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$18 Million Tobacco Regulatory Science Research Grant for PSOM

caption: Andrew Strasser The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Rutgers University School of Public Health have received one of nine grants from the US Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health for a new cohort of Tobacco Centers of Regulatory Science (TCORS 2.0). The grant, $18 million over five years, will drive research that will provide data to protect public health and inform regulatory science issues related to the effects of tobacco marketing and tobacco control.

Penn’s center is focused on examining the effects of advertising, packaging and labeling on perceptions, use and exposure of combustible tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigarillos (short, narrow cigars that are wrapped in tobacco leaves or brown tobacco-based paper). Researchers combine expertise in assessing smoking behaviors, toxin and nicotine exposure, as well as eye tracking and product risk perception measures to better understand the impact of potentially misleading advertising claims, descriptors, labeling and packaging features of combustible tobacco products.

“We are taking a comprehensive approach to better understand the effects of tobacco advertising and packaging—from psychological responses to use patterns and exposure,” said Andrew Strasser, principal investigator and director of the Biobehavioral Smoking Laboratory at Penn’s Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Nicotine Addiction (CIRNA), which was created in PSOM’s department of psychiatry in 2001.

The center will focus on four primary projects:

  • Assessment of smoking behaviors, psychological responses and biological effects to understand the effect of cigarette packaging on smoking low-nicotine content cigarettes, an important component of potential regulatory strategies
  • Experimental analysis of low-nicotine cigarette advertising and novel tobacco product marketing, with an aim to identify how the public is misinformed about health risks
  • Experimental analysis of how cigarillo packaging with varying colors, graphic designs, descriptors and warning labels influences perceptions and use
  • Examination of the effects of cigarette descriptors that can mislead about the health harms of tobacco products

The project will also focus on four cores, which will provide continued surveillance of the tobacco industry’s marketing strategies for combustible tobacco products; tobacco regulatory science training and career enhancement opportunities; and expert support on emerging biomarkers, analytic approaches and regulatory expertise.

The goal of the project is to help consumers make informed decisions about the use of “modified risk tobacco products (MRTPs)” while avoiding the deceptive marketing and advertising practices of the past, which led consumers to believe those products were safer than they truly were.

The new research continues work from the first TCORS grant to Penn, made in 2013, to Robert C. Hornik, the Wilbur Schramm Professor of Communication and Health Policy at the Annenberg School for Communication, and Caryn Lerman, the John H. Glick, M.D. Professor in Cancer Research at PSOM (Almanac October 1, 2013).

Additional Penn collaborators include: Janet Audrain-McGovern, associate professor in PSOM’s department of psychiatry and a member of Penn’s Cancer Center; Melissa Mercincavage, CIRNA postdoctoral researcher; and Joseph Cappella, the Gerald R. Miller Professor of Communication at the Annenberg School for Communication.

Penn Biden Leaders Dialogue at Competing Visions of the Global Order

caption: The Penn Biden Leaders Dialogue on September 25 at Irvine Auditorium featured 47th Vice President Joe Biden (left) in an hour-long conversation with Nicholas Clegg, the former UK deputy prime minister (right).

Penn President Amy Gutmann introduced eminent global leaders Joe Biden, the 47th Vice President of the United States and the Benjamin Franklin Presidential Practice Professor at Penn, and Nicholas Clegg, the former UK Deputy Prime Minister, who have worked together closely in the past, to a packed crowd of more than 1,000 students, faculty and staff in Irvine Auditorium, with an apt nod to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash Broadway musical Hamilton.

“You all know the show-stopping number that never fails to bring the house down: ‘The Room Where It Happens,’” President Gutmann said. “For the next hour or so, that’s where we get to be.”

The capstone event between Vice President Joe Biden and Sir Nicholas Clegg capped off a two-day Perry World House colloquium, Competing Visions of the Global Order, which featured an eminent slate of world leaders. This event was “truly one for the history books,” said President Gutmann. It was the Center’s second fall colloquium.

These types of conversations—raw and informative—are the basis of what Perry World House was hoping to achieve throughout the entire colloquium, which kicked off last Monday with closed working groups for students, faculty and policymakers. The event continued Tuesday with public sessions featuring a slate of world leaders, including Felipe Calderón, former President of Mexico; Richard Verma, former US Ambassador to India; and two former US national security advisers: Susan Rice, who served under President Barack Obama, and H.R. McMaster, who served under President Donald Trump, speaking about the past, present and future of international relations.

Michael DiBerardinis: Professor of Practice at Fels

caption: Michael DiBerardinis Michael DiBerardinis, who has served as managing director for the City of Philadelphia under Mayor James Kenney since January 2016, will be joining Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences in January 2019 as a Professor of Practice at the Fels Institute of Government. 

As managing director, Mr. DiBerardinis has played a critical role in the Kenney administration, overseeing and coordinating activity across most major operating departments of the city’s government. 

“‘Mike D.’—as he is affectionately known—is a public servant in the truest sense of the words. I cannot thank him enough for being an integral part of my team the last few years,” said Mayor Kenney. “His experience and leadership have helped to successfully restore a strong managing director system to the government which will serve the City well in the future. I wish him nothing but the best and believe the students at Fels will benefit greatly from his wisdom and expertise.”

