June 23, 2020 Volume 66 Issue 40

June 16, 2020

As we approach the final weeks of the current fiscal year, we are writing to update you on the financial challenges presented by COVID-19. Our principal goal is to provide transparency into the fiscal realities and uncertainties we must confront as a community. Last week, the Board of Trustees approved the operating budgets and capital plans for Fiscal Year 2021. We write today to share a summary of the financial information provided to the Board of Trustees.

The University is forecasting a budget deficit of $91 million for Fiscal Year 2021. The deficit stems from several revenue uncertainties including student enrollment and research funding along with reductions in housing occupancy and dining services as well as commercial revenue from our hotels, retail and other support enterprises. Concurrently, we are anticipating increased demand for financial aid due to the economic fall out from the pandemic.

To respond to these challenges, we will need to continue the measures we adopted in the Spring related to compensation, discretionary spending and capital spending. In addition, later this week, we will be asking all administrative centers to reduce their budgets by 5%. Schools are also being asked to reduce unrestricted expenditures.

In considering ways to reduce discretionary spending, we are advising leadership to first focus on current expense (i.e., travel, meals, supplies and professional services.) We want to exhaust those possibilities prior to consideration of reductions to our workforce.

Over the past few months, we have received a number of excellent questions regarding our financial status. We are sharing responses to those questions with you, as well as anticipating other questions that members of the community may have in the FAQ below.

Looking Ahead

The talent, dedication, hard work and collaborative spirit of our Penn community of faculty, researchers, staff and alumni make us an eminent national and global university. The critical steps we take right now are necessary to sustain our mission of world-class teaching, research, clinical care and service to society. Keeping Penn’s core mission front and center is especially crucial as the pandemic has reinforced the vital role of universities and academic-based medical centers such as Penn in our modern world. As the pandemic poses a set of formidable challenges to all colleges and universities, our strong and collaborative Penn community will continue to rise to meet this moment.

Please stay safe, and we will look forward to providing future updates.

FAQ on the Fiscal Year 2021 Budget

What has been the financial impact to date on the University?

In March, the threat of COVID-19 shut down both our campus and our city. Undaunted in continuing our missions, we depopulated campus and pivoted to remote learning and work. These actions resulted in an unplanned impact of $47 million in the current fiscal year as we provided eligible students with housing and dining rebates and assisted in transportation and relocation costs; returned students from semester abroad programs; invested in technology and infrastructure to facilitate remote learning; provided financial assistance to eligible Penn staff and contracted workers; abated rent for certain tenants within Penn’s retail portfolio; made grants to small businesses in West Philadelphia and non-profit agencies across the city; reconfigured labs; and made other investments, large and small, that created a protective public health environment across campus. Simultaneously, we experienced revenue losses from closing retail establishments, performing arts centers, and museums; providing free access to parking garages; and cancelling athletic events and summer camps, among other impacts.

Won’t the University’s “unplanned expenses” be offset by other reductions in current expenses?

We are deeply grateful for and impressed by how rapidly all members of the Penn community have responded to our requests to curtail discretionary spending (https://coronavirus.upenn.edu/announcement/message-summer-programming-and-budget-considerations-fiscal-year-2021). For example, the adherence to travel restrictions has resulted in a dramatic reduction in travel-related expenditures. We have also seen reductions in other costs, such as utilities (from reduced occupancy) and other forms of current expense. Yet our single largest cost—compensation—has remained steady, as the vast majority of full and part time employees, as well as most temporary employees, have remained in full pay status. In sum, these expenditure reductions have helped to reduce the blow from the revenue reductions, but there is no windfall resulting from our reduced presence on campus.

What has been the financial impact to date on Penn Medicine?

The numbers included in this message only address the academic component of the University. As EVP J. Larry Jameson and CEO Kevin Mahoney have shared with Penn Medicine leadership, the COVID-19 pandemic constrained clinical activity, significantly reducing both current and future financial performance at the Health System. There were substantial revenue losses due to decanting of the hospitals in preparation for COVID-19, along with a rise in expenditures for necessary protective equipment. While a recovery plan is underway, the Health System, which provides valuable support to the Perelman School of Medicine, is forecasting margins at half of its historical levels. The Health System will face ongoing financial challenges until clinical activity returns to normal in outpatient and to hospital-based settings and there will likely be reimbursement challenges resulting from the sharp rise in unemployment in the region. Further financial information will be provided to the Penn Medicine community as results are available at the end of this fiscal year and after the first quarter of FY21.

Will Penn achieve a balanced budget in the current fiscal year?

Thanks to the rapid efforts by everyone to reduce expenditures, we expect the University to finish slightly above breakeven for the year, but below our original budget.

What has been the impact of cost containment measures?

In April, as we planned the budget for FY21, we forecast a substantial deficit. We quickly implemented cost containment strategies, including implementing a freeze on hiring new positions, curtailing merit increases for FY21, slowing planned capital spending, and dramatically reducing travel, entertainment, and discretionary spending. These preemptive actions proved effective, as the forecast FY21 deficit decreased by approximately one third, declining from $148 million to $91 million.

What are the factors driving the Fiscal Year 2021 deficit?

Several factors will contribute to the University’s financial health in the coming year. There are many unknowns at this point, but potential factors include: reduction in the size of our enrolled student body, decrease in housing and dining plans, decreased funding for our research operations, reductions in ancillary income stemming from a variety of independent and support operations, and revenue loss from campus events. Conversely, we have recently increased the financial aid budget, as students and their families face economic pressure stemming from the negative impact of the pandemic. Student aid is one of our highest priorities, and so our aid budget increases according to the needs of our student population.

What additional measures will be taken to address the deficit?

First, we must clarify the $91 million projected budget deficit. Included within this projection are approximately $40 million of one-time, non-recurring expenditures related to COVID-19 preparation and impact as well as anticipated increases in student aid. For example, we previously announced the waiver of the summer earnings requirement for all aided undergraduates for the summer of 2020. When factoring in these one-time, non-recurring costs, the net deficit is $50 million.

