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$1.3 Million from Philadelphia 76ers to Penn Medicine for Critical Support of Health-Care Workers Fighting COVID-19

caption: Joel EmbiidPhiladelphia 76ers All-Star Joel Embiid, 76ers Managing Partner Josh Harris, and Co-Managing Partner David Blitzer Join Forces to Provide $1.3 Million to Penn Medicine for Critical Support of Health Care Workers Fighting COVID-19

As part of a pledge to coronavirus medical relief efforts, NBA All-Star Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, along with the team’s managing partner, Josh Harris, and co-managing partner, David Blitzer, today announced a combined contribution of $1.3 million to Penn Medicine, establishing a funding campaign for COVID-19 antibody testing of front line health care workers.

“During this pandemic, many doctors and nurses are working like soldiers on the front lines of a war and they need to be provided with as much armor as possible in this battle,” Embiid said. “COVID-19 antibody testing can help Philadelphia health care workers at this critical time, and we need to do everything possible to help those heroes who are putting their lives at risk to help us.”

“The only way for us to get through this terrible global crisis is to ensure a safe work environment for health care professionals and ultimately find a treatment for COVID-19,” said Mr. Harris, a graduate of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. “We are very proud to partner with the incredible team at Penn Medicine, who are tirelessly working towards this by identifying immunity in our brave doctors and nurses. Joel has been a leader in highlighting the urgent need for this kind of testing—David and I thank him for his leadership in this area and are excited to join forces with him. Our medical workers are on the frontlines of this crisis, have been hit hardest by it and need all the help and support we can give them. We have rough days ahead, but with collective action like this, together we will make it through.”

“Penn Medicine’s commitment to protect public health during this COVID-19 crisis is nothing short of heroic,” said Mr. Blitzer, who is also a graduate of Wharton. “We proudly support Penn’s courageous and talented staff who have put their community first and are making the biggest sacrifices among us. Joel’s recognition of this crucial effort is consistent with his tremendous character, and together, we will help fight this dangerous virus.”

The pledge from Embiid, Harris and Blitzer will provide a much-needed boost for efforts to quickly identify health care workers who may have immunity to the new virus.

“We are enormously grateful to Joel Embiid, Josh Harris, and David Blitzer for stepping up in a time of great need with forward-thinking philanthropy—helping us to understand COVID-19 through the lens of precision medicine,” said University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann. “We will take this new and powerful knowledge about how our bodies react to the virus and use it to protect our healthcare heroes, sharing these lessons with the City of Philadelphia and across the world.”

The gifts will support new experimental serology tests that detect antibodies to determine if a person has ever been infected with the virus—identifying staff and providers that might have immunity. The team research effort is being led by Scott Hensley, PhD, an associate professor of Microbiology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

“Antibody testing allows us to determine if our health care workers have been exposed to the virus and who might be immune, allowing us to prioritize care to reduce risk to them and to patients. It will also be critical in another Penn-designed clinical trial that is being conducted to see if the plasma collected from individuals who have recovered from an infection can be successfully used to treat sick patients,” said J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine. “This antibody testing will be a critical component of several other Penn projects designed to combat and prevent this disease, all of which have come to the forefront of our institution’s priorities.”

The generous support of Mr. Embiid, Mr. Harris and Mr. Blitzer will enable Penn Medicine researchers to immediately scale testing to 1,000 health care workers in the region. With additional support as the funding campaign continues, the research team hopes to increase testing to include more health care workers, and others, such as police officers and EMS workers, on the front lines of the pandemic.

“Learning more about how to determine who is immune to COVID-19 is important for our efforts to better equip hospitals with the knowledge needed to safely deploy their staff to care for patients as the epidemic continues,” Hensley said.

Serology tests require deep expertise in immunology. Penn has the largest single-institution immunology community in the nation, numbering more than 200 experts who have harnessed the immune system to develop groundbreaking approaches to fight HIV and other infectious diseases, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and heart disease. Their work has included the first FDA approvals for CAR T cell therapies for pediatric and adult blood cancers, and vaccine research that’s paving the road to functional cures for HIV.

Join Penn Medicine’s fight against COVID-19 by donating here: https://giving.apps.upenn.edu/fund?program=MED&fund=604702

$1 Million from Philadelphia Eagles Owner Jeffrey Lurie to Penn Medicine Research to Fight COVID-19

caption: Jeffrey LuriePhiladelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie recently announced a $1 million contribution to Penn Medicine to establish the COVID-19 Immunology Defense Fund, laying the foundation for the world’s foremost experts to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The funds will support both an emerging research program to test frontline health-care workers for potential immunity to COVID-19, as well as provide flexibility for Penn Medicine’s researchers—who have overseen the world’s most seminal advances harnessing the power of the immune system to fight disease—to develop real-time research protocols to battle the disease.

The contribution provided by Mr. Lurie offers the opportunity for Penn’s leaders to address critically emerging needs as the pandemic evolves. Top priorities range from developing rapid diagnostic testing, to finding drugs that work against the virus, to developing potential vaccines. Serology tests will be deployed across multiple research studies, including for health-care workers and recovered COVID-19 patients, helping scientists to determine if a person has antibodies against the virus, which could help to enhance hospitals’ knowledge about which staff may be immune to the disease. These critical projects will enhance understanding of how to protect frontline health-care workers and drive knowledge to advance options for treatments and vaccines in the crucial months ahead.

“We are in the midst of a humanitarian crisis that is affecting all of us in so many ways,” said Mr. Lurie. “Every passing day brings new stories of heartbreaking tragedy, inspirational courage and hopeful innovation. We can and will get through this, but only if we work together, care for each other, and focus our attention and resources towards sustainable strategies. There are so many individuals and organizations who are making daily sacrifices, and we are incredibly thankful for their dedication and bravery. We must continue to support these efforts in every way that we can, while also seeking a solution that will help us move forward.

“We have reached a critical point in our fight against COVID-19 in which testing for antibodies is absolutely essential both to protect our frontline workers in the short term and to develop treatments and vaccines that will save lives and help defeat the virus,” continued Mr. Lurie. “With that in mind, I am proud to offer my support to Penn Medicine’s research efforts by establishing the COVID-19 Immunology Defense Fund. This fund will aid Penn’s multi-disciplinary approach in immunology, merging research in diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccine development. Researchers from those three areas will work hand-in-hand and rely upon one another to create an immediate and lasting impact both locally and worldwide.”