Steven J. Fluharty, SAS Dean and Thomas S. Gates, Jr. Professor of Psychology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, said that “Michael DiBerardinis is the ideal example of what we seek in a professor of practice. His track record of achieving results in government perfectly complements the expertise of our standing faculty and creates unparalleled learning opportunities for our students.” 

Mr. DiBerardinis’s prior posts have included deputy mayor for environmental and community resources, commissioner of the department of parks and recreation, special advisor to the Free Library of Philadelphia, and secretary of conservation and natural resources for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 

In addition to teaching, Mr. DiBerardinis will play a central role in leading a world-class mentoring program for Fels students, according to Matt Levendusky, professor of political science and Penny and Robert A. Fox Director of the Fels Master of Public Administration program, and John Lapinski, Robert A. Fox Leadership Professor of Political Science, and faculty director for the Fels Executive MPA program. 

“Michael is a lifelong public servant who is deeply knowledgeable about the inner workings of city life in our region. His connections and decades of wisdom and experience will make him a fantastic mentor and open doors for students eager to be leaders in their communities,” said Dr. Lapinski.

Dr. Levendusky adds, “I’m thrilled Michael will be joining us. As a professor of practice, he will serve as a bridge between the standing faculty and the practitioner community and ensure that Fels continues to produce outstanding public-sector leaders.”

From the President and Provost: Creation and Implementation of a New Second Year Experience Program

A Message to the Penn Community:

At Penn, we are strongly committed to ensuring the success of our students on campus and beyond. To advance this mission for our undergraduate community—and after robust consultations with student leaders, College House faculty and staff, undergraduate deans, trustees, student advisors and other campus partners—we are pleased to announce the creation and implementation of a new Second Year Experience Program. 

This year, the Program will begin to offer expanded programming and new events designed specifically for second-year students, both across campus and in individual College Houses. Starting with the incoming Class of 2024, the Program will house all Penn sophomores in a two-year College House system. Just as the opening of the Quad more than a century ago profoundly and positively impacted our University, the Second Year Experience Program will help shape the social, intellectual and cultural connections that will distinguish the Penn undergraduate experience for generations of students to come.

We believe that a two-year College House system will measurably strengthen the sense of community among our first- and second-year students—promoting students’ achievement and well-being, enhancing support for students’ academic and social lives, and increasing opportunities to engage with diverse programs and viewpoints. Housing all sophomores on campus also will eliminate a major source of stress and anxiety for first-year students, who have told us that they feel pressured to consider second-year housing options during their first semester as Penn students.   

Our new Second Year Experience will include special programs designed specifically to address the unique needs of second-year students.  These programs will encompass not only successful ongoing programs such as the Majors and More Dinners and the Wharton Sophomore Experience but also sophomore-specific courses, celebrations and social events, such as the new Sophomore Day that was held just a few weeks ago.

Penn’s ability to support a full two-year College House system will be made possible with the opening of New College House West in fall 2021, which will increase capacity for an additional 450 upperclass students on campus. In addition to New College House West, we will continue making major investments in Penn’s existing College Houses in the years ahead.

Penn’s 12 College Houses, each with its own focus and traditions, offer vibrant opportunities for self-discovery and enrichment. As living and learning communities of undergraduates, faculty, staff and graduate students, they help bridge the academic life of the classroom with our living spaces. There is evidence that students engaged in College House-type programs adjust better to college life, develop healthier habits, engage in fewer high-risk behaviors and perform better academically than their peers living off-campus. The 2017 Task Force on a Safe and Responsible Campus Community outlined these and related opportunities to better support student wellness and augment campus living and learning. A structured, community-oriented residential experience helps students develop smart, sound habits that will serve them well long after graduation. 

In the months ahead, we look forward to sharing more details about our new Second Year Experience Program and Penn’s transition to a two-year College House system. We are confident that these initiatives will further Penn’s commitment to helping all students thrive as members of our Penn community and in their lives after graduation.

—Amy Gutmann, President

—Wendell Pritchett, Provost

Margaret Kip, University Registrar

caption: Margaret Kip Executive director of student registration and financial services Matt Sessa announced the appointment of Margaret Kip as University registrar effective September 17.

Ms. Kip has spent the last 19 years working in support functions in higher education at a variety of institutions, including Syracuse University and the University of the Arts, ultimately as an associate provost. She joined Penn in 2016 as the deputy registrar and became the acting University registrar in February 2018.

In the time Ms. Kip spent as the acting University registrar, she created several new and critical positions to strengthen the office’s support capabilities; re-established the Registrar’s Working Group to create a University-wide community of practice; and began creating more structured work processes to better track and assure quality work flowing through the Office of the University Registrar. As the University registrar, she will continue this work and expand her focus to larger improvement and collaboration opportunities for the office.

Ms. Kip holds a BFA from Syracuse (1999) and completed graduate coursework in database design and computer programming at Philadelphia University (2004).

Penn Dental: $1 Million Scholarship Grant from Delta Dental Community Care Foundation

Penn Dental Medicine students with a passion for serving vulnerable patients will now have a new resource to support their interests and goals thanks to a $1 million scholarship grant from the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, the philanthropic branch of Delta Dental of Pennsylvania. Delta Dental’s Oral Health Education grant will endow in perpetuity the awarding of two $25,000 scholarships each year to DMD students who desire to work in an underserved area after graduation and who have demonstrated a commitment to community outreach during their studies. The grant award was announced in August and the first application cycle will open this fall for interested candidates in the current third-year class.