To address the forecasted deficit, we will need to continue the measures announced in March related to compensation, discretionary spending and capital. However, we will need to take additional action in order to realign our spending with revenues. We are directing each school, administrative center, and resource center to reduce FY21 expenses with an overall target of $50 million. The primary objective is a reduction in discretionary spending across the board. Even though salaries and benefits make up 60% of our expenses, this will be the last area we target for expense reductions. Instead, we are asking that every area of the University reduce spending on travel, entertainment, outside professional service contracts in management consulting, marketing, legal and accounting, event sponsorships, memberships and subscriptions, just to name a few. Much can be gained by curtailing these discretionary expenses. We sincerely hope that these cuts are all that is required to close the deficit.

We recognize and appreciate the actions taken to date by many Schools and Centers to address their specific financial challenges.

Will the University enact layoffs?

Part of what makes Penn special for our wonderful faculty and students is our exceptional staff: our custodians, research lab technicians, dining workers, office professionals, safety officers, and skilled trades and grounds staff, to name just a few. We are a community, and we have done everything we can to keep our community together. While we truly wish that we could say with certainty that there will be no furloughs or layoffs, there is, unfortunately, too much about the future that we simply do not know. What we do know is that, when we make decisions about our collective future, the welfare of our employees will remain a critically important factor.

The Division of Human Resources has developed guidance and enhanced options for School and Center leadership to enable both voluntary and involuntary separations and furloughs. As the impact of COVID-19 is uneven across the University, each School and Center will need to develop a plan that addresses its unique circumstances.

How will the deficit impact capital construction on campus?

Every approved capital project at the University is required to a fully defined funding plan when initiated. As a result, capital projects currently underway will continue. In addition, we have maintained the current level of facilities renewal funding to continue to invest in the maintenance of our physical plant.

In March, central administration requested all Schools and Centers reevaluate their capital plans in light of the new environment. The FY21 Capital Plan was revised downward to $238 million, a 60% decrease. Remaining projects on the FY21 Plan are strategic priorities, infrastructure, and enabling projects. New feasibility and design studies not currently underway will not proceed at this time.

Why can’t we tap the endowment to address the deficit?

First, it is important to know that endowment spending is helping Penn to address the deficit. Penn’s endowment spending will grow by 3.7% in the FY 21 budget—the largest revenue growth in the FY21 budget—based on the University’s current spending policy.

Second, the endowment plays a critically important role in both supporting Penn today and sustaining it into the future. Comprised of philanthropic donations, and existing as several thousand smaller and permanent funds that are designated for specific purposes, the endowment provides ongoing support over the long life of the institution. It is a source of funding over time for critical priorities from teaching, research, and financial aid to health care, libraries, and athletic programs. About one quarter of Penn’s endowment directly supports the Health System, a high level relative to peer institutions. All these programs depend on endowment funding both today and into the future.

While temporarily increasing endowment spending may sound like an easy solution, strong constraints govern its spending. These constraints are designed to sustain the University’s mission over time. Distinct from a personal “rainy day” savings account, every dollar of Penn’s endowment is already earmarked for either current or future spending. The key is finding the right balance.

Endowment spending is growing in next year’s budget in order to support today’s Penn community, which bears the brunt of the current crisis. At the same time, we must be sure not to take so much from future spending that we weaken rather than strengthen the University in the years to come.

Yet another important consideration is that our endowment spending is also constrained by legal obligations that Penn must fulfill. By law, endowment funds must benefit the specific school, center, program, and health system originally identified by donors at the time of their gifts. In addition, state law further governs how much can be spent over particular periods of time.

By striking the right balance between present and future, we will sustain Penn through the uncertainty that lies ahead. Given Penn’s mission and our contribution to the strength of our community, society and world, prudently balanced endowment spending has never been more important.

What if I have ideas or suggestions on ways for Penn to save money?

We welcome any constructive suggestions or ideas for Penn to conserve its resources during these uncertain times. Please send an email to either provost@upenn.edu or evp@upenn.edu

—Wendell Pritchett, Provost
—Craig R. Carnaroli, EVP

Provost Wendell Pritchett announced the appointment of Beth Winkelstein as Deputy Provost effective July 1. “Beth Winkelstein has become one of our most essential leaders of teaching, learning and student life, since she began her tenure as Vice Provost for Education five years ago,” said Provost Pritchett. “Her insight and energy enhance every part of our campus. She leads both undergraduate and graduate education, collaborating with deans, faculty leaders and the Office of the Vice Provost for University Life, as well as the Council of Undergraduate Deans, Council of Graduate Deans, Graduate Council of the Faculties and Council of Professional Master’s Degree Deans.

“As Deputy Provost, she will continue this invaluable work while working closely with me to better integrate and expand our educational initiatives,” continued Provost Pritchett, “especially by incorporating new technologies, new ways of teaching and additional supports for faculty and students that advance our core priorities of innovation, impact and inclusion. As we enter this new and challenging phase of Penn history, Beth is the perfect person to help us chart the landscape ahead.”

A former Penn undergraduate, Dr. Winkelstein has been a dynamic leader of initiatives to enhance undergraduate student life, especially the new Penn First Plus program, which provides targeted support for first-generation and/or low-income students, and the dedicated Second-Year Experience, which offers enhanced programs for second-year students to accompany the new Second-Year housing requirement. She has at the same time been a vital advocate for Penn’s graduate and professional students, overseeing the Graduate Student Center and Family Center, while advancing a series of initiatives to improve every aspect of support for students’ academic progress, professional advancement and work-life balance. Her leadership spans such key areas as College Houses and Academic Services, New Student Orientation, the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, and the Office of Student Conduct. And that leadership has been especially critical for the Online Learning Initiative and the Center for Teaching and Learning, in these recent months, when their work has become central to Penn’s educational efforts.

