From the Provost: On Racial Justice and Social Equity
June 8, 2020
Last week, President Gutmann called on our community to join in grieving the deaths of George Floyd and too many others and to commit to being part of a positive change. I am writing today to reaffirm her call to duty and follow up with additional next steps.
Over the last week, I’ve looked at the Philadelphia streets where I grew up and have lived all my life and found a city that had changed. People have done the same in many other places across the country. What comes next, none of us know. But I hope it will be a fairer and more just country—a place where a person of color does not have to live each day in fear (a fear that I share, as I have been unjustifiably detained by police many times in my life) and where everyone can enjoy the resources and opportunities which are a basic human right.
I have researched and written about the uprisings of the 1960s, but I was not old enough then to fully feel them. I do fully understand today’s uprisings. They are an appropriate and understandable response to our country’s continuing systemic racism, violence, and repression—to a culture in which many leaders divide and inflame hatred—and they express a frustration with a society, the wealthiest in the human history, where poverty and economic inequality are ever-present. Like you, I’ve been shocked and saddened. Yet—probably also like you—unsurprised. The bill for injustice and inequality has come due. The shock was, perhaps, how suddenly it arrived. Yet amid all that: rays of hope. Across the country, peaceful marches erupted this weekend; and they represent the broadest possible cross section of America.
As members of the Penn community, and members of many other communities, it is our responsibility to make the change people are demanding happen. Like all institutions, Penn is a flawed place. And like all historic institutions, Penn has a troubled history of racial discrimination. We need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and work every day to atone for those flaws. Yet at the same time, because of our amazing students, faculty and staff, Penn is a place that strives to get better, to work to alleviate our society’s and our world’s many ills.
Now more than ever, our tremendous stores of knowledge and creativity can, and will, help us create a more just, more equitable society. Here on our campus, I am proud to say that we have numerous ongoing programs that offer resources, information, discussion, and support on these critical issues, some of which are listed below. Going forward, as President Gutmann indicated, we also want to encourage all members of the Penn community to use funding and support from the Campaign for Community. The Campaign began five years ago to create ways to talk together about the deepest and potentially most controversial and intractable issues that divide us. Its goals are explicitly:
- To promote understanding of and respect for multiple points of view on important topics related to the University community
- To encourage dialogue and discussion among members of the community about issues with the potential for difference and disagreement
- To create opportunities for all members of the University’s community to participate in conversations about important topics
The Campaign for Community is available immediately for proposals—for projects over this summer or in the academic year ahead – in three primary areas:
- Projects and conversations about racial justice within the Penn community
- Projects and conversations about racial justice between members of the Penn community and members of our Philadelphia community
- Projects and conversations about racial justice by members of the Penn community in their own home communities, including students at home over the summer
We also encourage you to make use of and participate in some of our vibrant campus programs:
African-American Resource Center
Makuu Black Cultural Center
Men of Color at Penn
Women of Color at Penn
Center for Africana Studies
La Casa Latina
Pan-Asian American Community House
Greenfield Intercultural Center
LGBT Center
Penn Women’s Center
Graduate Student Center
Family Resource Center
Restorative Practices Program
Spiritual and Religious Life Center
We are all living through a moment in our history that is turbulent and unpredictable across multiple dimensions. Yet from great disruption can come great change. President Gutmann and I look forward to working with all of you, across this summer and the year ahead, as we begin to shape the future of our University and our wider human community.
Let us be the change we seek.
—Wendell Pritchett
Provost, University of Pennsylvania
Presidential Professor of Law and Education
On Racial Justice and Social Equity
Statement from Penn Futures
Since the onset of the pandemic, politicians, Hollywood actors and ordinary citizens alike have reminded us that “we are all in this together.” The statement is meant to calm fears and reinforce the idea that a united front is better than our individual desires—a kind of gestalt moment when we aim to see the whole and not simply the parts. Despite the strength of this statement, any observer would also have to take note that we have all been in this differently as well, not in the past two months alone but over generations.
After weeks of the pandemic, news reports highlighted what health and social science researchers have studied and known for years—that health disparities between people of color and whites persist and are inextricably linked to systemic barriers, educational and income inequality, and discrimination in America. Whether we can see the conditions of our community members, we can all imagine families trying to combat the coronavirus in their small apartments that often house two and three generations of the poor. A mother may be required to share a bedroom, not only with her child but with others as well. In addition, people of color are disproportionately represented as essential workers and do not have the luxury of working from home and sheltering at home. Yet, despite the acknowledgement of the devastating effects of inequality and racism by some political leaders, no one has defined a clear pathway to change.
