October 9, 2018 Volume 65 Issue 8

 The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania announced the largest single gift ever given to the School—$50 million from Marc J. Rowan (W’84, WG’85) and Carolyn Rowan. Their generous funding will enable Wharton to attract and retain world-leading faculty and support the Penn Wharton Budget Model (PWBM), the University’s groundbreaking economic policy analysis program. Mr. Rowan is chair of Wharton’s Board of Overseers, a Penn trustee and co-chair of the School’s More Than Ever fundraising campaign.

The Rowans’ gift will enhance Wharton’s ability to address the most complex global challenges and opportunities head on through groundbreaking research and exceptional teaching. With this commitment, Wharton will recruit three Rowan Distinguished Professors who are global leaders in their fields, who will inspire faculty and students alike, and who will build bridges between academia and business. The Rowans’ gift will also support the appointment of a select number of Rowan Fellows for five-year terms to recognize and support Wharton’s most distinguished faculty in their commitment to innovative research and teaching.

Mr. and Mrs. Rowan’s generosity to the Penn Wharton Budget Model, which uses big data analytics to promote evidence-based policymaking on the key economic issues facing the United States, builds upon their foundational commitment to the primacy of societal impact in the Penn Compact 2022.

“With profound gratitude to Marc and Carolyn Rowan, I anticipate the tremendous impact of their philanthropy on the University of Pennsylvania,” said Penn President Amy Gutmann. “Their investment in Penn’s future will strengthen our intellectual resources, provide our students with life-changing mentors, and mobilize our knowledge for the advancement of society.”

“I am deeply grateful for Marc and Carolyn’s extraordinary gift, which reflects their passion to bring to Wharton the most innovative researchers working on the world’s most pressing and important questions,” said Wharton Dean Geoffrey Garrett. “Their commitment is the cornerstone of a campaign that will empower Wharton, more than ever, to create leaders who will change the world.”

“Inspiring Wharton faculty who were committed to cutting edge business education were catalysts for my success,” said Mr. Rowan. “Carolyn and I are honored to join the vision of the Wharton community to bring the School’s outstanding students face to face with the most important thinkers of our time. As top Wharton researchers advance and shape their fields, they transform the lives of their students, preparing them to make a difference in the business world and beyond.”

Contributing to Wharton and Penn since 1984, Mr. and Mrs. Rowan have supported undergraduate and MBA financial aid, faculty, capital projects, the Dean’s fund, Wharton Customer Analytics, The Wharton Fund, the Institute of Contemporary Art, the football program, Penn Medicine’s Basser Center for BRCA and Penn Medicine’s Orphan Disease Center.

Mr. Rowan is a co-founder and Senior Managing Director of Apollo Global Management, LLC, a leading alternative asset manager focused on contrarian and value-oriented investments across private equity, credit-oriented capital markets, insurance and real estate. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School with a BS and an MBA in Finance.

 David E. Schulman (C’82, L’85) and Suzanne E. Turner (C’82), Penn parents, have made a gift to create the Turner Schulman Endowed Research Fund in support of the Center for the Study of Ethnicity, Race and Immigration (CSERI). CSERI is led by Michael Jones-Correa, President’s Distinguished Professor of Political Science.

CSERI, based in the School of Arts and Sciences, is a first-of-its-kind research center, focusing on the intersecting narratives of ethnicity, race and immigration in US life and supporting research at the faculty, graduate and undergraduate levels. Support for CSERI is a key priority in the School’s Power of Penn Arts & Sciences campaign.

 “I am thrilled that David and Suzie share my excitement about CSERI and Professor Jones-Correa’s leadership,” says Steven J. Fluharty, Dean and Thomas S. Gates, Jr. Professor of Psychology, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience. “The Turner Schulman Endowed Research Fund will allow students to pursue research that matters to them and to all of us invested in greater global understanding.”

“We are delighted to support student research at CSERI and to strengthen the School’s commitment to this interdisciplinary hub on campus,” said Mr.  Schulman. “This research is especially meaningful to us—I am the son of a French immigrant and Suzie has dedicated her career to advancing civil rights.”

Ms. Turner added, “For generations, Penn has been the place where our family grows our knowledge and deepens our understanding of complex ideas. We’re pleased to create research and learning opportunities for students and to help Penn grow as a leader in this vital field.”

Ms. Turner and Mr. Schulman are partners at Dechert in Washington, DC, where Ms. Turner is chair of the firm’s pro-bono practice.

Ms. Turner and Mr. Schulman previously created the Turner Schulman Scholarship for undergraduates in the College of Arts and Sciences, with a preference for students who have demonstrated a strong interest in public service, and the Turner Schulman Internship, which provides financial support for college students interning with human rights organizations.

 Daniel Mindiola, professor of chemistry, has been named Brush Family Professor of Chemistry.  An internationally recognized inorganic chemist, Dr. Mindiola was a Presidential Professor from 2013 until July 2018. His research focuses on the design and assembly of reactive metal complexes of early metals and their role in unusual transformations such as the conversion of natural gas to more value-added materials with zero emissions and under mild conditions.