Dr. Winkelstein’s leadership is based in her deep knowledge of and appreciation for this University, as well as her own scholarly and research distinction. She has taught in the bioengineering department of SEAS since 2002, becoming in that time one of the world’s leading innovators in research on new treatments for spine and other joint injuries. Appointed two years ago as Eduardo D. Glandt President’s Distinguished Professor, she continues to lead her pioneering Spine Pain Research Lab, mentor students and postdocs, and serve as co-editor of the Journal of Biomechanical Engineering. Among her many professional honors, she is a Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and was elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and the World Council of Biomechanics. 

Dr. Winkelstein earned a PhD in bioengineering from Duke University and a BSE cum laude in bioengineering from Penn as a Benjamin Franklin Scholar. 

Penn Dental Medicine faculty members have been honored for excellence in teaching by the Class of 2020. Each academic year, the graduating class recognizes members of the faculty who have had a significant impact of their educational experience; this year’s awards and recipients included the following:

The Basic Science Award

This award is presented for excellence in teaching within the basic sciences. This year’s recipient is Michael Speirs, lecturer in the department of basic & translational sciences. Dr. Speirs has been teaching at Penn Dental Medicine since 2006 and has been a member of the Penn faculty since 1996. Since the advent of the new Penn Dental Medicine curriculum, Dr. Speirs has taught systemic and clinical anatomy across the two-year basic science track and directs both the first-year and second-year cadaveric anatomy lab courses. This was the second time Dr. Speirs has received this award, also having been honored in 2015.

The Robert E. DeRevere Award

This award is presented for excellence in preclinical teaching by a part-time faculty member. The award is named in honor of Dr. DeRevere, a member of the Penn Dental Medicine Class of 1945, who served on the School’s faculty.

This year’s recipient is Frank Smithgall (C’79, D’83), clinical associate professor of restorative dentistry, who has been a member of the School’s part-time faculty since 1984. Dr. Smithgall lectures in preclinical courses, and for the past six years, he has been course director of “Partial Removable Dental Prosthesis.” This is the sixth time he has been recognized with this award, also receiving it in 1990, 2010, 2011, 2016 and 2018.

The Joseph L. T. Appleton Award

This award is presented to a part-time faculty member for excellence in clinical teaching. David Nepa, clinical associate in the department of preventive & restorative sciences, has been part of the School’s clinical faculty since 2017. Over the past year, Dr. Nepa has been an assistant group leader for DMD students in the clinic and has worked extensively teaching chair-side CAD-CAM technology.

The Appleton Award is named in honor of Dr. Joseph Appleton, a 1914 alumnus of Penn Dental Medicine, who served as dean of the School from 1941 to 1951. The award was founded in 1979 by Abram Cohen, a member of the Class of 1923 and father of Dean Emeritus D. Walter Cohen, Class of 1950.

The Earle Bank Hoyt Award

This award is presented for excellence in teaching to a faculty member who is a Penn Dental Medicine graduate. The award was established by a grateful patient in honor of Dr. Hoyt, a distinguished clinician and educator and member of the Class of 1918. This year’s recipient was Frank Setzer (GD’06, MS’07, D’10). Dr. Setzer is an assistant professor of endodontics and director of the Predoctoral Endodontics Program and the Endodontic Clinic. He teaches endodontic courses and seminars in both the pre- and postdoctoral programs.

The Senior Outstanding Teaching Award

This award is presented to a faculty member who has gone beyond the scope of his/her responsibilities to significantly impact the class’s education at Penn Dental Medicine. This year’s recipient is Artur Kofman, director of Laboratory Affairs and the Office of Laboratory Affairs supervisor for the clinical labs at the School; this is the fourth year in a row that he was recognized with this award. Mr. Kofman has been sharing his knowledge and expertise in dental lab work with students as a member of the School’s staff for the past 19 years. Among his responsibilities, he coordinates students’ lab work from the School to commercial laboratories and vice versa, guides dental students in lab-related technical issues, and provides hands-on assistance as needed for minor adjustments to dental appliances at a chair-side setting.

The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, local governments and the regional business community have formed a task force to tackle short-term goals to kickstart the economy from the effects of Covid-19.

The Philadelphia Regional Recharge and Recovery Taskforce will look at the challenges for an immediate economic recovery, and determine what resources are needed from local governments to accelerate business recovery. The task force members include:

• Penn President Amy Gutmann
• Penn Trustee Chair David L. Cohen, Comcast
• Penn Trustee Osagie Imasogie,   PIPV Capital
• Penn Provost Wendell E. Pritchett

June 12, 2020

Earlier this week, the division’s senior administrators and I met virtually with approximately 30 Black student-athletes at Penn in an honest, collaborative and impactful dialog regarding their experience as a student-athlete. As a Division, we admit we have not done enough to take an active stand against racism and are firmly committed to becoming an organization that is truly anti-racist.

We are proud of our student-athletes, coaches and staff who have used their voices and actions to stand up against the injustices that have plagued our society for far too long. As a Division, we believe we can be a catalyst for change locally, in the Ivy League and nationally. To create a society that treats everyone equally, the change begins in our homes, in our communities, in Weightman Hall and in the Pottruck Center, one conversation at a time.

Penn Athletics is forming a task force comprised of student-athletes, coaches and staff to continue the fight against racism and systemic oppression of Black Americans. This task force will be charged with listening to our Black community and its allies, creating a plan and implementing change in 2020-2021 and beyond.

Our initial actions, which were identified in collaboration with our Black student-athletes are below:

• Expand implicit bias and microaggression training to all coaches, staff and student-athletes.
• Identify a physical and inclusive gathering place for Black student-athletes and allies within the Penn Athletics footprint to come together on a regular basis.
• Assess how Penn Athletics can better support Black student-athletes in their academic pursuits.
• Create a Diversity and Inclusion position on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
• Appoint a Chief Diversity Officer for Penn Athletics and surround that individual with resources to coordinate Penn Athletics’ efforts against racism.
• Continue efforts to hire a diverse athletics administration and coaching staff, and enhance the diversity of sports boards and our Athletics Board of Overseers.
• Grow our current civic engagement programming with a focus on improving the social, athletic and educational experience of Black and Brown youth in the West Philadelphia community.
• Identify and promote the historical impact of our Black alumni student-athletes and Penn Athletics Hall of Famers.
• Use our collective voices to positively impact the University, the Ivy League and the NCAA in areas related to social justice.