The past two months have made the intractability of racism increasingly hard to ignore. We replay the voice of the preschooler who watches her father, Philando Castile, killed by police without apparent provocation and who, then, comforts her mother; the story of the young woman in Louisville, Breonna Taylor, who lost her life as police bashed in her front door and shot aimlessly into the dark; the news account describing the young Black man on a jog in Georgia, Ahmaud Arbery, who was killed by two white men; the Black man in Central Park, Christian Cooper, a bird watcher, who after asking a white woman to put her dog on a leash (as required by law) is accused by the woman of threatening her in a call that she made to the police; and George Floyd, whose story was recorded and has unleashed decades of frustration and anger. As these events were occurring, so were many others that are local to communities and that will never be chronicled but that African Americans, whether living in middle-class or poverty-stricken communities, know ever so well.
As faculty co-directors of Penn Futures, a collaborative effort of three schools—Education, Nursing and Social Policy & Practice—and as researchers who have worked to eradicate the disparities and the systemic racism that re-inscribe those disparities, we write in solidarity with our colleagues, students, communities and friends who want to effect positive change. We write to acknowledge these distressing events over time and to share our deep hurt for the pain of the families who suffer. We also write to declare, as have others, our commitment to the fight—to eliminate the overt and nuanced systemic barriers, healthcare and educational disparities, structural inequality and acts of racism that make prisoners of African Americans and other people of color from the moment of their birth throughout their lives. When we calculate the risks to which young children are exposed, the most dominant is related to their race and poverty, with African American children being over-represented. For far too many of us, there has been neither peace nor justice.
Over the coming months, we will heighten our work with our colleagues in the three Schools and the University and with local policy makers. Most importantly, we will partner in genuine ways with communities who are at the center of our mission in Penn Futures and of our own personal and professional commitments. We will embark on a trajectory to listen and to use the knowledge we gain from listening, to act in partnership with communities to name the problems explicitly and to address them. In doing this, we can match our outrage through caring, healing, taking responsibility and working to effect change—to act without fear and with our intellect and our hearts. The present is a critical moment to reflect and then to act while we acknowledge that “we are all in this differently,” but “we are all in this together.”
—Vivian L. Gadsden, Graduate School of Education
—Terri Lipman, School of Nursing
Faculty Co-Directors, Penn Futures
Statement from The Penn Art Collection
The Penn Art Collection condemns the systemic violence against and ongoing oppression of Black people in the United States. In this painful and tumultuous moment, we express our support for equal rights for all. We mourn the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. We strive to recognize them and every Black person whose life has been taken as a result of systemic racism.
Although our office is temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, please know that our hearts are with you. Once we re-open, we will continue to support the work of Black artists through exhibitions and programs that are free and open to all. The Penn Art Collection is committed to furthering equity and justice, and we welcome your thoughts on how we can further support social justice at this critical time: http://artcollection.upenn.edu/about/contact-us/
—The Penn Art Collection
Penn Global Statement on Institutional Racism
The police killing of George Floyd and the events that have unfolded in recent weeks since have reminded us, once again, of the deep structural and institutional racism and inequities that have existed—and remain embedded—in the United States since its inception.
Penn Global is dedicated to diversity and inclusion, both are at the core of our mission. As a result, over the past few years, we have been shaken by the increasing hostility to non-
citizens. Over the last few weeks, we have been shaken again as we come face to face with the racism against all minority communities in America, and, in particular, against Black Americans. As we grieve the Black lives cut short by police and vigilante brutality, we call for justice, accountability and reform. We also reaffirm our personal and professional commitment to America’s, Penn Global’s and our personal core values of equality, justice, respect, inclusion, multiculturalism and humility.
As the United States would be nothing without the contributions of Black Americans, the Penn community would be nothing without the contributions of its Black students and scholars, who come from every corner of the world. We also recognize the struggle against racism around the world, as demonstrated by protests in Britain, Australia, Belgium, Mexico and elsewhere. To all those standing up around the world, Penn Global stands with you in solidarity, in mourning and in your demands for a more just life.
Penn Global remains committed to bringing the world to Penn and Penn to the world. In doing so, we promote intercultural understanding so that all members of our University family, regardless of origin, race, nationality, gender expression, religion, sex or sexual orientation feel safe, respected, valued and loved. That is at the core of our mission—and always will be.
With the pain so raw and deep, now is a time of grieving, reflection and healing. Penn has long been committed to exposing and dismantling the injustices in our community and country. Inspired, in part, by President Amy Gutmann’s recent call “to do our part to help heal wounds, strengthen community and create hope in our world,” we also recognize that now is the time for concrete action.
Penn Global fully supports the University’s collaborative initiatives to promote dialogue and action for progress. In addition, Penn Global will take steps to make this institution, city, country and world better and more just. Among the actions we will focus on are initiatives to make the community safe for Asian and Asian-American students and scholars facing increased discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic, to provide greater access to global opportunities for students of color, and to promote research and awareness of global anti-Black policies and practices and how they can be eradicated.
This is a moment and time to learn and to do better. We’ll do both.
—Penn Global Leadership
Message from the Vice President of Facilities and Real Estate Services
As we prepared this newsletter showcasing a significant segment of our accomplishments made over the past few months and the challenges we faced to progress our project goals and initiatives, I recognized there is something more pressing and truly bigger to address. We are saddened by the recent senseless death of George Floyd and Black lives impacted by social injustice. We grieve with his family and all who are experiencing this loss. The outpouring of local and global support that has followed is an opportunity to make change in new ways.