“While all of our students gain experience serving the underserved through our community-based service learning courses, we see a significant number of students with a great interest go above and beyond what’s required and develop extensive experience in the community,” said Joan Gluch, division chief of community oral health and co-director of the grant with Olivia Sheridan, assistant dean for admissions. “What’s exciting about this scholarship is that it will provide the support that some students need to ultimately pursue this path after graduation. The need is great, because approximately 48 million people in the United States live in areas with dentist shortages.”

The scholarships, which will not reduce a student’s scholarship package from other Penn Dental Medicine resources, are intended to lighten overall expenses and debt during the recipient’s fourth year of study with the goal of clearing a path for a student to pursue a career in community-based dentistry.

“The addition of this scholarship resource, even though it applies to the final stages of students’ DMD time and beyond, will be a tremendous resource in our recruitment efforts as well,” noted Dr. Sheridan. “The availability of scholarships to offset loans can be a deciding factor for students who may have considerable undergraduate debt, or who come from a financially challenged background.”

In addition to completing a minimum of 250 hours of community-based service and finishing all their DMD requirements on time in their fourth year, recipients must demonstrate employment in a medically underserved or health professions shortage area by October of their graduating year and commit to two years in that role after graduation.

“We are thrilled with the generosity and vision of Delta Dental to help us widen the doors of possibility for those students committed to serving communities in need as they enter professional practice,” said Dr. Mark Wolff, Morton Amsterdam Dean of Penn Dental Medicine.

Over time, Penn Dental Medicine foresees the fund also contributing valuable data to community health needs assessment. “These new dentists will be a valuable cohort to track to assess the impact scholarships can make in drawing more dental graduates into community-based service,” explained Dr. Gluch. “We will create a mechanism to remain connected to the Delta Dental scholars and to collect data on practice patterns to help inform our understanding of oral health of vulnerable patients and communities.”

“We’re delighted to have another opportunity to work together with Penn Dental Medicine to further our Foundation’s mission of increasing access to dental care in underserved communities in Pennsylvania and beyond,” said Karen Robinson, executive director of the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation. “This scholarship fund has the potential to improve health and enhance the lives of students and communities for years to come.”

This $1 million Oral Health Education grant further expands a relationship between the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation and Penn Dental Medicine. In 2017, the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation awarded Penn Dental Medicine a $650,000 grant to expand PennSmiles, the school’s oral health education and clinical care program for schoolchildren and their families in Philadelphia (Almanac September 26, 2017). The grant allowed for the purchase of a new, state-of-the-art mobile dental vehicle as well as the operational costs for educational programs. In addition, Delta Dental has supported Penn Dental Medicine students through its annual Student Leadership Award, a monetary award granted to an outstanding graduating dental school student.

For more information about the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation and its programs, please visit deltadentalins.com/about/community/philanthropy/

This scholarship grant is a project of the Power of Penn Dental Medicine Capital Campaign, part of a University-wide initiative to raise support for scholarships, community outreach and access to care for vulnerable populations, research and facilities.

The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of Pennsylvania and its affiliated companies including Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of New York, Inc., and Delta Dental of California. Since 2011, the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation has awarded more than $3.6 million in the state of Pennsylvania. The Foundation’s mission is to increase access to quality dental care by providing funding and support to advance research, education and access to dental care across its 15-state service area and the District of Columbia.

SP2: Launching OpenSP2

In an effort to provide the most accessible, yet unparalleled, professional and continuing education opportunities, Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice has launched OpenSP2.

OpenSP2 gives individuals and organizations access to some of SP2’s most brilliant minds and research in social work, policy and non-profit leadership, both on- and off-campus. Current course topics being piloted include focuses on child welfare, animal assisted social work and kinship care.

OpenSP2 is designed to complement the school’s existing masters and doctoral programs. Now accepting applications, OpenSP2 includes non-credit and certificate programs offered on campus and online, with course flexibility that allows professionals to continue working while engaging with the fields’ leading scholars. This includes an Advanced Certificate in Oncology Social Work—the first of its kind in the world—which welcomed its first cohort in September. Online programming includes a massive open online course led by former dean Richard Gelles.

Instructional consulting and academic oversight for OpenSP2 is provided by SP2 faculty. In addition to professional learning courses, OpenSP2 will produce media, digital publications and events focusing on the research of the SP2 faculty. Learn more at https://www.sp2.upenn.edu/academics/opensp2

Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Humanities: October 15 Deadline

The Wolf Humanities Center (formerly Penn Humanities Forum) awards five one-year Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships each academic year to junior scholars in the humanities who are no more than eight years out of their doctorate and who are not yet tenured (may not be tenured during the fellowship year). Scholars are required to spend the year (late August–May) in residence at Penn.

For the 2019-2020 academic year, their topic will be Kinship (follow link below for more information). The Fellowship carries a stipend of $56,225 plus single-coverage health insurance (fellows are responsible for coverage for any dependents) and a $3,000 research fund. Fellows teach one undergraduate course in either the fall or the spring semester in addition to conducting their research.

The PhD is the only eligible terminal degree, and applicants must be humanists or those in such allied fields as anthropology or history of science. Ineligible categories include an MFA or any other doctorate such as EdD, social scientists, scholars in educational curriculum building, and performing artists (note: scholars of performance are eligible).

The fellowship is open to all scholars, national and international, who meet application terms.