I continue to be proud to stand with you as the Director of Athletics. This change will not happen overnight; however, we are committed to listening, learning and acting in the weeks, months and years ahead.

—M. Grace Calhoun, T. Gibbs Kane, Jr.  W’69 Director of Athletics and Recreation

The following holidays will be observed by the University in the upcoming fiscal year (July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021) on the dates listed below:

• Independence Day, Friday, July 3, 2020
• Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2020
• Thanksgiving, Thursday and Friday, November 26 & 27, 2020
• Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, 2020
• New Year’s Day, Friday, January 1, 2021
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday, January 18, 2021
• Memorial Day, Monday, May 31, 2021

To the University Community:

Each year, the President, Provost and Executive Vice President assess the feasibility of observing Penn’s traditional Special Winter Vacation. Thus, the Special Winter Vacation granted to faculty and staff will be December 24, 28, 29, 30, 31, 2020 and January 4, 5, 2021. If an employee is required to work to continue departmental operations for part or all of this period, the Special Winter Vacation can be rescheduled for some other time.

Staff members who are absent from work either the work day before a holiday, the work day after a holiday, or both days, will receive holiday pay if that absence is charged to pre-approved paid time off or to sick time substantiated by a written note from the staff member’s health care provider.

Vacations and holidays for hospital employees or those staff members in collective bargaining units are governed by the terms of hospital policies or their respective collective bargaining agreements.

—Division of Human Resources

Gunnil Sjöberg, former lecturer in the Germanic languages and literatures department in Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences, died in early June at a nursing home in Uppsala, Sweden. She was 88.

Mrs. Sjöberg was a native of Sweden. She joined the faculty at Penn in 1967. She represented the Scandinavian section of the department of Germanic languages and literatures for many years, teaching courses on Swedish language, literature and film. She was promoted to senior lecturer in 1984 and was honored in 1995 by Richard R. Beeman, associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, and Horst S. Daemmrich, department chair, for her superior teaching. Mrs. Sjöberg was instrumental in establishing the Amandus Johnson Prize at Penn, which is still being bestowed to the most deserving student for travel to study in Sweden. She also served on the University Council from 1985 to 1986.

Mrs. Sjöberg’s husband, Ake Sjöberg, was Emeritus Clark Research Professor of Assyriology in the department of Near Eastern languages and civilizations and emeritus curator of the Babylonian section of the Penn Museum (Almanac August 26, 2014). They both retired from Penn in 1996 and returned to Sweden, where they remained for the remainder of both their lives.

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To Report A Death

Almanac appreciates being informed of the deaths of current and former faculty and staff members, students and other members of the University community. Call (215) 898-5274 or email almanac@upenn.edu

However, notices of alumni deaths should be directed to the Alumni Records Office at Suite 300, 2929 Walnut St., (215) 898-8136 or email record@ben.dev.upenn.edu

Requests by alumni/ae to amend their submitted thesis or dissertation are infrequent and are only considered when there is a significant chance of harm (to readers and/or to research participants). On these rare occasions, having a well-defined and agreed-upon process is helpful for all parties. This policy covers dissertations and research master’s theses and was developed with the Graduate Council of the Faculties and the Council of Graduate Deans. The new policy has now been adopted and published in the Pennbook at https://catalog.upenn.edu/pennbook/

—Wendell E. Pritchett, Provost
—Beth A. Winkelstein, Vice Provost for Education

Once approved by the thesis/dissertation committee and published in the University’s ScholarlyCommons, all thesis/dissertation content becomes part of the formal record. Only in rare situations in which there is a significant chance of harm (to readers following the dissertation’s recommendations and/or to research informants/participants) will requests to amend the submitted thesis/dissertation be considered. Students and committees should follow all IRB guidance and review thesis/dissertation content carefully before submission to avoid this scenario whenever possible.

Any request to amend the dissertation must be approved by the thesis/dissertation advisor (if still on the Penn faculty) and Graduate Group Chair. Once approved, the request should be submitted by the Graduate Group Chair, along with a rationale for consideration, to the Vice Provost for Education for final approval.

Two types of amendments will be considered: (1) the removal or modification of classified, proprietary or confidential information, or (2) the addition of an errata sheet to note and correct significant errors in content. If the purpose is to remove or modify classified, proprietary or confidential information, the author should fill out the page substitution request form. If the purpose is to note and correct significant errors in content, the author should create an errata sheet using the errata sheet form and instructions.

The Office of the Vice Provost for Research, in consultation with the Provost’s Council on Research, is responsible for setting minimum stipend levels for postdoctoral trainees across the University. In recent years, the University has adopted the National Research Service Awards (NRSA) stipend scale for all postdocs on campus (see https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-20-070.html). Reaching this goal was a noteworthy achievement, principally because it ensured equal treatment for postdoctoral compensation across the University.

For FY2021, as a consequence of the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on research operations, some flexibility is necessary. Schools that choose to follow the NRSA guidelines will be permitted to do so. For all other Schools, the use of the NRSA stipend levels to the maximum extent possible is recommended but is not required this year. Postdocs who are supported by NRSA individual fellowships or institutional training grants should have their stipends set at the appropriate level as determined by the number of years of relevant postdoctoral experience. For continuing postdocs, Schools electing not to follow the NRSA guidelines should follow the same procedure for stipend increases as they use for comparable employees, e.g. Research Associates. For first year postdocs who are not funded by NRSA or training grants the minimum stipend level will be set at the year-0 NRSA stipend from FY2020 [$50,004].

