March 16, 2021 Volume 67 Issue 30

Alumna and philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs will be Penn’s Commencement Speaker at the 2021 University of Pennsylvania Commencement on Monday, May 17.

Medha Narvekar, Penn’s Vice President and University Secretary, has announced the 2021 honorary degree recipients and the Commencement Speaker for the University of Pennsylvania. The Office of the University Secretary manages the honorary degree selection process and University Commencement.

Due to pandemic health restrictions, this year’s Commencement ceremony will be limited to graduating seniors who have been participating in the University’s COVID-19 screening procedures. Family and friends will be able to watch a livestream of the celebration and a recording will be posted to the University’s website.

Other 2021 Penn honorary degree recipients are Elizabeth Alexander, Frances Arnold, David L. Cohen, Joy Harjo, David Miliband, John Williams, and Janet Yellen.

Commencement Speaker

Laurene Powell Jobs

Laurene Powell Jobs, our 2021 Commencement speaker, is founder and president of Emerson Collective, which is dedicated to the pursuit of a more equal and just world. Emerson Collective deploys a range of tools—from impact investing to philanthropy to advocacy—to lift up entrepreneurs, leaders, innovators, and creators working to build such a world and advance progress in critical areas, including education, immigration, climate, and cancer research and treatment.

Ms. Powell Jobs’ commitment to renewing America’s social systems deepened over two decades ago with her work in education. In 1997, she founded College Track, a college completion program where she remains board chair, to combat the alarming achievement gap among students of color. She is also cofounder and board chair of The XQ Institute, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to rethinking the high school experience. In keeping with her belief in supporting journalism as a vital civic institution, Ms. Powell Jobs is co-owner of The Atlantic, and she is also co-owner of Anonymous Content and Concordia Studio.

Ms. Powell Jobs earned a BA in political science from the University of Pennsylvania College of Arts and Sciences and a BS in economics from the Wharton School. During her time at Penn, Ms. Powell Jobs worked at Penn Student Agencies, founding UPenn Special Deliveries, waited tables at Smokey Joe’s, and studied abroad in Paris. She has served on the National Advisory Board of Penn’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships. After graduating from Penn, she worked at Goldman Sachs before earning an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Ms. Powell Jobs serves on the Stanford University Board of Trustees and the boards of Chicago CRED, Conservation International, The Council on Foreign Relations, Elemental Excelerator, where she is board chair, and Nia Tero. In addition, she is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a recipient of Stanford Graduate School of Business’ Ernest C. Arbuckle Award for managerial excellence and addressing the changing needs of society.

Ms. Powell Jobs will be receiving an honorary doctor of humane letters degree.

Honorary Degree Recipients

Elizabeth Alexander

Decorated poet, educator, memoirist, scholar, and cultural advocate Elizabeth Alexander is president of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the nation’s largest funder in arts and culture, and humanities in higher education. With more than two decades of experience leading innovative programs in education, philanthropy, and beyond, Dr. Alexander builds partnerships to support the arts and humanities while strengthening educational institutions and cultural organizations worldwide. Dr. Alexander was previously the Ford Foundation’s Director of Creativity and Free Expression, where she co-designed the Art for Justice Fund, using art and advocacy to address the crisis of mass incarceration, and guided efforts in examining how the arts and visual storytelling can empower communities.

She is author or co-author of fourteen books and twice a Pulitzer Prize finalist, including for her 2015 memoir, The Light of the World. Her works include Crave Radiance: New and Selected Poems 1990–2010; Power and Possibility: Essays, Reviews, and Interviews; American Sublime; The Black Interior: Essays; Antebellum Dream Book; Body of Life; and The Venus Hottentot.

She earned her BA from Yale University, MA from Boston University, and PhD in English from the University of Pennsylvania. Through her distinguished career in education, Dr. Alexander inspired a generation of students. She served as the Wun Tsun Tam Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Columbia University. For fifteen years, she taught at Yale University, where she helped rebuild the school’s African American Studies department and was appointed Yale’s inaugural Frederick Iseman Professor of Poetry. Dr. Alexander also taught at Smith College and the University of Chicago.

Accolades for her work include the Jackson Poetry Prize, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, the George Kent Award, the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, and three Pushcart Prizes for Poetry. She is a Chancellor Emeritus of the Academy of American Poets, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and serves on the board of the Pulitzer Prize.

Dr. Alexander will be receiving an honorary doctor of humane letters degree.

Frances H. Arnold

Frances Arnold is the Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering and Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology. She is the recipient of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her pioneering work in directed enzyme evolution methods, which she has used to expand the catalytic repertoire of enzymes and develop efficient, sustainable ways to produce chemicals. In January 2021, President Biden named her to Co-Chair the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Dr. Arnold also serves on the Advisory Panel of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation Fellowships in Science and Engineering and the Board of Trustees of the Gordon Research Conferences. She is the co-inventor on more than 60 U.S. patents and the co-founder of the biotechnology companies Gevo, Provivi, and Aralez Bio. Dr. Arnold also serves on several private and public company boards.

A native of Pennsylvania, Dr. Arnold earned a BS in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton University and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

In recognition of her work, Dr. Arnold received the Charles Stark Draper Prize of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering in 2011 and the Millennium Technology Prize from The Technology Academy Finland in 2016. In 2011, Dr. Arnold was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Obama. It is the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement. She has been elected to the National Academies of Science, Medicine, and Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. A Foreign Member of the United Kingdom Royal Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the Royal Society, Dr. Arnold was elected to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in 2019.

Dr. Arnold will be receiving an honorary doctor of sciences degree.

David L. Cohen

David L. Cohen is a Senior Advisor of the Philadelphia-based Comcast Corporation, one of the largest telecommunications and media organizations worldwide and the parent company of NBCUniversal. Mr. Cohen also serves as senior counselor to the CEO. After many years as Senior Executive Vice President and Comcast’s first Chief Diversity Officer, in 2020 he moved from his leadership roles in a broad portfolio of responsibilities, including corporate communications and administration, government, regulatory, public, and legal affairs, and community impact. Prior to Comcast, Mr. Cohen was a partner and Chairman of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, one of the country’s 100 largest law firms.

A native of New York, Mr. Cohen completed his undergraduate studies at Swarthmore College and received his JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. From 1992 to 1997, Mr. Cohen served as Chief of Staff to the Honorable Edward G. Rendell, Mayor of the City of Philadelphia. There, he played a critical coordinating role in significant budgetary and financial issues, economic development and collective bargaining negotiations, and many other issues relating to the city.

Since 2009, Mr. Cohen has served as Chair of the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and its Executive Committee. A member of the Trustee Board and Executive Committee of Penn Medicine newly reorganized in 2002, he was its chair for seven years. Mr. Cohen was first elected a University Trustee in 2001.

Mr. Cohen also serves on both the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and on the Chamber’s CEO Council for Growth.  He is also Chair of the Philadelphia Theatre Company, a member of the United States Semiquincentennial Commission and the Kimmel Center President’s Leadership Council, and chairs the 2026 FIFA World Cup Philadelphia Bid Committee. 

He is also Chair of the national boards of City Year and its Executive Committee and the National Urban League, and chairs the Corporate Advisory Board of UnidosUS.  He is a member of the Board of Directors of FS Global Credit Opportunities Fund, and of the Board of Directors of the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. and PNC Bank, National Association.

For his years of civic and charitable engagement, Mr. Cohen has been honored by the Anti-Defamation League, the American Red Cross, and the 4-H. His awards also include the William Way Community Center Amicus in Res Award, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce’s William Penn Award, Spirit of Asian American Award, the Jewish National Fund Tree of Life Award, the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council's Champion of Digital Equality Award, the Minority Corporate Counsel Lifetime Achievement Award, and Kappa Alpha Psi’s “Distinguished Citizens Award.” He has consistently been named to Black Enterprise magazine’s list of top corporate diversity executives. 

Mr. Cohen will be receiving an honorary doctor of laws degree.

Joy Harjo

Joy Harjo is an internationally renowned award-winning poet, writer, performer, and musician of the Mvskoke/Creek Nation. The author of nine books of poetry and a memoir, in 2019 Ms. Harjo was appointed the 23rd United States Poet Laureate, the first Native American to hold the position.

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Ms. Harjo studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts, receiving her BA at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, and MFA at the University of Iowa. Her poetry collections include An American Sunrise, Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings, How We Became Human: New and Selected Poems, and She Had Some Horses. Ms. Harjo’s memoir Crazy Brave won the PEN USA Literary Award for Creative Non-Fiction and the American Book Award. Soul Talk, Song Language is a collection of her essays and interviews. She also co-edited two anthologies of contemporary Native women’s writing and authored the award-winning books The Good Luck Cat for children and the young adult For A Girl Becoming.