The application deadline is October 15 for each subsequent year’s fellowship.Fellowship guidelines and application are available on the Center’s website, https://wolfhumanities.upenn.edu/fellowships/andrew-w-mellon-postdoctoral-fellowship-humanities

Deaths

David Batista, Law Library

David Batista, former librarian at the Biddle Law Library, died May 31, from complications due to cancer. He was 68.

Mr. Batista earned his bachelor’s degree in Russian history from the University of Illinois in 1974, his JD from Southern Illinois University in 1978, and his master’s of science in library science at the University of Illinois in 1982.

Before coming to Penn in 1984, he worked at the William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota, and after he left Penn in 1990, he worked at Rutgers Law School-Camden, where he obtained tenure as an associate professor serving as the faculty research services librarian. He was there until 2017.

Mr. Batista is survived by his wife, Emily, coordinator of access services and resource sharing at Van Pelt-Dietrich Library; his brother, Philip; and his sister, Maria.

Giulio D’Angio, CHOP and PSOM

caption: Giulio D’Angio Giulio John (Dan) D’Angio, emeritus professor of radiation oncology at Penn’s School of Medicine and a pioneer in the treatment of children’s cancers, died September 14 at his residence in Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia. He was 96.

Dr. D’Angio grew up in Brooklyn and Westchester County, New York. He attended Columbia University for his undergraduate degree and then Harvard Medical School, graduating in 1945. He spent a year at Boston Children’s Hospital before serving with the US Army Corps in Japan. After returning in 1948 to the US, he worked at the VA Hospital in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, and then began his radiology training at Boston City Hospital. In Boston, he worked in a lab with Sidney Farber, founder of the Children’s Cancer Research Foundation, the precursor to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He held various teaching positions and was an associate research radiologist at Donner Lab at UC-Berkeley before coming to Penn as a professor of radiology. His primary appointment later changed to radiation therapy; he held secondary appointments in pediatrics and radiology. He was president of the Medical Faculty Senate, and he earned tenure in 1977 and received emeritus status in 1997.

At CHOP, Dr. D’Angio served as director of the Children’s Cancer Center, where he built the foundation for the current “bench-to-bedside and back” research efforts used across the campus today. He was named a fellow of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) (Almanac September 26, 2006). He served as the president of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology and chair of the National Wilms Tumor Study. He was the founder of the Late Effects Study Group, which ultimately led to the Office of Cancer Survivorship at the National Institutes of Health, as well as the Histiocyte Society, the Society for Pediatric Radiology, and the Paediatric Radiation Oncology Society. Dr. D’Angio wrote more than 500 articles, books, book chapters, editorials and commentaries. The Giulio D’Angio Chair in Neuroblastoma Research at CHOP was established in his honor.

He was among the first to think of combining different cancer treatments. He changed how Wilms’ tumor, a cancer of the kidneys, was treated, and the survival rate during his career rose from 40 to 90 percent. He also recognized the harmful effects of radiation therapy on young children and organized the first randomized clinical trial that eliminated this curative but harmful modality. Working with Dr. C. Everett Koop, they described the remarkable spontaneous regression of an identifiable subset of neuroblastoma in infants and together developed a staging system that is largely the one used today. His work has helped children with leukemia, medulloblastoma and neuroblastoma. He was an early champion of total care, or looking out for a child’s overall needs.

Dr. D’Angio’s first wife, Jean Terhune D’Angio, died in 2004. In 2005, he married his long-time colleague, Audrey Evans. Dr. D’Angio is survived by his wife; brother, Carl J.; sons, Carl (Donna) and Peter (Greg); grandchildren, Sara D’Angio White (Andrew) and Rachel; and great-grandchildren, Margaret and Charles D’Angio White.

Jeremy Nowak, Penn IUR

Jeremy Nowak, a Penn Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR) fellow and advisory board member, died July 28 from complications due to a heart attack. He was 66.

Dr. Nowak founded the Philadelphia-based Reinvestment Fund, specializing in social investment, urban policy and strategy. In 2011 and 2012, he was president of the William Penn Foundation, where he developed the blueprint for their grant making. He was a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a scholar at Penn IUR and former chair of the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. In 2016, he was a recipient of the Penn IUR Urban Leadership Award (Almanac April 26, 2016). He was named an advisory board member for Penn IUR last year (Almanac February 21, 2017).

Jeremy Nowak Memorial: October 3

Join Penn IUR in The Living Room at The Inn at Penn on Wednesday, October 3, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. for reflection and conversation about pathbreaking social innovator Jeremy Nowak’s enduring work. Mr. Nowak pioneered the framework of “new localism,” coordinated Philadelphia’s Neighborhood Transformation Initiative, and championed the financing of community development as a solution for struggling neighborhoods. Integrating public, private and non-profit expertise to create shared social and financial good, his work serves as a precedent and template for achieving collective urban prosperity.

Speakers will include Ira Goldstein, president, Policy Solutions, The Reinvestment Fund; Patricia Smith, president and CEO, The Funders Network; and former Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell, who across their respective fields have advanced similar causes with their missions of igniting positive urban growth for the benefit of all.

Governance

From the Senate Office: SEC Agenda

The following agenda is published in accordance with the Faculty Senate Rules. Any member of the standing faculty may attend SEC meetings and observe. Questions may be directed 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 Agenda

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

3-5 p.m.