Penn investigators are also expected to comply with any postdoctoral stipend guidelines promulgated by their sponsors, if these sponsor-specified guidelines exceed the Penn minimum stipend levels.

Note: Stipends should be adjusted upwards at the time of the annual postdoctoral reappointment, at the time of the annual grant renewal or at the beginning of the NIH fiscal year (October 1).

—Dawn Bonnell, Vice Provost for Research

Nia Akins, one of the greatest athletes in Penn history, has been named an Indoor Track & Field All-American by the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Ms. Akins, who graduated in May, was off to a stellar senior track & field season before it was cut short by the coronavirus. Competing at Boston University’s David Hemery Valentine Invitational in February, she ran the second-fastest indoor 800m in NCAA history, placing first with a time of 2:00.71.

She was the national runner-up in 2019 in the indoor and outdoor 800m. Big things were expected at this year’s indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships, which were canceled because of COVD-19.

In the Penn record books, she is first all-time in the outdoor 800m; first in the indoor 4x800m relay; first in the outdoor 4x800m relay; first in the outdoor 1500m; first in the outdoor 4x400m relay; first in the outdoor DMR; first in the indoor 800m; and first in the indoor 1000m.

At last year’s Penn Relays, Ms. Akins was named College Athlete of the Meet, making her the first Penn athlete, male or female, to win the award and only the fourth overall in Ivy League history. Currently, she is training for the Olympics.

James Primosch, professor of music in Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences, received the 2020 Virgil Thomson Award in Vocal Music. The award, endowed by the Virgil Thomson Foundation and administered by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, recognizes an American composer of vocal works and includes a prize of $40,000.

Dr. Primosch’s instrumental, vocal, and electronic works have been performed throughout the US and in Europe by such ensembles as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Collage New Music, the New York New Music Ensemble and the 21st Century Consort. Commissioned works by Dr. Primosch have been premiered by the Chicago Symphony, the Albany Symphony, Speculum Musicae, the Cantata Singers and pianist Lambert Orkis. He recently completed commissions from the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and Lyric Fest, and two CDs featuring his vocal music were released this spring. His previous honors include a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Joseph Earl Thomas, a doctoral student in the department of English in Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences, was awarded the 2020 Chautauqua Janus Prize. First awarded in 2018, the Chautauqua Janus Prize celebrates one emerging writer’s single work of short fiction or nonfiction for daring formal and aesthetic innovations that upset and reorder literary conventions, historical narratives and readers’ imaginations.

Mr. Thomas won for his piece, Reality Marble, a memoir that draws on the natural world and the genres of fantasy and science fiction.

“There’s this almost incommunicable subjectivity in childhood that I’m trying to take seriously as a life of thinking in itself that’s very separate from me, rather than a stepping stone toward a better, more stoic and individuated self with an empathetic lure to gaze back on,” Mr. Thomas said. “Reality Marble, using the coming-of-age genre, tries to think about what it’s like to never quite get there, because I certainly never thought I would and plenty of us, every day, don’t.”

Mr. Thomas receives an award of $5,000 and will present a public lecture and reading at a celebratory event as part of Chautauqua Institution’s online assembly season this summer. His writing, which has appeared or is forthcoming in The Offing, and The Kenyon Review, will also appear in a future issue of the literary journal, Chautauqua.

Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship recently announced the winner of the fourth annual Startup Challenge, sponsored by Eric Aroesty (C’92): My Virtual Veterinarian, founded by Felicity Johnson (WG’20) and advised by John Hurst (WG’20, V’20). The Perlman Grand Prize includes $30,000 plus $15,000 in legal, accounting and strategy services.

A virtual veterinary portal for pet owners, My Virtual Veterinarian makes it possible for pets to receive the care they need, when they need it. Due to the global health crisis surrounding COVID-19, Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship held the competition in a virtual setting on May 1 and 2, following the leadership of the University of Pennsylvania and The Wharton School.

My Virtual Veterinarian connects pet owners with veterinarians for video and chat appointments, providing a unique solution during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Johnson founded the company after experiencing time-consuming medical visits when her cat Tiffany was diagnosed with cancer. Through the My Virtual Veterinarian iOS app, pet owners can access their primary veterinarian, or find a different veterinarian who is available for virtual veterinary appointments and schedule a convenient appointment time. This flexibility extends to the veterinarians, who can schedule appointments that fit their schedule, avoid unnecessary office visits and access new customers.

University of Pennsylvania was recently ranked #1 in Pennsylvania, #8 nationally and #15 in the world in the QS World University Rankings portfolio.

The list of the top 300 American universities offers a unique lens on the extent to which the nation’s universities are cultivating (a) equitable access, (b) diversity, and (c) creditworthy employability outcomes. The ranking was compiled using a combination of bespoke proprietary data and verifiable institutional data, such as the proportion of students receiving Pell Grants, the school’s gender pay gap and its average alumni salary after 10 years.

Penn Dental Medicine Dean Mark S. Wolff has been recognized for his research by the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) and American Association for Dental Research (AADR) as a recipient of the 2020 IADR/AADR William J. Gies Award for clinical research. The Gies Awards are presented annually in three categories—biological research, biomaterials and bioengineering research, and clinical research—for the best papers published in the IADR/AADR’s Journal of Dental Research. The Gies Awards are named for William J. Gies, the journal’s founder.

Dean Wolff, who is also a professor in the department of preventive and restorative sciences, received the clinical research award along with his co-authors (O. Urquhart, M.P. Tampi, L. Pilcher, R.L. Slayton, M.W.B. Araujo, M. Fontana, S. Guzmán-Armstrong, M.M. Nascimento, B.B. Nový, N. Tinanoff, R.J. Weyant, D.A. Young, D.T. Zero, R. Brignardello-Petersen, L. Banfield, A. Parikh, G. Joshi) for the paper titled “Nonrestorative Treatments for Caries: Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis,” Journal of Dental Research 98(1): 14-26, 2019.