Ms. Harjo performs saxophone internationally, solo and with her band The Arrow Dynamics. She has six music and poetry albums, including this year’s I Pray for My Enemies, as well as Red Dreams, A Trail Beyond Tears and Winding Through the Milky Way, for which she received a Native American Music Award for Best Female Artist of the Year in 2009. She has also widely performed her one-woman show, “Wings of Night Sky, Wings of Morning Light.”

Ms. Harjo is a recipient of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship and the Rasmuson United States Artist Fellowship. Her many awards include the Jackson Prize and the William Carlos Williams Award from the Poetry Society of America, the Poetry Foundation’s Ruth Lilly Prize, and the Wallace Stevens Award from the Academy of American Poets. She is currently at work on her next memoir and a commission by the Public Theater of New York for a musical restoring southeastern natives to the American story of blues and jazz.

Ms. Harjo will be receiving an honorary doctor of humane letters degree.

David Miliband

Public policy analyst Right Honorable David Miliband is the President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC). The IRC responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. In more than 40 countries and over 20 U.S. cities, IRC teams provide clean water, shelter, health care, education, and empowerment support to refugees and displaced people. Through international partnerships, IRC has served tens of millions and has raised awareness about human rights, protection principles, and gender-based violence. Since 2013, Mr. Miliband has overseen the agency’s relief and development operations, its refugee resettlement and assistance programs, and the IRC’s advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. and beyond on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable people.

Mr. Miliband has had a distinguished political career in the United Kingdom. From 2007 to 2010, he served as the youngest Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in three decades, driving advancements in human rights and representing the United Kingdom throughout the world. Mr. Miliband was also a member of Parliament from 2001 to 2013. He began his career at the Institute for Public Policy Research and was named by former Prime Minister Tony Blair as his Policy Unit head.

After completing his undergraduate studies at Oxford University, Mr. Miliband received his master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a Kennedy Scholar. He is also the author of Rescue: Refugees and the Political Crisis of Our Time. As the son of refugees, he brings a personal commitment to the IRC’s work to rescue the dignity and hopes of refugees and displaced people. In 2016, Mr. Miliband was named one of the World’s Greatest Leaders by Fortune Magazine. In 2018 he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Mr. Miliband will be receiving an honorary doctor of laws degree.

John Williams

With a career spanning over five decades, John Williams is one of America’s most accomplished and successful composers for film and the concert stage. Mr. Williams has composed the music and served as music director for over one hundred films. His 45-year artistic partnership with director Steven Spielberg is evidenced in many of Hollywood’s most acclaimed films, including Schindler’s List, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the Indiana Jones films, and Saving Private Ryan.  He also composed the scores for all nine Star Wars films and the first three of the Harry Potter film series. Mr. Williams served for years as music director of the American musical institution, the Boston Pops Orchestra; he maintains thriving artistic relationships with many of the world’s great orchestras.

Born in New York, Mr. Williams’ family moved to Los Angeles when he was a teenager. After military service, he attended New York’s Juilliard School. Returning west, he began his film industry career, writing music for more than 200 television films early on. His career grew with compositions for public events including “Liberty Fanfare” for the 1986 Statue of Liberty rededication. He also contributed music to many Olympic games and for President Obama’s first inaugural ceremony. His concert stage compositions include two symphonies and several concertos premiered by a number of leading orchestras.

Mr. Williams has received five Academy Awards and 52 Oscar nominations, the most nominations of any living person.  He also has seven British Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, five Emmys, twenty-five Grammys, and numerous gold and platinum records. Recipient of the National Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors, the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal, the Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts, the Olympic Order, and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Trustees Award, Mr. Williams is the first composer to receive the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he continues his roles as Boston Pops Laureate Conductor and Artist-in-Residence at Tanglewood.

Mr. Williams will be receiving an honorary doctor of music degree.

Janet L. Yellen

Economist Janet L. Yellen is the 78th United States Secretary of the Treasury. The first woman to hold this position, she was also the first woman Chair of the Federal Reserve Board from 2014 to 2018. Dr. Yellen’s previous public service roles include as the Board’s Vice Chair, as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and as Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisors. She was formerly a   Distinguished Fellow in Residence with the Economic Studies Program at the Brookings Institution.

Dr. Yellen completed her undergraduate studies at Brown University and received her PhD in economics from Yale University. Professor Emerita at the University of California, Berkeley, she was the Eugene E. and Catherine M. Trefethen Professor of Business and professor of economics and a faculty member since 1980. She was also assistant professor of economics at Harvard University, an economist at the Federal Reserve Board, and a lecturer at the London School of Economics. Dr. Yellen has authored numerous articles, as well as The Fabulous Decade: Macroeconomic Lessons from the 1990s, with Alan Blinder.

In 2012, Dr. Yellen was appointed Distinguished Fellow of the American Economic Association, for which she served as Vice President (2004-2005), and President (2020-2021). Dr. Yellen’s memberships include the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Economic Strategy Group of the Aspen Institute, and the Group of Thirty. She was a founding member of the Climate Leadership Council and has served on the advisory boards of the Bloomberg New Economic Forum, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Fix the Debt Coalition, and the Washington Center for Equitable Growth Steering Committee. She was elected an alumni fellow to the Yale Corporation from 2000 until 2006.

Her scholarship has covered a range of macroeconomic issues, with a special focus on the causes, mechanisms, and implications of unemployment. Among Dr. Yellen’s many honors, Yale University awarded her the Wilbur Cross Medal. In 2019, she also received the Truman Medal for Economic Policy from the Truman Library Institute.

Dr. Yellen will be receiving an honorary doctor of laws degree.

President Amy Gutmann and Provost Wendell Pritchett announced the appointment of Kevin Johnson as the University of Pennsylvania’s twenty-seventh Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor.

A pioneer of medical information technologies to improve patient safety, Dr. Johnson will hold joint appointments in the department of biostatistics, epidemiology, and informatics in the Perelman School of Medicine and the department of computer and information science in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, with a secondary appointment in the Annenberg School for Communication. He will also serve as Vice President for Applied Informatics for the University of Pennsylvania Health System and professor of pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“Kevin Johnson is a gifted physician-scientist who has harnessed and aligned the power of medicine, engineering, and technology to improve the health of individuals and communities,” said President Gutmann. “He has championed the development and implementation of clinical information systems and artificial intelligence to drive medical research, encouraged the effective use of technology at the bedside, and empowered patients to use new tools to better understand how medications and supplements may affect their health. He is a board-certified pediatrician, and his commitment to patient health and welfare knows no age limits. In so many different settings, Kevin’s work is driving progress in patient care and improving our healthcare system. He is a perfect fit for Penn, where our goal is to create a maximally inclusive and integrated academic community to spur unprecedented global impact.”

Dr. Johnson is currently the Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor and chair of the department of biomedical informatics at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where he has taught since 2002. He is a world-renowned innovator in developing clinical information systems that improve best practices in patient safety and compliance with medical practice guidelines, especially the use of computer-based documentation systems and other digital technologies. His research bridges biomedical informatics, bioengineering, and computer science. As senior vice president for health information technology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center from 2014 to 2019, he led the development of clinical systems that enabled doctors to make better treatment and care decisions for individual patients, in part by alerting patients as to how medications or supplements might affect their body chemistry, as well as new systems to integrate artificial intelligence into patient care workflows and to unify and simplify all the Medical Center’s clinical and administrative systems.

The author of more than 150 publications, books, or book chapters, Dr. Johnson has held numerous leadership positions in the American Medical Informatics Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics; leads the American Board of Pediatrics Informatics Advisory Committee; chairs the Board of Scientific Counselors of the National Library of Medicine; and is a member of the NIH Council of Councils. He has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (Institute of Medicine), American College of Medical Informatics, and Academic Pediatric Society and has received awards from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and American Academy of Pediatrics, among many others.

“Kevin Johnson exemplifies our most profound Penn values,” said Provost Pritchett. “He is a brilliant innovator committed to bringing together disciplines across traditional boundaries. Yet he always does so in the service of helping others, finding technological solutions that can make a tangible impact on improving peoples’ lives. He will be an extraordinary colleague, teacher, and mentor across multiple areas of our campus in the years to come.”

Dr. Johnson earned an MD from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, an MS in medical informatics from Stanford University, and a BS with honors in biology from Dickinson College. He became the first Black chief resident in pediatrics at Johns Hopkins in 1992 and was a faculty member in both pediatrics and biomedical information sciences at Johns Hopkins until 2002.

The Penn Integrates Knowledge program was launched by President Gutmann in 2005 as a University-wide initiative to recruit exceptional faculty members whose research and teaching exemplify the integration of knowledge across disciplines and who are appointed in at least two Schools at Penn.

Margo Brooks-Carthon has been named the Tyson Family Endowed Term Chair for Gerontological Research and Heath Schmidt has been named the Killebrew-Censits Chair in Undergraduate Education. Both appointments take effect on July 1, 2021.