Glandt Forum, 3rd floor,

Singh Center for Nanotechnology, 3205 Walnut St.

1. Approval of the Minutes of September 12, 2018

2. Chair’s Report

3. Past Chair’s Report

4. 2018 Senate Nominating Committee

5. Update from the Office of the Provost

  • Discussion with Provost Wendell Pritchett

6. Human Capital Management Project Update

  • Discussion with Anita Allen, Vice Provost for Faculty; Tom Murphy, Vice President of Information Technology & University Chief Information Officer; and Mark Dingfield, Associate Provost for Finance and Planning

7. Moderated Discussion

8. New Business

Trustees September Meeting Coverage

The University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees held meetings on Thursday, September 27.  Trustees’ Chair David Cohen noted that the Convocation welcomed the Class of 2022 to Penn, which is now in its 279th year. President Amy Gutmann noted that Penn welcomed two new deans: Mark Wolf, Morton Amsterdam Dean of Dental Medicine, and Andrew Hoffman, Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine. President Gutmann also mentioned Sally Bachman, who has been named dean of SP2 and will join Penn on January 1, 2019 (Almanac September 4, 2018). Dr. Gutmann noted that the 43rd governor of Florida Jeb Bush will become a non-residential Professor of Practice this year (Almanac September 25, 2018). The president also praised Penn alumnus John Legend (C’99), who recently became the first African American man and second youngest person ever to achieve EGOT status (winner of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony); and, the president added, he’s a great philanthropist.

Provost Wendell Pritchett said that Benoit Dubé, Penn’s first Chief Wellness Officer, is the ideal person to oversee the new division that will galvanize numerous initiatives across the University (Almanac August 28, 2018).

EVP Craig Carnaroli reported that Penn had a very strong FY’18, as reported at the Budget and Finance Committee Meeting earlier in the day. For the 12-month period that ended June 30, 2018 the consolidated University’s total net assets were $18.6 billion, an increase of $2.3 billion over the prior year, driven primarily by strong operating performance and investment returns. The Associated Investments Fund (AIF) return of 12.9% was above budget. On the Academic side, the contributions totaled $442 million, an increase of $17 million from the prior year. The Health System had an increase in operating revenue from $6.1 billion to $6.8 billion. Expenses increased from $5.8 billion to $6.4 billion.

PSOM Dean Larry Jameson mentioned that the 152 new medical students’ first lecture was given by Jean Bennett, one of the PSOM researchers who developed the gene therapy recently approved by the FDA to correct patients’ vision  (Almanac January 9, 2018). Dr. Jameson also announced that the Penn Medicine Campaign has already raised more than a $1 billion toward its $1.5 billion goal, $50 million of which will be for scholarships. Dr. Jameson also shared the news that Carl June had received the Albany Prize September 26 for his pioneering work in developing the nation’s first FDA-approved personalized cellular therapy for cancer (Almanac September 11, 2018).

The Trustees passed two resolutions. The first one was to authorize financing of certain capital projects up to $200 million, which can be financed cost effectively with the issuance of new indebtedness (2018 Bonds) for a term of up to 50 years. The second one is to authorize Penn Medicine Radnor—a multi-specialty facility— to sell a portion of land and development rights at 145 King of Prussia Road and sell a building and land at 250 King of Prussia Road in order to expand the clinical space as well as accommodate increased programmatic needs. All patient services there would move to the new facility by June 2020.

Honors

Jean Bennett, Samuel Jacobson, Albert Maguire: Champalimaud Vision Award

Three members of the Perelman School of Medicine faculty have been named among the recipients of the 2018 António Champalimaud Vision Award for their revolutionary work leading to the first successful gene therapy to cure an inherited cause of childhood blindness. The recipients from Penn are Jean Bennett, the F.M. Kirby Professor of Ophthalmology; Samuel G. Jacobson, professor of ophthalmology; and Albert M. Maguire, professor of ophthalmology.

The award honors seven researchers who share a 1 million Euro prize for scientific advances leading to the successful treatment of a condition known as Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). Their work led to the December 2017 FDA approval of the first gene therapy for an inherited condition. The award is supported by Vision 2020–The Right to Sight, a global blindness-prevention initiative launched in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.

Kathryn H. Bowles: Distinguished Researcher Award

caption: Kathryn BowlesKathryn H. Bowles, the van Ameringen Chair in Nursing Excellence and a professor in Penn Nursing’s department of biobehavioral health sciences, will receive the Claire M. Fagin Distinguished Researcher Award. The award is given to a Penn Nursing faculty member or a graduate from the school’s doctoral program who has made a distinguished contribution to nursing scholarship.

Dr. Bowles’s research has focused on the use of information technology and health informatics to improve health care for at-risk older adults and support health-care providers’ efforts to improve planning and provide transitional care following hospital discharge, thereby reducing hospital readmissions. Her ongoing studies include the development of decision support tools to determine the best site of care for those needing post-discharge services; telehealth technology applications; the effect of home care and post-acute referrals on patient outcomes; and evaluation of electronic health records.

Dr. Bowles discovered a unique set of high-risk factors that determined which older patients were most likely to need continued skilled care after discharge. She and her team developed and validated a decision-support methodology that identified patients who need post-acute care. Through RightCare Solutions, which she co-founded in 2012, she and her team incorporated the Discharge Decision Support System (D2S2) into a software product that helps hospitals assess patients for post-acute care needs, optimizes workflow and ultimately lowers the number of readmissions. In 2015, naviHealth acquired RightCare Solutions.