This systematic review and network meta-analysis summarizes the available evidence on nonrestorative caries treatments (not using the drill) for arresting or reversing noncavitated (early tooth decay) and cavitated carious lesions (cavities) on primary and permanent teeth; it also provides a review of the evidence for and adverse events seen with varied treatment modalities. It provides clinicians with clinic-ready guidance on how to best treat their patients on a daily basis.

“While preventing the onset of caries is the ultimate goal of a caries management plan, our review provides important guidelines for nonrestorative management of carious lesions when disease is present,” said Dean Wolff.

Associate Professor Aaron Wunsch of the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation in Penn’s Weitzman School of Design has been awarded the Peterson Fellowship from the Athenaeum of Philadelphia in support of his work on Parceling the Picturesque: Landscape, Literature, and Urban Life in Philadelphia’s Laurel Hill Cemetery. The fellowship supports projects related to the study, recording and preservation of early American architecture and building technology.

Penn Dental Medicine student Grace Huang (D’21) has been recognized for her research, taking first place in the junior category of the 2020 American Association for Dental Research (AADR) Hatton Competition. The annual competition awards prizes in three categories (junior, senior and postdoctoral) with winners selected from the top abstracts submitted nationwide.

Active in research throughout her time at Penn Dental Medicine, Ms. Huang’s winning project was titled “Cytolethal Distending Toxin (Cdt) Induces Macrophages to Release Pro-Inflammatory Mediators,” which she conducted with mentor Bruce Shenker, professor in the department of basic and translational sciences.

As a 2019 recipient of a Penn Dental Medicine AADR Travel Award for this project, Ms. Huang would have attended this year’s IADR/AADR/CADR annual meeting in March to present her work. With the meeting cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the AADR Hatton Competition finalists were asked to submit slide and video presentations and were judged on their submission. Judging criteria included originality and design of the investigation, quality of the data produced, suitability of the methods of analysis used, scientific value of the work, quality of the oral presentation and demonstration of mastery of the subject.

The work of two Penn Dental Medicine postgraduate researchers has been recognized by the International Association for Dental Research (IADR): Aurea Simon-Soro was the recipient of the 2020 IADR Oral Health Research Young Investigators Travel Award, and Yuan Liu (GD’19) was honored with the 2020 IADR Women in Science Promising Talent Award. Both women are part of the research lab of Hyun (Michel) Koo, professor in the department of orthodontics and divisions of pediatric dentistry and community oral health at Penn Dental Medicine.

The Oral Health Research Young Investigator Travel Award is open to predoctoral students, postdoctoral students and students who are in a certified dental hygiene program who have an accepted abstract in Oral Health Research and would be presenting the abstract themselves at the IADR General Session. Selection is based on originality, scientific rigor and potential impact on global oral health. The award is meant to help cover travel to and accommodations at the General Session. With the cancellation of the 2020 IADR General Session due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IADR Oral Health Group has offered to support travel to the 2021 IADR General Session in Chengdu, China, through this award.

Presently in the Biomedical Postdoctoral Program at Penn (her second PhD program at Penn), Dr. Simon-Soro has been conducting research within the Koo lab for three years, applying her skills in bioinformatics, microbiome analysis and biofilm imaging.

She was selected for a study that investigated an animal model that looked at modifications of microbiota related to oral disease and therapeutic intervention, examining specific microbiota composition and changes at different body sites.

The Women in Science Promising Talent Award recognizes young members of the IADR Women in Science Network who are dedicated to research as part of their postdoctoral training. Dr. Liu completed her DScD at Penn Dental Medicine in 2019 (and also holds an MS, a certificate in pediatric dentistry and a PhD) and has been conducting research in Dr. Koo’s lab since 2014. Her research focuses on understanding the relationship between biofilms and dental caries and seeking novel therapeutic strategies to control cariogenic biofilms.

Drs. Liu and Simon-Soro were both previously recognized for their research by the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) and the IADR. Dr. Liu was awarded second place (post-doctoral category) in the 2018 AADR Hatton Awards and Dr. Simon-Soro was the 2019 recipient of the IADR Women in Science Award for Distinguished Research.

The University of Pennsylvania Libraries Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts has been honored with an RBMS Katharine Kyes Leab and Daniel J. Leab Exhibition Catalogue Award from the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). The award was granted for the Kislak Center’s publication Wise Men Fished Here: A Centennial Exhibition in Honor of the Gotham Book Mart, 1920-2020.

“The creative and dynamic design coupled with the comprehensive content of this catalog contribute to the stand-out character of Wise Men Fished Here,” read a statement from the Leab Awards Committee. “The under-told story of the woman bookseller at the center of the exhibition, and her influence on the arc of modernism, has both high scholarly value and broad appeal to a general public.”

The ACRL’s annual awards honor the best in academic and research librarianship. More information, in addition to a full list of 2020 ACRL award recipients, is available online: http://www.ala.org/acrl/awards/awardwinners/winners

The National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) announced this week that the Penn Athletics Marketing Department was awarded a Silver in the Multi-Platform Branding Campaign category for their work on the 125 Years of Franklin Field campaign.

2019 marked 125 years since the opening of historic Franklin Field. From January through December, Penn Athletics executed a collaborative campaign to celebrate the history and impact of Franklin Field. It began with the unveiling of a logo, announcement of corporate partners, launching a landing page and monthly posts on social media. Throughout the year a four-part video series supported the celebration and told the story of Franklin Field. Special events like Wawa Welcome America’s Philly at the Movies were held in the stadium. No campaign is complete without giveaways—Franklin Field 125 was featured on frisbees, stickers, a commemorative key chain and lead the theme for the 2019 Penn Football schedule poster.

33rd Street was lined with Franklin Field 125 street banners. Inside the stadium one could see signage on the field, a season-long field stencil in the end zones, and Weightman Hall marking the anniversary. Plus, a special art installation was debuted on the concourse of Franklin Field and took onlookers through a visual timeline of the stadium’s evolution and impact on life at the University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia sports scene. The theme carried throughout football with in-game trivia, commemorative season ticket stock and digital advertising. The equipment department got into the celebration by adding the logo to helmets of teams that played in Franklin Field, along with throwback jerseys and helmets for the football team. The uniforms garnered national attention and were featured on the “Gear Up” segment on ESPN.