President Gutmann recently called upon us to work together to build more hope for the future. We are educators and students, we are providers and protectors, and we are leaders and team members, so we each have a unique perspective, and we all play a role. Let’s acknowledge the job we each hold, the takeaways in the lessons learned, and the work we all have to do to be part of the positive change for our communities.
As the Provost has noted with the Campaign for Community, this is a call for action to improve and unify our University. In collaboration with FRES HR and other campus resource experts, we are planning a series of conversations to continue a dialogue with our colleagues to affect change, in an effort to make this a better experience for everyone in the days ahead.
This year continues to call on all of us to be strong, smart, open-minded and thoughtful in our ways and in our days. As this year unfolds in significant and unprecedented ways, I am committed to listen, watch and engage more. It’s an important time for each of us to be both introspective and proactive to consider where we can be part of the change for the better.
While we acknowledge past wrongs and are encouraged by advancements made, we can be empathetic and mindful in our actions, look ahead to learn more, and make a difference to create a more inclusive place to live and work. So with new goals, new challenges and new opportunities ahead in this living and learning environment, we progress together. There’s more work to be done, and now is the time to move forward in our city of Philadelphia, in our neighborhoods, at our University, in our FRES division, in our departments and within ourselves.
—Anne Papageorge, Vice President, FRES
Statement from Wharton Social Impact Initiative
In recent weeks, I have been shaken by the brutal killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor; the profound inequity and racism that we see in the news, on the streets, and/or up close in our daily lived experience; and the knowledge that, sadly, these acts are not new, isolated or exceptional. I have been shaken, but not surprised.
WSII’s mission is to strengthen the role of business in creating a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable global economy. In the United States, racism is the greatest barrier to inclusion and equity.
Racism—whether systemic or individual, conscious or implicit—undermines the hopes, opportunities, health and lives of Black people and people of color across the US. Racial bias, we know from experience and from decades of academic research, is not just somewhere out there, it is right here—in our assumptions, our interactions, our campus and classrooms, our employment practices, our boardrooms, offices and factories.
As a White person and a member of a generation that has failed to create sufficient change, I am committed to learning more and to doing more and to being anti-racist in my teaching, leadership of WSII and my personal life. I am inspired by the many Wharton and Penn students who are committed to business, impact and anti-racism and who are pushing Wharton faculty to teach about racism and injustice whatever our subject matter. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine the business subject—whether analytics, entrepreneurship, finance, health care, impact, legal studies, management or marketing—where race and racism are irrelevant or inconsequential.
WSII is committed to growing and strengthening our research, student programs, and communications on business, finance and racial equity. Below is a sample of projects underway, but I want to stress that there is more that WSII can and will do to promote racial justice and equity.
This past semester, we launched a new program of research on impact investing for racial equity. We have begun to gather data on debt, venture and private equity funds that have made an explicit commitment to invest in companies founded by people of color and companies with a mission to provide goods and services to underserved communities of color. Look for a report of our findings—an initial landscape analysis—in the coming year.
This coming fall, WSII and Penn Medicine will pilot a new student program on impact investing for community health. Through the program, select students will gain training and experience in conducting due diligence on real, early-stage companies that have the potential to strengthen the social determinants of health—including employment, housing, education, safety, and nutrition—among economically disadvantaged residents of Philadelphia.
Further, we will continue to use our Dollars and Change podcast to amplify the voices of impact investors, founders and researchers of color who are working to combat racism in business and finance.
WSII is learning and listening and we are eager to hear from you, our alumni, students, colleagues and friends. What do you want to see from us? What can we do together? How can WSII support anti-racism at Wharton, at Penn, and more broadly in business and finance? While we may not have all the answers, or the resources or expertise to implement every suggestion, we promise we will give each idea our careful consideration. Please email me at kleink@wharton.upenn.edu with your ideas and suggestions.
Thank you for joining us in this mission. Black Lives Matter.
—Katherine J. Klein,
Vice-Dean, Wharton Social Impact Inititive;
Edward H. Bowman Professor of Management, The Wharton School
Performing Arts Messages on Racial Justice and Social Equity
Penn Band
George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Sean Reed, Ahmaud Arbery, Steve Taylor, and countless others.
As we listen to their stories and the pain expressed by their families as well as the communities affected by these patterns of violence, we want to do our part to bring attention to the systemic racism and injustice made clear by recent events.
Our support goes out to the Black members and alumni of our organization, the Penn community and beyond who are particularly affected by recent events. We are committed to making the band a welcoming and safe place for everyone, and in striving to better meet this goal, we welcome any input and are here to work to make the band as a community better.
In taking the time to reflect on recent events, one of the most important things we can do is to continue to learn more about how we can do our part to put a stop to systemic racism. There is no neutral position on this issue. Penn Band Nation can be a powerful force for change, and our goal with this message is to stand in solidarity with those affected in hopes of making a larger impact.
