September 18, 2018 Volume 65 Issue 5

The University of Pennsylvania announced a $2 million gift to the Behavior Change for Good Initiative from Marc J. Leder, W’83. The gift promises to accelerate the effort to solve the problem of enduring behavior change. The donation establishes the Marc J. Leder Behavior Change for Good Term Fund at the School of Arts & Sciences and the Wharton School.

The Behavior Change for Good Initiative (BCFG) unites scientists in the social sciences, medicine, computer science and neuroscience in an extraordinary interdisciplinary effort to change behavior for good. BCFG collaborators are developing an interactive digital platform to improve daily decisions about health, education and finance with the goal of making change stick in real-world settings.

“The daily choices we all make about what to eat, what medicines to take, what classes to attend and whether to set aside some savings have a profound impact on our lives today and into the future,” says Mr. Leder, co-founder and co-CEO of Sun Capital Partners, Inc. “These decisions are based on deep-seated behaviors that are influenced by culture and experience. Sun Capital has long been focused on the imperative to foster a productive and respectful workplace culture at our companies, so I believe this science-based approach to measuring and driving behavior change offers tremendous promise.”

Sun Capital Partners, Inc. is a global private equity firm focused on identifying companies’ untapped potential and leveraging its deep operational and financial resources to transform results. Since 1995, Sun Capital has invested in more than 360 companies worldwide across a broad range of industries and transaction structures with revenues of approximately $50 billion.

“We are deeply grateful for Marc Leder’s visionary gift to the Behavior Change for Good Initiative—an exemplary model of scaled interdisciplinary collaboration that will address pressing challenges affecting health, academic success and financial security,” said Geoffrey Garrett, Wharton’s dean, Reliance Professor of Management and Private Enterprise, and professor of political science. “Penn and Wharton’s data-driven research will create insights, knowledge and tools to transform lives for the better—and we’re delighted that Marc is a part of this.”

“Collaboration across disciplines is at the heart of truly groundbreaking research,” said Steven J. Fluharty, dean of Penn Arts & Sciences and Thomas S. Gates, Jr. Professor of Psychology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience. “I’m grateful that Marc shares that belief—his tremendous gift empowers a novel, interdisciplinary approach to a ubiquitous challenge.”

The University of Pennsylvania announced that a $1 million gift from alumnus Marc J. Leder, W’83, will endow a Curatorial Directorship at the Institute of Contemporary Art, marking a major milestone for the internationally acclaimed institution.

Additionally, Penn announced that Mr. Leder has been appointed to the ICA’s Board of Overseers. The Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania is a non-collecting institution presenting exhibitions at the forefront of contemporary practice and culture. Throughout its history, ICA has been instrumental in identifying and developing many promising artists before they attained prominence within the international art world, including household names like Andy Warhol, whose first museum show of works was displayed at ICA in 1965.

“I have a great passion for the arts in my personal life, and I’m proud this donation will further the mission of this institution and help bring its work to a larger audience,” said Mr. Leder. “ICA’s legacy in fostering young artists and promoting a culture that includes masters like Warhol and Twombly is second to none. Furthermore, I am excited about taking an active role on ICA’s Board.”

Mr. Leder’s donation will endow the Marc J. Leder Director of Curatorial Affairs at ICA, a position currently held by Robert Chaney, who joined the ICA in 2001. During his tenure, Mr. Chaney has managed all traveling exhibitions, including Jason Rhoades, Four Roads; Stefan Sagmeister, The Happy Show; Maira Kalman: Various Illuminations (of a Crazy World); Dirt On Delight: Impulses That Form Clay; The Puppet Show; Karen Kilimnik; and Make Your Own Life: Artists In & Out of Cologne. As director of curatorial affairs, he manages a curatorial department of 10 and serves as a liaison between curatorial and other ICA departments. Mr. Chaney served as ICA’s interim director in 2011–2012. “ICA gives artists opportunities to reach farther into the unknown. This generous gift enables the nuts and bolts work necessary to realize exciting new commissions, groundbreaking exhibitions and the touring of ICA projects,” said ICA Daniel W. Dietrich, II Director Amy Sadao. “Our director of curatorial affairs, Robert Chaney, works to remake the museum each season, and the Leder Endowment guarantees that the most experienced and creative team will always lead ICA.”

Penn Provost Wendell Pritchett and Vice Provost for Faculty Anita Allen announced the appointment of Simon Richter as Class of 1942 Term Professor, effective July 1, 2018.

The Class of 1942, at its 50th reunion, established an endowed term chair to recognize Penn faculty members who have made significant contributions to both scholarship and undergraduate teaching. The chair rotates every five years among Penn’s four undergraduate schools (Arts & Sciences, Engineering & Applied Science, Nursing, and Wharton).

Dr. Richter is a professor of Germanic languages and literatures, member of the Graduate Groups in Comparative Literature and Religious Studies, fellow of the Institute of Urban Research, and an affiliate of the Programs in Cinema Studies, Environmental Humanities and Women’s Studies. He has taught at Penn since 1998 and in 2008 received the Ira Abrams Memorial Award for Distinguished Teaching, the highest teaching honor in the School of Arts & Sciences (Almanac April 22, 2008).

A specialist in Goethe and the late-18th and early-19th centuries, he is the author of Women, Pleasure, Film: What Lolas Want; Missing the Breast: Gender, Fantasy, and the Body in the German Enlightenment; Laocoon’s Body and the Aesthetics of Pain: Winckelmann, Lessing, Herder, Moritz, Goethe; and numerous articles and book chapters, as well as an editor of three books and six editions of the annual Goethe Yearbook.

At Penn, he has taught innovative interdisciplinary courses, including Water Worlds: Cultural Responses to Sea Level Rise and Catastrophic Flooding and a hybrid online/study abroad course, Comparative Cultures of Sustainability in Germany and the Netherlands that includes an intensive study visit to Berlin and Rotterdam.