Dr. Brooks-Carthon is an associate professor in the department of family and community health and a Penn Fellow. She is also director of Care, Continuity and Coordination for Socially and Medically Complex Patients Transitioning from Hospital to Home at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. Dr. Brooks-Carthon is well recognized and highly regarded as a nurse scientist, clinical expert, and an exceptional teacher. She has developed an influential trajectory of research. Her scholarship has been supported by numerous federal and private funding sources. Dr. Brooks-Carthon examines the association between quality of nursing care and racial inequities in health outcomes. Her mixed-methods work has acknowledged the racial/ethnic disparities experienced by older racial/ethnic minority patients when compared to white patients. Aware of the limited research on how to tailor discharge support for chronically ill, low-income individuals insured by Medicaid, Dr. Brooks-Carthon has convened an interdisciplinary academic-clinical partnership with the goal of developing an intervention, THRIVE, to reduce disparities and support transitions for low-income individuals with multiple chronic conditions. The term chair funding will help advance this work.

Dr. Schmidt is an associate professor in the department of biobehavioral health science and holds a secondary appointment in the department of psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine. His area of inquiry and teaching have added tremendous value to the School of Nursing’s research and teaching missions.

Given the enormous effects of smoking and obesity on chronic illness and the devastating impact of substance use disorders, his work addresses some of the most pressing and intractable health issues today. Dr. Schmidt has shown leadership in developing undergraduate curricula in this area of expertise and demonstrated excellence in teaching. For example, he co-developed with Peggy Compton, van Ameringen Chair in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, an undergraduate course on opioids, opioid use disorders and pain, and a second course on the pharmacology of performance-enhancing drugs that is of interest to students enrolled in all four undergraduate schools at Penn.

Dr. Schmidt has directly supervised 19 undergraduate researchers at Penn who have all gone on to matriculate in top-tier graduate programs and are authors on empirical publications in high-impact journals and conference abstracts.

The University of Pennsylvania Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics has announced that the 2021 Penn Relays, originally scheduled for April 22-24, has been canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and local restrictions on large gatherings. If health conditions on campus and in the city of Philadelphia continue to improve, the Penn Relays plans to host a local collegiate-only track and field meet on Saturday, April 24 that is consistent with the Ivy League Council of Presidents’ parameters regarding spring sport competition. The Penn Relays will also aim to host a meet for open and professional athletes in the coming months and a scholastic meet this summer.

“It is disappointing that we once again have to cancel one of the landmark events of the spring in Philadelphia and in track and field, but collectively we want to ensure the safety of our athletes, campus, community, and spectators,” said M. Grace Calhoun, the T. Gibbs Kane, Jr., W’69 Director of Athletics and Recreation at the University of Pennsylvania. “Our goal on campus has been to safely move through the Ivy athletic activity phases to host competition and we remain hopeful that we will be able to provide some competitive opportunities for as many athletes as possible who have missed out on so much this past year. Splitting the meet into three distinct groups of participants provides the greatest opportunity to host safe competition.”

The collegiate-only track and field meet would consist of local Division I, II, and III institutions within the Philadelphia region in a one-day event. All teams and participants will have to comply with the COVID-19 campus safety policies and procedures in place, including adhering to sufficient testing programs, symptom checking, contact tracing, mask wearing, and physical distancing except when actively competing. Only essential meet personnel will be permitted in Franklin Field and spectators are prohibited.

“We are extremely disappointed to cancel the Penn Relays for a second year,” said Dave Johnson, the Frank Dolson Director of the Penn Relays.  “At the same time, we feel a strong obligation to the local track and field community to provide as much competition as safely possible during the course of the spring and summer.”

The open and professional meet will take place prior to U.S. Olympic-qualifying deadlines and the scholastic meet will be held later this summer. More information on both meets will be released at a later date.

Ticket Information

Ticket holders who opted to credit their 2020 balance toward 2021 will have the following options:

1. Credit the purchase of 2020 Penn Relays tickets toward the 2022 event.  
   • As a benefit, crediting accounts will receive:  
     • Seat protection and priority access to change or add seats in 2022
     • Locked-in pricing for 2022 and 2023
     • Access to interview/Q&A with Penn Relays VIPs in 2022
     • Opportunity to submit a message to be displayed on the video board during the 2022 Penn Relays
     • Special discounts on future Penn Athletics tickets
2. Make a tax-deductible donation for the total base price of the ticket or a partial amount to the Penn Champions Club, to support the Friends of the Penn Relays or any other Penn Athletics varsity fund. Accounts donating $21 or more will be eligible to renew their 2020 seat locations in 2022.
3. Request a refund for the base price of the tickets. Associated per ticket and order processing fees will not be refunded. If this option is selected, seats will be released from the account and will not be eligible for renewal in 2022. 

Current ticket holders can click here to notify the Penn Ticket Office of their selection. The deadline to notify the Ticket Office is June 23, 2021. Please note that the 2022 renewal period is expected to occur in fall 2021, earlier than prior years. It is anticipated that renewal balances will be due prior to January 1, 2022.

If you have questions, please contact the Penn Athletics Ticket Office at (215) 898-6151 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, or by email at tickets@pobox.upenn.edu. Please note, due to the anticipated volume of calls, please allow 5 to 7 business days for a staff member to return your call or email.

Click here for frequently asked questions about the 2021 Penn Relays and ticket information.

—Penn Athletics

The Penn Museum has appointed Muriel Patricia Clifford as its inaugural development diversity liaison in an effort to deepen meaningful community connections.

In her new role, Ms. Clifford will lead community outreach strategies to increase awareness of the 134-year-old Penn Museum and the rich cultural experience it offers. She will cultivate a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible Museum as a part of its Diversity Committee; advance its public programs; and work across all internal departments to foster opportunities for engagement, including special events, presentations, and tours.

Raised in Philadelphia, Ms. Clifford graduated from the Philadelphia High School for Girls and then earned a BA in communications and mass media arts with minors in journalism and Spanish at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia.

She began her career as a community relations representative for the Philadelphia Opportunities Industrialization Center. Her experience includes serving as the director of public relations at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.

Ms. Clifford writes for the nation’s oldest African-American newspaper, The Philadelphia Tribune, under her pen name Patricia Gilliam Clifford. Ms. Clifford’s “Out & About in Philadelphia” column delivered comprehensive event coverage and insight about notable community leaders. As a journalist, she has written extensively about social, community, fraternal, educational, historical, professional, and faith-based organizations. She has also written for The Philadelphia Sunday Sun and the South Jersey Journal.

Ms. Clifford has earned numerous awards and acknowledgements, including the Public Relations Society of America—Philadelphia Chapter’s Pepperpot, the Silver Anvil Award, the PRAME Award (Public Relations and Marketing Excellence), the Pen and Pencil Club’s Philadelphia News Award, the National Newspaper Publishers Association Award, and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women’s Heritage Award.

March 9, 2021

With the end of the academic year approaching, thoughts naturally begin to turn toward Commencement, one of Penn’s grandest traditions and a worthy recognition of the academic accomplishments of our students.

Since the onset of the pandemic, travel has been curtailed and large gatherings have been prohibited in jurisdictions across the country, including here in Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. These conditions forced a postponement of last year’s in-person ceremony and has compelled us to contend with much uncertainty as we planned for the possibility of a ceremony this May.

We are pleased to report that, based upon the new guidelines very recently issued by the Philadelphia Health Department, we have now confirmed that we will be able to hold one limited in-person undergraduate Commencement ceremony at Franklin Field on the morning of May 17.  This plan is contingent upon there being no major interim change for the worse in the course of the pandemic. Due to public health limitations, we regret that we will not be able to welcome the entire Penn community to this year’s celebration. For this year’s ceremony, Class of 2021 seniors who have been part of our asymptomatic testing protocol this semester, and who have not had housing or access to campus revoked because of a Campus Compact violation, will be invited to participate. No travel from outside of the Philadelphia region to attend will be permitted.  Family or friends will not be able to be accommodated at Franklin Field but they will be able to watch a livestream and the ceremony recording will be posted to our website. Unfortunately, we are not able to hold any other in-person ceremonies for the Class of 2021, and we cannot include graduate or professional students at the in-person event. All Graduate ceremonies will be presented virtually, and graduate and professional students will hear directly from their schools about those plans.

The graduating seniors who plan to participate in Commencement will be required to test negative for COVID-19 prior to the ceremony. Masks will be required, as will social distancing. Specific details regarding health checks and registration will be sent directly to graduating seniors.

We are also pleased at this time to be able to announce that our Commencement speaker will be Penn alumna Laurene Powell Jobs. Ms. Jobs is founder and president of Emerson Collective, which is dedicated to the pursuit of a more equal and just world. Emerson Collective deploys a range of tools – from impact investing to philanthropy to advocacy – to lift up entrepreneurs, leaders, innovators, and creators working to build such a world and advance progress in critical areas, including education, immigration, climate, and cancer research and treatment. Through her leadership, philanthropy and advocacy, Ms. Jobs is an inspiring example of the positive impact that Penn alumni are making in addressing complex issues that face our nation and world, and her insight will ensure our graduates a memorable and meaningful Commencement experience.

