undergraduate schools (Nursing, SAS, SEAS, Wharton) plus two schools that administer undergraduate majors (Annenberg and Design) and provides a flat rate of tuition remission to schools that is not tied directly to the number of courses taught or students being taught. A base tuition level was established for FY19, will grow each year based on a pre-determined parameter, and will be recalibrated every four years. Remaining schools will not be part of the block.

Update from the Office of the President. President Amy Gutmann shared a progress report on the Penn Compact 2022 across three focus areas: Inclusion, Innovation and Impact.

Update from the Office of the Executive Vice President. Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli was joined by Vice President for Facilities Anne Papageorge, University Architect Mark Kocent and Vice President for Budget and Management Analysis Trevor Lewis. Ms. Papageorge and Mr. Kocent briefed the committee on sustainability efforts being undertaken by Penn in the following areas: academics, utilities and operations, physical environment, waste minimization and recycling, purchasing practices, transportation, and outreach and engagement. Mr. Lewis provided a background briefing on Responsibility Center Management (RCM) at Penn. RCM is the managerial framework for Penn’s internal budgeting and financial reporting on Schools and Centers. The basis for external financial statements used by ratings agencies, resource providers and others is University-level Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). RCM was implemented at Penn in the 1970s as a way to control expenses and has since evolved to encourage revenue growth. Under RCM, the majority of direct revenue and expense is at the School and Center level, as are the alignment of authority and accountability. A key principle of RCM is transparency regarding sources and uses of institutional resources. RCM promotes the broadest possible stewardship of financial resources and encourages and rewards innovation and efficiency by Schools and Centers. Mr. Lewis then described RCM funding dynamics between Schools and Centers and the University’s Administrative Centers (including the President’s and Provost’s offices, Human Resources and others).

Open Forum Topics at University Council Meeting: December 5

The following topics have been submitted for the Open Forum at tomorrow’s Council meeting in Bodek Lounge, Houston Hall.

  1. Request to present on an entrepreneurship initiative that would help to connect business students with engineers; submitted by Suganth Kannan (W’21)
  2. Request to speak on initiatives to integrate LPS BA students with the general Penn undergraduate community, as well as how transitioning to an online format will impact military veterans; submitted by Shehroz Malik (LPS’20)
  3. Request to speak on the University’s impact on climate change and human rights through its investments in coal and tar sands companies; submitted by Zach Rissman (C’19)
  4. Request to speak on improving the incentive to do academic research at Penn by making research an academic elective; submitted by Mark Shtrakhman (C’20)
  5. Request to speak on proposal to increase the accessibility of menstrual health products on campus; submitted by Nikhil Gupta (W’22)
  6. Request to speak about the Second Year Experience program; submitted by Marcus Nowlan (EAS’21)
  7. Request to address the disproportionate underfunding of the economics department and of graduate students in general; submitted by Isaac Rabbani (GAS’27)
  8. Request to discuss the number of PTO days for 10-month employees; submitted by Rashmi Kumar (GRD’11) specialist in STEM Learning, Weingarten Learning Resources Center

Features

Front Page Flashback

Here’s a look at news published in Almanac at this time of year, over the past six decades. Prior to March 1971, Almanac was a monthly publication. See www.upenn.edu/almanac/past-issues for more Penn history.

caption: December 2008: Easing the Burdens Placed on Patient Families: Penn Medicine to Build Philadelphia’s First Adult Transplant House

Penn Medicine recently announced the creation of the Clyde F. Barker Transplant House, a “home away from home” designed to help ease the unique economic and emotional stresses of transplant families. Modeled after the Ronald McDonald Houses and named for the physician who performed the first kidney transplant at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in 1966, the Barker Transplant House will be located at 3940 Spruce Street and will offer comfortable, convenient accommodations in a supportive community setting—all at a nominal cost.

See: https://almanac.upenn.edu/archive/volumes/v55/n16/barker.html

caption:December 1998: Council: Forum Focuses on Women’s Safety, Asian/Pacific American Student Needs

At Council on December 9, President Judith Rodin led off with the appointment of Dr. Robert L. Barchi as Provost and gave the first of several tributes to Dr. Michael Wachter for his service as Interim Provost. Dr. John Keene announced SEC’s adoption of a policy on consultation (Almanac December 8, 1998), and said it will come before Council in January. Except for Dr. David Brownlee’s appearance to take questions on the College House system that had been deferred from October’s meeting, and a Facilities Committee report delivered by Dr. Vukan Vuchic (to be summarized in a future issue), the topics of the Open Forum predominated: women’s safety, the needs of Asian/Pacific American students, and the naming of University properties.

Glee Club: “We Wish You ...”

The Penn Glee Club, led by Bruce Montgomery, will appear on the Christmas day episode of the NBC Today show singing several holiday carols.

PNC: Webcasts

The Penn National Commission on Society, Culture and Community (PNC), as part of its mission to promote “a robust and diverse public culture in which reasoned & reasonable discourse can flourish,” will sponsor a live webcast this week through its internet site, www.upenn.edu/pnc

Ivy Basketball by Satellite

For the first time in its history, Ivy League basketball—both men’s and women’s—will be broadcast nationally on television.