He earned a PhD (1990) in German from the Johns Hopkins University, an MA (1983) in comparative literature from the University of Toronto, and a BA (1981) in independent studies from the University of Georgia.

In the newly released 2019 US News & World Report rankings of colleges and universities, Penn is once again ranked eighth overall (tied with Duke) among national universities.

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania has retained its #1 post as the best undergraduate business program in the country, which it has held for many years. It ranked #1 in two specialties: finance and real estate; #2 in management and marketing; #3 in production/operations management and quantitative analysis; and #5 in accounting, insurance and international business.

Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science was listed #24 (tied with Harvard, Penn State-University Park, University of Maryland-College Park, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and University of Southern California) for engineering schools whose highest degree is a doctorate, with a #10 ranking in the biomedical engineering program specialty.

Penn made the list of national universities with the largest proportion of international undergraduate students in the 2017-2018 academic year with 13 percent, as well as the list of undergraduates receiving federal Pell grants, which is an indicator of economic diversity, at 15 percent.

Grace Calhoun, director of Athletics and Recreation at the University of Pennsylvania, announced in July the creation of the Douglas N. Brush Head Coach of Women’s Soccer Endowed Fund. The purpose of the fund is to provide financial support to the women’s soccer program and its head coach position. The fund was made possible by a $1.5 million gift from Penn Soccer Executive Board Chair and Athletic Overseer David M. Brush, C’82 and his wife, Karen Clark Brush, W’82.

This gift marks the first head coach endowment to be made since the public launch of the Game Onward campaign and will ensure the future sustainability and success of Penn Soccer.

“David Brush has been an incredible supporter and advocate of Penn Athletics over the years, and we are thrilled that his family’s name will be forever linked to the soccer program,” Ms. Calhoun said. “Growing our athletics endowment is a top priority of the Game Onward campaign, and David’s commitment to endow the head women’s soccer coach position will enable us to remain competitive in the Ivy League and beyond for many years to come.”

Mr. Brush, who currently resides in Madrid, Spain, was a member of the varsity men’s lacrosse team and has been involved at the University since his time on campus. A former University Trustee, member of the Athletic Board of Overseers and chair of the Penn Soccer Executive Board, Mr. Brush continues to exemplify the notion that leadership starts at the top.

Upon graduation, Mr. Brush moved to London to head Bankers Trust global real estate group and immediately fell in love with soccer. Mr. Brush became chair of the Penn Soccer Executive Board in 2013 and has worked to grow and expand the base of support for the program. His gift will honor not only his passion for Penn soccer but also his father, Douglas, who coached women’s sports on Long Island in the 1970s. Thus, the endowed position will be the Douglas N. Brush Head Coach of Women’s Soccer.

“Karen and I are delighted to support the soccer program at Penn through our endowment of the Douglas N. Brush Head Coach of Women’s Soccer position,” said Mr. Brush. “During our almost 20 years in London and Madrid, we have both become great fans of the beautiful game, and the opportunity to combine our love of the game with our love for Penn is a great privilege. That privilege is made even more special because, through the naming of this position, we also have the opportunity to honor my father, who was a pioneer in supporting women’s sports in the 1970s. He was a committed advocate of Title IX who, after more than 20 years coaching the boys’ team, spent the final years of his coaching career as the girls’ head track coach at Huntington High School.”

Current women’s soccer head coach Nicole Van Dyke will be the first to assume the position. Ms. Van Dyke enters her fourth season at Penn and continues to elevate the program within the Ivy League. Since taking over in 2015, she has amassed a 20-15-13 record and works to instill the values of hard work, respect, attitude, accountability and professionalism in her team.

The University of Pennsylvania announced a $1 million gift from the Harris Family Charitable Foundation to support Penn’s wrestling program’s growth and development. The Harris Family Charitable Foundation was founded by Josh Harris, W’86, a former Penn wrestler, and his wife, Marjorie.

The gift will be distributed over five years. The University will use $500,000 to create the Joshua J. Harris Wrestling Assistant Coach Endowment. The remaining $500,000 will be applied to team travel, recruiting, nutrition, equipment and salaries.

The donation supports head coach Roger Reina’s plan and vision to solidify Penn Wrestling as one of the NCAA’s premier programs. Driven by the goal of recruiting and developing the nation’s best and brightest wrestlers, the program looks to establish a culture of winning and long-term success for its team and athletes. Under Mr. Reina’s direction, Penn recently secured one of the nation’s 10 best recruiting classes, and in December, the team earned its highest team score at the renowned Midland Championships since 2001.

“We are extremely grateful for the support of Penn alum Josh Harris and the Harris Family Charitable Foundation as we aim big to create an unrivaled experience for our wrestling student-athletes,” Director of Athletics Grace Calhoun said. “As we launch into our Game Onward campaign over the next several years, this gift will help enable us to obtain competitive excellence, a world-class student-athlete experience and engage our campus like never before.”

“The Harris Family Charitable Foundation’s support of the University of Pennsylvania wrestling team is remarkable and will provide us the valuable resources at an ideal time to accelerate the growth of our program,” Mr. Reina said. “Josh has long referenced how he’s applied the invaluable lessons he learned as a wrestler to his incredibly impressive professional career. We are profoundly grateful that he is giving back in such an impactful way. Our program will be enhanced for years to come thanks to the powerful financial commitment Josh and his foundation have made.”

Mr. Harris is the co-founder of Apollo Global Management, LLC, as well as Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which includes in its portfolio the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils. Through his foundation, he is thrilled to support to a program that means so much to him and his family.