Armed with the largest single-institution immunology community in the country, Penn has notched a string of US Food and Drug Administration approvals for immune-based therapies in the past three years. Penn’s best-in-class infrastructure—from well-established bench-to-bedside pipelines, to high-level biosafety facilities, to test treatments with live virus—has led its immunologists to international renown for the discovery, development and deployment of critical treatments in cancer, heart disease infectious and autoimmune diseases.

“In a time of national crisis, this is the kind of extraordinary partnership that can open doors and discover new pathways to address the profound challenges before us,” said University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann. “I am personally grateful to an exceptional civic leader and a great friend, Jeffrey Lurie, for giving us the tools to fight back against this pandemic in a way that may not only benefit our city and country but also the world.

“This gift will help support the more than 200 experts at Penn who have harnessed the immune system to develop groundbreaking approaches to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases, HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases to focus their collective expertise to fight COVID-19,” said J. Larry Jameson, executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and dean of the Perelman School of Medicine. “We have decades of experience in understanding the immune system’s response to disease, and even how to enlist the immune system to actively fight disease in patients’ own bodies. This generous support will allow our team to rapidly expand its efforts to learn more about how to treat and prevent COVID-19.”

As the Philadelphia community faces the uncertain times to come, Mr. Lurie’s gift empowers and inspires scientists to continue developing ways to help the Philadelphia community and people around the globe.

“When we band together, our defense gets stronger,” Mr. Lurie said. “I ask that you join me in supporting the COVID-19 Immunology Defense Fund and help the dedicated immunologists at Penn Medicine defeat this virus.”

Eric Stach: Director of Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter

caption: Eric StachAfter an extensive and competitive search, Eric Stach has been named director of the Laboratory of Research on the Structure of Matter (LRSM), effective July 1, 2020.

A pioneer in the development of advanced in-situ and operando imaging and characterization techniques, Dr. Stach is well-known for his collaborations at Penn, nationally and internationally. His experience in leading large research programs, his skills at crossing disciplinary and organizational boundaries and his high visibility in the materials science community make him an ideal leader to take the LRSM into the future.

“I am very pleased that Eric will be the next director of the LRSM,” said Dawn Bonnell, Henry Robinson Towne Professor in MSE and Vice Provost for Research. “In addition to his scientific insight and demonstrated leadership, he is an outstanding citizen of the Penn community. He has had a significant impact on our campus in just three years, and I am certain that he will advance the essential research, educational and innovative work of LRSM in the years ahead.”

Dr. Stach is professor of materials science and engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Science and faculty chair of the Nanoscale Characterization Facility in the Singh Center for Nanotechnology. Prior to joining the Penn faculty in 2017, he was at the National Center for Electron Microscopy at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, at the Center for Functional Nanomaterials at Brookhaven National Laboratory and a professor at Purdue University. He is also co-founder and chief technology officer of Hummingbird Scientific, a nanotechnology firm that develops advanced instrumentation for nanoscale characterization and serves as secretary of the Board of Directors of the Materials Research Society.

Dr. Stach will succeed Arjun Yodh, James M. Skinner Professor of Science in the department of physics and astronomy in the School of Arts and Sciences, who has provided outstanding leadership to the LRSM for 11 years.

The LRSM was established with the support of the National Science Foundation in 1960 as one of the nation’s first interdisciplinary materials research centers and, for 60 years, has been a world-renowned institute for materials research at Penn. With well over 50 active members, it facilitates collaborations among faculty from more than 11 departments in several Schools and promotes links to partners across industry, government, academe and society at large. The LRSM supports faculty, students and post docs in different disciplines to push the frontiers of discovery. LRSM programs have consistently been recognized as making seminal contributions to fundamental science, notably including a Nobel Prize for conducting polymers.

Dr. Stach received a bachelor of engineering degree from Duke University in 1992 and a PhD in materials science and engineering from University of Virginia in 1998. He also holds an MBA from the State University of New York, awarded in 2018 and an MSMSE from University of Washington in 1994.

Rae Chaloult, Reema Malhorta: PVP Associate Directors

Penn Violence Prevention (PVP) has completed two searches for associate directors.

caption: Rae ChaloultRae Chaloult joined the PVP staff April 1 as associate director. Her focus will be on training and curriculum development, advising peer education groups and building campus partnerships. Ms. Chaloult came to Penn from Michigan State University, where she served as a prevention specialist for faculty, staff and graduate students. She previously worked at the University of California, Berkeley and University of Colorado, Boulder. She earned a bachelor’s degree in legal philosophy and sexual violence and a master’s degree in student affairs administration from Michigan State.

Reema Malhorta will start May 1 as associate director focused on serving and supporting graduate and professional students. She will come to Penn from Drexel, where she serves as education and prevention specialist and deputy Equal Opportunity/Title IX Coordinator. At Drexel, her work includes creating a sexual violence peer education program, chairing the University’s Gender Inclusive Committee and serving as the University’s transition coordinator. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a concentration in women’s, gender and sexuality studies from the University of Connecticut, and she graduated with her MSW and certification in violence against women and children from Rutgers University.

caption: Reema Malhorta“We are very excited to welcome our newest associate directors to the PVP team,” said Malik Washington, PVP’s director. “Rae and Reema will help lead PVP’s efforts in critical areas including the expansion of peer education, engagement with grad and professional students, training for faculty and staff, curriculum development, program evaluation and more.”

Penn Violence Prevention was created as a standalone department in 2014 to engage the campus community in education and training to prevent sexual violence, relationship violence, stalking and sexual harassment. Since then, PVP has developed programming to transform attitudes and behaviors, support students who have experienced harm, and repair the long-term impact of violence and harassment. PVP works closely with campus partners such as the Penn Women’s Center, LGBT Center, Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Health Service, Graduate Student Center, Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, Office of Student Affairs, Student Intervention Services, as well as faculty and staff from all 12 schools and additional cultural centers.