Dr. Mindiola’s many professional honors include the Presidential Early Career Award and the Faculty Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation, the Teacher-Scholar Award and New Faculty Award from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, the Fresenius Award from the American Chemical Society, and the Bessel Research Award from the Humboldt Foundation. He is also the recipient of fellowships from the National Institutes of Health, the Ford Foundation, Sloan Foundation and Guggenheim Foundation, and he is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The Brush Family Professorship was established in 2008 by Karen Clark Brush (W’82) and David M. Brush (C’82). Mr. Brush is currently chief investment officer for MERLIN Properties in Spain. At Penn, he has served as a member of the Board of Trustees, on the Board of Overseers of the School of Arts and Sciences, and the Penn Alumni Board of Directors. He is currently chair of the Penn Soccer Executive Board and an Athletic Overseer, as well as a member of the UK Leadership Committee, where he formerly served as chair. The Brushes have generously supported Penn, including capital projects, athletics and undergraduate scholarships.

Lynn Hollen Lees, University Ombuds

The purpose of the Office of the Ombuds is to help members of the Penn community who are experiencing problems or conflict related to their work, academic or living experiences at the University. We offer mediation services with the aim of helping individuals resolve differences. Our door is open equally to students, staff and faculty, and we work to resolve the issues that are troubling them. The principles that guide our interactions with visitors are described on our website and can be summarized as follows:

• Confidentiality. We do not discuss visitors’ concerns or issues with others, unless given permission.
• Neutrality. We do not take sides in a dispute.
• Informality. We do not keep records of our conversations with visitors, and we do not carry out formal investigations.
• Independence. The Ombuds Office is not bound by established reporting procedures and administrative hierarchies. We have the freedom to raise issues throughout the University.

During the past academic year, 163 individuals from across the University consulted our office. This represents an increase of 5.8% in comparison with the academic year 2016-2017. Visitors to the Ombuds Office represented all parts of the University community, with the highest proportions being staff (39.9%), followed by faculty (30.0%), graduate and professional students (17.2%), and undergraduate students (9.2%). See Table 1.  Most come as individuals, although an increasing number of groups of people have visited during the past two years to talk about common problems and their proposed resolutions.

Table 1: Visitors by Affiliation 2017-2018

The issues brought to us are highly varied, although many concerns recur every year. Faculty raise questions about contract renewals, promotions and denials of tenure, largely challenging the fairness of procedures. Staff generally are concerned about a lack of clarity in job expectations and duties which leads to questions about their performance reviews. Graduate students sometimes have problems with leaves of absence or with advisors. While we do not report the substance of individual cases, we classify complaints in broad groups, using the same system every year for comparability. Most issues brought to us concern matters relating to employment (42%) or academic issues (21%). See Table 2. Table 3 gives more detailed information on the issues raised, listing categories, their definitions and the numbers of complaints.

Table 2: Visitors by Issues Raised 2017-2018

During the past two years, visitors have raised more complex issues, and we welcome the opportunity to assist individuals and groups in their efforts to clarify problems. We are glad for the growing awareness of services offered by the Ombuds Office. Several departments have raised concerns with us about disputes and issues relating to working relationships between colleagues within the department. We have offered to mediate or to facilitate conversations among the individuals concerned or within an entire unit. These group conversations have proven to be a valuable way to explore responses to common challenges.

For the past several years, the most common complaint brought to us arises from resentments over what is seen as bullying and unfair treatment. Visitors describe intimidation, abusive language and disrespectful behavior, as well as the unwillingness of others to engage in dialogue about an issue. Visitors report their perceptions of biases and micro-aggressions. While some visitors question the substance of a decision or policy, most often they complain about the manner in which it was communicated or applied. The fear of retaliation hinders many from raising these concerns directly with a supervisor or with colleagues. There is a need for greater civility within offices, labs and other units, as well as greater clarity about rules and procedures. Higher standards for respectful behavior and courteous communication should be set for the well-being of our community. There is now a website where individuals can report incidents of bias and harassment. Additionally, the Office of Audit, Compliance and Privacy maintains both a website and the 215-P-Comply hotline for the registering of concerns. During the past two years, after the University designation of the Ombuds Office as a confidential resource in matters involving sexual harassment and sexual violence, we have seen a clear increase in the number of cases relating to these issues. More and more individuals have come to the Ombuds Office to explore their options and seek information about the consequences of particular choices before they decide what to do. As federal, state and local guidance shifts, understanding current policies and laws becomes ever more important. Since we are a confidential resource, visitors can discuss their concerns without worrying that they will be discussed with others without their permission.