“From an early age, wrestling taught me the virtues of hard work, grit and tenacity,” Mr. Harris said. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to support Penn Wrestling as it strives for excellence. I hope that the team will achieve national prominence under Coach Reina’s guidance, and that more importantly, these young athletes will learn valuable life lessons through their commitment to the sport, which will ultimately enable them to lead better lives.”

Dear University of Pennsylvania Departments & External Vendors,

The Penn Professional Staff Assembly (PPSA) and the Penn Weekly-Paid Professional Staff Assembly (WPPSA), in partnership with the offices of the Executive Vice President and the Division of Human Resources, are co-sponsoring an Employee Resource and Volunteer Fair on Tuesday, October 2, 2018, noon-1:30 p.m. in Bodek Lounge and the Reading Room, Houston Hall. The purpose of the fair is to provide information to employees regarding the vast and varied campus resources and services available to them as well as volunteer opportunities. The fair will be open to the entire Penn community.

We are excited to offer you an opportunity to participate in the 2018 Employee Resource Fair. We would welcome representation from your area and encourage you to showcase your services. Last year the Fair was attended by an estimated 500 individuals. 

If you would like to participate, pre-registration is required, and we ask that two representatives from your office staff a table. Typically, participants bring both informational and promotional materials on their services, brochures, giveaways, etc. Please feel free to advertise your participation in the Resource Fair through your email lists and newsletters. Set-up will take place 11-11:45 a.m. and breakdown 1:30-2 p.m. For event details and registration information, please visit tinyurl.com/2018ERF

In addition to the Employee Resource Fair there will be a Volunteer Fair organized in tandem with the event. This Volunteer Fair takes place in the Reading Room next to Bodek Lounge. PPSA invites groups from the Philadelphia area to inform members of the Penn community about the volunteer opportunities they have available. There will be approximately 10-15 local non-profits represented at the fair. Space is limited.

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration to participate in the 2018 Employee Resource Fair. For all inquiries, please contact ppsa@lists.upenn.edu

—Stephanie Yee, PPSA Chair & Rhonda Kirlew, WPPSA Chair

Your nominations will make the 20th Year of Models of Excellence truly extraordinary.

Do you know a staff member or team whose remarkable contributions to the University’s mission deserves to be recognized by the whole Penn community? You can make it happen through the Models of Excellence program. It all starts when you nominate staff members for an award. Nominations for fiscal year 2019 are open now through October 19, 2018.

The online nomination form and guide is available at www.hr.upenn.edu/models

Now in its 20th year, the Models of Excellence award program celebrates the extraordinary achievements of full- and part-time staff members and teams across the University’s schools and centers.

Awards are given in three categories:

• Models of Excellence Award—Recognizing staff member accomplishments that reflect initiative, leadership, increased efficiency and a deep commitment to service.

• Model Supervisor Award—Honoring supervisors who contribute to Penn’s success.

• Pillars of Excellence Award—Celebrating the important work that weekly-paid staff members do to promote Penn’s success.

Models of Excellence, Pillars of Excellence and Model Supervisor award recipients each receive $500 and a symbolic award. Nominees selected for honorable mention receive $250 and a symbolic award. Awards are presented at the Models of Excellence ceremony on April 23, 2019 at 4 p.m. at Irvine Auditorium. The entire Penn community is invited to attend.

Your colleagues can’t receive Models of Excellence recognition without your nomination. Your participation is the key.

Learn How to Complete a Nomination: Two information sessions will be held at 3624 Market Street, Suite 1A South to help you compose a nomination that conveys exceptional performance and award-worthiness on Thursday, September 27, or Thursday, October 11. Both sessions will take place 12:30-1:30 p.m. Register at www.hr.upenn.edu/modelsbrownbag or models@hr.upenn.edu

Visit the Models of Excellence program website for more information, or contact Human Resources at models@hr.upenn.edu

—Division of Human Resources

Cameron Avant Driver, a part-time MSW student on track to finish his degree in 2020, died September 11 after suffering a medical emergency. He was 38.

Mr. Driver earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cheyney University. He worked as a contract specialist for the federal General Services Administration and volunteered at nonprofit organizations including Philabundance, a food bank, and Chosen 300 Ministries, an organization that delivers meals and services to the homeless.

Mr. Driver is survived by his wife, Roxanne Logan; stepson, Christian; and his parents, Chere Jordan and James Avant.

Edward Foulks, a former professor of psychiatry and anthropology at Penn, died September 1 in New Orleans from the flu and a blood disorder. He was 81.

Dr. Foulks was born in Utica, Michigan, and earned his BA in 1958 from University of Michigan and his PhD in medicine from McGill University in 1962. He then went on to earn his PhD in anthropology in 1972 after studying at University of Alaska’s Institute of Arctic Biology. During this time (1970-1971), he was a lecturer in anthropology at Penn.

In 1975, Dr. Foulks joined the Penn faculty as an associate professor of psychiatry in the School of Medicine. In 1976, he took on a secondary appointment as an associate professor of anthropology. He received tenure in 1978, but he left Penn in 1986 for an endowed chair position in psychiatry and neurology at Tulane University.

Dr. Foulks was named a Distinguished Life Fellow by the American Psychiatric Association and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill gave him the Exemplary Psychiatrists Award. He co-founded the National Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture.

Dr. Foulks is survived by his wife, Janice; his daughter, Cami Flannery (Matt); siblings Robert (Denine), Janet Henson (Ralph) and Marie Libby, as well as Leonard Thomas (Cathy), Donald Thomas (Tricia) and Mary Gail Thomas Kolodney (Harry); grandchildren Eva Rose and William Zelevansky; and numerous nieces and nephews.