PVP normally occupies a central office on Locust Walk as part of the Division of the VPUL. These hires bring PVP’s full-time staff to four, reflecting Penn’s continuing commitment to preventing interpersonal violence.

Deaths

Madlyn Abramson, Trustee

caption: Madlyn AbramsonMadlyn K. Abramson (ED’57, GED’60), emeritus trustee of the University of Pennsylvania whose donation with her husband established Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center, died April 15 of complications from a stroke. She was 84.

Born in Philadelphia, Mrs. Abramson graduated from Philadelphia High School for Girls and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Penn. She taught in the Upper Darby School District and was a reading specialist in the Philadelphia School District before joining the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, which was then in West Norriton and now is in Norristown.

A cancer survivor, Mrs. Abramson was committed to research that would ease the psychological and physiological suffering caused by cancer. In 1997, she and her husband, Leonard, the CEO of US Healthcare, made a $100 million gift to establish the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute to integrate research, education and comprehensive patient care at what was then known as Penn’s Comprehensive Cancer Center (Almanac December 16/23, 1997). At the time of their pledge, it was the largest single contribution for cancer research to a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. It was also one of the largest gifts ever made to a university. In 2002, the institute was renamed the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania in the couple’s honor (Almanac July 16, 2002). Today it is called Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center.

Gifts from the Abramsons also established the Abramson Family Professorship in Sarcoma Care Excellence at the center (Almanac July 16, 2002), as well as the Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Professorship in Clinical Oncology (Almanac December 16/23, 1997).

In 1997, Mrs. Abramson became a Penn trustee and went on to serve on the board’s executive, external affairs and student life committees. She was elected a charter member on the Penn Medicine Board, where she served on the executive committee. She served on the School of Medicine and Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania boards as well. She was chair of the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute and the honorary chair of the Abramson Cancer Center Director’s Leadership Council. She also served on the committee for Confronting Cancer Through Art, a juried exhibition of works by artists whose lives have been touched by cancer. She was a member of the Trustees’ Council of Penn Women and also served as an overseer of the Graduate School of Education, where she made a leadership pledge to provide scholarship support to benefit candidates in the master’s and doctorate programs.

The Abramsons also created the Pediatric Research Center of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, which opened in 1995 and more than doubled the space available for scientific projects. Earlier this year, the couple gave $1 million to support Abramson Cancer Center research related to COVID-19.

Mrs. Abramson led the committee for Philly Fights Cancer (PFC), the annual event benefitting the Abramson Cancer Center. In January 2019, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney presented the event’s co-chairs with an official citation commending Philly Fights Cancer and the Abramson Cancer Center’s groundbreaking work.

According to Board of Trustees Chair David L. Cohen and Penn President Amy Gutmann, “Madlyn’s bold vision and philanthropic spirit touched the lives of countless individuals by transforming how Penn conducts cancer research and provides care to those affected by this devastating disease.”

Outside of Penn, the Abramson family’s philanthropic gifts included $10 million to Temple University’s dental school, renamed after Mrs. Abramson’s father, Maurice H. Kornberg, a dentist and alumnus. They also established the Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Center for Jewish Life, an assisted-living, skilled nursing and gerontological research facility in Horsham. They were also instrumental in expanding the emergency medicine department at Montgomery Hospital Medical Center in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Among their many other gifts were scholarships at Pennsylvania College of Optometry, a professorship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and research grants at the University of Judaism and the Parkinson’s Institute, which earned the Abramson Family Foundation its Outstanding Achievement in Parkinson’s Disease Award. Mrs. Abramson was a very active volunteer outside of Penn for organizations throughout the Philadelphia area.

Mrs. Abramson is survived by her husband, Leonard; daughters, Nancy Wolfson, Marcy Shoemaker and Judy Felgoise; and 10 grandchildren. Services are private. A memorial will be held at a later date.

Felipe Gorostiza, SAS

caption: Felipe GorostizaFelipe Javier Gorostiza Arroyo, a lecturer in urban studies in Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences died on April 15 from COVID-19. He was 69.

Dr. Gorostiza immigrated to the United States with his family in the early 1960s and grew up in West New York and North Bergen, New Jersey. He attended St. Joseph’s of the Palisades High School and then went on to earn a BA in Spanish and history from New York University. He graduated with an MA in Hispanic studies from Brown University and then came to Penn to earn an MA in international relations.

In 1991, while earning his PhD in city and regional planning at Penn, he began teaching in urban studies in the School of Arts and Sciences. He was hired in 1995 as a lecturer in the College of General Studies and lectured in urban studies, city planning at the Lauder Institute.

In his teaching, Dr. Gorostiza drew on his training as an historian of planning, his practical experience in the field and his acting. The department’s tribute to Dr. Gorostiza noted: “The students in his Spring 2020 Intro to Planning class told us how he ‘made the readings come alive’ in his lectures and in leading discussion.” 

Beginning in 2011, Dr. Gorostiza also served as a grant writer for the Children’s Specialized Hospital Foundation in Mountainside, New Jersey. He held a number of positions prior to coming to Penn, including adjunct professor at Columbia University in the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation; lecturer at Rutgers University–Camden in the public policy and administration department; and executive director for Rutgers’ Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs. He was a Community Builder Fellow for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development in New York; a senior associate for Urban Partners; and principal for URBIS. He also developed and managed the Urban Land Resource Initiative for the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations. 

Dr. Gorostiza was professionally involved in the theater and artistic communities. He was the literary manager for New Jersey Repertory Company from 2005 to 2006 and the development director for South Jersey Performing Arts Center from 2002 to 2004. He studied under famed actors Stella Adler, Jose Ferrer, Bobby Lewis, Madeleine Sherwood and Emanuel Azenberg, and he shared the stage with Rip Torn and Maurice Hines. He was recently nominated for a Colorado Theater Guild Henry Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play for his portrayal of Santiago in the Fine Arts Center Theatre Company’s production of “Anna in the Tropics.” In addition to a number of television appearances, Dr. Gorostiza lent his voice to feature films, TV shows and commercials, and he was a translator and voice-over narrator for HBO Sports from 2005 to 2009. He was even the voice of the Spanish-language Keebler elf and the QUALCOMM rooster.