Graduate and professional students have raised multiple problems linked to their academic programs and relationships with faculty and departmental administrators. We have been able to help them prioritize their issues and to facilitate intradepartmental conversations on substantive questions. In many cases, resolution of disputes has been made more difficult because of the lack of comprehensive, written procedures. Even if such documents have been created, they can be out-of-date and not publicized adequately. We welcome the initiative of the Vice Provost for Education whose Office has just published Advising & Mentoring PhD Students, which lays out the roles and responsibilities of faculty and graduate students. While departments and schools should still have specific written policies covering graduate and professional education, this guidance provides general standards and expectations for reference throughout the University. We encourage everyone involved in graduate and professional education, especially all graduate and professional students and members of the faculty to read and circulate it within their units.

The University of Pennsylvania has a stated policy of providing access and equal educational opportunities to all students, including students with disabilities. For a reasonable accommodation to be provided, however, students must identify themselves to the Office of Student Disability Services and provide appropriate documentation. Too often, we see students who have not requested an accommodation in a timely fashion and who only come forward after experiencing an academic setback. We also have heard expressions of concern about a perceived lack of transparency and the length of time the process of reviewing and deciding upon accommodation requests can take. The Office of the Vice Provost for University Life is aware of these issues, and we look forward to continuing conversations about this concern as part of Penn’s commitment to health and wellness across the campus.   

We are sometimes asked about what services the Ombuds Office offers, so starting in November 2017, we refined the categories for tracking the types of assistance that we provide. We start by listening respectfully to visitors concerns and by allowing them to articulate frustrations and fears. As Table 4 shows, we regularly help individuals explore their options, identify their priorities and understand the different channels that exist to help them resolve their complaints. We locate and explain relevant Penn policies and procedures. After a visit, we often make additional inquiries to collect information and then relay that information back to our visitors. Frequently, we coach individuals on how to handle difficult conversations. While we do not serve as advocates, we help individuals as they seek to resolve problems. Marcia Martínez-Helfman, the associate ombuds, is a trained mediator, and we offer both shuttle diplomacy and informal mediation among the involved parties. The Ombuds Office often serves as the beginning point of an inquiry, and we regularly refer visitors to other offices and resources, both at Penn and off-campus. Contacting the ombuds is often the first step in a process that becomes more focused as an individual chooses which path to pursue.

The Ombuds Office advocates for fairness and consistency across the University. The Ombuds Office keeps neither the names of visitors nor written records. Those who wish to speak with us may do so without providing names or other identifying information if they so choose. When we see a pattern of problematic actions, we raise it with University administrators. Although we do not have the authority to set Penn policies or to change specific decisions, we have the duty to bring concerns to the attention of the appropriate authority, and we regularly do so.

The Ombuds Office is located in 113 Duhring Wing adjoining the Fisher Fine Arts Library in the center of campus. We can be reached by phone at (215) 898-8261 or at www.upenn.edu/ombuds between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and by appointment. Please contact the Office or consult our website for more information. We respond to inquiries quickly, and we urge anyone experiencing difficulties with any aspect of their life in the Penn community to schedule an appointment with us.

 The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing’s Pamela Cacchione, the Ralston House Endowed Term Chair in Gerontological Nursing and a Nurse Scientist at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, has been appointed a 2018-2019 Penn Nursing Innovation Fellow. As an innovation fellow in the Penn Medicine Center for Health Care Innovation (CHCI), Dr. Cacchione will engage in multidisciplinary collaborations using innovation and design thinking to enhance health care delivery and outcomes.

Dr. Cacchione has collaborated with investigators from the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Perelman School of Medicine on a National Science Foundation-funded grant to develop affordable mobile robots to help with elderly care. She and a team of engineering design students developed a prototype of heart failure monitoring Smart Socks.

The fellowship represents an important collaboration between the Penn School of Nursing, CHCI, and the department of nursing from the University of Pennsylvania Health System. It was formally launched in January 2017 to foster multidisciplinary collaboration by enabling fellows to work directly with designers, developers and innovation specialists from the CHCI over the course of a semester. The Penn Nursing Innovation Fellows learn disciplined techniques for testing potentially value-producing ideas faster, less expensively and more reliably. These skills will enable them to drive change in health care within Penn Medicine and at the local, state and national levels.

A new research award has been established by the International Academy of Periodontology (IAP) and offered through the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) Periodontal Research Group (PRG). It recognizes the contributions to the field of clinical periodontal research of Ricardo Teles, former professor and former chair of Penn Dental Medicine’s department of periodontics who died in December 2017 (Almanac December 19, 2017).

The new IADR/IAP Ricardo Teles Clinical Research Award in Periodontology will be given annually to recognize a clinical research paper accepted for publication or published during the preceding year. One paper reporting the results of a clinical study will be selected in the categories of onset, progression or treatment of periodontal diseases.

The main judging criteria will be relevance/importance of the clinical research for improving knowledge about periodontal disease etiology, pathogenesis and treatment. The award will be presented during the annual business meeting of the PRG at the IADR General Session & Exhibition.