See: https://almanac.upenn.edu/archive/v45/n15/121598.html

caption:December 1988: Impending Changes, Community Impacts

Barbara Stevens, executive assistant to President Sheldon Hackney, will leave Penn March 1 to become Executive Director of the New Haven Downtown Council.

She played a central role in the establishment of the West Philadelphia Youth Improvement Corps (WEPIC), which provides year-round education and work experience to more than 120 area teenagers.

See: https://almanac.upenn.edu/archive/v35pdf/n16/120688.pdf

caption:December 1978: Summing Up by Eliot Stellar

In 1978, Eliot Stellar retired from being Provost of Penn to return to teaching and research. Before his departure, he wrote a letter summing up his experience and highlighting his aspirations for the University’s future.

“The summing up begins with basic axioms and principles. First and foremost is the fundamental premise that we are an independent and secular research university, dedicated to both the development of knowledge and its transmission to succeeding generations of students. Everything else we do is in the service of those two goals. Second is our commitment to academic quality and excellence in the achievement of these goals. Since we have been realistic enough to know that we cannot do everything well, we’ve lived by the principle of selective excellence, which means that we have to eliminate or reduce certain worthwhile activities in order to be able to put our resources and our energies into our best and most important activities. Third, since we are fortunate enough to be on one campus and to have a tradition of interdisciplinary cooperation, we have fostered the concept of One University and made it a practice.”

See: https://almanac.upenn.edu/archive/v25pdf/n15/121278.pdf

caption:December 1968: Advisory Board Named For Chemical Senses Center

A physiologist who is a world authority on the sense of taste has been named director of the recently organized Monell Chemical Senses Center at the University and an 18-member national advisory council has been appointed.

Dr. Luther L. Terry, the University’s vice president for medical affairs and chairman of the Monell Center’s national advisory council, announced the appointment of Dr. Morley R. Kare to the director’s post and as an ex-officio member of the advisory council. Council members are from the fields of medical, dental and veterinary education, nutrition, public health and governmental agencies, and industry.

See: https://almanac.upenn.edu/archive/v15pdf/n04/121668.pdf

caption:December 1958: Library to be Six Stories High

The first unit of the projected University Library, construction of which is expected to begin August 1959, will be a six-story building consisting of basement, ground and first floor, three book stack levels, and a top floor. It will be located on the axis of College Hall and be bounded by 34th, 36th, and Walnut Streets. Buildings now on the site, including the Horn and Hardart Restaurant, will be demolished. Also slated for removal when construction is close to completion is the Franklin Society Building.

The new library will house a capacity of 1,250,000 volumes and seat as many as 1,275 students. Among its features will be 15 classroom seminars, 128 study carrels, and, for the staff, a working space double the present facilities.

See: https://almanac.upenn.edu/archive/v05pdf/n03/120158.pdf

Events

Update: December AT PENN

Films

6       82 Names Screening: Syria, Please Don’t Forget Us; film screening and conversation; 4:30-7:30 p.m; Perry World House; register: https://tinyurl.com/y83lfta5 (Perry World House).

Music

7      Daedalus Quartet Concert; noon; Arthur Ross Gallery (Ross).

Special Events

9      Eagles Watch Party at Houston Hall; football in the Bistro; 4:25 p.m. vs. Cowboys (Perelman Quad). Also December 16 vs. Rams at 8:20 p.m.

12    New Patient Admissions Fair for Veterans; veterans can receive free dental screenings, oral cancer screenings, x-rays, and more; Penn Dental Medicine; 240 S. 40th Street; schedule an appointment by calling (215) 573-VETS (8387) (Dental).

Talks

4    Urgent Change at Significant Scale: The Future of the US Military in an Era of Changing Warfare; Bob Work, former US Deputy Secretary of Defense; 4:30 p.m.; Global Policy Lab, Perry World House; register: https://tinyurl.com/y7ej4c4v (Perry World House).

AT PENN Deadlines

The December AT PENN calendar is online. Before the Winter Break, there will be two more issues: December 11 and 18. The January AT PENN will be published in the December 18 issue. After the Break, weekly publication will resume with the Tuesday, January 8, 2019 issue. The deadline is December 20, 2018.

Crimes

Weekly Crime Reports

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 19-25, 2018View 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 for the dates of November 19-25, 2018. 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.

11/21/2018     5:41 AM          3600 Chestnut St         Offender entered apartment/Arrest

11/21/2018     7:07 AM          129 S 30th St               Offender attempted to take unsecured bike/Arrest

11/21/2018     1:11 PM           3501 Sansom St          Unsecured cell phone taken from desk

11/21/2018     1:54 PM           3340 Walnut St           Unsecured laptop taken from lounge

11/21/2018     2:35 PM           3600 Chestnut St        Various items taken from apartment/Arrest

11/21/2018     2:37 PM           3600 Chestnut St        Burglary by male/Arrest

11/21/2018     7:59 PM           3440 Market St           Complainant assaulted by juveniles

11/23/2018     9:38 AM          3421 Walnut St            Defiant trespass by female/Arrest

11/25/2018     7:07 AM          3549 Chestnut St         Disorderly male cited

11/25/2018     11:51 AM        130-132 S 39th St        Unsecured package taken from porch

11/25/2018     7:12 PM           4004 Spruce St           Burglary force food stolen

18th District

Below are the Crimes Against Persons from the 18th District: were reported November 19-25, 2018 by the 18th District covering the Schuylkill River to 49th Street & Market Street to Woodland Avenue.