Dr. Gorostiza is survived by his cousins, Rolando Gorostiza, Juan E. Arroyo and Ileana Cabana; and his cousins’ children, Jillian, Gabriel and Michael Gorostiza, and Liane and Brian Cabana. Urban Studies plans to host a memorial gathering in the future; information to follow.

The Children’s Specialized Hospital Foundation has set up a fund to honor his memory. Donations will be used to support the very programs that he loved and for which he worked so hard to raise funds. To donate: https://events.childrens-specialized.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donate.event&eventID=578

Morrie Kricun, PSOM

Morrie E. Kricun, emeritus professor of radiology in Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, died April 4 at Einstein Medical Center Montgomery. He was 82.

Dr. Kricun was born in Philadelphia and graduated from Central High School in Philadelphia in 1955 and Muhlenberg College in 1959. He graduated from Jefferson Medical College in 1963 and completed an internship and diagnostic radiology residency at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. He was also a veteran of the United States Air Force.

Dr. Kricun joined Penn as a lecturer in radiology at the School of Medicine in 1981. He was appointed an associate professor of radiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in 1982, and he became a standing faculty-clinician educator in radiology in 1988. He was promoted to professor 1990. He received a University Research Foundation Grant for “Radiology-Paleopathology of the Skeletal Remains of Prehistoric Australian Aborigines.” He earned emeritus status in 2000, and he retired in 2002.

He was a longtime member of the International Skeletal Society and was awarded a Medal for his lasting contributions. He also authored a book on Elvis Presley. 

He is survived by his wife, Virginia; brother, Robert (Stephanie); niece, Ashley Summer (Ross); nephew Bret (Hilary); great nieces and nephews, Jacob and Ella Summer and Eva and Samuel Kricun; and many loving cousins, including Marilyn Wernick Toub. The family will hold a memorial service in the future to celebrate Dr. Kricun’s life when it is safe to do so.

Suzanne Roberts, Philanthropist

caption: Suzanne RobertsSuzanne Fleisher Roberts, actress, civic educator, children’s therapist, broadcaster and philanthropist who with her husband and son established the Roberts Cancer Proton Therapy Center, died April 20 at her Center City home after several months of declining health. She was 98.

Mrs. Roberts was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Elkins Park, attended Oak Lane Country Day School in Cheltenham Township and then Harcum Junior College in Bryn Mawr. She then studied at the Tamara Daykarhanova School of the Stage in New York.

Mrs. Roberts married Ralph J. Roberts (W’41, Hon’05), founder of Comcast (Almanac July 14, 2015). She wore many hats in her lifetime. In the 1940s, she sold war bonds and performed for the USO and the Treasury Department. She went on to perform on Broadway, on the award-winning radio show “Within Our Gates,” on the CBS show “A Dramatization of the Classics,” and on “This Week in Philadelphia.” NBC named her the “Number One Radio Actress in Philadelphia.” She wrote and directed radio and TV campaigns for Mayor Richardson Dilworth and US Senator Joseph Clark. In 1952, she wrote The Candidate and Television. She appeared in TV commercials, and at age 80, she started “Seeking Solutions With Suzanne,” which won two Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.

At age 58, Mrs. Roberts earned a bachelor’s degree in counseling from Antioch University, and two years later, a master’s degree in special education and counseling from Antioch. She worked as a therapist with children at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and was a part-time therapist for preschoolers at the Children’s Crisis Treatment Center in Philadelphia while also attending night school.

She and her husband made significant donations to the arts, higher education and medicine. In 2006, her husband and son Brian L. Roberts (W’81) pledged $15 million to help create the first-of-its-kind proton therapy center for the treatment of cancer, the Roberts Cancer Proton Therapy Center (Almanac December 12, 2006, December 8, 2009). They also established the Suzanne F. Roberts Cultural Development Fund and the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, which is home to the Philadelphia Theatre Company, and they supported BalletX. In 2014, she and her husband received the Philadelphia Award, recognizing their longtime contributions to the city.

Mrs. Roberts is survived by her children, Catherine, Lisa, Ralph, Jr. and Brian; and eight grandchildren. Her life will be celebrated after the effects of COVID-19 have passed.

Gene Shay, WXPN

caption: Gene ShayGene Shay, longtime host of WXPN’s Sunday night “Folk Show” and co-founder of the Philadelphia Folk Festival, died April 17 of COVID-19 at Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood. He was 85.

Gene Shay was born Ivan Shaner and grew up in the Nicetown section of Philadelphia. Mr. Shay got on-air experience on Armed Forces Radio in Germany in the 1950s, and after working at local TV station Channel 10, he played jazz at WHAT during an afternoon slot. From 1962 to 1968, he hosted the Sunday night folk broadcast. In 1962, he cofounded the Philadelphia Folk Festival.

In 1963, he and his wife, Gloria, brought Bob Dylan to Philadelphia for the first time, for a sparsely attended gig at the Ethical Society on Rittenhouse Square. In 1967, Joni Mitchell, whom Mr. Shay called “the most creative person I ever met,” played “Both Sides Now” for the first time on his show.

Mr. Shay went on to WDAS, WMMR and WIOQ. He was on the University of Pennsylvania’s WXPN from 1995 to 2015, hosting the weekly “Folk Show.” He was inducted into the Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame in 2013 (Almanac November 12, 2013). A plaque bearing his name is located on the Avenue of the Arts.

“I always tell people he’s the reason I’m doing what I’m doing,” said David Dye, the former host of WXPN’s “World Cafe.” The show was named by Mr. Shay when it was founded in 1991 as part of his side gig as an advertising copywriter.

Mr. Shay is survived by his daughters, Rachel Vaughan and Elana Benasutti; two grandchildren; and a sister. A celebration of life will be planned for a later date.

Supplements

Honors

Annah Chollet, Camilo Duran: Truman Scholars

caption: Annah CholletTwo University of Pennsylvania juniors, Annah Chollet and Camilo (Cam) Duran, have received Harry S. Truman Scholarships, a merit-based award of as much as $30,000 for graduate or professional school to prepare for careers in public service.

Ms. Chollet and Mr. Duran, both in the College of Arts & Sciences, are among 62 Truman Scholars selected this year from 773 candidates nominated by 316 colleges and universities. They are the 28th and 29th Truman Scholars from Penn since the first awards in 1977. This is the third consecutive year that two Penn students have received the scholarship.