“It’s a beautiful tribute that will help perpetuate his legacy and continue to inspire clinical scientists in the field for years to come,” said Dr. Flavia Teles, associate professor, department of microbiology at Penn Dental Medicine and Dr. Teles’ wife. “I am thankful to the PRG and IAP, and to our long-time friend and collaborator Dr. Magda Feres, IAP and PRG president, who spearheaded the initiative.”

The first awards will be presented in 2019 with an application deadline of March 31, 2019. Complete submission criteria and guidelines can be found at www.iadr.org/IADR/Awards/Scientific-Group-Awards/PERIO/RT

 Harry Joseph James Cusick, a nationally recognized critical incident and disaster management executive and former director of Penn’s Fire and Occupational Safety Department (now Fire and Emergency Services), died September 17. He was 73.

Mr. Cusick came to Penn after an extensive career that included command positions in the Philadelphia Fire Department, where he started the Hazardous Materials Administrative Unit; national responsibilities with the environmental firm Roy Weston Company; directing a graduate program at St. Joseph’s University; and extensive consulting experience. Mr. Cusick had a national reputation in the field of critical incident and disaster management and was a leader in the area of fire and emergency medical services.

At Penn, where he worked from 1998 to 2001, Mr. Cusick oversaw the integration of the Fire and Occupational Safety Department into the Division of Public Safety and started the development of the University’s critical incident and disaster management plans, helping to meet the challenges of the new millennium. After leaving Penn, he went on to teach crisis management and incident command for the US Department of Defense at locations around the world.

Mr. Cusick is survived by his wife, Cecelia; children, Cecelia and Harry J. (Theresa); grandchildren, Rachael, Claire and Dominic James; sisters, Rita Schmidlin and Anne (John Coyle); brother, John (Joan); and eight Godchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

James Edward Haar, former music professor in the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, died on September 15 after a long battle with dementia. He was 89.

Dr. Haar was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He received his MA from The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and both his BA and PhD from Harvard University.

Dr. Haar was a member of Penn’s music faculty 1967-1969 as an associate professor. He also held faculty positions at Harvard, NYU, and The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where he held the Keenan Chair for the Humanities in the music department. Mr. Haar relocated to St. Louis in 2012.

Dr. Haar was a co-founder of the Journal of the American Musicology Association, the author of four books on High-Renaissance music, art and poetry, and 16th-century madrigals, as well as author/editor of numerous scholarly articles and reviews. In 1987 he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

He is survived by his sister, Nancy Haar McKee (Paul); nephews, Christopher L. McKee and Jonathan D. McKee (Linda); and great-nieces and great-nephews, Allison Carlisle (Robert), and Erin, Brendan and Gregory McKee.

Doctoral candidate in Penn’s Annenberg School for Communication Elisabetta Ferrari has received a grant from Villanova University’s Waterhouse Family Institute for the Study of Communication and Society (WFI) to study how contemporary social movements construct discourses about technology and social change. WFI explores the ethical dimensions of communication and its role in creating social change through cutting-edge research and student programs as well as the hands-on involvement of communication scholars and professionals from around the globe.

Ms. Ferrari’s dissertation project, “The Technological Imaginaries of Social Movements: The Discursive Dimension of Communication Technology and the Fight for Social Change,” examines digital media activism with a focus on how activists construct shared visions of the role that communication technologies can play in their struggle for social change and how these visions have an impact on their political practices. Through this project, Ms. Ferrari’s goal is to develop an empirically grounded, theoretical framework to account for the multifaceted relationship between communication technologies and activism in different countries.

 David Hollenberg (MArch’75), adjunct professor in the University of Pennsylvania School of Design and former University architect, has received the 2018 John Frederick Harbeson Award from the American Institute of Architects Philadelphia Chapter.

The John Frederick Harbeson Award is presented annually to a long-standing member of the local architectural community and is intended to recognize their significant contributions over their lifetime to the architectural profession and its related disciplines. The recipient of this award will have distinguished themselves throughout their career by their contributions to the architectural profession, the American Institute of Architects, the education of the architectural community, and their contributions to the Philadelphia community at large.

The AIA cited Mr. Hollenberg’s role as University architect and long teaching career at Penn—he taught for 24 years in PennDesign’s graduate program in historic preservation—as well his time spent at John Milner Associates (JMA), an architecture and historic preservation firm, where he led a wide variety of projects including major architectural landmarks in Philadelphia such as the Fairmount Water Works, Alden Park Apartments, Reading Terminal Headhouse, Lit Brothers Department Store, and the John Wanamaker Building. Notably, he also served as the associate regional director for design, construction and facility management for the National Park Service from  1992 to 2006. There, he was responsible for major programs and services affecting National Park Service structures in the 13-state Northeast Region.

He also served on the Philadelphia Historical Commission; as the chairman of the board of the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site; on the Board of Christ Church Preservation Trust; and as a commissioner on the Flight 93 Memorial Federal Advisory Commission. He is currently serving as a member of Mayor Jim Kenney’s Philadelphia Historic Preservation Task Force.