The NACMA Best of Awards program honors outstanding achievement in marketing and promotions. Awards are presented in 16 categories, with each category divided into three groups based upon school size and conference affiliations to promote fairness. In 2019-2020, approximately 900 entries were submitted through the NACMA community.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Paideia Program recently announced the acceptance of 20 students into the inaugural cohort of SNF Paideia Fellows. SNF Paideia Fellows are a select group of undergraduate students committed to developing the knowledge, skills and values needed for effective, ethical, and civil dialogue in a diverse world. Beginning sophomore year, SNF Paideia Fellows integrate wellness, service, citizenship and dialogue through a combination of academic courses, co-curricular events and hands-on leadership experiences. Fellowships encourage and support students’ ability to connect their public roles as community members with their academic, personal and professional lives in healthy, sustainable and fulfilling ways. The SNF Paideia Fellows program creates opportunities for students to practice robust and respectful civil dialogue with others across a wide range of political, social and cultural differences. Fellows also cultivate practices that enable them to make effective contributions to the local, national and global communities of which they are a part.

Following is the inaugural Class of 2023 Paideia Fellows:

Joshua Baek (C’23)
Inthat Boonpongmanee (C’23)
Naomi Fink (C’23)
Gabriel Gutierrez (C’23)
Avery Johnston (C’23)
Celia Kreth (C’23)
Amy Krimm (C’23)
Thomas Kyong (C’23)
Kira Lucas (C’23)
Catherine Michelutti (ENG’23)
Derek Nhieu (W’23)
Sydney Nixon (C’23)
Angelina Oh (C’23)
Thriaksh Rajan (C’23)
Shirali Shah (W’23)
Ayana Shirai (W’23)
Odyssia Sifounaki (C’23)
Jesse Soto (C’23)
Oliver Stern (C’23)
Giovanna Varlotta (C’23)

Special Events

Now   Baltimore Avenue Virtual Dollar Stroll; support Baltimore Avenue businesses by purchasing $1 raffle tickets for a chance to win prize packs; https://universitycity.rallyup.com/dollarstroll (UCD). Tickets available through June 24.

Sports
Fridays at 2:30 p.m., Quaker Classics will feature live rebroadcasts of Penn victories; info: https://tinyurl.com/quakerclassics; to watch: www.youtube.com/PennSportsNetwork 

6/26   (W) Soccer vs. Robert Morris; original broadcast: September 4, 2016.

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AT PENN Deadlines 

The Summer AT PENN calendar is online. The deadline to submit virtual events to be featured in an issue Update is the Monday of the prior week.

Morris Arboretum is excited to welcome visitors back to enjoy its open spaces and beautiful gardens. The staff is working diligently to provide a safe, fun and relaxing experience for all visitors in conformance with CDC, State, local and University of Pennsylvania guidelines.  

Morris Arboretum has made several changes with visitors’ well-being in mind:

• Advance tickets are required for all visitors.  Members visit for free but must reserve a time. Tickets are available at morrisarb.org/tickets
• The City of Philadelphia requires face coverings for all visitors age 2 years and older 
• One-way circulation on paths is necessary to facilitate social distancing
• The Visitor Center, the Shop and Compton Cafe are temporarily closed, but picnicking will be permitted in certain areas  
• The Garden Railway, Out on a Limb, the Fernery, and the Log Cabin are temporarily closed
• Restrooms are open and sanitized regularly
• Hand-sanitizing stations are located throughout the Arboretum
• Bring your own water and snacks

Advance tickets slots begin at 10 a.m., with the last ticket reservation at 3 p.m. Visitors may arrive 15 minutes before or no later than 15 minutes after their scheduled time. For more information on ticketing procedures, please visit the FAQs page at morrisarboretum.org

To prevent overcrowding, everyone visiting the Morris Arboretum must have an advance ticket, including infants and members. Visitors will be asked to present printed tickets or show their tickets on their phones. Guest passes will not be accepted at this time, but expiration dates will be waived for at least a year after the return to normal operations. Library passes cannot be used at this time. PennCards are accepted for the PennCard holder only, but like members, advance tickets are required. ACCESS cards members can reserve tickets at morrisaboretum.org, and must show their cards upon arrival. 

The panel discussion The Business of Sports Without Fans, hosted on The Wharton School’s LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/school/the-wharton-school/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/wharton) accounts, will be held on Wednesday, June 24 at noon. 

The live discussion will focus on the future of sports in a post-pandemic world and how leagues are pivoting their plans and business models to move forward without fans in attendance. Panelists will discuss the challenges and new opportunities sports business leaders will face as they navigate a new world of “sports without fans.”

To RSVP, visit https://www.linkedin.com/events/6678358362402406400/

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 June 8-14, 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 June 8-14, 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.

18th District

Below are the Crimes Against Persons from the 18th District: 4 incidents (2 aggravated assaults, 2 domestic assaults) were reported for June 8-14, 2020 by the 18th District, covering the Schuylkill River to 49th Street & Market Street to Woodland Avenue.

Do you participate in a Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA)? If so, we have good news for you. Thanks to recent Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations, HCFSA and DCFSA participants now have more time to incur expenses and submit claims for reimbursement. Changes have also been made to the rollover limit for HCFSAs.

Penn’s plan year runs from July 1 to June 30. The money you contribute to your FSA during each plan year can only be used for eligible expenses incurred within certain dates. Effective May 12, 2020, those dates have changed, as listed in the chart below.

Additionally, the rollover amount for Health Care FSAs has been increased from $500 to $550 for the current plan year. If you have an unused balance below $550 at the end of the extension (December 31, 2020), that money will be carried over for the 2020-2021 plan year after January 31, 2021. If you have an FSA balance above $550, you will only roll over $550 and forfeit any surplus.