Ms. Chollet, from Boston, is pursuing a double major in gender, sexuality and women’s studies and biological basis of behavior with a concentration in health and disability, and a minor in chemistry. With a dual passion for health care and criminal justice reform, she advocates for the wellness of both the students at Penn and the women at Riverside Correctional Facility, Philadelphia’s all-female jail. She has an interest in obstetrical, gynecological and psychiatric care. On campus, she is president of Project LETS, and is part of the Bloomers Band, singing and playing the guitar with the all-female comedy troupe. She plans to pursue a joint medical degree and a master’s in public policy with the goal of working at the intersection of policy and practice, increasing access to high-quality primary and preventative care, particularly for the prison population.

caption: Cam DuranMr. Duran, from Maiden, North Carolina, is pursuing a major in philosophy, politics and economics with a concentration in public policy and governance, and a minor in urban studies. At Penn he is a Civic Scholar and a Wharton Public Policy Research Scholar. As a representative in Penn’s Undergraduate Assembly, he is on the equity and inclusion committee where he works to support the needs of marginalized students. He is part of the Cipactli Latinx Honor Society and is a co-chair for FGLIQ, the student organization for queer, first-generation, low-income students. Mr. Duran has interned with Philadelphia City Councilmember Helen Gym, and now interns with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office in the Conviction Integrity and Special Investigations Unit. Motivated by his experiences growing up with an incarcerated parent, he is passionate about addressing criminal justice issues, particularly the resource gap for exonerees attempting to reenter society. He plans to pursue a joint degree in law and a master’s in social policy.

The students applied to the Harry S. Truman Scholarship program with assistance from CURF, Penn’s Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.

In addition to funding, Truman Scholars also receive priority admission and supplemental financial aid at some graduate institutions, leadership training, and special internship opportunities within the federal government.

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation was created by Congress in 1975 to be the nation’s living memorial to President Truman. The foundation has a mission to select and support the next generation of public service leaders.

Shadrack Frimpong: Gates Scholarship

caption: Shadrack FrimpongShadrack Frimpong, University of Pennsylvania graduate and 2015 President’s Engagement Prize winner, has been awarded a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to pursue a PhD in public health and primary care at the University of Cambridge in England.

Mr. Frimpong is Penn’s 31st Gates Scholar since the program’s beginning in 2001. From Ghana, he is one of 77 recipients chosen globally this year.

He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public health in global health as a Horstmann Scholar at Yale University. At Penn, Mr. Frimpong earned his undergraduate degree in biology from the College of Arts & Sciences in 2015 and a master’s in nonprofit leadership from Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice. He was a recipient of the Richard Estes Global Citizenship Award.

The son of a peasant farmer and charcoal seller, he was the first person from his village, Tarkwa Breman, to attend college in the United States.

Under the mentorship of Harvey Rubin, a professor in the Perelman School of Medicine, Mr. Frimpong used the President’s Engagement Prize to create Cocoa360, which has pioneered a “farm-for-impact” model that uses revenues from community cocoa farms to fund educational and health care services. The nonprofit now runs a tuition-free girls’ school and community hospital in his Ghana village, sustained by proceeds from a local cocoa farm.

Mr. Frimpong has received many national and international awards, including the Samuel Huntington Public Service Award, Clinton Global Initiative Honor Roll, Queen Elizabeth’s Young Leader Award and Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award.

Penn students and alumni can find information about applying for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship through CURF, the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.

Features

Class of 2020 President’s Engagement Prize and Innovation Prize Winners

Top row (left to right): Kwaku Owusu, Hyungtae Kim, Philip Chen, Artemis Panagopoulou. Composite center: Aditya Siroya. Bottom row (left to right): Nikil Ragav, Mckayla Warwick, Meera Menon, Shivansh Inamdar

University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann recently announced the recipients of the 2020 President’s Engagement Prize and President’s Innovation Prize. Awarded annually, the Prizes empower Penn students to design and undertake post-graduation projects that make a positive, lasting difference in the world. Each Prizewinning project will receive $100,000, as well as a $50,000 living stipend per team member. The Prizes are the largest of their kind in higher education.

“This year’s Prize-winning projects demonstrate an inspiring range of mission-driven expertise among Penn students: from partnering with our West Philadelphia neighbors to introduce a novel financial literacy program, to teaching young people real-world skills through Philly Improv Theater, to creating a digital platform to distribute lifesaving medicines to those most in need in India, to creating ‘makerspaces’ at partner schools across the United States that foster this innovative spirit,” said President Gutmann. “These student recipients continue Penn’s proud tradition of positive impact here at home, across the nation and around the world. They embody the highest mission of Penn and our students to put knowledge to use for the betterment of others, a most vital and urgent calling during these challenging times.”

The Prizes are generously supported by Emerita Trustee Judith Bollinger and William G. Bollinger, in honor of Ed Resovsky; Trustee Lee Spelman Doty and George E. Doty, Jr.; Emeritus Trustee James S. Riepe and Gail Petty Riepe; Trustee David Ertel; and Beth Seidenberg Ertel; Wallis Annenberg and the Annenberg Foundation; and an anonymous donor.

Student recipients will spend the next year implementing their projects.

President’s Engagement Prize

Aditya Siroya, Shivansh Inamdar and Artemis Panagopoulou, for Aarogya: Aarogya is a social enterprise that aims to save lives by providing medicines free-of-cost to those most in need. Mr. Siroya, Mr. Inamdar and Ms. Panagopoulou will work to broaden health-care access by creating India’s first digital medicine redistribution platform, providing life-saving support to patients while preventing medical waste. Aarogya’s platform utilizes a decentralized blockchain system that enables safe, convenient redistribution of unused medicine at scale to patients that cannot afford them. Mr. Siroya, Mr. Inamdar and Ms. Panagopoulou are being mentored by Mark Pauly, the Bendheim Professor of Health Care Management in the Wharton School.
Meera Menon and Philip Chen, for The Unscripted Project: The Unscripted Project will utilize improv theater training to equip Philadelphia youth with the tools necessary to succeed both within the classroom and beyond, empowering them to speak confidently, collaborate effectively, and internalize the value of practice and perseverance. Working with their partner organization, the Philly Improv Theater, Ms. Menon and Mr. Chen will coordinate 10-week improv workshops for 6th to 10th grade students in Philadelphia, utilizing a curriculum that connects tried and tested improv exercises with real-world skills. Ms. Menon and Mr. Chen are being mentored by Marcia Ferguson, senior lecturer in theatre arts in the School of Arts & Sciences.