We are a family and it is important for us to unite together around causes that are important to the greater community. As a prominent voice in our campus community, we commit ourselves to being part of the solution. Do your research, stay educated, and listen so that others may be heard.
—Penn Band Student Leadership
Platt Performing Arts House
We are reaching out to all of you during this incredibly turbulent and painful time to offer our support and resources and to hold ourselves accountable for those pledges.
We condemn the injustices that continue to devastate our community - the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and thousands of others; the perpetuation of white supremacy and police brutality; all amidst the backdrop of healthcare inequity and tragic losses from COVID-19.
We are inspired by the work of our campus partners to create spaces to address these injustices. We cannot pretend to imagine what each of you is feeling, but we want to make sure you know that we are here and listening. You are seen, and you are heard, and you are valid.
In acknowledging the pain of our community, we must also acknowledge that silence is harmful. During the time that it has taken for our staff to process; to listen; to coordinate and craft our message; and to check in on each other, our friends, and our students - this public platform has been silent, and therefore we have been complicit in this harm. We must do better.
Artists have the power to inform, create empathy, and offer healing to individuals and communities. In times of joy, in times of anger, in times of need, in times of pain, we look to artists to lift us, to create space for us, to provide meaning for us. As artists, each of you has a tremendous gift. You may not be in a place to use it right now, and you should not feel pressured to. Each person needs something different in the midst of tragedy. Listen to yourself and to what you need. We simply want to remind you of the power within.
As we all continue to process, Platt House staff is here to listen. If you want to articulate things you need from us or things you would like to see happen, you can reach our full team at platthouse@pobox.upenn.edu
In the meantime, Platt House and PAC-Exec are collaborating to create spaces for open discussion among Penn students, beginning with a live, digital space to check in and talk about anything that may be on your mind. We plan to follow this event with additional check-ins in different formats and the opportunity for our students to offer written feedback, to help inform further programming. Our goal is to build programs that don’t simply address our own impulse to help, but that are thoughtful, thorough, and responsive to your needs. We will do this work with our student leaders, our peers and our campus partners, holding ourselves and each other accountable for continuing this work.
While we prepare more helpful guides and programs, please do not hesitate to contact us and other campus centers. We’re all processing this moment differently, and we will look to a variety of resources that may help us to listen, to speak, to understand, and to heal.
We stand in solidarity with anyone who is experiencing this trauma and with those who are fighting back. Black lives matter.
—Platt Student Performing Arts House
Counterparts
In light of events surrounding the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others, Counterparts stands with protestors in the fight against systemic racism and police violence. As a pop and jazz a cappella group, Counterparts recognizes that much of our repertoire represents Black art forms and is performed or influenced by Black creators. Groups like ours which engage with Black culture must also stand for Black lives. Silence is complicity, and we challenge Penn and other organizations at Penn with a platform to stand against anti-Blackness and racism inside and outside their institutions—materially, if able, and by uplifting marginalized voices if not.
Mask and Wig
We are deeply saddened and angered by the murder of George Floyd. Witnessing yet another horrific murder of an African American man speaks volumes about our society and the work that remains to ensure the civil liberties of all members of our nation.
The Mask and Wig Club reaffirms its commitment to the African American communities of our university, our city, and our nation. We condemn inequality in all forms.
In response, the undergraduate company has worked to raise funds to support the Philadelphia Bail Fund. We urge others to join us in support of this program, or to support others to which you feel a connection.
In doing so, we strive to uphold our creed of “Justice to the stage, credit to the University.” But the events of recent days compel us to act in support of justice beyond the stage. As Dr. King once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere…Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
We encourage our members, alumni, and supporters everywhere to take these words to heart.
Penn Singers
Penn Singers stands in solidarity with the Black community today and always. We condemn all forms of racism and refuse to be silent in the face of ongoing systemic racism. The loss of Black lives as a result of police brutality and racial hatred is abhorrent, and compels us to take immediate action in the fight for racial justice.
We encourage everyone to stand with us as we advocate and act together in the fight against systemic racism and racial injustice. To be silent is to be complicit in the oppression of Black people in America and we will not tolerate such injustices.
As an organization, we have voted to the Louisville Bail Fund, which helps post bail for arrested protestors.
Black lives matter.
Quaker Notes
The Quaker Notes are deeply saddened and angered by the recent murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others. We do not feel comfortable staying silent and choose to speak out against racism today and every day. As a gender-inclusive women’s group, we have long advocated for feminism, but we realize that it’s not feminism if it’s not intersectional. We stand with the Black community. We encourage everyone to join us in educating ourselves and those close to us, seeking out resources, and donating if possible.
Penn Hype
Penn Hype stands in solidarity with the Black community and takes a stand against racial injustice and police brutality. We recognize that Hype has evolved into a hip hop/urban dance crew, which would not exist without the Black community. Hype deeply values the lives of our Black brothers and sisters and will continue to support those fighting for justice. We must stand together to end the indifference towards Black lives.