Dr. Bowles will deliver her lecture “From Inquiry to Innovation: How a Clinical Question Became a Business Opportunity”on October 25, 3-5 p.m. at Fagin Hall. For more information or to RSVP visit https://tinyurl.com/y82xfnha

Caroline Ebby, Caroline Watts: NSF Grant

caption: Caroline EbbyCaroline Brayer Ebby, adjunct associate professor in the teaching, learning and leadership division of Penn’s Graduate School of Education and senior researcher at the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE), and Caroline Watts, GSE senior lecturer in the human development and quantitative methods division and director of school and community engagement, have received $2,993,280 from the National Science Foundation for their four-year project “Building Sustainable Networked Instructional Leadership in Elementary Mathematics through a University Partnership with a Large Urban District.”

Dr. Ebby is an expert in how math is taught and how math instruction can be improved. She co-created the Community Based Math Project, a hub for developing locally relevant and social justice oriented mathematics lessons. Dr. Ebby also studies the implementation of standards-aligned math curriculum and the use of formative assessment and learning trajectories to improve K-8 mathematics teaching and learning.

caption: Caroline WattsDr. Watts has served as the University’s liaison to the Henry C. Lea Elementary School in West Philadelphia and as a member of the Penn Partnership faculty group that served as a leadership support team for several West Philadelphia schools. She has also been the school’s coordinator of special education, working across divisions to develop coursework and experiential placements for students that will provide critical learning related to issues in special education and English language learners (ELL). In addition to her school- and community-based work, Dr. Watts coordinates the internship program for students in the Professional Counseling Program at Penn GSE.

Abby Reisman: Library of Congress Grant

Abby Reisman, assistant professor in the teaching, learning and leadership division of Penn’s GSE, has received a $19,993 grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Program for the project “The Life of African Americans in 19th Century Philadelphia: Using Library of Congress Resources to Uncover Hidden History.” The project will establish a professional development series to support 10th grade history teachers in Philadelphia in using the Library of Congress’ collection to design lessons in this topic area.

Robert Schoenberg: Lifetime Achievement Award

Robert Schoenberg, the founding director of the Penn LGBT Center, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers at their 2018 Social Work Conference on September 13. The award recognized his advocacy and impact on social policy in his more than 40 years as a member of the chapter. Dr. Schoenberg, the first director of the LGBT Center, was named director of the center at its founding in 1982, serving for 35 years until his retirement in October 2017 at the LGBT Center’s 35th anniversary celebration (Almanac October 3, 2017).

Krystal Strong: Spencer Foundation Grant

Krystal Strong, GSE assistant professor in the literacy, culture and international education division, has received a $50,000 grant from the Spencer Foundation to support the next 14 months of the project “Education and Political Change: Mapping Contemporary School Protests in Africa.” Dr. Strong’s research team will complete the first comprehensive, cross-national database of the incidence and causes of school-based protests in Africa since 2000 and will use interactive mapping technology to make this data publicly accessible to global researchers and practitioners.

Dr. Strong is also a member of the graduate group in anthropology, and a faculty affiliate of Africana Studies. Dr. Strong’s research and teaching combine anthropological approaches to formal and non-institutional educational processes, politics and activism, youth, new media technologies, and popular culture in Africa and the African Diaspora. Topically, she focuses on the politicization and cultural practices of youth, the ambivalent role of educational institutions in the social reproduction of power and privilege and as critical sites of political struggle, and the intersections of these processes across transnationally and digitally networked spaces.

Richard Weller, Architecture, Landscape Architecture: DesignIntelligence “Most Admired” Lists

caption: Richard WellerRichard Weller, the Meyerson Chair of Urbanism, chair of PennDesign’s department of landscape architecture and co-executive director of The Ian L. McHarg Center for Ecology and Urbanism, has been named to the roster of “Most Admired Educators” in landscape architecture by DesignIntelligence. The department of landscape architecture earned PennDesign the second spot in the nation among the “Top 25 Most Admired Schools” and “Most Hired From Schools” for landscape architecture. The department of architecture ranked 11th on the list for graduate study.

Dr. Weller is recognized for “pushing boundaries and thought in a variety of directions” and for his “distinctive interpretation of contemporary landscape and urbanism.”

Features

Events

Employee Resource and Volunteer Fair Today

The Annual Employee Resource and Volunteer Fair is today, Tuesday, October 2, from noon-1:30 p.m. in Bodek Lounge and the Reading Room, Houston Hall. The purpose of the fair is to provide information to Penn faculty and staff 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. 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 of Houston Hall. There will be approximately 10-15 local non-profits represented at the fair. 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, co-sponsor this event.

The University Archives and Records Center has arranged for Penn's shredding vendor, DocuVault, to shred personal papers free of charge for Penn employees during the Fair. This shredding service provides a great opportunity to reduce risks—such as the possibility of identity theft—by securely disposing of confidential papers that are no longer needed. The Records Center will also collect personally owned computer hard drives and personal consumer electronics (such as old TVs and monitors) that are brought to the Fair, and arrange for them to be transported at a later date to another Penn vendor, GigaBiter, who will securely dispose of them at no charge to Penn employees.