Kwaku Owusu, Mckayla Warwick and Hyungtae Kim, for Collective Climb: Collective Climb aims to increase economic prosperity among communities in West Philadelphia through a novel financial literacy initiative and innovative debt forgiveness model. Mr. Owusu, Ms. Warwick, and Mr. Kim will adapt and create a culturally relevant and historically inflected financial literacy program that simultaneously connects, empowers and celebrates the West Philadelphia community. Their debt reduction model centers around “community pots,” collections of monetary contributions that leverage collective wealth to obliterate debt. Mr. Owusu, Ms. Warwick, and Mr. Kim are being mentored by Glenn Bryan, assistant vice president of community relations in Penn’s Office of Government and Community Affairs.

President’s Innovation Prize

Nikil Ragav, for inventXYZ: inventXYZ aims to empower the inventors of tomorrow through practical, real-world experiences and education for all students regardless of income or background. Its principal focus is setting up makerspaces—collaborative work spaces—at high schools across the country. inventXYZ’s standardized makerspace design, called “inventorspaces,” includes equipment for automated manufacturing, electronics design, augmented/virtual reality, filmmaking and digital music. Its innovative curriculum, called “inventcurriculum,” enables students to build and code a hands-on technology project in each academic class and blends tech industry standards with Common Core and Advanced Placement standards. Mr. Ragav is being mentored by Adam Mally, lecturer in computer and information science in the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
“I am immensely proud of our students’ commitment to meaningful work that extends beyond the classroom and the campus,” said President Gutmann. “I congratulate all of this year’s Prize recipients, and I wish them the very best as they move forward with their projects.”

This year’s President’s Engagement Prize finalists also included India Watson and Persia-Ali Pierce, for Urban Youth Professional Network, a nonprofit that assists low-income Philadelphia youth in making knowledgeable career choices; Melinda Hu, Heidi Chiu, and Christopher Lee, for Bloom, a project that aims to address glaring disparities in mental health for young Asian-Americans; and Sarah Goodheart, Alison Esplund and Olivia Shammas, for Built from Mom’s Milk, a program designed to improve breastfeeding exclusivity and duration among families in West Philadelphia. President’s Innovation Prize finalists were Philippe Sawaya, Jonathan Mak and Rahul Shekhar, for Percepta, a startup that develops video analysis technology to remove racial and gender bias from shoplifting detection; and Salomon Serfati, Jacob Goldman, Daniel Leiser and Ajay Vasisht, for Forage, a mobile app designed to help SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients shop for groceries.

Sixty-four seniors submitted applications for both Prizes this year, with proposals spanning an array of innovative and impactful ideas.

“These four dynamic projects,” said Provost Wendell Pritchett, “embody the wide range and inspiring creativity of our Penn students. They show us above all how Penn will lead the future, with new uses for innovative ideas from improv training and makerspaces, to debt forgiveness and digital medicine. We are indebted to their faculty advisors and to the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, who worked closely with them to develop these exciting and highly promising initiatives.”

AT PENN

Events

Human Resources: Upcoming May 2020 Programs

Professional and Personal Development Programs

Open to faculty and staff.

Register at http://knowledgelink.upenn.edu/

Vanguard Live Webinar—Retirement Income; 5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22, 5/29; 1-2 p.m. This in-depth session will demonstrate how to use your retirement savings to create a sustainable income stream to last you through retirement.

Vanguard Live Webinar—Investing in Volatile Markets; 5/4, 5/8, 5/11, 5/15, 5/18, 5/22, 5/25, 5/29; 10-11 a.m., 1-2 p.m., 4-5 p.m. This webinar will teach you how to set clear investment goals, create a broadly diversified mix of investments, keep costs low, and invest for the long term. Note: Spanish sessions available. Visit the registration link for more details.

Challenging Your Negative Attitudes; 5/6; 12:30-1:30 p.m. By challenging our negative attitudes, we have the power to take control of pessimistic perspectives and stressful situations. During this course, participants will learn to manage the impact of negative situations, deal with their own negative thoughts more effectively, and learn coping tools for dealing with change.

TED Talk Tuesday: How To Multiply Your Time; 5/12; 12:30-1:30 p.m. In this challenging and counter-intuitive video, Self-Discipline Strategist and New York Times bestselling author of Rory Vaden, shows you why you can’t solve today’s time-management challenges with yesterday’s time-management strategies. More importantly he explains why procrastinating on purpose is the key to being able to multiply your time.

TIAA Live Webinar—Estate Planning Basics; 5/12; 12-1 p.m. Ensuring that our assets will pass to loved ones and causes that are near and dear is important to most of us. Discover the components of a basic estate plan and strategies to ensure that your wishes are met.

TIAA Live Webinar—Start to Finish: The Early Career Woman’s Guide to Financial Wisdom; 5/12; 3-4 p.m. When women are starting their careers, there’s a lot to consider—career goals, job satisfaction, achieving a work/life balance. But it’s important to also consider retirement. Discover how establishing a plan now can help establish your financial future.

TIAA Live Webinar—Market-Proof Your Retirement; 5/13; noon-1 p.m. In retirement—and the years leading up to it—protecting your savings becomes just as important as growing it. Join us to learn how to create your own personal pension with TIAA Traditional, offered by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA).

TIAA Live Webinar—Paying Yourself: Income Options in Retirement; 5/13; 3-4 p.m. Learn the rules that govern retirement assets and find out when to consider using different income sources.

TIAA Live Webinar—The 411 on 529 College Savings Plans; 5/14; 12-1 p.m. Learn how 529 college savings plans work and how to invest in one for a child, grandchild, yourself or other loved one.