We believe it is important to take action during this crucial time. Hype will be donating a total of $1000 to towards the Black Vision Collective, Philadelphia Bail Fund, and Justice for Jamee. We strongly encourage you to take action in any way possible. We call on our fellow performing arts groups at Penn to step up and join the fight.
Disney A Cappella
Since its inception, Disney A Cappella has been dedicated to the service of the Philadelphia community. In light of recent events surrounding the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, David McAtee, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others, Disney A Cappella is taking a stand against racism and police violence. We recognize that action goes beyond social media posts, and as such we will be donating to the Philadelphia Bail Fund. We urge you all to support the movement by protesting if you are able, and donating if you are not.
The Pennchants
The Pennchants A Cappella Group is deeply saddened to see racist behavior and violence continue to tear our nation apart, especially as unity and community have become essential during this pandemic. We stand with the Black Community in mourning and in protest of the systemic racism seen throughout the United States. We look forward to using this #blackouttuesday [June 2] to listen and educate ourselves. Enough is enough. We have to do better.
Penny Loafers
It is impossible to ignore the continued racial injustice in our country, especially within the very institution that is sworn to keep our communities safe. As a music group covering many different genres, The Penny Loafers benefits heavily from the borrowing of Black culture; thus, we see it as our responsibility to take a stance in the national dialogue.
We stand against overt racism and implicit bias and condemn silence in the face of injustice. We encourage our peers to attend protests, call local representatives, vote in local elections, sign petitions, and donate to the extent which you are able. If your activism begins and ends with a social media post, then you are not doing enough.
While we don’t have the ability to match donations, we have decided to donate $500 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which seeks larger structural reform in order to achieve racial justice. To our family and friends, alumni, and other organizations: If you can help us increase this number or even match it, please email us at theloafers@gmail.com
Off the Beat
We cannot ignore the ongoing racial injustice in our country. Off the Beat does not stand for discrimination, nor the racist violence that is prevalent in government-run organizations. We fully support our Black members and the Black community as a whole. We would like to aid those fighting for justice. In light of the recent murder of George Floyd in Minnesota and growing protests across the country, including our own community of Philadelphia, we will be using our platform to donate to the Philly Bail Fund.
We challenge all organizations at the University of Pennsylvania, particularly those in the performing arts, to play their part and donate to any organization supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. Whether it be donating, signing petitions, or having meaningful discourse, every action matters.
CityStep Penn
To the Black community: We in CityStep Penn hear you, see you, and are with you in the fight against structural and systemic injustice and racism. In light of the recent tragedies, the murders of so many unarmed Black folx, we want to assert and affirm that #BlackLivesMatter. We extend our condolences to the loved ones of all those who have been deprived of existence by the state, and we continue to pray for your safety and well-being.
Attacks on Black life are woven into the structure of America’s DNA, which clearly and consistently devalues and takes away Black lives. We are committed to seeing these systems of inequality dismantled and are taking steps to help in that fight.
If you and your loved ones are able, please join us in donating to organizations that fight for justice.
To our students: We stand with you and your families during this time. We hope that you are able to take care of yourselves mentally, physically, psychologically, and emotionally right now.
PENNaach
PENNaach would like to express our deepest condolences to those mourning and affected by police brutality. We are saddened by the senseless loss of life of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many others. We stand in solidarity against the terrible racial injustices that continue to exist in our country.
It is essential that we address how the racism and injustice that the Black community faces is systemic and institutionalized in this country. Accordingly, we understand that real and impactful change will not occur without serious individual reflection and meaningful action. As a part of the South Asian community, we recognize that our allyship must be rooted in amplifying the voices, feelings and needs of the people of the Black community.
We hear you, we see you, and we stand with you.
Black lives matter.
Penn Masti
Penn Masti would first like to extend its condolences to the communities mourning victims of police brutality. We stand alongside you.
As the country reels from yet another senseless loss of life, we, as a team and as individuals, have reflected on the actions we can take to fulfill our duty to protect our fellow citizens from police brutality and other forms of institutional racism. The long list of tragedies stemming from police brutality make it clear that the issue is systemic. We cannot characterize blatantly racist incidents as a series of isolated events, and moreover we cannot allow our actions to be purely reactive.
As members of the South Asian American community, it is important that the anger and urge to act we feel in this moment remain at the forefront of our minds and transform into a constructive, sustained commitment to active anti-racism and allyship. We recognize that it is not enough to respond to these atrocities as they come; we must adopt a proactive mindset so that we approach all of our civic duties, even in the time between these tragedies, with an anti-racist attitude. We have outlined the steps we plan to take:
Stay informed: There is so much information on how racism affects communities of color on a daily basis and how we can use our positionality for positive change. It might be overwhelming, and it might be difficult to know where to start, but there is no excuse for not understanding the history, pervasiveness of this issue, and the ways we can help.