Susan K. Weiler, lecturer in PennDesign’s department of landscape architecture and partner at OLIN, has received the Philadelphia chapter’s 2018 Paul Philippe Cret Award. This award recognizes individuals or organizations who are not architects but who have made an outstanding and lasting contribution to the design of buildings, structures, landscapes and the public realm of Greater Philadelphia. Ms. Weiler has risen to prominence in the field of landscape architecture as a designer, speaker, teacher and writer. She is the lead author of Green Roof Systems: A Guide for the Planning, Design and Construction of Landscapes over Structure, a primary resource on the topic of green roof design for landscape architects, architects, engineers and sustainably conscious municipal leaders. She has applied her expertise in interfacing with complex engineering systems and construction technologies over more than 30 years to projects like the US Embassy in Berlin; Mission Bay Master Planning and development in San Francisco; and the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City.

In Philadelphia, her work includes Penn’s Campus Master Plan (2000) and the 125 Years Walkway commemorating women at Penn; cultural institutions such as the Rodin Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Anne d’Harnoncourt Sculpture Garden; and civic landscapes including Logan Circle and Dilworth Park, a multi-functional gathering place and transit center at Philadelphia’s historic City Hall.

 Penn Medicine’s L. Scott Levin, the Paul B. Magnuson Professor of Bone and Joint Surgery, chair of the department of orthopedic surgery, and a professor of plastic surgery, has been elected President of the American Society for the Surgery of the Hand (ASSH). Dr. Levin was introduced as president on September 15, during the organization’s 73rd annual meeting in Boston. He will serve in this role through 2019.

Dr. Levin is the pioneer of orthoplastic surgery—which simultaneously applies principles of orthopaedic surgery and reconstructive plastic surgery to limb-threatening problems resulting in limb salvage. Dr. Levin led the team from Penn Medicine that performed the Philadelphia region’s first adult bilateral hand transplant (Almanac November 8, 2011) and the country’s first bilateral hand transplant on an international patient (2017), as well as the Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) teams that performed the world’s first pediatric bilateral hand transplant (Almanac December 15, 2015).

“I am truly honored to assume this role and am humbled to have been selected to lead such an esteemed group of clinicians,” said Dr. Levin, who is also director of Penn Medicine’s Hand Transplant Program and director of the CHOP Pediatric Hand Transplant Program. “It is my hope that I can continue to work collaboratively with surgeons in the United States and around the world to advance the missions of clinical care, research and education.”

The ASSH was formed shortly after World War II by like-minded doctors to share and discuss what they had learned about treating hand issues in wounded service members. What began as a meeting between 35 military hand surgeons in 1946 has grown to include more than 3,800 orthopedic, plastic surgeons and general surgeons from around the world.

Janine Remillard, professor in the teaching, learning and leadership division of Penn’s Graduate School of Education, and Caroline Brayer Ebby, adjunct associate professor also in GSE’s teaching, learning and leadership division and senior researcher at the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE), have received a $50,000 grant from the Spencer Foundation for the project “Transitions to the First Year of Teaching in Urban Schools: Learning to Enact Dialogic Instruction in Mathematics.”

Dr. Remillard is an expert in teacher education and professional development, with a focus on how math is taught and how math curriculum is used. She helped create the Community Based Math Project, which creates and shares locally relevant and social justice oriented lesson ideas for mathematics that teachers can modify to fit the needs of their classrooms. Dr. Remillard also specializes in preparing teachers to work in urban schools and working with school leaders to support them.

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. Dr. Ebby, an adjunct associate professor at Penn GSE and a senior researcher at the Consortium for Policy Research in Education, 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.

Trolley Portal Gardens is now open. The space is the culmination of years of fundraising, planning and construction to transform the 40th Street Trolley Portal into a welcoming, inclusive neighborhood amenity. The space is also home to the brand new Trolley Car Station restaurant, which is officially open to the public. Hundreds of friends and neighbors attended the September 27 ribbon cutting where key partners, stakeholders and officials described the teamwork and partnerships required to transform the once barren space into a verdant new public space. Featured speakers included Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney; Representative Jim Roebuck; Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell; Deputy Secretary Lauren Imgrund, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; SEPTA General Manager Jeffrey Knueppel; Trolley Car Station Owner Ken Weinstein; University of Pennsylvania’s Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli; Executive Director of the William Penn Foundation Shawn McCaney; and President and CEO of PIDC John Grady.

Through a unique public-private partnership with SEPTA, the City of Philadelphia and neighborhood stakeholders, University City District raised $2.1 million to transform the 40th Street Trolley Portal, the busiest at-grade rail station in the city. The two-story restaurant was privately financed. By combining great urban design, infrastructure renewal and community engagement, UCD transformed the space from an unsightly expanse of concrete into a vibrant and social space featuring beautiful landscaping, movable and colorful seating and a new restaurant that serves as a community asset for thousands of neighbors, commuters and local employees. They developed the plans for Trolley Portal Gardens with significant input from local community groups and neighbors, including a Trolley Portal Advisory Committee comprised of professionals from the architecture, engineering, and construction sectors, and from neighbors from the immediate vicinity.