In addition, we have an extraordinary group of other Honorary Degree recipients whose accomplishments we will celebrate by bestowing the University’s highest recognition:  Elizabeth Alexander (GR’92), poet and President of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Frances H. Arnold, 2018 Nobel Prize winner and the Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering and Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology; David L. Cohen (L’81), Senior Advisor of the Comcast Corporation and Chair of the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania; Joy Harjo, poet and musician of the Muscogee/Creek Nation and the 23rd United States Poet Laureate; David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee and Former Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and member of Parliament in the United Kingdom; John Williams, composer and musical director for film and concert stage, and former music director of the Boston Pops Orchestra; and Janet L. Yellen,  economist and the 78th United States Secretary of the Treasury.

Please know that we will continue to look for an opportunity to appropriately recognize our 2020 graduates, along with 2021 graduates who will not be able to attend this year’s event, as soon as pandemic restrictions permit. We want to ensure that all of these students have the opportunity for their academic accomplishments to be publicly recognized, and we are committed to finding a way to make that happen.

We are pleased to be able to recognize as many of our graduates as is safely possible in person at Franklin Field on May 17. To all our graduates, we offer our heartfelt congratulations on a job well done.

We will keep the campus community posted if any changes to our current plans become necessary. Specific details for those able to attend will be sent soon.

—Amy Gutmann, President
—Wendell Pritchett, Provost
—Craig Carnaroli, Executive Vice President

March 2, 2021

When the pandemic began last year, many faculty and staff members started working from home as the nation learned to navigate life during this challenging time. We deeply appreciate the commitment and dedication of every member of the Penn community in carrying out your roles and responsibilities, whether you are performing your job from home or on campus.

As we move into the second year of the pandemic, we are continuing to formulate plans for the return of those faculty and staff who have not been required to work on campus during this challenging period. These plans, as always, are guided by the best science and what is permissible by city, state, and federal guidelines. Circumstances surrounding COVID-19 transmission and the ongoing distribution of vaccines are changing rapidly, so it is still too early to decide on a date when faculty and staff will be expected to return to campus. However, we believe that the successes of Penn Cares, PennOpen Pass, and our collective efforts to adhere to health and safety guidelines have given the University a pathway to restore an in-person work environment.

To help with your planning, please know that we do not anticipate a full return to work on campus before July 2021, at the earliest. Some of you are already working on campus, and we expect to welcome more of you back over the next few months. We will continue to update you as the situation evolves, including updates for faculty members about the status of in-person classes, lab research, and summer PURM projects.

We are also developing remote work location guidelines for staff, so individual decisions about long-term continuing remote work will not be made until those University-wide plans are finalized. Please continue to refer to the Return to Campus Guide for Penn Faculty and Staff if you have any questions about current guidelines.

We are proud of Penn’s beautiful and vibrant campus in the City of Philadelphia. This beauty and excitement stems in large part from our people – the students, faculty, and staff who make Penn an institution where so many people from around the world want to work and learn. To that end, we intend to bring back faculty and staff safely so that we can continue advancing the principles that make Penn a stellar institution of higher education and one of the best large employers nationwide.

We thank you again for your extraordinary work in sustaining our campus mission. We look forward to providing more details in the months ahead about our shared return to life on campus.

—Wendell Pritchett, Provost
—Craig Carnaroli, EVP

The Provost-Netter Center Faculty-Community Partnership Award is an annual award that recognizes faculty-community partnership projects. The amount of the award is $10,000 ($5,000 to the faculty member and $5,000 to the community partner). The purpose of the award is to recognize sustained and productive University/community partnerships and to develop or enhance ongoing work. Junior and senior faculty along with senior lecturers and associated faculty from any of Penn’s 12 Schools are eligible for nomination, together with their community partners. Please see below for the complete description and process of nomination. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this award, please direct them to the Netter Center’s ABCS Coordinator at abcscoordinator@sas.upenn.edu.

Award Nomination Process

Deadline: April 16
The award recognizes Faculty-Community Partnership Projects. One award will be made annually of $5,000 to a faculty member and another $5,000 to the community partner to recognize, develop, and advance an existing partnership.

Criteria for Selection

1. The community partnership project must be affiliated with the Netter Center for Community Partnerships i.e., engaged with Academically Based Community Service (ABCS), Problem Solving Learning (PSL) or Participatory Action Research (PAR) style pedagogy and/or research.
2. The partnership project must demonstrate a record of sustainable engagement.
3. The faculty member can be an assistant, associate, or full professor, senior lecturer, or associated faculty.

Process of Nomination

1. Nominations may come from members of the University and the wider community, though the strongest nominations will be those that represent both the University and the community.
2. Nominators should submit a completed packet (see https://www.nettercenter.upenn.edu/about-center/advisory-boards/faculty-advisory-board/provost-netter-center-faculty-community-partnership) by April 16, 2021 to the ABCS Coordinator at the Netter Center, who will submit applications to the review committee, comprised of faculty and community members.
3. The review committee will submit their recommendations by May 3, 2021 to the Netter Center Director and the Provost, who will jointly make the final selection. The award decision will be announced in May.

—Terri H. Lipman, Netter Center Faculty Advisory Board Co-Chair; Chair of the Provost-Netter Center Faculty-Community
Partnership Award Review Committee

—Dennis DeTurck, Netter Center Faculty
Advisory Board Co-Chair; Provost’s Senior Faculty Fellow at the Netter Center

—Herman Beavers, Member, Netter Center
Faculty Advisory Board

—Vernoca L. Michael, Member,
Netter Center Community Advisory Board

—Ira Harkavy, Associate Vice President; Founding Director, Barbara and Edward Netter Center for Community Partnerships

The University of Pennsylvania is one of over two hundred campuses in thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia designated as a “Voter Friendly Campus,” by national nonpartisan organizations Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project (CVP) and NASPA –Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. This designation celebrates Penn’s commitment to actively supporting and encouraging voter engagement.

The mission of the Voter Friendly Campus designation is to bolster efforts that help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process. Penn was evaluated on a campus plan to register, educate, and turnout students in the 2020 election. It also included details on how Penn implemented these voter engagement efforts on campus, and a final analysis of Penn’s efforts—all in the face of the upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The designation is valid through December 2022.

The designation marks the second time that Penn has been named a Voter Friendly Campus. In 2019, Penn became the first member of the Ivy League to be officially designated as a Voter Friendly Campus. With this designation, Penn has demonstrated a strong commitment to the civic mission of higher education by preparing students to be engaged participants in our democracy through 2022 and beyond.

As part of its effort to help Penn be designated a Voter Friendly Campus, Penn Leads the Vote (PLTV) built a virtual infrastructure in the fall of 2020 to increase voting and civic engagement amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Key elements of the engagement infrastructure included the online platform Motivote, social media, and building a team of dedicated volunteers to further help the engagement process.

The designation comes just as the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement, or NSLVE, by the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education (IDHE) at Tufts University’s Tisch College of Civic Life updated their estimates for voter turnout among Penn students in the 2018 midterm elections. NSLVE now estimates that turnout among Penn students was 54.7% in the 2018 midterms, a significant increase from their previous estimate of 41%.

The institutions designated Voter Friendly Campuses represent a wide range of two-year, four-year, public, private, rural, and urban campuses. Notably, the list of designated institutions includes many Minority Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The program ultimately serves millions of students.

George Fletcher Bass, a former curator of the Penn Museum Mediterranean Section, died peacefully on March 2 in Bryan, Texas. He was 88.

Dr. Bass was born in South Carolina and grew up in Annapolis, Maryland. In 1955 he received an MA in Near Eastern Archaeology from Johns Hopkins University, after which he spent two years at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, Greece. He served two years in the U.S. Army in Korea and was honorably discharged as a First Lieutenant in 1959. In 1964 he received a PhD in Classical Archaeology from Penn. While a graduate student at Penn, Dr. Bass led the world’s first scientific shipwreck investigation, examining a Bronze Age shipwreck off Cape Gelidonya on the southern coast of Turkey. Today’s field of underwater archaeology builds on Dr. Bass’s pioneering work.

Dr. Bass briefly worked as a student assistant at the Penn Museum from 1959-1960. In 1962, while getting his PhD, Dr. Bass joined Penn’s faculty as a lecturer at the Penn Museum. Two years later, he became an assistant professor of classical archaeology and the assistant curator of the Penn Museum’s Mediterranean section. While there, Dr. Bass continued his research, discovering new sonar techniques for searching and mapping underwater and using new technologies that allowed divers to stay underwater for extended periods of time during expeditions in Turkey (Almanac April-May 1967, December 1967). In 1968, Dr. Bass was promoted to associate professor and named one of the “ten outstanding young men in the country” by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

In 1973, after teaching at Penn for eight years, Dr. Bass left to found the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA), which is devoted to bringing history to light through the scientific study of shipwrecks. For a few years afterward, he remained affiliated with Penn as an adjunct professor of classical archaeology. Later in 1973, he received the inaugural Philadelphia Explorers Award in honor of his contributions to geographical exploration (Almanac July 1973). The Institute became affiliated with Texas A&M in 1976, and in the same year the Nautical Archaeology Program was established at the university. Dr. Bass taught at Texas A&M from 1976 until his retirement in 2000, becoming a professor emeritus in its nautical archaeology program.