11/21/2018     4:05 PM           48th & Spruce Sts       Assault

11/21/2018     7:59 PM           3440 Market St           Assault

11/22/2018     12:48 AM        4600 Market St            Domestic Assault

11/23/2018     6:24 PM           4401 Chestnut St        Robbery

Bulletins

Grand Prize Winner for the Penn’s Way 2019 Campaign

David Asch, Penn Medicine; a 2019 Philadelphia Phillies game as special guests of UPHS in a Phillies Suite.

One Step Ahead: Penn+Box: Share With Care

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

Penn+Box: Share With Care

Penn+Box is a useful and powerful collaboration tool. Thanks to end-to-end data encryption, you can securely share resources with other collaborators and also enjoy versioning, commenting and online editing features.

But with great power comes great responsibility: It’s always vital to be aware of what you are sharing and how the data is being shared.

Unlike the University’s Secure Share service, which confines sharing to only users with PennKeys, Penn+Box permits sharing with those outside of Penn. Follow these steps to help protect the confidentiality of the data you are sharing with non-Penn collaborators:

  • Before you share, assess the level of data sensitivity based on Penn Data Risk Classification. For guidelines on the type of data you can store or share on Box, visit https://www.isc.upenn.edu/security/data-box-amazon
  • Grant collaborative access only to those with a functional need to access a working file or a document.
  • Regulate access to a particular collaborative file or document by setting specific controls over editing and permission for collaborators.
  • Secure access by sharing a link that works only for those who are designated as collaborators. (Although you can share a link which works for anyone who receives the link, such an action is not a recommended security practice.)
  • Remove collaborators’ access when the need for collaboration ends.

Both Box and the University have created documentation to help you make the best choices when sharing and collaborating with Box. Please contact your computing support provider for assistance with Penn+Box.

For additional information visit:

Information Systems & Computing’s Penn+Box service page at https://www.isc.upenn.edu/pennbox

Information on individual Box accounts at https://cloud.app.box.com/v/BoxPersonalEditions

Locate your computing support provider at https://www.isc.upenn.edu/get-it-help

For additional tips, see the One Step Ahead link on the Information Security website:

https://www.isc.upenn.edu/security/news-alerts#One-Step-Ahead

Public Safety Walk-Back Program: December 11-20

The Division of Public Safety, in collaboration with the Undergraduate Assembly and the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, offers the Public Safety Walk-Back Program during reading days and final exams.

Fall Semester 2018: Walk-Back is from Tuesday, December 11 to Thursday, December 20.

An Allied Universal Public Safety Officer will be posted at the “Button” on Woodland Walk 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 provides this service in addition to its normal Walking Escort Programs. Remember you can call anytime for a walking escort: (215) 898-9255 (898-WALK).Uniformed Allied Universal Public Safety Officers provide walking escorts to all campus locations. Officers are dispatched by radio and will accompany you from one campus location to another, to your parked vehicle, to a Penn Transit Stop or to an on-campus SEPTA regional transit stop.

Walking Escorts are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, between 30th to 43rd Streets and Market Street to Baltimore Avenue.

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

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

https://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/about/security-services/walk-back-program/

Special Property Checks: December 21-January 15

Under the Special Checks Program, DPS officers check the exterior of registered properties for signs of criminal activity or security breaches at peak travel times during Thanksgiving, Spring and Winter Breaks.

Winter Break: Special Checks will begin on Friday, December 21 at 5 p.m. through Tuesday, January 15, 2019 at 3 p.m.

Deadline for Winter Break registration is Thursday, December 20 at 5 p.m.

Register for a special check: https://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/contact/propertycheck/

The program is available at no charge to residents in the Penn patrol zone, bounded by 30th Street west to 43rd Street and from Baltimore Avenue north to Market Street.

Students, faculty and staff who live in the patrol zone are encouraged to register their residence. Be sure to list your contact information, other occupants, landlord if applicable, vacancy dates, scheduled repairs and someone other than a landlord with access or a key to the property.

Penn Police will periodically check the exterior of registered properties for signs of criminal activity or security breaches during the break. Special checks cannot be provided for interior areas of apartment complexes.

Remember to close and lock all doors and windows before you leave and arrange for packages to be delivered to a secure location while you are away.

There are several options for safe package delivery:

Call for 2019 Summer Camps

Almanac will run the 2019 compilation of summer camps and programs at Penn in the January 29 issue.

To list a camp or other summer program, send the dates, location and other details to almanac@upenn.edu

Deadline for submission is Tuesday, January 15, 2019.

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