Building the Future of Work at Penn: October 11

The Human Capital Management Initiative  (HCM) is hosting another event in the series Building the Future of Work at Penn at 1 p.m. on Thursday, October 11 in Fitts Auditorium at Penn Law. The Executive Sponsors and Program Management Office of the Human Capital Management Transformation Initiative will present at the event.

Workday@Penn, a cloud-based, integrated modern system, will replace many of the current systems that manage faculty affairs, human resources, payroll and other human capital management-related processes.

This event will address: What are the benefits to individual employees, including staff, faculty, temporary and student workers? What’s changing from the point of view of an “employee as self”?

To register to attend this town hall, visit www.workday.upenn.edu

Hiring People with Disabilities Presentation October 11

A presentation on Etiquette and Enlightened Sensitivity Around Hiring People with Disabilities by Janet Fiore, president and CEO of The Sierra Group, will be held on Thursday, October 11, from 3 to 4 p.m. The presentation, in honor of October being National Disability Employment Awareness Month, will focus on putting sensitivity and enlightened awareness into the disability hiring process, identifying higher education jobs for people with disabilities and engaging in conversation with individuals who have visual, hearing, cognitive and/or mental disabilities. This event, sponsored by The Office of Affirmative Action & Equal Employment Programs, will be held at the Meyerson Conference Room in Van Pelt-Dietrich Library. Register at http://www.upenn.edu/affirm-
action/offerings.html

Morris Arboretum’s Saturday Morning Live Tour in October: Sculpture

Germination Sequence created by Linda Cunningham is along the winding entrance drive.

Join Morris Arboretum’s next Saturday Morning Live Tour on Saturday, October 6 at 11 a.m. to learn about the garden’s sculpture. Led by an experienced guide, guests will discover fine examples of public art that complement the Arboretum’s landscape and plant collection. These contemporary art pieces were installed in the Victorian garden as a visual and cultural contrast to the Arboretum’s scientific mission.

The Saturday Morning Live Tour Series highlights a different feature of the garden on the first Saturday of each month through December. The tour lasts approximately an hour and a half. Visitors will be walking over some uneven ground and cover quite a bit of territory, so dress appropriately.  For more information, visit www.morrisarboretum.org No registration is required. Tour is included with garden admission.

Update: October AT PENN Calendar

Special Events

11 Division of Public Safety Open House; try the firearm training simulation machine; learn how to use a fire extinguisher; learn about RAD self-defense programs and fingerprinting; tour the state-of-the-art PennComm Emergency Communicatons Center  and meet the Penn MERT team; 1-4 p.m.; DPS Headquarters, 4040 Chestnut St.; info: https://tinyurl.com/ycdpnfkv (Public Safety).

12    Beyond the Walls: The University of the Future; important dialogues about the role of the university in society and industry with University stakeholders; 8 a.m.-5:45 p.m.; Perry World House; register: https://unifuture.network/2018/01/beyond-the-walls/ 

AT PENN Deadlines

The October AT PENN is online. The deadline for the November AT PENN is October 15. Submissions for the weekly Update are due each Monday for the subsequent week’s issue. Events are subject to change.

Seas and Cities: Paintings by Lisa Reindorf October 11-November 5

caption: Tsnuami, oil panel Lisa Reindorf (C’77) believes that “artists have the ability to bring together scientific and creative disciplines and interpret data and information through creative insight and vision.” Much of her work focuses on the obliteration of the natural world to make way for cities—and the obliteration of cities by the natural world. She paints aerial views of coastal areas that depict cities and architectural infrastructure inundated by rising seas and storm surges.Gridded geometric patterns are overlaid with swirling patterns of nature in vibrant colors.

On Thursday, October 11 at 4 p.m., Ms. Reindorf will present a talk: Melting Ice to Rising Seas, sharing the artist’s view on how artists depict the chain of sea rise, starting with global warming, melting icebergs and rising seas. The talk, open to the public, will be held at the Burrison Gallery and will be followed by a reception.

Ms. Reindorf has a BA from Penn, where she majored in architecture and studied design of the environment, as well as a master of architecture from Columbia University. She is an architect, artist and climate change activist and has recently completed an artist residency at the studios at Mass MoCA, the largest contemporary art museum in the country.

The Burrison Gallery is located in the University Club at Penn on the 2nd floor of The Inn at Penn, 3611 Walnut Street, and is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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 September 17-23, 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 between the dates of September 17-23, 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.

09/18/18          1:36 AM           400 University Ave         Security threatened by male

09/18/18          2:13 AM           400 University Ave         Security threatened by male

09/18/18          9:05 AM           3440 Market St              Male wanted on scofflaw/Arrest

09/18/18          12:15 PM         3730 Walnut St              Backpack and contents taken

09/19/18          2:40 PM           3000 South St               Complainant bit by known offender

09/19/18          3:15 PM           3925 Walnut St              Employee threatened by offender with knife

09/19/18          3:45 PM           3925 Walnut St              Items taken without payment/Arrest

09/19/18          4:25 PM           220 S 40th St                 Seat taken from bike

09/19/18          5:46 PM           3620 Locust Walk          Unattended laptop taken

09/19/18          6:26 PM           4258 Chestnut St           Delivered package taken

09/20/18          12:10 AM         East Service Dr              Secured bike taken from rack

09/20/18          12:59 PM         3931 Walnut St              Unauthorized charges on credit card

09/20/18          1:44 PM           220 S 40th St                 Unsecured cell phone taken