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, September 12, 2018

Chair’s Report. After introductions, Faculty Senate Chair Jennifer Pinto-Martin welcomed the members of the Senate Executive Committee (SEC) and offered a brief review of the Senate and its structure. She indicated that the responsibility of SEC is to be the central mechanism for input and feedback between faculty and Penn leaders. She encouraged SEC members to serve as conduits for communication between the Standing Faculty and the Senate leadership. A full roster of SEC members is available on the Senate’s website: www.upenn.edu/faculty_senate/sec_members.html

Past Chair’s Report. Faculty Senate Past Chair Santosh Venkatesh reported that the Campaign for Community (C4C) is now accepting applications as it begins its fourth year. C4C provides funding for organizations that hold campus-based events aligned with C4C’s goals of promoting understanding of and respect for multiple points of view on important topics related to the University community, encouraging dialogue and discussion among members of the community about issues with the potential for difference and disagreement, and creating opportunities for all members of the University’s community to participate in conversations about important topics. Applications are sought on a rolling basis from faculty, students and staff for both novel programming and events already in the planning process via the C4C website: https://provost.upenn.edu/initiatives/campaign/grants

Announcements. Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) asks all faculty to complete an online survey that will help DAR better understand faculty willingness to participate in alumni programming. The survey closes September 25 and takes less than five minutes to complete. Faculty are invited to complete the survey at: https://tinyurl.com/yaconykh On October 15, Penn will host the Philadelphia Symposium on Research Credibility and Excellence. The event is open to all researchers in the greater Philadelphia region. More information can be found at the event’s website: http://symposia.research.upenn.edu

Sexual Misconduct Policies and Procedures. Senior Vice President for Institutional Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer Joann Mitchell and Senior Vice President and General Counsel Wendy White shared a draft overview of proposed sexual misconduct policy and protocols with SEC members. The proposed policy revision consolidates all forms of sexual misconduct (e.g., sexual harassment, sexual violence, relationship violence and stalking) under one umbrella policy; creates a new Assistant or Associate Vice President and Title IX Officer position to serve as a single point of contact for all complaints of sexual misconduct made against enrolled students, faculty and staff; and maintains all existing Confidential Resources. The policy revision is subject to further refinement based upon proposed regulations from the US Department of Education, which are still in draft stage. Penn’s draft policy will be made available for public comment prior to its finalization.

Discussion and Vote of Draft Committee Charges. The specific charges of the Faculty Senate committees were reviewed and approved. Discussion topics for future SEC meetings were proposed.

A meeting of the Budget & Finance Committee and the Executive Committee/Stated Meeting of the Penn Trustees will be held on Thursday, September 27 in Bodek Lounge, Houston Hall. The meeting schedule is below:

9:50-11:05 a.m.

Budget & Finance Committee

1:40-1:55 p.m.

Meeting of the Executive Committee

Members of the University may register their interest in attending at (215) 898-7005.

Brian C. Capell, assistant professor of dermatology in the Perelman School of Medicine, a core faculty member of the Penn Epigenetics Institute and a member of the Abramson Cancer Center, has been awarded a Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award for 2018. The award comes with a $450,000 unrestricted research grant over three years. Dr. Capell will use the funds to continue his research into epigenetic targets in the skin, specifically in hopes of developing effective therapies for squamous cell carcinoma, a common form of cancer that most often develops in the skin. Dr. Capell is one of just six researchers in the US to receive the award this year.

The recipients of this award are recognized for being outstanding early career physician-scientists conducting patient-oriented cancer research. The award program is specifically intended to help address the shortage of physicians capable of translating scientific discovery into new breakthroughs for cancer patients. Dr. Capell’s research examines epigenetic markers in the skin to understand their function and to see how they differ in healthy, sun-damaged and cancerous skin. The long-term goal is to clearly define the role of these markers and to understand how they change as skin is further damaged, then to use that knowledge to identify targets for topical skin cancer treatments.

C. Jessica Dine, associate professor in the division of pulmonary, allergy and critical care, and director of assessment and evaluation in the department of medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine, has been named a Macy Faculty Scholar by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation. The New York-based program identifies and provides financial and other support to educational innovators in medicine and nursing.

Dr. Dine joins the eighth class of Macy Faculty Scholars. This year’s group of five scholars, who are from nursing and medical schools across the country, will pursue mentored educational innovation projects at their home institutions. Dr. Dine will design and develop an assessment strategy for inter-professional collaboration in the clinical learning environment, which would appraise care providers from a number of health care professions delivering clinical care in real time. Judy A. Shea, associate dean for medical education research and a professor of medicine at Penn, will serve as Dr. Dine’s mentor for the initiative.

Dr. Dine’s strategy is based on the principle that teamwork is essential to delivering high- quality patient care in today’s complex health- care delivery system. Health-care professionals are regularly asked to take part in inter-professional education and collaboration in order to deliver more efficient and successful patient care. Ideally, a learner’s competence in caring for patients collaboratively should be assessed by direct observation of his or her use of best practices while providing care in an authentic clinical environment, but no such tool exists.

Dr. Dine plans to develop a tool to measure inter-professional collaboration skills of health-care providers in the clinical learning environment. She will assemble an interdisciplinary team of Penn-based experts to develop the assessment tool; it will comprise physicians; nurses; pharmacists; physical, respiratory, and occupational therapists; and social workers. The instrument will then be used to observe learners from each of the professions in different clinical settings during clinical rotations. Data on the observed learners, the complexity of their patients’ conditions and team members’ perception of conflict within the team will be collected to test the validity of the tool. Dr. Dine will also develop an electronic platform to collect data for future fine-tuning of the instrument.

Nader Engheta, H. Nedwill Ramsey Professor of Electrical and Systems Engineering in Penn’s School of Engineering, is the recipient of the 2018 IEEE Nanotechnology Council Pioneer Award in Nanotechnology for his transformative contributions to the nanoscience and nanotechnology of photonic metamaterials and for the development of optical nanocircuits.