Getting Work Done; 5/14; 12:30-1:30 p.m. Throughout a normal workday, there are multiple distractions that can get many of us off task and behind on our to-do lists.  In this course, we’ll review tactics to help you stay on target with the many moving pieces of your role.  You’ll identify your biggest time sponges and ways to manage them, create priority lists, understand ways to delegate when not in a position of authority, and learn ways to achieve an acceptable work life balance.

How to Make Yourself Indispensable; 5/21; 12:30-1:30 p.m. Indispensable employees perform with a mindset that drives them to think, act, and behave differently. In this seminar, you’ll learn how to: take ownership of your responsibilities and results, take initiative to go above and beyond what is expected of you, expand your sphere of influence, perform well under pressure, adapt to changing situations, and avoid being irreplaceable.

Work-life Workshops

Open to faculty and staff.

Register at www.hr.upenn.edu/registration

Using the Tuition Benefit for You and Your Family; 5/5; 12:30-1:30 p.m. The University offers employees and their families tuition assistance. Join this session to learn more about the tuition benefit program and how you can use the benefit for yourself at Penn, or how the tuition benefit can support your dependents or spouse in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree.

Webinar: Dad Wants to do it Alone: When a Parent Will Not Accept Help; 5/5; 1-2 p.m. You’ve been concerned about your loved one living at home now that they’re older and having trouble getting around, and you’ve come up with the perfect plan to support them. There’s only one problem – they are refusing to acknowledge anything is wrong and won’t accept help. What now? So often our loved ones do not accept care supports because it can feel like a loss of control and independence. This webinar will address how to support your loved one’s autonomy, even when they need help and strategies to introduce beneficial care options in a non-threatening manner.

Virtual Workshop: Guided Mindful Meditation: 5/5, 5/27; 12:30-1:30 p.m. This workshop is offered twice a month for participants to practice present moment awareness with kindness and compassion. The guided meditation will focus on the breath and being in the body. Self-applied massage and gentle mindful movements that promote rest and relaxation, and reduce stress may also be included in the workshop. No experience necessary. All are warmly welcome. (BlueJeans instructions will be emailed the day before the workshop).

Virtual Workshop: Communication Improved-Conflict Reduced; 5/11; 12:30-1:30 p.m.Effective communication is essential not only for our professional life, but for our personal life as well. This interactive workshop focuses on non-verbal communication, active listening and barriers to effective communication. It explores how we can learn to effectively resolve conflicts more productively and prevent conflict from occurring, with a greater understanding of our conflict styles and methods of communication.

Sleep; 5/15; 12:30-1:30 p.m. Do you have questions about sleep? Are you sleepy and can’t figure out why? Are you having problems with sleep? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions please attend this workshop! We will discuss normal and abnormal sleep in both kids and adults. We will also review common sleep issues in the adult population. Last but not least we will explore what sleep does and why it is so important. BlueJeans instructions will be emailed the day before the workshop.

Penn Healthy You Workshops

Open to faculty and staff.

Register at www.hr.upenn.edu/registration

Virtual Nutrition Counseling; 5/1, 5/4, 5/5, 5/7; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Knowing what to eat for your personal nutritional needs can be overwhelming! Benefits-eligible faculty and staff can now receive individualized nutrition counseling on campus on select days each month. A Family Food, LLC, Registered Dietician will work with you to address the nutrition-related questions and concerns you have and tailor a plan specific to you. Family Food dietitians offer nutrition counseling for adults concerned with a vast array of issues, including general healthy eating, cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, weight gain or loss, food allergies and sensitivities, slow metabolism, pregnancy, and much more.

Update: April AT PENN 2020

Conferences

28   MINS All-Day UnRetreat (Year of Brain Science Technology); 9 a.m.-7:15 p.m.; info, register and join: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/Yobst (MINS). 

Special Events

30   Virtual Dog Days; visit virtual rooms to meet and interact with therapy dogs and Penn Libraries pets; 1-3 p.m.; info: https://guides.library.upenn.edu/studybreaks (Libraries). Also May 1.

Talks

28   iPSC Core; Wenli Yang, medicine; noon; Bluejeans meeting; join: https://bluejeans.com/222470128 (Biomedical Graduate Studies). 

       Investigating the Neuroanatomical Substrates of the GLP-1 System to Treat Obesity and Diabetes; Matthew Hayes, psychiatry; 4 p.m.; Bluejeans meeting; info: Lisa Henry, (215) 898-4365 (IDOM). 

--

AT PENN Deadlines 

The May AT PENN calendar is online. The deadline for Summer AT PENN is May 11. The deadline to submit your virtual events to be featured in the next Update is the Monday prior.

Crimes

Weekly Crime Reports

University of Pennsylvania Police Department Crime Report

Below are the Crimes Against Persons, Crimes Against Society and Crimes Against Property from the campus report for April 13-19, 2020. 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 for the dates of April 13-19, 2020. 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.

04/14/20

12:05 PM

3800 Spruce St

Two citations issued for loitering

04/14/20

1:01 PM

4000 Ludlow St

Items taken from unlocked vehicle

04/14/20

3:06 PM

4105 Locust St

Unknown offender seen in residence; nothing taken

04/15/20

6:14 AM

200 S 40th St

Offender took wallet from complainant at gunpoint

04/15/20

11:36 PM

3900 Walnut St

Violation of Uniform Firearms Act/Arrest

04/16/20

10:17 AM

3604 Chestnut St

Merchandise taken without payment

04/16/20

4:42 PM

4045 Baltimore Ave

Unsecured packages taken

04/17/20

10:59 AM

202 S 36th St

Complainant received threatening voicemails

04/19/20

8:35 PM

3409 Walnut St

Merchandise taken without payment; offender stopped and released pending warrant

18th District

Below are the Crimes Against Persons from the 18th District: 3 incidents (2 robberies and 1 assault) were reported for April 13-19, 2020 by the 18th District covering the Schuylkill River to 49th Street & Market Street to Woodland Avenue.

04/13/20

11:29 PM

4500 Ludlow St

Robbery

04/15/20

6:10 AM

222 S 40th St

Robbery

04/16/20

4:23 AM

4819 Warrington Ave

Assault

Bulletins

Benefits Open Enrollment Deadline Extended: Friday, May 15

Due to Penn’s limited campus operations, Benefits Open Enrollment has been extended until May 15. Faculty and staff will now have additional time to enroll or review and make changes to their medical, prescription, dental, vision and life insurance benefits elections for the 2020-2021 plan year.  