09/20/18          2:09 PM           3600 Civic Center Blvd Currency taken from console of vehicle

09/20/18          5:37 PM           4037 Locust Walk          Unsecured package containing a bike taken

09/20/18          10:43 PM         200 S 34th St                 Bike taken/Arrest

09/21/18          12:26 PM         3401 Spruce St              Female wanted on warrant/Arrest

09/21/18          1:28 PM           4022 Spruce St              Secured bike taken from rack

09/21/18          2:37 PM           121 S 41st St                 Secured bike taken from rack

09/21/18          4:09 PM           1 S 43rd St                     Property removed from automobile

09/21/18          4:27 PM           3680 Walnut St              Employee misappropriated money

09/21/18          6:52 PM           319 S 41st St                 Unauthorized charges on credit card

09/21/18          11:46 PM         400 S 41st St                 Vehicle stolen

09/22/18          4:04 PM           4000 Ludlow St              Unknown male snatched complainants phone

09/22/18          12:40 PM         3800 Spruce St              Strong arm robbery-wallet stolen

09/23/18          12:43 AM         4213 Pine St                   Intoxicated male/Arrest

09/23/18          2:16 AM           3800 Spruce St              Intoxicated driver/Arrest

09/23/18          2:41 AM           3800 Spruce St              Intoxicated driver/Arrest

09/23/18          2:51 AM           305 S 41st St                 Male kicked in door to house/Arrest

09/23/18          7:28 PM           121 S 41st St                 Secured bike taken from garage

18th District

Below are the Crimes Against Persons from the 18th District: 12 incidents with 2 arrests (5 robberies, 3 aggravated assaults, 2 domestic assaults, 1 assault, 1 rape) with 2 arrests were reported between September 17-23, 2018 by the 18th District covering the Schuylkill River to 49th Street & Market Street to Woodland Avenue.

09/17/18         2:06 PM           3966 Market St                       Aggravated Assault/Arrest

09/17/18         8:44 PM           217 S 45th St                          Robbery

09/18/18         10:13 PM         4421 Osage Ave                     Robbery

09/19/18         2:54 PM           3000 South St                         Domestic Assault

09/19/18         3:13 PM           3925 Walnut St                       Aggravated Assault

09/20/18         11:09 AM        120 S 49th At                           Aggravated Assault

09/20/18         11:25 PM         4900 Larchwood Ave              Robbery

09/21/18         1:12 AM          4800 Chestnut St                     Robbery

09/21/18         5:56 PM           237 S 48th St                          Aggravated Assault/Arrest

09/22/18         12:19 AM        3400 Civic Center Blvd            Rape

09/22/18         1:20 PM           3800 Spruce St                       Robbery

09/22/18         8:55 PM           4819 Warrington Ave               Domestic Assault

09/23/18         5:51 PM           49th and Baltimore Ave           Assault

Bulletins

Penn's Way: A Workplace Charitable Campaign

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” ­—Desmond Tutu

Dear Colleagues:

Penn’s Way, the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Medicine’s workplace charitable giving campaign, continues to be recognized as one of the most successful and generous campaigns in the region. Our campaign theme, Giving is Penn’s Way, honors the culture of generosity and thoughtfulness that embodies Penn. We are confident that this year’s campaign will reach our goal of $1.65 million to support the communities in which we live.

The Penn’s Way Campaign runs from October 1 through November 16. Please join us in supporting our region by making your tax-deductible gift now. By making a gift to Penn’s Way using the Penn’s Way website at www.upenn.edu/pennsway to enter your pledge online, you will be supporting your chosen organizations in a secure, quick and convenient way.

The website also offers valuable information on our three partner organizations, Penn Medicine, United Way and Philadelphia Alliance for Change. All three organizations, under the Penn’s Way umbrella, utilize their expertise to confront the ever increasing challenges facing our community.

Through our Penn’s Way Campaign we can help build stronger neighborhoods, improve the quality of life, and provide options for healthier living for all people in our region.

We hope to have your continued support for the Penn’s Way Campaign this year.

—Maureen S. Rush, Vice President for Public Safety, University of Pennsylvania Penn’s Way Co-Chair

—Patricia G. Sullivan, Chief Quality Officer, University of Pennsylvania Health System Penn’s Way Co-Chair

—Steven Kimbrough, Professor, Wharton School, Chair-elect Faculty Senate University of Pennsylvania, Penn’s Way Faculty Advisor

—Peter D. Quinn, Vice Dean for Professional Services, Senior Vice President University of Pennsylvania Health System, Penn’s Way Faculty Advisor

This article is related to the Penn’s Way 2019 Raffle Prizes article.

Penn’s Way 2019 Raffle Prizes

Week One (Drawing: October 8, 2018)

Visit www.upenn.edu/pennsway for more information about the raffle and making a pledge. Entries must be received by 5 p.m. on the prior Friday for inclusion in a given week’s drawing. Note: list subject to change.

Office Depot: Supply Basket ($100)

Philip Rosenau Co., Inc.: Walmart Gift Card ($50)

Fisher Scientific: Home Depot Gift Card ($50)

Fisher Scientific: Lowe's Gift Card ($50)

Specialty Underwriters LLC: Amazon Gift Card ($100)

Philadelphia Eagles: Carson Wentz autographed 8x10 photo ($50)

This article is related to the Penn's Way: A Workplace Charitable Campaign article.

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