Donate: For those who are financially able to support this fight against injustice, the smallest contributions can amount to large differences. As a team, we want to use our platform and our networks to help raise funds to empower organizations that are uplifting Black communities and propelling the Black Lives Matter movement forward.
Involve others: Self-reflection and awareness of the impact of our own actions are an essential first step, but hard battles are won by a collective response. We want to help ensure that we, along with our classmates, friends and family, are on the same page about the significance of this issue and the importance of actively fighting against it.
West Philly Swingers
The West Philly Swingers community stands in solidarity with the Black community during these times and all others. Lindy hop and swing dance are art forms pioneered by decades of incredible Black artists—it is resistance against systemic discrimination in the form of celebration and dance. It is fundamentally rooted in Black history, but there is no Black history without the Black present and the Black future.
We call our swing dance communities to actively support efforts to dismantle systems of oppression. To our Black dancers: we hear you, we grieve with you, and we stand with you. Please let us know how we can be doing better to ensure a safe space for you.
Onda Latina
Onda Latina and its members stand against the acts of police brutality and systemic racism that not only have transpired in the recent cases of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, George Floyd and many more, but also threaten the lives of Black people every day.
As a dance troupe created with the mission to both entertain and educate our community about the beauty and origin of Latin American and Caribbean, this is a fight we must stand behind. Much of the art we celebrate and showcase would not exist without the sounds and dances created by Black people and culture and thus we are committed to playing an active role in supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
As a troupe, we are currently working with our members and alumni network to create a fund to match community donations to the best of our financial ability. We are determined to do everything in our power to contribute productively.
PennSori
PennSori would like to strongly express its outrage and sadness regarding the recent murders of Black lives, including George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, amongst many other names. The Black community in our country has faced long-lasting institutionalized racism and violence for too long.
Throughout history, Asian Americans have often been silent bystanders to the discrimination and violence often faced by the Black community. Therefore, we are taking this opportunity to stand in solidarity with the Black community and those who are demanding justice for the lives that were so unfairly taken.
Quadramics
We stand with George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, all victims of police brutality, and the Black community during this devastating time. Staying silent regarding discrimination, now and in the future, means being complicit in an unjust and racist system. Quadramics Theatre Co. strives to promote inclusivity and diversity. The amount of money we donate or the amount of posts we retweet mean little without spending time and energy learning how to become better for one another. That’s why we vow as a company and as a board to continuously engage in conversation with one another, with our loved ones, and our world about how to dismantle the systemic racism embedded in this country. We will ask ourselves difficult questions and engage in conversations surrounding race and privilege.
We encourage you to learn about how to be better allies and build a support system for the Black community through education, conversation, activism, and donation. #blacklivesmatter
Juneteenth: An Important Day for Reflection
Juneteenth marks the 155th anniversary of the date when enslaved people in Texas finally received word that President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation more than two and a half years earlier. At a moment when our country is reckoning with the racism and discrimination that permeated the history of our country and universities for centuries, we are called to reflect on what we can do individually and collectively to dismantle systemic and structural barriers to equality.
We want to provide the intellectual space to pause for critical reflection and honest (in many instances painfully so) conversations. We hope these conversations include how we can work together to accelerate progress at Penn, in our community, and in our country. On this year’s Juneteenth, which is this Friday June 19th, we ask members of the Penn community to take the day off of their regular work as an opportunity to contemplate the historical significance of Juneteenth and how we can learn from our past to chart a more equitable path forward. For those parts of our work that cannot pause for the day, supervisors will work directly with staff to ensure that essential, life-preserving activities continue. All other Penn faculty and staff are encouraged to pause their work for the day to remember the meaning of this important holiday.
We hope you will treat this day as an opportunity to learn from one another, an opportunity not to be missed. Penn is well positioned to bring together our collective resources to moving our University, our neighborhood, and our country closer to the inclusive university, community and society in which we all can aspire to live, learn and work.
—Amy Gutmann, President
—Wendell Pritchett, Provost
—Craig Carnaroli, Executive Vice President
—Joann Mitchell, Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer
The School of Social Policy & Practice’s Excellence in Teaching Award is presented to standing and non-standing faculty members in recognition of excellence in teaching and mentoring during the previous year. Winners are chosen by the Student Policies and Procedures Committee from the faculty with the highest quantitative scores for “overall quality of the instructor” on the course evaluations.
Standing Faculty Award
The Standing Faculty recipient is Allison Werner-Lin, associate professor and adjunct investigator at the National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, director of the Social Work in Health Care Specialization, and chair of the Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice. Her research addresses the intersection of genomic discovery and family life. Dr. Werner-Lin seeks to broaden social work’s guiding “person-in-environment” framework to include genetic variation as a core feature of assessment, one in constant interaction with developmental, sociocultural and environmental contexts. Her work addresses the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) of emerging genomic technologies in reproductive, pediatric, adolescent and young adult populations. This work is funded through the National Human Genome Research Institute’s Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research program and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Non-Standing Faculty Award
The Non-Standing Faculty recipient is Melanie Masin-Moyer, full-time lecturer at the MSW Program and assistant director of the DSW Program. Dr. Masin-Moyer has been in clinical practice over 20 years in a non-profit community behavioral health agency. She has worked with children, adolescents, couples, families and individuals with a variety of mental health concerns. She has facilitated group therapy in school and agency settings addressing life skills, anger management, social skills, trauma and relationships. She completed her clinical doctorate in social work in 2017 at Penn. Her research interests include attachment, mental health, women’s trauma and group therapy.