Trolley Portal Gardens serves as a beautiful gateway for West Philadelphia trolley passengers and a welcoming public space for neighbors. The new establishment, Trolley Car Station, will be an eastern anchor on the fast-growing Baltimore Avenue business corridor, where tens of thousands of neighbors, commuters, university students and employees from the nearby VA Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia converge.

The site design emphasizes safety and comfort for the estimated 5,000 riders who board or exit trolleys at the Portal each day. The project improves pedestrian circulation while using cutting-edge storm water management techniques that replace impervious surfaces with lush wildflower meadow-like mounds planted with native species. The overall aesthetic improvements enhances the commutes of nearly 60,000 riders who pass through the Portal each day. Green City Works, UCD’s full-service landscaping social venture, maintains the space, ensuring that the neighborhood’s beautification is tied to growth and opportunity for local residents.   

This beautification project gives the neighborhood a new beginning. As UCD Chair Matt Bergheiser said, this is “a dream that became a reality” although it was many years in the making. There had been a ceremonial groundbreaking in December 2016 (Almanac December 13, 2016) and after securing financing, building permits and completing construction plans, construction work began on site in the summer of last year. The station remained open for the duration of the nearly year-long construction project. The trolley station has been there since the 1950s.

The 40,000 square-foot project, which totaled around $4.5 million including the restaurant, has been in the works for years. Money for the space came from philanthropic funding and local and state grants. It began when West Philly and University City residents came to UCD about beautifying the space, which longtime Philadelphians will remember as a typical transit portal, full of concrete slabs, wires and rails.

Photos by Chris Richman, courtesy of University City District

These programs are presented by the Graduate Student and Postdoc Advising Team at Career Services ane are co-sponsored by the Vice Provost for Education:

• Faculty Panel: Interviewing for Faculty Jobs–Humanities/Social Sciences; October 15; 4-5:30 p.m., Ben Franklin rm. 218, Houston Hall.
• Faculty Panel: Interviewing for Faculty Jobs–STEM; October 17; 4-5:30 p.m., Golkin rm. 223, Houston Hall.
• Faculty Panel: Out in the Academy; *organized in collaboration with the LGBT Center; October 19; noon-1:30 p.m., LGBT Center.
• Workshop: Preparing for Academic Screening, Conference, and On-Campus Interviews; November 29; noon, rm. 007, Graduate Education Building.

The question “Why Has Modern America Become So Polarized?” will be addressed by Mugambi Jouet, who recently joined McGill University as a Boulton Fellow after teaching at Stanford Law School. He will present the Levin Family Dean’s Forum on Monday, October 15; it was rescheduled due to the blizzard in March. The Dean’s Forum will take place at 4:30 p.m. (doors open at 4 p.m.) in the World Forum at Perry World House. This is free and open to the public. To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/y8pt79ev

Mr. Jouet’s 2017 book, Exceptional America: What Divides Americans From the World and From Each Other?, connects social changes and increasing polarization to American exceptionalism—the idea that American society is an exception compared to other nations due to its history, politics, law, religious beliefs, economic attitudes and race relations. While exceptionalism was once a source of strength, it may also be an Achilles heel. Modern-day Americans are more likely than other Westerners to clash over a host of fundamental issues, from mass incarceration to universal health care, reproductive rights, climate change and beyond.

He has written for Slate, Salon, The New Republic, The Hill and Le Monde and has been interviewed for NPR. He served as a public defender in Manhattan and a judicial clerk at the United Nations war crimes tribunal for Yugoslavia. An expert on American government, politics and culture, his research dissects the comparative historical evolution of American democracy, in all of its peculiar and striking manifestations.

The Levin Family Dean’s Forum is a celebration of the arts and sciences. Initiated in 1984, the Forum presents leading intellectual figures who exemplify the richness of the liberal arts. The Forum is made possible by a generous gift from Stephen A. Levin (C’67) in honor of his sons, Eric T. Levin (C’92), and Andrew Levin (C’14).

Fitness and Learning

13  Dogs and Barks Tour; 11 a.m.; Morris Arboretum; info: www.morrisarboretum.org Also October 27.

Talks

10  HIV/AIDS 2018—Virology and Immunology: Toward Durable Success; 25th Annual Herman and Gertrude Silver Lecture; Steven Douglas, pediatrics; 8 a.m; Joseph Stokes, Jr. Auditorium, CHOP (CHOP).

Rescheduled

      The Perry World House event Beyond the Walls: The University of the Future will take place October 12; 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.