There are many important benefits changes that will affect all participants for the upcoming plan year. For full details about this year’s Open Enrollment and benefits changes, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/openenrollment There, you can access the Benefits 2020-2021 Open Enrollment Guide, 2020-2021 rates, plan summaries and more. You can also watch the What’s Changing video (Text PENN864 to 61759 to view on your smartphone) for more information. Message and data rates may apply. For terms and conditions go to https://www.guidespark.com/terms/. For privacy information go to https://www.guidespark.com/privacy-policy/

During Open Enrollment, you can enroll or update your current elections in Workday. Visit www.workday.upenn.edu and log in using your PennKey and password. You can access step-by-step instructions for enrolling in Workday using the Self Service: Open Enrollment Elections tip sheet and the Self Service: Open Enrollment video. 

If you prefer to enroll by phone, please call the Benefits Solution Center at 1-866-799-2329, Monday-Friday between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Remember, if you don’t make changes during Open Enrollment, you will receive the same coverage you had last year.  

For more information, please call the Benefits Solution Center at 1-866-799-2329 or contact Human Resources at benefits@hr.upenn.edu

—Division of Human Resources

Penn Medicine Launches CHIME App

The CHIME (COVID-19 Hospital Impact Model for Epidemics) App, launched on March 15, was developed by Predictive Healthcare at Penn Medicine to assist hospitals and public health officials understand hospital capacity needs as they relate to the COVID-19 pandemic. CHIME enables capacity planning by providing estimates of total daily (i.e. new) and running totals of (i.e. census) inpatient hospitalizations, ICU admissions and patients requiring ventilation. These estimates are generated using a SIR (Susceptible, Infected, Recovered) model, a standard epidemiological modeling technique. The model has been reviewed by several epidemiologists including Michael Z. Levy, associate professor of epidemiology, department of biostatistics, epidemiology and informatics at the Perelman School of Medicine.

CHIME allows individuals to prepare their hospitals, cities and regions for the looming crisis. It specifically allows users to forecast the expected number of in-hospital patients and daily admissions so that they can estimate the impact in their location and when they will need to have mitigation strategies in place.

CHIME is being used by numerous organizations. There has been outreach from all around the US and the world and the app has had traffic from over 150 countries. More features and enhancements are actively being implemented as users identify additional needs.

For more information and to view the app, visit https://penn-chime.phl.io/

Nominations Now Open for 2020 Green Purchasing Awards

Call for nominations are now open for Penn’s Green Purchasing Awards. Now in its sixth year, the program is held in conjunction with the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee (ESAC) Purchasing Subcommittee and Penn Sustainability. This award recognizes the leading actions of any individual or team that advances the development of sustainable purchasing practices at Penn. This award program is a chance to spotlight those who are championing sustainability across campus, as well as to celebrate projects that are contributing to a more sustainable future. Visit https://cms.business-services.upenn.edu/purchasing/sustainable-purchasing/green-purchasing-awards/past-winners.html to view the past recipients of the award—some of these achievements may inspire you to submit your colleagues’ work for consideration.

Visit the Green Purchasing Award web page to review the nomination guidelines and information about the submittal process. Nominations will remain open until Friday, July 31, 2020. Results from this year’s nominations will be announced in the fall.

Ombuds Office’s Confidential Virtual Assistance to Penn Community

In mid-March, when staff were urged to begin working remotely whenever possible, the Office of the Ombuds transitioned to a virtual meeting format. This adaptation has enabled the Office to continue its confidential, informal and impartial assistance to the Penn community. During this unprecedented global health crisis, this service may be needed now more than ever. 

The purpose of the Ombuds Office is to assist with the management of conflicts, resolution of disputes and problem solving in relation to obstacles hindering a person’s successful participation as a member of the University community. Today Penn’s students, faculty and staff are encountering multiple sources of stress while endeavoring to navigate through this difficult and uncertain time. Challenges can arise, whether one maintains a physical presence on campus or is engaging remotely. In any case, the Office of the Ombuds provides the confidential space to talk through concerns, clarify issues, explore options and identify resources and policies that may be helpful to resolution.

An online meeting request form, as well as more detailed information about the Office of the Ombuds, can be found at ombuds.upenn.edu

—Office of the Ombuds

Please Share Almanac

This edition of Almanac, like the last several weeks’ issues, is digital-only. Please distribute to your colleagues and encourage them to subscribe to receive the E-Almanac at almanac.upenn.edu/express-almanac 

No issues were printed to distribute across campus because of COVID-19. Almanac is distributed electronically each Tuesday.

One Step Ahead: Protect Your Financial Data

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

During national disasters and times of increased fundraising activities, hackers and financial scammers often try to take advantage of the situation in order to sell bogus products or trick you out of your money.  Bad actors set up sham non-profits, sometimes with what appear to be legitimate websites, or “sell” fake products without any intention of ever fulfilling the placed orders. The Division of Finance recommends these tips to protect your identity and financial data during this time of COVID-19:

  • Never click on links in social media or in emails you receive from those you do not trust or know.
  • Be wary of emails, SMS messages and Facebook links purporting to be from government agencies, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health and Human Services (HHS) or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Confirm information by going directly to those websites or using their official contact channels. 
  • Avoid any online offers for medications or vaccines.
  • Be skeptical of “investment” opportunities, and always conduct your own research into non-profits or entities seeking donations.
  • Update your browser with the latest security patches. An out-of-date browser could be used to monitor your browsing to capture your sensitive information, e.g. credit card numbers and passwords. Install extensions from an official web store or from the company offering the extension, e.g. LastPass.  
  • Consider using LastPass to secure your passwords in one location. Penn offers LastPass Premium to its employees and students free of charge. 

References:

Federal Trade Commission: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/coronavirus-scams-what-ftc-doing

LastPass: https://www.isc.upenn.edu/how-to/lastpass

For additional tips, see the One Step Ahead link on the Information Security website: https://www.isc.upenn.edu/security/news-alerts#One-Step-Ahead

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