Dr. Bass testified before Congress in favor of the 1988 Abandoned Shipwrecks Act, arguing that shipwrecks underwater should have the same protections from looters as historic sites on land. He received several accolades for his work, including being awarded the National Medal of Science by George W. Bush in 2001 and receiving a National Geographic Centennial Award. Time Magazine called Dr. Bass “an underwater Indiana Jones.” In 2010, the Penn Museum awarded Dr. Bass its Lucy Wharton Drexel Medal, honoring exceptional achievement in excavation or publication of archaeological work (Almanac March 30, 2010).

He is survived by his wife, Ann; his sons, Gordon (Jennifer) and Alan; and grandchildren, Henry and Charles. Those wishing to do so may make contributions to the INA Foundation at https://nauticalarch.org/ina-foundation/.

Herbert Diamond, a former associate professor in psychiatry, died on January 31 in Trevose, Pennsylvania. He was 98.

Dr. Diamond joined Penn’s faculty in 1952 as an instructor in the psychiatry department of the School of Medicine. Ten years later, he became an associate in psychiatry at HUP. In 1969, he became an assistant professor, and in 1975 an associate professor. While at Penn, Dr. Diamond was active on University Council, serving on its Community Relations Committee. Dr. Diamond retired in 1987, but remained involved with Penn as an emeritus associate professor of psychiatry.

Dr. Diamond is survived by his children, Lenore (Stephen) Robins, Margaret Diamond and Steven (Diane Lichtenstein); and three grandchildren. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Disease Association (https://www.alz.org/) or to the American Civil Liberties Union (https://www.aclu.org/).

Vernon Jordan, a civil rights leader and Penn’s 1981 commencement speaker, died at home in Washington, D.C. on March 1. He was 85.

Mr. Jordan received a BA from DePauw University and a JD from Howard University. As a civil rights lawyer, he handled a number of prominent cases beginning in the 1960s, including the desegregation of the University of Georgia. He served as the Georgia field director for the NAACP and also held roles with the Southern Regional Council, the Voter Education Project, the United Negro College Fund, and the National Urban League. In 1980, Mr. Jordan survived an assassination attempt.

In 1981, Mr. Jordan gave Penn’s commencement address (Almanac May 12, 1981), coinciding with his daughter Vickee’s graduation from Penn. In the 1990s, Mr. Jordan served on President Bill Clinton’s transition team and continued his political and civil rights-related activism.

Mr. Jordan is survived by his wife, Ann (nee Dibble); his daughter, Vickee; and nine grandchildren.

Paul Kelly, former member of what is now the SAS Board of Advisors and Penn trustee, and the benefactor of the Kelly Writers House, died on March 4 from complications of COVID-19. He was 81.  

Mr. Kelly received a BA in English from Penn in 1962 and an MBA in finance in 1964. He went on to have a successful career in business, becoming the president and CEO of Knox & Co., an investment banking firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, and international financial advisory services. An expert in foreign investment, Mr. Kelly was instrumental in introducing new financing concepts to the international capital markets. He stayed active at Penn throughout his life, serving on the Class of 1962 Gift Committee, as the chair of the advisory board of the Huntsman Program, the treasurer of the Board of Governors of the Penn Club in NY, and the chairman of the University’s Agenda for Excellence Council. He was also a proponent of the U.S. China Future Leaders Program at GSE, which aimed to bridge the two countries. In recognition of his support, Penn Alumni gave Mr. Kelly the Penn Alumni Award of Merit in 2012.

In 1997, Mr. Kelly became a University trustee, and in 2010 he was named an emeritus trustee (Almanac March 2, 2010). “He brought imagination, a global perspective, and tremendous dedication to every challenge,” said Trustees Chair David Cohen and Penn President Amy Gutmann in a tribute to Mr. Kelly. “As chair of the Audit & Compliance Committee, he instituted many innovative oversight practices now considered “best” among our peers. He took an active role on the Executive, Budget & Finance, Development, and Facilities & Campus Planning Committees, sharing his sage counsel and serving as a trusted leader.” In 2003, Mr. Kelly endowed the Kelly Family Gates outside Addams Hall (Almanac May 13, 2003).

Also in 1997, Mr. Kelly provided a $1.1 million gift to help establish Penn’s Kelly Writers House, named in honor of his parents, Rita and Thomas Kelly (Almanac January 28, 1997). Mr. Kelly had a large role in developing the Kelly Writers House’s mission. “Paul never stopped working with the people of the Writers House to come up with new ideas, ways of broadening the reach of its programs, establishing partnerships that would bring in more exciting writers and artists” said the House’s inaugural director, Al Filreis, in a memorial tribute. “He especially supported the development of webcasts, the archive of recordings of seminars and workshops made available online, the studio space for even more digital production, and eventually regular livestreaming.”

Mr. Kelly’s generosity toward Penn continued after the Kelly Writers House opened, culminating in a $3 million gift that supported the House and the undergraduate program in studio arts and created a challenge fund to provide scholarships for students in the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business (Almanac December 10, 2002). As a trustee, Mr. Kelly also funded several specific initiatives at the Kelly Writers House, such as the Kelly Writers House fellows program, which brought several eminent writers and authors to Penn, and the Kelly Family Professorship of English, which Dr. Filreis has held since 2002. Mr. Kelly was also active in Penn Athletics.

Mr. Kelly served on the Director’s Advisory Board of the Yale Cancer Center. He also had an abiding interest in New Zealand, where he was a member of the Advisory Committee of the University of Auckland Business School and the New Zealand Business Roundtable.  

“For those of us in the Kelly Writers House community especially, it is nearly inconceivable that a person of such vitality, such dynamic intellectual energy and enthusiasm—whose many (and more or less constant) venturesome ideas sought to make the Writers House better and more responsive as a space and an organization—could possibly now be still,” said Dr. Filreis.

Mr. Kelly is survived by his wife, Nancy; and several family members.

Jonathan Steinberg, emeritus professor in the School of Arts and Sciences’ department of history, died on March 4. He was 86.

Dr. Steinberg received an AB at Harvard College and a PhD from Cambridge University (where he studied under F.H. Hinsley, who had helped to crack the ENIGMA machines at Bletchley Park). Before starting graduate studies at Cambridge in 1961, Dr. Steinberg served briefly in the U.S. military and then worked at the E.G. Warburg Bank in New York City. He spent the first part of his academic career at Trinity Hall, a constituent college of Cambridge University. There, he served as fellow and director of studies in history from 1966 to 1999, and vice-master from 1990 to 1994. While at Cambridge, Dr. Steinberg wrote on twentieth century Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland, and prepared the official report on the Deutsche Bank’s gold transactions during World War II. He lectured on European history since 1789, specializing in the German and Austrian Empires, Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, and modern Jewish history. He published several books (his first, in 1965, was an expansion of his dissertation), served as the co-editor of The Historical Journal, and wrote and produced several BBC radio documentaries. Dr. Steinberg also served as an expert witness in the Commonwealth of Australia War Crimes prosecution.

In 2000, Dr. Steinberg came to Penn, where he was appointed the Annenberg Professor of Modern European History (Almanac October 31, 2000). Dr. Steinberg also held appointments in the Jewish Studies Program and the College of Liberal and Professional Studies. While at Penn, he continued to research, write, and lecture widely on European history. He was the chair of the history department from 2001 to 2004 and was well-known for getting to know students personally and encouraging their research pursuits. From 2009 to 2011, he edited the Cambridge History Tripos. His 2011 biography of Otto Von Bismarck was short-listed for the BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction in 2011 and short-listed for the Duff Cooper Prize in 2012. In 2015, Dr. Steinberg retired from Penn and took emeritus status.

“Jonathan was an intellectual of great acuity, capacious range, and boundless curiosity,” says his former colleague, Warren Breckman, Sheldon and Lucy Hackney Professor of History. “He believed in the power of facts and had many at his disposal; but he also had a penetrating analytical mind. He could startle with mention of the most arcane of works, but typically the surprise came from the illuminating relevance of the reference, not from its obscurity; and like a good chess player, he often seemed one or two moves ahead of his interlocutors.”

“The intellectual acuity evident in Jonathan Steinberg’s scholarship was matched by the generosity with which he mentored his undergraduate students,” says Melissa Teixeira, CAS’08, now an associate professor of history. “As I find myself back at Penn, now as an assistant professor in the very same department where I once studied with Jonathan, I can grasp from an entirely new vantage point what made him such an extraordinary teacher. He inspired with his intellectual range and his endless suggestions of books for students eager to learn more. Conversations with Jonathan were never one-sided, as he was eager to listen to his students, to learn from their reflections on a particular book or subject. He leaves me with an exceptional model for the type of mentor and teacher that I aspire to be.”