The Penn Sustainability Office invites the Penn community to come together for its annual ReThink Your Footprint campaign to promote waste minimization efforts. ReThink Your Footprint raises awareness of already-established waste minimization programs and initiatives in this area, inspires students, staff and faculty to create new activities related to source reduction and recycling and encourages everyone to rethink their footprint.

This year’s campaign will take place October 15-19. Those interested in hosting their own ReThink event can apply for a ReThink grant ($200 for schools, centers and offices).
• Monday, October 15

11 a.m.-2 p.m., Recycling Hub: Drop off disposable grocery bags at the plastic bag take-back, grab a free recycling bin to use in your dorm, apartment or office and learn more about which materials can be recycled and composted at Penn; College Green.

• Tuesday, October 16

10 a.m.-1 p.m., SAS Zero Waste Day: Leave your waste behind and gain new knowledge on how to contribute to Philly’s zero waste goal. There will be collection drives for e-waste, eyeglasses, shoes, and towels and linens; PCPSE.

10:30 a.m., Nic Esposito from the City’s Zero Waste and Litter Cabinet will present on Philadelphia’s plan to be 90% zero-waste and litter free by 2035; PCPSE.

noon-1 p.m., ReThink Your Ecological Footprint: Meet at the Penn Garden behind Harrison College House to learn about efforts to grow a food forest on campus. Then walk to Kaskey Park to learn about the oldest green space on campus; Penn Garden and Biopond.

• Wednesday, October 17

11 a.m.-2 p.m., School of Nursing Recycling Fair: Stop by to recycle your e-waste, and donate your old nursing textbooks, used scrubs and towels and linens for the Morris Animal Refuge; Fagin Hall Lobby.

11 a.m.-4 p.m., Clothing Swap at Penn Closet: Reduce landfill waste and encourage upcycling by taking part in a clothing swap at Penn Closet, a student-run thrift store. Clean out your closet and upgrade your wardrobe for free! If you are planning to take items, please bring at least one item to swap. Leftover items will be donated to Penn Closet; Williams Hall.

noon-1 p.m., Wharton Green Tracker Event: During the 2018 spring term, the Wharton Student Sustainability Advisory Board managed a pilot to engage Wharton students in sustainability initiatives on campus as well as encourage them to make greener lifestyle choices that collectively add up to a greater, positive impact. A recipient of a Penn Green Fund grant, the team worked with Philadelphia-based MilkCrate to create the Wharton Green Tracker app and engage students in activities, events and opportunities relative to Wharton’s sustainability initiatives. Join them as they review the potential benefits a digital tool such as this can provide organizations; rm. F70, Huntsman Hall.

noon-3 p.m., Perelman School of Medicine E-Waste Collection: Stop by to recycle “anything with a plug,” including keyboards, mice and charging cords, as well as phones, cameras and computer parts; Biomedical Research Building Lobby.

• Thursday, October 18

10 a.m.-2 p.m., SEAS Back to Basics Fair: featuring water tasting, e-waste sculpture, book and office supply swap, green office info table, waste/recycling contamination table; Levine Hall.

• Friday, October 19

10 a.m.-2 p.m., Dental E-Waste Collection: Recycle “anything with a plug,” including keyboards, mice, and charging cords, as well as phones, cameras and computer parts; Schattner Building Lobby.

2-5 p.m, GreenFest: Join Penn Environmental Group and dozens of sustainable campus and city organizations for an afternoon of free music, games, and food. Come for fun activities and the opportunity to learn more about sustainability in Philadelphia; College Green.

On Sunday, October 21, from noon to 4 p.m., celebrate farming life, past and present, at Morris Arboretum’s Bloomfield Farm Day. Learn about Bloomfield Farm’s rich agricultural history and leisurely browse original art and craft works created by Morris Arboretum’s talented staff and members. At this multi-generational event, there will be demonstrations, music, food, animals and the final opportunity of the year to tour the restored Springfield Mills.

Traditional chicken keeping is new again, and visitors may learn the how-to’s with Philadelphia Backyard Chickens and a few live hens. Kids and adults alike will learn more about farm animals by interacting with Saul High School’s 4-H petting zoo.

The Insider Art Show & Sale will feature more than 20 artisans specializing in glass blowing, to woodworking, to photography. Stock up your gift closet, start your holiday shopping or treat yourself to one, or two, of the many hand-crafted pieces on display.

Enjoy a seasonal beer and/or wine to compliment the popular Farm Day lunch of cowboy chili and corn bread.

For more information, visit www.morrisarboretum.org

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 24-30, 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 24-30, 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.

09/25/18          8:55 AM           3200 Chestnut St        Secured bike taken.

09/25/18          11:49 AM         4000 Spruce St           Male wanted on probation/Arrest

09/25/18          11:57 AM         3451 Walnut St            Bike frame and rear tire taken.

09/25/18          1:40 PM           202 S 36th St               2 Ink cartridges taken from printers.

09/25/18          2:40 PM           209 S 33rd St              Laptop and purse taken from room.