Dr. Engheta is known for founding the field of optical nanocircuits (“optical metatronics”) and his pioneering development and contributions to this field, which has merged the fields of nanoelectronics and nanophotonics. He is also known for developing epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) materials with near zero electric permittivity. Through this work he has opened many new frontiers, including optical computation at the nanoscale and scattering control for cloaking and transparency. Dr. Engheta’s work has far reaching implications in various branches of materials science, optics, microwaves and quantum electrodynamics.

Martha Farah, Walter H. Annenberg Professor in the Natural Sciences and the director of the Center for Neuroscience and Society, is among 76 distinguished scholars to be elected to the British Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences fellowship in recognition of her work in the field of cognitive neuroscience, with a focus on the interface between neuroscience and society; socioeconomic status and its relation to brain development; and implications of neuroscience for law education and other policy areas.

Garret FitzGerald, Perelman School of Medicine professor of systems pharmacology and translational therapeutics and director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics at Penn, has been elected to the Leopoldina, the German National Academy of Sciences, the oldest continuously existing academy of medicine and the natural sciences in the world.

The award recognizes Dr. FitzGerald’s “scientific achievements and . . . personal standing.” He has been selected for membership in the Academy’s section on physiology and pharmacology/toxicology.

Past Academy members include Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein and Marie Curie. Today it has over 1,500 elected members in more than 30 countries worldwide.

Dr. FitzGerald, whose research interests include the mechanisms of drug action, has been described by CNN as a “pain medicine visionary.” He is internationally recognized for helping show how low-dose aspirin can ward off cardiovascular disease.

Benjamin A. Garcia, presidential professor of biochemistry and biophysics in the Perelman School of Medicine, has been awarded the Biemann Medal by the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS). The early-career award recognizes significant achievement in basic or applied mass spectrometry.

Dr. Garcia’s lab has developed and refined mass spectrometry analysis techniques for analyzing proteins that are considered state of the art and used world-wide by researchers. Dr. Garcia was recognized for contributions to better understanding of the histone code, the set of modifications in histone proteins that are crucial for regulating gene expression. Dr. Garcia’s lab has developed a number of experimental and computational methods to detect histone post-translational modifications, quantify their relative abundance, monitor their intercellular activities and pinpoint the modifications on specific genome locations.

In particular, Dr. Garcia has pioneered high-throughput, “bottom-up” methods for detecting post-translational histone modifications and quantitative comparison of multiple cellular states. His expertise also includes “middle-down” approaches that enable detailed analysis of histone proteoforms.

In recognizing Dr. Garcia the Society said: “These methods have made unique impact in chromatin [chromosome] biology and epigenetics research [the study of biological mechanisms that switch genes on and off], and have been fully embraced by a growing number of research groups from all over the world.”

Penn Dental Medicine’s Hyun (Michel) Koo has been recognized for his research by the International Association for Dental Research as the 2018 recipient of the William H. Bowen Research in Dental Caries Award. The award was presented at the opening ceremonies of the 96th General Session of the IADR, held in London in late July, in conjunction with the IADR Pan European Regional (PER) Congress.

Dr. Koo is a professor and director of research in Penn Dental Medicine’s Levy Center for Oral Health, divisions of pediatric dentistry and community oral health and the department of orthodontics. He is an international leader in the field of cariology; his research has focused on understanding the relationship between biofilms and oral infectious disease and seeking novel therapeutic strategies that effectively control the most pathogenic elements of dental caries. Dr. Koo’s work has provided greater understanding of the mechanisms of cariogenic biofilm development, provided new biofilm methodologies, shown novel anti-biofilm and caries-preventive approaches, and has developed new technologies for delivery of anti-biofilm and anti-caries agents.

Digital health-care innovator and emergency medicine physician Raina Merchant has been named an Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellow. The two-year fellowship is designed to strengthen the leadership of innovators across the US health-care ecosystem and challenge them to create new approaches to improve the health and well-being of all Americans.

Dr. Merchant is an associate professor of emergency medicine at PSOM, an associate vice president for UPHS, and she serves as the director of the Center for Digital Health at Penn Medicine. She is also director for Penn’s Social Media and Health Innovation Lab, director of social media and policy at Penn’s Center for Emergency Care and Policy in the department of emergency medicine and co-director of Penn’s Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program.

Dr. Merchant’s research focuses on the intersection of innovation diffusion, social media, and resuscitation science and involves the development and testing of cutting-edge health-related mobile apps. Over the years, she has conducted several studies evaluating ways in which care providers can use communication on social and mobile media sites to predict health outcomes. She has published studies aimed to shape the way health providers are using big data from social media to improve care for patients. She has been published in New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, JAMA Cardiology, JAMA Oncology, Circulation, BMJ Quality & Safety and the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Dr. Merchant joins the fourth class of the Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellows, who will spend four weeks over the course of two years exploring their leadership, core values, desired legacies and their vision for the health care system. Each fellow commits to launching a leadership venture that will stretch and challenge them and have a positive impact on health care in the country.

Daniel J. Rader, chair of the department of genetics and the Seymour Gray Professor of Molecular Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine, has been awarded the 2018 Gotto Prize by the International Atherosclerosis Society. The prize, which is given once every three years, recognizes outstanding scientific or medical advancement in understanding the causes and reducing the development of atherosclerosis—hardening and narrowing of the heart’s arteries as a result of fat buildup—which is the primary cause of cardiovascular disease.

The Society, based in Milan, called Dr. Rader “a leading translational scientist who has made major contributions to our understanding of lipoprotein metabolism. His work spans the full spectrum of translational research, extending from basic laboratory science to the development and testing of new therapeutic agents in humans. His [research] has had a major impact on current strategies to prevent and treat cardiovascular heart disease.”