Changing Your Contributions

If you want to increase or decrease the amount you contribute to your FSA each month you can through Workday without declaring a specific life event. You can do this for the remaining pay periods in the current plan year and during the 2020-2021 plan year until December 31, 2020.

Please note, once you change your contribution you will only be able to incur claims for the new contribution amount based on the effective date of your change. For example, if you increase your goal from $1,500 to $2,000 on June 25, the additional $500 can only be used for claims incurred from June 25, 2020 to December 31, 2020.

If the amount you have contributed to your FSA has already been deducted from your pay, you will not be able to get a refund. For step-by-step instructions on how to make changes to your FSA contributions, review the Self-Service: 2020-Special Election Event tip sheet at www.workday.upenn.edu/docs/default-source/tip-sheets/self-service-2020-special-election-event.pdf

A New Eligible Expense

As a result of the recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, you can now use HCFSA dollars to purchase Over the Counter (OTC) medications without a prescription, and feminine care products. Examples of OTC medications include aspirin, allergy medication, band-aids, ace bandages, and knee braces.

For more information about FSAs, visit the Flexible Spending Accounts webpage at www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay/health-life-and-fsa/health/flexible-spending-accounts/claiming-reimbursement-from-a-flexible-spending-account

—Division of Human Resources

Stemming from the University’s retirement of the Transaction Authorization Card (TAC Card), effective July 1, customers of the Penn Bookstore now have four options for making purchases.

Purchases using any of these options are tax free and receive the 10% departmental discount.

Purchase Orders: PO’s are designed for pre-planned purchases where the item, price, and quantity are known such as bulk purchases of books, course materials and regalia, as well as special orders. Shoppers will be able to leverage the BEN PO system and processes and payment processing will occur as with any other external vendor to the University.

Individual Issued Bookstore Charge Card: This is a new payment type that follows the same processes and policies as the individual ProCard except that it can only be used at the Penn Bookstore. The Bookstore Charge Card is designed to allow for smaller, spontaneous purchases.

Department Issued Bookstore Charge Card: This card is the same as the Individual Issued Bookstore Charge Card, however this card is issued to a custodian as delegated by each department. An individual in a department will apply for the card and serve as its custodian. This charge card is safeguarded by the custodian and can be used by any individual as determined by each department. 

ProCard: Customers can also continue to use the ProCard as it is currently allowed.

Individuals who are issued Bookstore Charge Cards as well as any Custodian of the Department Bookstore Charge Card will be required to take the University’s ProCard training module and will be subject to the University’s policies and procedures. Dollar thresholds will default to the ProCard values, however they can be adjusted as each department sees fit.

In developing solutions, the Penn Bookstore has worked with Penn Purchasing, and in turn the Schools and Centers, to ensure that the following objectives were in place:

• Continued sales tax-exempted purchasing.
• Flexibility on who can shop and pay for Bookstore merchandise.
• Supportive of spontaneous or unplanned purchases.
• Familiar administrative tasks to apply, issue and maintain purchasing mechanism. 
• Financial controls to ensure accountability and limit risk.
• Flexible and scalable implementation that is determined by each School/Center.

For questions please contact:

           Bookstore Charge Cards: PurchasingCardSupport@upenn.edu or (215) 898-3606

           Purchase Orders: procure@upenn.edu or (215) 898-7218

           Bookstore Operations: lewclaps@upenn.edu or (215) 898-7595  

Penn, in response to the unprecedented disruptions to the delivery of education and college access supports during the COVID-19 pandemic, is offering the PennRSSA: a free program open to all 14,000+ rising seniors attending Philadelphia public and charter high schools in these extraordinary times.

The initiative has two online components: a session on how to apply to college, and a four-week program called the PennRSSA Academy. 

Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum, Penn vice provost for student engagement, said PennRSSA instructors offer courses on topics such as applied economics, writing for different audiences, career exploration and college applications.

“They take students through the whole process of beginning to think about where they might like to be geographically for their work, how they think about what’s important to them in college,” she said.

Academy classes run July 6-31. Dr. McCoullum said 600 students have been accepted so far, and there is room for 2,500. Students who finish the course can earn one credit toward their high school transcripts.

To register: https://upenn.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d11bNcrtSGsmYcZ

PennRSSA’s commitment to Philadelphia students includes increasing student access to high-quality learning experiences through engaging academic instruction and enrichment opportunities which incorporate hands-on, enjoyable experiences with real-world applications; actively promoting student and family engagement; creating a program environment which consistently communicates high expectations for student participants and equipping students for postsecondary success by increasing their skills, knowledge, confidence motivation and preparedness to successfully complete the postsecondary application and enrollment process.

This initiative is the first of its type, scope and scale in the United States. Participants can work through the online modules at their own pace to earn a certificate of completion that can be displayed on resumes and college applications, as well as professional networks such as LinkedIn. The self-paced, online college preparation course has online modules available through Coursera, which can be done anytime, allowing participants to complete the course at their own pace.

The Academy component of PennRSSA is a virtual four-week intensive program designed to immerse students in an academic, career and postsecondary preparatory experience. Instruction and mentorship will be offered to cohorts of 25 students each, supported by a dedicated network of approximately 100 Penn graduate and professional student teaching assistants and subject matter experts from all schools at Penn.

The program schedule, designed with the input of specialists of online learning, simulates the traditional school week, with a combination of live instruction and asynchronous learning for students to complete on their own time. Online modules are in Canvas and Google Meet.

The deadline for the June 30 issue is today. There will be no issue on July 7. 

Volume 67 will begin on July 14. The deadline to submit content for that issue is July 1. 

After June and the July 14 issue, Almanac will publish as needed throughout the remainder of the summer.

Like the last few months’ issues, this edition of Almanac is digital-only. Please distribute to your colleagues and encourage them to subscribe to receive the E-Almanac by visiting https://almanac.upenn.edu/express-almanac The email will include links to the newly posted material. 

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