“Jonathan was exquisitely attuned to his interlocutors,” says colleague D’Maris Coffman, chair in economics and finance of the built environment at University College London. “He had an almost preternatural sense for ‘where students were’ and could meet them more than half-way. With undergraduates and graduate students alike, he could grasp almost instinctively how the student understood a subject or a problem, and could direct us to further readings or draw our attention to areas that required further thought. The questions Jonathan raised and the seriousness with which he pursued them have stayed with me for over a decade, even as I have moved away from history into economic geography, economic analysis, and infrastructure economics.”

“He was a charismatic teacher, whose lectures on nineteenth and twentieth-century Europe drew many students, including a large following of senior associates,” says Dr. Breckman. “He was a caring and dedicated teacher and mentor to many of our graduate students. Above all, he was a lustrous and enlivening presence in our community, bringing intellectual gravity and, occasionally, levity to our proceedings.”

Dr. Steinberg is survived by his partner, Marion Kant.

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

University Council Meeting Agenda
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
4 p.m.

I.    Approval of the minutes of the February 17, 2021 University Council meeting. 1 minute
II.    Follow-up comments or questions on status reports. 5 minutes
III.    Reports on budgets and plans for the next academic year. 60 minutes
IV.    Presentation: Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0 and an update on the Environmental Innovations Initiative (EII). 30 minutes
V.    New Business. 5 minutes
VI.    Adjournment

In honor of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s recognition that local engagement is essential to the struggle for equality, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Symposium on Social Change Executive Planning Committee of the University of Pennsylvania announced the 2021 Community Involvement Recognition Awardees during the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Interfaith Commemoration event on January 26, which can be viewed at chaplain.upenn.edu/mlk2021.

The awards honor members of the Philadelphia community whose active service to others best exemplifies the ideals Dr. King espoused.

Undergraduate Student Award

Hakiem Ellison (C’22)—A political science major minoring in urban education in the College of Arts and Sciences, Mr. Ellison is a first-generation, low-income student born and raised in West Philadelphia. He dedicates his time and energy to making positive changes in this area that he calls home.

His service with the West Philadelphia community began when he enrolled in an academically-based community service (ABCS) course entitled Music in Urban Spaces and its affiliate, Music for Social Change. As part of ABCS, Mr. Ellison worked for a year at the Henry C. Lea School, facilitating activities with school-day drama and band classes, as well as with after-school music programs. He has also worked with Penn’s Summer Mentorship Program, preparing and organizing events for the high school participants and co-producing a 100-page “College Knowledge” handbook of tips and resources for navigating the college application process; and Music for Social Change, mentoring Lea students in Musicopia, an after-school orchestral program. Mr. Ellison has continued to work in various peer mentor programs that provide support programs and services to first-generation and/or low-income students.

Mr. Ellison identified Dr. King’s quotation “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” as the inspiration for his work and continues to prove his commitment to the betterment of the West Philadelphia community.

Graduate Student Award

Ashley Betts—A Meckler Family Endowed Fellow and first-year MBA Candidate at the Wharton School, Ms. Betts is Vice President of Social Impact on Wharton Graduate Association’s Cluster Council.  Leading a fundraising effort to tackle homelessness, Ms. Betts had fellow first-year MBA students work with nonprofits to raise money and hand out care packages to those in need. She had them partner with the Philadelphia School District to lead a virtual career symposium for High School students. 

Ms. Betts serves on the board of Rebuilding Together, which transforms low-income homeowners’ lives by revitalizing their Belmont community.  She serves on the Deans’ MBA Advisory Council and helped create Wharton’s first academically-based community service MBA course with Penn’s Netter Center, where students and faculty work with the West Philadelphia community to help solve critical community problems.  As director of Wharton’s African American MBA Association, her initiative supports black-owned businesses and also has an “Adopt a Family for Christmas” program. Ms. Betts co-founded Wharton Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Consultants. 

Ms. Betts demonstrates a sustained commitment to community involvement throughout her personal and professional life. Making a significant impact in Philadelphia and at Penn, she is a good neighbor to our beloved community.

Faculty/Staff Award

Dr. Batsirai Bvunzawabaya—“Dr. Batsi,” as she is affectionately known to colleagues, is a trusted partner and advocate across the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. She is a psychologist and the director of outreach and prevention services at Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). She has consistently demonstrated her commitment to centering values of equity, inclusivity, and social justice.

Originally from Zimbabwe, Dr. Batsi’s clinical interests include exploring issues related to minority mental health, body image concerns, sexual trauma, racial and ethnic identity development, and social justice counseling. At CAPS, Dr. Batsi is a valuable member of the Eating Concerns Team and the Sexual Trauma Treatment Outreach and Prevention Team. She is a facilitator of the staff Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and was part of the Intercultural Leadership Program, which received the Models of Excellence Award. She also co-facilitates restorative circles at Penn.

Dr. Batsi has supported collaborations that center holistic wellness and access to culturally responsive resources. Student groups such as Black Graduate Women’s Association, Sister Sister, and Abuse and Sexual Assault Prevention (ASAP) are just a few of the many that have benefited from her generous counsel and active participation in their programming and outreach efforts.

Dr. Judith Rodin Community Education Award

Gina Pambianchi—A Penn Graduate School of Education alum, Ms. Pambianchi serves as the community engagement librarian at the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library at the University of Pennsylvania. In her role, she is responsible for developing partnerships with public school libraries and community organizations. In less than a year, Ms. Pambianchi expanded the scope of Penn Libraries’ community outreach program by introducing new initiatives such as the “Mirrors Collection” in which her team of students select books for local elementary schools. Other new outreach programs include: “Connection Collection,” “Advocacy for Librarians.“ “Adult Literacy,” “Health Literacy,” and the “Unearthing Literacy Project.”

Before coming to Penn, Ms. Pambianch taught and managed a school library in Belize City, Belize. She worked in collaboration with a team to develop an extended day program for twenty youths in under-resourced communities.  She facilitated student research and story-time, instructed small group and one-on-one reading classes for students with learning disabilities, and established a weekly Girls’ Empowerment Group focused on self-esteem and gender-related issues.

Ms. Pambianchi also helped to establish an adult education curriculum at North Philadelphia nonprofit Hope Partnership for Education. There, she became more cognizant of the relationship between literacy and healthcare. This led her to pursue a nursing degree and ultimately, to obtain a position as a registered nurse on an Oncology/Transplant unit at Einstein Medical Center.

Community Member Award

Sara Lomax-Reese—The President and CEO of WURD Radio, LLC, which is the only Black-owned media company in Pennsylvania. WURD 900AM has been under Ms. Lomax-Reese’s leadership for more than nine years.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Ms. Lomax-Reese made a significant impact working on the glaucoma awareness campaign with the city of Philadelphia. The campaign sought to provide free glaucoma screenings to African Americans, as well as to enroll eligible patients in a genetics study. Ms. Lomax-Reese was passionate and creative in designing the campaign, and hosted live coverage of a screening event, along with interviewing African American glaucoma physicians at Penn. The campaign was enormously successful; a large majority cited their trust and familiarity with WURD Radio (and with Ms. Lomax-Reese) as their main reason for participating in the campaign.

Ms. Lomax-Reese has received numerous awards including: The Woman of Substance Award from the National Medical Association; the “Tree of Life” award from the Wellness of You and HealthQuest Magazine, which she co-founded; and received the Beacon of Light Award from the Congressional Black Caucus for outstanding health coverage. In addition, she was recognized as one of the “100 People to Watch” by Philadelphia Business Journal, and in 2010, she was selected for the “Women of Distinction” award given by the the same magazine. Most recently, she received the 2012 PECO “Power to the Community” award given by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women of Pennsylvania

Cassandra Graves—This former Lancaster, Pennsylvania NBC Television news journalist is an educator, grant-writer, administrator, performing arts consultant, professional photographer, and a certified home-based travel agent promoting and building cultural diversity partnerships. Dr. Graves is associate director of Evelyn Graves Drama Productions, artistic consultant, and director of Evelyn Graves School of Performing Arts, and administrator of Evelyn Graves Ministries Church Inc. A doctor of divinity and theology, she has effectively used her powerful communication skills to mentor thousands of families and re-instituted community outreach by empowering resources with free food and fresh vegetables feeding 43,200 underserved families.

A West Philly native, she includes culture, education, spirituality, science, technology, engineering, math, and the performing arts on her list of life-sustaining services targeting youth with opportunities and experiences of a lifetime.

In 2011, Dr. Graves was installed as executive assistant pastor at Evelyn Graves Ministries Church and has received several awards including citations from Mayor Michael Nutter, Travel Agent of the Year from Philadelphia Black Travel Expo, and a citation from the NAACP, all acknowledging her leadership quality and positive impact within the community.

—African American Resource Center

On March 19, the Women of Color at Penn will honor the following award winners whose work has promoted education, cultural diversity and positive change on campus and in the world. To register to attend, visit https://tinyurl.com/3fzkzrm3.