Dr. Rader discovered endothelial lipase, an important regulator of HDL, and described its role in the metabolism of high-density lipoproteins. He also developed new methods for assessing HDL function in humans and tracing macrophage (white blood cell)-specific reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) in mice. RCT is a crucial pathway involved in the return of excess cholesterol from the body to the liver for eventual elimination.

Dr. Rader has also identified new genes and pathways involved in regulating lipoprotein metabolism and explaining its role in atherosclerosis. This approach, known as functional genomics, can identify possible new targets for medications and gene-editing techniques for addressing serious heart-related conditions.

Elizabeth (Liz) Rhoades, associate professor of chemistry at Penn, will receive the 2019 Michael and Kate Barany Award for her “outstanding experimental abilities, parsimonious interpretation and deep insights into structure-function relations in disordered systems, providing reliable structural information on how conditions, modifications and interactions alter their conformational landscapes, for innovative use of single molecule tools in both intra- and extra-cellular milieus and for appreciating the implications for their function and pathological aggregation.” The Michael and Kate Barany Award is bestowed by the Biophysical Society, and Dr. Rhoades will be honored at the Biophysical Society national meeting in March 2019.

Shu Yang, professor of materials science and engineering and chemical and biomolecular engineering at Penn, was named a 2018 American Chemical Society, Division of Polymeric Materials: Science & Engineering (PMSE), Fellow. PMSE awarded her the fellowship “for dedicated service to the Division of Polymeric Materials: Science & Engineering and pioneering the synthesis and fabrication of responsive nano- and micro structured soft materials.”

Dr. Yang is interested in developing new methodologies for the controlled synthesis, fabrication and characterization of materials with specific and unique structures and functionalities inspired by biology. Her special interests include preparation of functional (co)polymers and investigation of their self-assembled nanostructures; understanding the self-organization process at surfaces and interfaces; development of novel responsive materials and non-conventional approaches for nano- and micropatterning of complex 2-D and 3-D structures; and controlling wetting, adhesion and biofouling on polymer thin films.

Penn GSE and the Milken Family Foundation have announced the winners of the ninth annual Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition (EBPC). The winning ventures are aimed to make an impact in such arenas as improving teacher professional development, offering new paths for autism treatment, and an immersive way for students to learn American Sign Language. The EBPC is considered the most prestigious, well-funded and longest-running education business plan competition in the US.

MentorPro, from New York, won both the Michael and Lori Milken Family Foundation Grand Prize ($40,000 and $25,000 in Amazon Web Services Promotional credits) and the American Public University System Prize ($20,000). MentorPro is a platform that optimizes and coordinates the feedback process, facilitating communication between mentors and teachers to boost effective teacher professional development.

ABAL Therapeutics, of Iowa, won the ChanceLight Behavioral Health, Therapy and Education Prize ($20,000). ABAL provides software that automates aspects of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), the gold standard for interventional autism treatment, allowing therapists to administer therapeutic regimens remotely.

Curio Learning, of Kentucky, won the Navitas Ventures Prize ($20,000). Curio Learning is an online space for teachers to discover new ideas, curate them visually and collaborate with other teachers around the world.

SignOn, of Michigan, won the iTutor Group Prize ($20,000). SignOn is a Virtual Immersion Program that enables American Sign Language students to immerse in one-on-one live sessions with the deaf via a two-way video.

Additionally, finalists receive $1,000 in cash and $5,000 in Amazon Web Services Promotional credits.

Penn Wissahickon Hospice and Caring Way recently received the Circle of Life® award from the American Hospital Association (AHA) for expanding the reach of innovative palliative and end-of-life care to the community. Penn was among three programs nationwide to receive this honor.

Penn Wissahickon Hospice and Caring Way was honored for its ability to utilize the resources of a comprehensive academic medical center to build a meaningful continuum of care for seriously ill patients. Working in partnership with the Penn Center for Innovation and many of Penn’s clinical departments, the hospice and palliative care service has taken on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure and home care for frail elderly—with innovative technology, precise use of data, and the ability to provide a place for hospice and palliative care in Penn’s underlying academic mission.

This summer, PennDesign selected Tod Williams and Billie Tsien to receive the inaugural Kanter Tritsch Medal for Excellence in Architecture and Environmental Design. The Medal will be presented at a benefit in New York City on October 15, along with the $50,000 Kanter Tritsch Prize for an exceptional second-year graduate architecture student, which has been awarded to Alexandra Mae Adamski. The event kicks off Lead by Design: The Campaign for PennDesign, a multiyear initiative to raise $52 million to further the School’s impact.

“Making the world a better place is personal for Tod and Billie. You can see it in their work,” said designer and alumna Lori Kanter Tritsch (MArch’85), who initiated the Medal and Prize with a $1.25 million gift to PennDesign on behalf of herself and her partner William Lauder (W’83), a Wharton alumnus and Penn Trustee (Almanac December 19, 2017).

Mr. Williams and Ms. Tsien began working together in 1977 and founded their architectural practice in 1986 in New York City. Their built projects include the American Folk Art Museum (2001), New York and the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center (2009), New York, and the LeFrak Center at Lakeside (2013), Brooklyn, both of which earned LEED Gold status. In Philadelphia, they designed the Barnes Foundation (2012), the first major art and education institution in the country to achieve the highest level of environmental certification from the US Green Building Council; and Skirkanich Hall (2006), which houses the School of Engineering & Applied Sciences at Penn. Their firm is currently designing the Obama Presidential Center.

Mr. Williams and Ms. Tsien have also lectured widely and taught at the Cooper Union, Harvard, Cornell and Yale; they were visiting professors in architecture at Penn in 1986.