Penn Vet 2020 Teaching Awards
The Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award
This year’s Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award was presented to Michael Mison. The Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award is the most prestigious teaching award in veterinary medicine. It is presented annually to a faculty member at each college of veterinary medicine in the United States. Its purpose is “to improve veterinary medicine education by recognizing outstanding instructors who, through their ability, dedication, character and leadership, contribute significantly to the advancement of the profession.” The entire Penn Vet student body votes on the recipient.
Dr. Mison is a clinical associate professor of surgery as well as director and chief medical officer of Ryan Hospital. Prior to joining Penn Vet in 2015, Dr. Mison founded Seattle Veterinary Specialists as a managing partner in 2007. Earlier in his career, he served on the faculty of Washington State University, where he received the Carl Norden-Pfizer Distinguished Teacher Award as a second-year assistant professor in 2004. Dr. Mison received his veterinary degree from the University of Florida in 1998 and completed a rotating internship and surgical residency at Michigan State University. He is board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS).
The William B. Boucher Award
The Boucher Award honors a house officer at New Bolton Center for excellent teaching, as was exemplified by William Boucher over four decades at Penn Vet. The entire fourth-year class votes on the recipient.
This year’s winner is Courtney Pope. Dr. Pope graduated from Penn Vet (V’13), where she is currently a resident in Internal Medicine at Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center. She also received the Boucher Award in 2018 (Almanac May 22, 2018).
“Dr. Pope is beyond amazing,” remarked one student. “She’s an excellent teacher and is so friendly and welcoming, making it easy to talk to her and ask questions. She was always looking for ways to help us as students, whether by assisting with our treatment sheets for the weekend or being a morale or confidence booster.”
“She goes out of her way to ensure her students are learning and enjoying themselves,” said another student. “Her fun sense of humor creates an atmosphere where students feel comfortable and supported.”
Class of 2020 Philadelphia Campus Teaching Award
Kathryn McGonigle is an assistant professor of clinical small animal internal medicine at the Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital. She completed her DVM at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2002, participated in sea turtle field work in Long Island post-graduation, and then practiced as a small animal and exotics general practitioner in New Jersey for four years. She completed an internship at Garden State Veterinary Specialists in 2008 and a residency at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals in 2011. She enjoyed her private practice work at BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Brooklyn through 2015, when she returned to academia. After a year locum as a clinical instructor at Cornell in 2016, she began her appointment at Penn Vet. She greatly enjoys the excitement and challenges of working with veterinarians at all stages of their careers. Special interests include feline medicine, geriatric care, and infectious diseases. She remains fascinated and engaged by the diversity and ever-changing advancements in specialty medicine.
Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 New Bolton Center Teaching Awards
Michael Pesato received his undergraduate degree from the University of Findlay and his veterinary degree from Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. After completing an internship and subsequent Field Service residency at New Bolton Center, he accepted a position of lecturer in food animal field service. Dr. Pesato’s clinical focus is on overall health and productivity of cattle and small ruminants. He is especially interested in working with small ruminant farms and small bovine herds to develop herd management strategies and preventative healthcare plans. He also enjoys community outreach activities and educating the public on food animal topics. Dr. Pesato received the William B. Boucher Award in 2017 (Almanac May 23, 2017).
Class of 2021 Philadelphia Campus Teaching Award
Mark Oyama is a professor of cardiology at Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital and has recently been named the Charlotte Newton Sheppard Endowed Professor of Medicine. He received his undergraduate and veterinary degrees from the University of Illinois. He interned at The Animal Medical Center in New York City and completed his cardiology residency at the University of California at Davis. In 1999, Dr. Oyama joined the faculty at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and came to Penn Vet in 2005. Since then he has trained over 20 cardiology residents. He earned a Master of Science in clinical epidemiology from the Perelman School of Medicine in 2015. Also at Perelman, he currently holds an associate scholar position in the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, which he finds particularly rewarding.
Dr. Oyama received the Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award in 2016 (Almanac May 24, 2016).
Class of 2022 Lecture Teaching Award
Nicole Weinstein is an associate professor of clinical pathology at Penn Vet. She is the course leader and primary instructor in the second-year clinical pathology course and head of the clinical pathology laboratory in Ryan Hospital. She was previously assistant professor at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, where she redesigned the clinical pathology course twice, first introducing an emphasis on case/data evaluation and eventually flipping the classroom to facilitate active student learning and problem solving during class. In the course at Penn Vet, she has also used this new model. She attended veterinary school at Colorado State University, then completed a small animal rotating internship at Tufts University, followed by a transfusion medicine fellowship and a clinical pathology residency, both at Penn Vet.