Joann Mitchell Outstanding Legacy Award

LaShauna Connell is the newly appointed director of the Pre-Professional Preparatory Program in Biomedical Sciences and Health Professions at Lincoln University. Prior to this appointment, Ms. Connell worked for 15 years at the University of Pennsylvania in a number of roles that allowed her to build her skills as an administrator, experienced and versed in diversity recruitment, student services, and student outreach and retention at higher education institutions. Ms. Connell is a graduate of Penn State University with a BS in education rehabilitation services/counseling and Penn with a master’s degree in counselor education/higher education focus. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She is passionate about education, especially issues of enhancing opportunities for underrepresented groups in STEM Careers, college access, and opportunity.

Ms. Connell brought a level of passion in her service to the Women of Color at Penn (WOCAP) as the 2009 WOCAP Chair and the chair of the Logistics Committee for the past 10 years. Her ability to organize and orchestrate a large number of volunteers is unparalleled. Her poise is always encouraging and inspires confidence, especially when the unexpected happens on the day of the event. Ms. Connell incorporated the phrase, “we are women of color. I am she and she is me” into WOCAP programs. This phrase has been a part of the Awards Program every year since 2009 and has been recognized as being one of the most memorable contributions to the program. Because of her contributions to our organization, we are presenting her with the Joann Mitchell Outstanding Legacy Award.

Community Award

Antoinette Coward-Gilmore is the founder, CEO, and artistic director of Danse4Nia Repertory Ensemble, a Philadelphia based multicultural, contemporary modern dance company founded in 2006. She is a dedicated community servant, who has used the arts as a positive vehicle for social and community change and built her dance company with the mission to “educate, empower and create the next generation of well-rounded arts advocates and citizens by presenting exceptional dance works, collaborating with artists across genres and delivering high-impact residencies.”

In the Kiswahili language, the word “nia” means “purpose.” As an ensemble, Danse4Nia has chosen to dance with a purpose—to inspire themselves and others toward positive personal, social, and cultural change. Ms. Coward-Gilmore has labored tirelessly to spread the value of the arts for social change through her dance company’s annual performance season, residencies, partnerships and other school and community-based programs. The choreographic content of Ms. Coward-Gilmore’s own work and of the other pieces performed by her companies showcases excellence in ballet, Horton technique, and contemporary movement vocabularies and has cemented both Danse4Nia and Nia-Next as ensembles known for drawing audiences in with their passionate brand of performance.

Ms. Coward-Gilmore was recently honored as one of Philadelphia’s Leading Women: Movers & Makers in the Arts. Because of her artistic contributions to social change, we recognize her with the Women of Color Community Award.

Staff Award

Sherisse Laud-Hammond is the director of the Penn Women’s Center (PWC). In this role, she supports students, staff, faculty, and all Penn community members through counseling and innovative programming related to women’s support and advocacy, gender equity, and interpersonal violence. Her exceptional leadership has transformed the physical space and the branding of the PWC to make it feel more welcoming. Her distinguished service has enabled her to positively affect the lives of students, faculty, and staff throughout the Penn family through increased programming.

Ms. Laud-Hammond has a longstanding record of being an effective collaborator at Penn, spearheading a Hurricane Katrina relief initiative, participating on the search committee for Open Mind for Africa, and advising students in multiple dual degree programs. A Philadelphia native, she is a longtime member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and a board member of Inspiring Minds Greater Philadelphia, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to engage, inspire and empower youth to reach their full potential through education. Because of her contribution to the Penn and Philadelphia community, we recognize her with the Women of Color Staff Award.

Graduate Student Award

Olutosin Owoyemi is a second year medical student at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and a 2018 graduate of The Johns Hopkins University with a BS in molecular & cellular biology. At Johns Hopkins, she cultivated her passions by mentoring underrepresented minority college and high school students and advocating for the social needs of Baltimore City patients and families at a Johns Hopkins pediatric clinic. At the Perelman School of Medicine, Ms. Owoyemi serves as the Chapter Co-President of the Student National Medical Association, an organization that serves to support future Black doctors and marginalized communities. Through this role, she has been able to advocate for School-wide changes focused on personally and professionally supporting students underrepresented in medicine, supporting Philadelphia’s minoritized communities, and educating the next generation of physicians within an antiracist framework. To continue to push for the next generation of culturally sensitive and socially conscious physicians, Ms. Owoyemi serves as a Johnson Scholars mentor to Penn premedical undergraduates and sits on the Perelman School of Medicine Admissions Committee. She also serves as the Patient Advocacy and Education Chair for the student-run University City Hospitality Coalition community medical clinic and volunteers with the CHOP Family Connects social needs resource program. In pursuit of her clinical goals, she continues to conduct research in oncology and pulmonary medicine with a goal of addressing disparate outcomes and a non-diverse physician workforce. Because of her commitment to supporting underrepresented communities including women and minorities, we honor her with the Women of Color Graduate Student award.

Undergraduate Student Award

Sciaska Ulysse is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in the biological basis of behavior (neuroscience) with minors in healthcare management and chemistry. Originally from Roselle, New Jersey, she has served in leadership roles in multiple organizations at Penn and is particularly dedicated to increasing representation of Black students in healthcare fields. During her freshman year, Ms. Ulysse joined the Moelis Access Science (MAS) program at the Netter Center for Community Partnerships to better understand and serve the West Philadelphia community, as well as to share her love for the sciences. She also participated in the Educational Pipeline Program, which is a collaborative program between the Netter Center, Perelman School of Medicine, and Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine that provides local high school students from backgrounds underrepresented in the medical field with mentorship and exposure to healthcare careers. This program also helps educate local high school students on how to reduce significant health disparities affecting minorities and their communities. In the last three years, Ms. Ulysse has helped introduce neuroscience, cardiology, gastroenterology, and veterinary medicine concepts to students at West Philadelphia High School and Sayre High School through hands-on, inquiry-based activities. Due to her exceptional work with multiple Netter Center programs, Ms. Ulysse was invited to join the Netter Center Student Advisory Board. In addition to her work with the Netter Center, Ms. Ulysse has been contributing to the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students (MAPS) for multiple years, first as the external affairs chair, then as vice president, and finally this year as President. Because she is an aspiring MD, MBA, who is passionate about attenuating the disparities in health, specifically in women’s health and low-income areas, we recognize her with the Women of Color Undergraduate Student Award.

—African American Resource Center

Ishmail Abdus-Saboor and Bo Zhen from the School of Arts & Sciences, Bhaswar B. Bhattacharya from the Wharton School, Ziyue Gao from the Perelman School of Medicine, and Marc Miskin from the School of Engineering and Applied Science are among the 128 recipients of the 2021 Sloan Research Fellowship. One of the most prestigious awards available to young researchers, the fellowship recognizes early-career scholars in the United States and Canada. Each recipient will receive a two-year, $75,000 Fellowship for their research.

Ishmail Abdus-Saboor is the Mitchell J. and Margo K. Blutt Presidential Assistant Professor of Biology in the department of biology. Focused on the genes and nervous system pathways involved in translating tactile sensations to the brain, Dr. Abdus-Saboor has taken a particular interest in the perception of acute and chronic pain.

Bhaswar Bhattacharya is an assistant professor in the department of statistics. His research interests include nonparametric statistics, network inference, combinatorial probability, and discrete and computational geometry. Working at the intersection of probability and combinatorics, Dr. Bhattacharya studies how methods from graph theory can be used to analyze large and complex datasets in a computationally efficient way. These types of methods can be used to address problems in natural language processing and high-dimensional data analysis. 

Ziyue Gao is an assistant professor in the department of genetics. She is investigating genetics and accumulated mutations using computational methods to better understand how mutation, demographic history, and natural selection shape genetic variation within and between populations and to use this knowledge to learn about human biology, history, and evolution. Dr. Gao’s lab is a member of the Penn Center for Global Genomics and Health Equity.

Marc Miskin is an assistant professor in the department of electrical and systems engineering who specializes in the design and control of microscopic robots. Dr. Miskin’s research involves adapting techniques used in the manufacture of computer chips to make tens of thousands of these robots at a time on a standard silicon wafer. Once separated, these robots can move by means of legs consisting of nanoscale strips of platinum, which flex when a current is applied.

Bo Zhen is an assistant professor in the department of physics and astronomy. His research lab works at the intersection of condensed matter physics and quantum electrodynamics with an interest in developing practical application. This includes research on nanophotonics, devices with features at the nanometer-scale that imbue them with unique properties, and finding ways to reduce energy use in optical communications using energy-efficient design and developing new types of materials.

Since the first Sloan Research Fellowships in 1955, 125 faculty members from Penn have received awards. Open to scholars in eight scientific and technical fields—chemistry, computational and evolutionary molecular biology, computer science, Earth system science, economics, mathematics, neuroscience, and physics—the Sloan Research Fellowships are awarded in close coordination with the scientific community. Candidates must be nominated by their fellow scientists, and winning fellows are selected by independent panels of senior scholars on the basis of research accomplishments, creativity, and potential to become a leader in their field.