The Kanter Tritsch Prize in Energy and Architectural Innovation, awarded this year to Ms. Adamski, will be awarded annually to a second-year Penn student pursuing a Master of Architecture who demonstrates transformational thinking on the built environment and innovation in his or her approach to energy, ecology and/or social equity.

The Civic Portal project—PennDesign, Monument Lab, and Penn’s Sachs Program for Arts Innovation—has been awarded a grant to develop a digital tool that would allow people to envision future public monuments.

The $50,000 grant was one of 12 awarded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for projects to uncover new, and potentially replicable, strategies for cultural organizations to succeed in the digital era, harnessing the power of technology to engage people with the arts.

Leading the Civic Portal project are PennDesign’s Ken Lum, professor and chair of the fine arts department, and Paul Farber, C’01, fine arts and urban studies lecturer. Together they are co-curators of Monument Lab, a public arts and history initiative based in Philadelphia. Dr. Farber is its artistic director, and Mr. Lum is the chief curatorial advisor.

The grant will be used by Civic Portal to prototype an application-based engagement tool to explore topics, locations and even create the designs for potential public art and monuments in Philadelphia and other cities.

“The application tool is an ‘imagining’ tool for enhancing public experience and input in terms of public art possibilities,” Mr. Lum said. “The tool begins from the idea that citizens could contribute their ideas for public art while also expanding their understanding of the language of art, memorials and monuments in public space.”

All the winning Knight projects have nine months to create or refine a prototype of their idea. Project leaders will convene throughout the process to learn innovation techniques and test ideas. The teams will meet next April for a demo day to share their discoveries and prototypes.

Guinness World Records has officially recognized Piccolissimo as the World’s Smallest Self-Powered Flying Robot.

Italian for “tiniest,” Piccolissimo was created by Matt Piccoli, a graduate student in professor Mark Yim’s ModLab. The robot comes in two sizes; the smaller weighs less than 2.5 grams and is about the width of a quarter, while the larger, steerable version is about 2 grams heavier and a centimeter wider.

Piccolissimo has only two moving parts: a propeller and the body of the robot itself. Made out of light, 3D-printed plastic, Piccolissimo’s body spins in the opposite direction as the propeller. Precisely timed speed changes, controlled by an infrared signal, can turn the robot one way or another.

While Piccolissimo’s small size limits how much it can carry—about a gram’s worth of payload—it is enough for a small camera or other types of sensors.

(Statistics for 2015, 2016 and 2017)

The federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, as amended, requires colleges and universities to provide information related to security policies and procedures and specific statistics for criminal incidents, arrests and disciplinary referrals to students and employees, and to make the information and statistics available to prospective students and employees upon request. Federal law also requires institutions with on-campus housing to share an annual fire report with the campus community.

In addition, the Uniform Crime Reporting Act requires Pennsylvania colleges and universities to provide information related to security policies and procedures to students, employees and applicants; to provide certain crime statistics to students and employees; and to make those statistics available to applicants and prospective employees upon request.

To review the University’s most recent annual report containing this information, please visit www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/ASR/2018_ASR_PENN.pdf

You may request a paper copy of the report by calling the Office of the Vice President for Public Safety at (215) 898-7515 or by emailing vp@publicsafety.upenn.edu

The Division of Human Resources invites members of the University community with 25 or more years of service to Penn’s annual 25-Year Club Celebration on Thursday, October 4.

The event is from 5-7 p.m. in Houston Hall. Registration is required for attendance.

Register by Friday, September 21 at www.hr.upenn.edu/25yearclub

For more information call (215) 898-3463 or email 25yearclub@hr.upenn.edu

Invitations were sent out weeks ago, mostly by email unless Human Resources did not know an email address for someone, in which case the invitations were sent by US mail.

Preceding the dinner, there will be a PASEF-sponsored lecture, Innovation at Penn by Penn’s Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli in the Class of ’49 Auditorium in Houston Hall, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

The 9th annual Celebration of Women Faculty will take place 3:30-5 p.m. Wednesday, October 17, at the Annenberg School for Communication’s Plaza Lobby.

The event, which is open to all faculty members, will be a celebration of women faculty colleagues’ appointments, awards, honors and promotions hosted by the Penn Forum for Women Faculty. This year, Vice Provost for Faculty Anita Allen will give remarks. A champagne reception will follow. To RSVP, visit https://tinyurl.com/y8uurf5o

Are you ready for football, food and fun? Then gather your loved ones and come out to the 26th Annual Penn Family Day on Saturday, October 13.

Penn Family Day welcomes faculty, staff and postdoctoral scholars to Shoemaker Green and the historic Franklin Field to enjoy games, sports, science, cultural activities and more as we celebrate Penn community and their families.

You can order up to four free tickets per person for the Tailgate Party on Shoemaker Green and the football game. Additional tickets can be purchased for $8. This year kids under 14 can participate in the inaugural Quaker football toss immediately after the game.

Get your tickets by October 8. You can order tickets online now at https://pennathletics.com (enter code Family) or at the Penn Athletic Ticket Office in Weightman Hall, located at 235 S. 33rd St, between Walnut and Spruce Streets.

Family Day Schedule

10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Explore Penn Museum’s exciting fun-for-all-ages exhibits, including Native American Voices, And So the Story Goes…Innovations in Storytelling, and The Artifact Lab: Conservation in Action. Admission is free with PennCard.

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Enjoy the Penn Band, cheerleaders, lunch, games, face-painting and entertaining surprises at the Tailgate Party.

1 p.m.: Root for the Quaker football team as they take on Columbia at Franklin Field.

4:30-5:30 p.m.: Skate at the Penn Ice Rink, 3130 Walnut Street. Admission is free with your PennCard. Skate rentals are $3 with your PennCard.