09/25/18          3:49 PM           220 S 33rd St              Laptop and backpack taken.

09/25/18          5:27 PM           3400 Spruce St           Known offender did take complainant’s wallet.

09/26/18          3:57 PM           3730 Walnut St            Unsecured clothes taken.

09/26/18          5:06 PM           3820 Locust Walk       Secured bike taken from bike rack.

09/26/18          5:34 PM           3401 Walnut St            Wallet taken from bag.

09/26/18          10:06 PM         300 S 34th St              Unsecured front tire taken.

09/27/18          4:01 AM           3925 Walnut St           Unsecured bike taken

09/27/18          4:43 PM           3631 Walnut St           iPhone stolen

09/27/18          7:31 PM           200 S 40th St              Punched in head by male.

09/27/18          8:16 PM           3717 Chestnut St        Credit cards used fraudulently

09/28/18          8:09 PM           51 N 39th St                Phone taken from lounge.

09/30/18          2:35 PM           4215 Baltimore Ave     Bike taken from residence.

09/30/18          2:58 PM           3411 Chestnut St        Unauthorized transactions on card.

09/30/18          4:49 PM           3901 Locust Walk        Bike taken by unknown males.

18th District

Below are the Crimes Against Persons from the 18th District: 10 incidents (5 robberies, 2 aggravated assaults, 2 assaults, 1 rape) with 1 arrest were reported between September 24-30, 2018 by the 18th District covering the Schuylkill River to 49th Street & Market Street to Woodland Avenue.

9/24/2018       10:51 AM        4314 Locust St                Robbery/Arrest

9/24/2018       1:24 PM           3949 Ludlow St              Robbery

9/24/2018       4:53 PM           3401 Civic Center Blvd   Aggravated Assault

9/25/2018       4:19 PM           4500 Chestnut St            Rape

9/25/2018       9:23 PM           4600 Pine St                    Robbery

9/26/2018       9:25 PM           1 S 46th St                       Robbery

9/27/2018       8:10 PM           240 S 40th St                   Assault

9/29/2018       1:30 PM           3924 Market St                Assault

9/30/2018       3:10 PM           217 S 45th St                   Robbery

9/30/2018       11:27 PM         213 S 47th St                   Aggravated Assault

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

As of November 14, 2017, all Penn staff members have been required to use Two-Step Verification as part of the PennKey login process. The target date for complete faculty enrollment in Two-Step is October 31, 2018. For undergraduate and graduate students, the targeted enrollment completion date is February 14, 2019.

The University requires the use of an added second security layer after entering a strong password to protect your confidential information and Penn’s sensitive data from compromise.

Hackers try to use various social engineering techniques (akin to phishing emails or phone scams to collect usernames and passwords) to collect Penn identity access credentials and gain access to valuable, sensitive data. Such sensitive data may include, but is not limited to, your confidential information, health information, payroll, student records, financial information and research data. Two-Step Verification provides an important added measure of security against these types of attacks.

Using Two-Step Verification when accessing PennKey-protected information involves two quick and simple steps:

Step 1: Enter your PennKey and a strong password.

Step 2: Verify your information using one of the following methods:

• One-touch approval using the Duo Mobile application installed on your mobile phone
• Using a code generated by the Duo Mobile app
• Receiving a phone call or SMS text message to confirm your identity
• Using a registered keyfob device that generates codes

Your School or Center’s IT department can answer any questions you have about Two-Step Verification.

Related information:

• Learn more about Two-Step Verification by visiting https://www.isc.upenn.edu/two-step-verification
• Enroll in Two-Step Verification at https://twostep.apps.upenn.edu
• Learn about constructing a strong PennKey password at http://www.upenn.edu/computing/pennkey/password.html
• Read more about Two-Step Verification at https://almanac.upenn.edu/volume-64-number-15#one-step-ahead-two-step-verification-made-easy​

For additional tips, see the One Step Ahead link on the Information Security website: www.upenn.edu/computing/security/

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 is subject to change.

Philip Rosenau Co., Inc.: Walmart gift card ($50)

Fisher Scientific: dinner & a movie ($50)

Fisher Scientific: Kohl’s gift card ($50)

Philadelphia Catering: sweets tray ($65)

Philadelphia Eagles: Rodney McLeod autographed Super Bowl LII football ($80)

Airgas Healthcare: Body Shop gift set ($26) and Fisher Scientific: restaurant gift card ($50)

Be in the Know Biometric Screenings will take place October 9-November 30.

Please note that there have been a few updates to the schedule.

The following screenings have been cancelled:

October 23, FMC Tower

October 30, Wharton, Vance Hall

November 15, Wharton, Vance Hall

The following screening has been added to the schedule:

November 14, Wharton, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Vance Hall, Hoover Lounge.

Check out the updated schedule to find a location: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/wellness-worklife/be-in-the-know

For information about the Be in the Know campaign visit www.hr.upenn.edu/beintheknow