Class of 2022 Laboratory Teaching Award
Deborah Gillette attended Purdue University as an undergraduate and veterinary school at Cornell University. After completing a pathology residency at Penn Vet, she earned a PhD in comparative pathology at University of California, Davis, and became board certified. Dr. Gillette joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin for one year before joining the pathology faculty at New Bolton Center. During this time she received a master’s in health professions education from Penn’s Graduate School of Education. Dr. Gillette left Penn Vet to become a pathologist in the toxicology department of Rohm and Haas Company (now part of Dow Chemical). After retiring from the industry, she returned to Penn Vet in 2018, working for the pathology department at the Philadelphia campus. She also serves as photo editor for the journal Veterinary Pathology. She won the class of 2021 Laboratory Teaching Award last year (Almanac May 14, 2019).
Class of 2023 Lecture Teaching Award
Rose Nolen-Walston was a professional dressage rider and riding teacher before she graduated with her DVM from the University of Georgia in 2001. She completed an internship and residency in large animal internal medicine at Tufts University. Dr. Nolen-Walston spent a year there doing research in adult stem cell biology in mice, then joined the faculty at Penn Vet, where she has been teaching and practicing internal medicine at New Bolton Center. She received the Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award in 2017 (Almanac May 23, 2017) and the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Award in 2014 (Almanac April 15, 2014).
Class of 2023 Laboratory Teaching Award
Nancy Gartland teaches Histological Basis of Pathology and Developmental Biology at Penn Vet and is the director of their labs. After earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in biology from Rutgers University, Dr. Gartland taught there for 10 years. She has been at Penn Vet for 25 years and has also taught at Camden County College for the last 15 years. She completed a doctorate in education from Rowan University. In 2006, Penn Vet honored Dr. Gartland with a Best Teacher of the Decade award. “I am truly grateful to be able to come to work with such a wonderful group of faculty, staff and administrators,” she said. “However, I am mostly honored and truly lucky to be able to teach so many wonderful, brilliant and hardworking students who I expect will change the world for the better.”
Colan Wang: Inaugural Wharton Prism Fellow
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania announced its new Prism Fellowship, which recognizes an outstanding MBA student who is both a member of and demonstrates leadership in support of the LGBTQIA+ community. The Prism Fellowship covers the full cost of tuition for Wharton’s two-year, full-time MBA program and is likely the first of its kind at any business school.
Colan Wang of Toronto, Ontario, is the inaugural recipient. He will join the Wharton MBA Class of 2022 this fall and is currently a business consultant at TD Wealth. At TD Wealth he leads a gender-inclusion project that will benefit the bank’s clients with diverse gender identities and expressions by providing an opportunity to ensure that their preferred name and pronoun appears across written, digital and in-person bank communications.
The Prism Fellowship was established in 2019 by Jeffrey Schoenfeld (WG’84), a partner at Brown Brothers Harriman. It will be awarded annually to one student admitted to the Wharton MBA Program.
“We recognize the power of bringing a range of experiences and perspectives together to foster an inclusive MBA community focused on making a positive impact on the world,” said Wharton MBA Admissions Director Blair Mannix. “Colan’s strong leadership, collaboration and analytical skills exemplify what the fellowship represents, and we are thrilled to welcome him into our vibrant, supportive and dynamic community this fall.”
“As one of very few ‘out’ MBA students entering Wharton in 1982, I truly marvel today at how far LGBTQ recognition and integration have become embraced by the broader business community,” said Mr. Schoenfeld. “I am also mighty proud that Wharton has emerged as a leader in building the most diverse class among leading US business schools and feel privileged to support LGBTQ student leaders through their MBA journey.”
Prism Fellows are selected by the Wharton Fellowship Committee based on their leadership qualities, community impact and personal essays submitted with their MBA program application.
“I am honored to be named the first Prism Fellow at Wharton and excited to join the supportive culture that I experienced first-hand during Wharton’s LGBT Visit Day,” said Mr. Wang. “This community is filled with LGBTQIA+ students and allies who are there for each other, and I look forward to making a positive impact and building valuable connections that will last throughout my career.”
The Prism Fellowship is part of a Wharton tradition of supporting student diversity programs. Examples include numerous student cultural and affinity clubs, a nearly 50 percent female MBA student representation and special peer learning activities including the Return on Equality Coalition.
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Mary Elizabeth (Beth) Soldo, former Joseph E. and Ruth E. Boettner Professor of Financial Gerontology and director of the Boettner Center of Financial Gerontology, died May 28 after a long illness. She was 71. 
Christo, one half of the experimental artist team Christo and Jeanne-Claude, passed away on May 31, 2020. Christo and Jeanne-Claude created large public installations that played with perceptions of scale–they often wrapped prominent landmarks in fabric, for instance. The couple, who met in Paris in the 1950s, created works that often took years of design and construction and often drew criticism and controversy from their audience.