5 p.m.: Cheer on Penn’s Women’s Volleyball team as they compete against Cornell at the Palestra. Admission is free.

You can also enjoy productions at the Annenberg Center: Private Peaceful at 2 and 7:30 p.m. in the Harold Prince Theatre, and a performance by the Spectrum Dance Theater at 8 p.m. in the Zellerbach Theater.

Faculty and staff can get a 20% discount at these shows with their PennCard (Code: Penn).

Free Parking: Free Family Day parking will be available with your PennCard at the Walnut 38 and Chestnut 34 Garages.

Visit www.hr.upenn.edu/familyday for a schedule of activities. If you have questions, contact HR at worklife@hr.upenn.edu or (215) 573-2471.

—Division of Human Resources

Are you approaching retirement? If so, prepare yourself with the right information about medical benefits and income in retirement by attending Penn’s semi-annual Thinking About Retirement presentations. They will be held on September 20, starting at 9 a.m. at the Inn at Penn. Specially designed for Penn staff and faculty, Thinking About Retirement presents three different concurrent workshops, each covering an important aspect of retirement benefits: Penn Benefits and Medicare, Income Options with TIAA, and Social Security.

To register visit www.hr.upenn.edu/thinkretirement or call (215) 898-7372.

—Division of Human Resources

Exhibits

Now

     Without Roots We are Nothing; works that emphasize the critical role that the root plays in shaping the wholeness of the plant; Esther Klein Gallery. Arts & Science Lecture: September 27, 4 p.m., followed by a closing reception.

Upcoming

24   Imagery, Narrative, Propaganda: Artists in the German Democratic Republic; exhibit opening; 5:30 p.m.; rm. 500, Annenberg School; Cornelia Thomsen talk begins at 6 p.m.; info: https://tinyurl.com/ybx47w5g (Annenberg School).

Fitness and Learning

25    Parenting Up and Parenting Down: Resources and Benefits for Caretakers; noon; Golkin rm. 223, Houston Hall; register: https://tinyurl.com/yd6rljba (PPSA).

Special Events

19     Common Press Letterpress Demonstration; Mary Tasillo, studio manager; 3 p.m.; Common Press, lower level, Fisher Fine Arts Library; info: www.library.upenn.edu/commonpress

21     Penn Women’s Center Open House; 3-5 p.m.; Penn Women’s Center, 3643 Locust Walk.

24     PBC Voter Registration Drive; noon-6 p.m.; Penn Book Center.

Talks

24     After Galen, Before Galenism: Medical Knowledge in the Early Middle Ages; Meg Leja, Binghamton University; 3:30 p.m.; rm. 337, Cohen Hall (History and Sociology of Science).

AT PENN Deadlines

The September AT PENN is online. The October AT PENN will be in the September 25 issue. The deadline for the November AT PENN is October 15.

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 September 3-9, 2018. 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 September 3-9, 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.

09/04/18          8:12 AM           3400 Spruce St             Cash taken from wallet

09/04/18          8:35 AM           200 S 34th St                Seat removed from bike

09/04/18          11:01 AM         3340 Smith Walk           Computer taken from lab

09/04/18          4:31 PM           3817 Walnut St              Xbox taken

09/04/18          4:50 PM           3817 Walnut St              Currency taken from wallet

09/04/18          5:42 PM           219 S 33rd St                Currency taken from wallet

09/04/18          7:04 PM           3800 Sansom St           Property taken from vehicle

09/04/18          8:51 PM           3600 Market St              Secured bike taken

09/04/18          10:26 PM         3400 Chestnut St          Confidential sex offense

09/05/18          2:35 AM           3700 Locust Walk         Male wanted on warrant/Arrest

09/05/18          11:34 AM         3411 Chestnut St          Unauthorized charges made to account

09/05/18          5:23 PM           4040-4042 Walnut St     Currency taken from room

09/05/18          8:30 PM           3400 Woodland Walk    Various electrics and keys taken

09/06/18          8:17 AM           2929 Walnut St              Credit card taken/authorized charges made

09/06/18          8:20 AM           4111 Walnut St              Complainant threatened by boyfriend

09/06/18          1:22 PM           220 S 40th St                 Male offender threatened to harm complainant

09/06/18          5:17 PM           3702 Spruce St              Unsecured bike taken

09/07/18          12:21 PM         206 41st St                     Unsecured contents of package taken

09/07/18          11:33 PM         3400 Walnut St               Newspaper box taken

09/08/18          10:30 AM         3400 Civic Center Blvd  Wallet taken from locker

09/08/18          1:48 PM           3604 Chestnut St           Wallet taken from break room

09/08/18          5:55 PM           210 S 40th St                 Wallet taken

09/08/18          11:02 PM         3417 Spruce St               Cell phone taken

09/09/18          9:30 PM           305 S 40th St                  Property removed from packages

18th District

Below are the Crimes Against Persons from the 18th District: 9 incidents (2 assaults, 2 domestic assaults, 2 robberies and 3 aggravated assaults) with 2 arrests were reported between September 3-9, 2018 by the 18th District covering the Schuylkill River to 49th Street & Market Street to Woodland Avenue.

09/03/18         8:22 PM           117 S 42nd St                Domestic Assault

09/03/18         11:18 PM         46th & Market Sts          Robbery

09/04/18         12:15 PM         4806 Market St               Aggravated Assault/Arrest

09/04/18         9:40 PM           48th & Pine Sts               Aggravated Assault

09/05/18         8:31 PM           3450 Woodland Walk     Robbery

09/07/18         11:47 AM        48th & Chestnut Sts        Assault

09/07/18         4:28 PM           4800 Walnut St               Aggravated Assault

09/07/18         7:59 PM           4317 Chestnut St            Assault

09/07/18         9:39 PM           3400 Spruce St               Domestic Assault/Arrest