Students

Bikalpa Baniya, a master’s student in the International Educational Development program and a 2019 Penn UNESCO Fellow, received an innovation/creativity prize and an audience award at the Hacking EdPlanning hackathon at IIEP-UNESCO, where he is currently a data-science intern. The 48-hour event confronted six challenges in educational planning and put forth new digital prototypes.

Jasmine Blanks Jones, a PhD candidate in the Education, Culture, and Society program, has been awarded an anti-racism grant through Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholars. Ms. Jones’s research and work with the B4 Youth Theatre will study racism by integrating theater-based methods in mental health.

Christiana Kallon Kelly, a PhD candidate in the Division of Literacy, Culture and International Education program, was awarded the GAPSA-Provost Fellowship for Interdisciplinary Innovation, which will support her dissertation research on the socio-cultural implications of new education technologies on learning, well-being, and aspirations of students and teachers in Sierra Leone during crises.

Bethany Monea, a PhD student in the Literacy, Culture, and International Education program, has received the fall 2020 GAPSA-Provost Fellowship for Interdisciplinary Innovation. With this fellowship, Ms. Monea hopes to engage in collaborative analysis with her student participants more, as she studies the writing and media-making practices of first generation Latinx students.

Madison Wardlaw, a student in the Urban Teaching Apprenticeship program, was awarded a Weiss WW Teaching Fellowship for 2020–21. Each fellow receives support from the Institute for Citizens and Scholars and a merit-aid scholarship from Penn GSE and commits to teach for three years in high-need Philadelphia schools, with ongoing mentoring.

Jeremy Wright-Kim, researcher and PhD student in the Higher Education program, received a 2020 AERA-NSF Dissertation and Research Grant Award for the project “Enrollment and Revenue: An Exploration of the Community College Baccalaureate.”

Faculty

Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, associate professor in the literacy, culture, and international education division, was awarded a 2020 World Fantasy Award in the professional category for her book The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games. The award is considered one of the most prestigious prizes in the genre of fantasy and speculative fiction.

Sharon Ravitch, professor of practice in the teaching, learning, and leadership division, received a Fulbright Fellowship through the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) Fulbright Specialist Roster to work with Dr. BNM College in Mumbai, Maharashtra for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Krystal Strong, assistant professor in the literacy, culture, and international education division, has been named a 2020-2021 Andrew W. Mellon Digital Humanities Fellow by the Penn Price Lab for Digital Humanities, a lab that supports innovative uses of technology in the study of history, art, and culture.

The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) has awarded Penn Nursing’s Salimah Meghani this year’s Distinguished Nursing Researcher Award. Dr. Meghani is a professor of nursing, a term chair of palliative care, associate director of the NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health and a senior fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics. This award recognizes a nurse researcher who has demonstrated longevity and consistency in research leadership that advances the mission and vision of HPNA through high quality research, influential publications, and research mentorship focused on improving care in serious illness. The award was presented on February 18 during the virtual 2021 HPNA/AAHPM Annual Assembly.

The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association was established in 1986 and is the leading national professional organization representing the specialty of palliative nursing and advancing expert care in serious illness through education, research, and advocacy.

“This is perhaps one of the most prestigious nursing research awards in the field,” said Dr. Meghani. “I feel honored to join the list of ten inspiring former recipients of this national award. What makes it even more special for me is that I am the first immigrant woman and person of color to receive this honor. This certainly paves the way for other minority investigators who are improving the care of seriously ill persons and their families through rigorous research and service. I am grateful to the HPNA Research Advisory Council and the HPNA Board of Directors for this wonderful acknowledgement.”

Virgil Percec, P. Roy Vagelos Professor of Chemistry, was elected to the Academia Europaea. Dr. Percec was named a Foreign Member of the Academy in Chemistry.

Dr. Percec’s research group is involved in the elaboration of synthetic methods, strategies, and architectural concepts, as well as in the understanding of the fundamental principles that govern the rational design and synthesis of complex molecular, macromolecular, and supramolecular nonbiological systems that exhibit biological functions. His research collaborates with a diversity of interrelated disciplines and seeks to understand, mimic, and extend nature’s solutions to the design of synthetic functional nanosystems.

The Academia Europaea was established in 1988 and is a Pan-European Academy of Sciences Humanities and Letters.

Four University of Pennsylvania seniors and a 2019 graduate have received a Thouron Award to pursue graduate studies in the United Kingdom. Each scholarship winner receives tuition for up to two years, as well as travel and living stipends, to earn a graduate degree there. Because of pandemic restrictions, this year’s scholars can start their degrees in 2021 or in 2022.

Established in 1960 and supported with gifts by the late John Thouron and his wife, Esther du Pont Thouron, the Thouron Award is a graduate exchange program between Penn and U.K. universities that aims to improve understanding and relations between the two countries.

Penn’s five 2021 Thouron Scholars are:

Emily Davis, from Gainesville, Florida, is majoring in biology in the College of Liberal & Professional Studies. In addition to being a full-time student, Ms. Davis is a full-time professional ballet dancer in her sixth season with the Pennsylvania Ballet. She has performed numerous corps de ballet and soloist roles with the company and is a passionate advocate for integrating dance and health. A trained instructor for Dance for Parkinson’s Disease, she has developed and taught dance programs through partnerships with Art-Reach, Puentes de Salud, the Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, and Nemours Children’s Hospital. Ms. Davis conducts research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia on pediatric neuromotor rehabilitation for children with cerebral palsy, and at the University of Florida’s Center for Arts in Medicine. She serves as the director of Shut Up and Dance, an annual benefit performance put on by Pennsylvania Ballet dancers that raises more than $150,000 for Philadelphia’s Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance. Ms. Davis plans to pursue a PhD exploring the biopsychosocial benefits of social dancing, with a goal of using research to legitimize the use of evidence-based dance interventions to improve health.

Carson Eckhard, from Tampa, Florida, is majoring in history and English with minors in urban studies and Africana studies in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow and a University Scholar. At Penn, Ms. Eckhard is chair of the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education and vice president of engagement for Beyond Arrests, a campus criminal justice reform organization. An Andrea Mitchell Research Fellow and a member of the Penn & Slavery Project, Ms. Eckhard aims to use academic research as a vehicle for social justice. Passionate about educational equity and criminal justice reform, Ms. Eckhard interns for the Conviction Integrity Unit at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, where she supports efforts to combat wrongful convictions in Philadelphia. She has advocated for releasing incarcerated citizens as an intern for the Philadelphia Reentry Coalition. She is also a founding board member of The Liberation Foundation, a grassroots Philadelphia-based organization dedicated to overturning wrongful convictions and advocating for those serving disproportionate sentences. Ms. Eckhard plans to pursue a master’s degree in history, with a goal of returning to the U.S. to pursue a JD/PhD and a career as a law professor, advocate, and organizer for comprehensive justice reform.

Ben Friedman, from Lexington, Massachusetts, earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and communications with a minor in survey research and data analytics from Penn in 2019. Mr. Friedman has worked on a number of political campaigns, most recently as New Hampshire press secretary for the campaign of President Joseph Biden. At Penn, Mr. Friedman was president of Penn Consumer Assistance Support & Education, or Penn CASE, a student organization devoted to consumer protection and advocacy in Philadelphia. He played on the varsity sprint football team, which won a Collegiate Sprint Football League championship in 2016, and was a three-time all-league selection at offensive line. Mr. Friedman received the Annenberg School for Communication’s C. Nicole Dickerson Award for public service and was an Academic All-Ivy League selection for fall 2017. Mr. Friedman plans to pursue a master’s degree in a policy field and then return to the U.S. to pursue a career in public service.

Lauren Kleidermacher, from Miami Beach, Florida, is majoring in biology in the College of Arts and Sciences. She has been interested in studying Alzheimer’s disease since her grandfather died of the disease when she was in fifth grade. She created PJ Pillows, a nonprofit that raises funds for Alzheimer’s research, and has donated time and resources to several nursing homes. She is currently conducting research on Alzheimer’s at the Penn Neurodegeneration Genomics Center. A crisis counselor for those suffering from anxiety and depression, she also volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House and the Bethesda Project homeless shelter. A nationally ranked chess player, she has been a teaching assistant in Penn’s statistics department. Ms. Kleidermacher plans to pursue a master’s in global health science and epidemiology at the University of Oxford, with the goal of pursing a medical degree in the U.S. and a career combatting Alzheimer’s disease.

Beau Staso, from Hermosa Beach, California, is majoring in management at the Wharton School and in international relations with a minor in Russian studies in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a research assistant at Wharton, a research assistant and Russian translator at Penn Medicine, and a teaching assistant in the Russian and East European studies department in the College of Arts and Sciences. An ROTC cadet, Mr. Staso serves as wing commander of the Air Force cadets in the Philadelphia area and advocates for the LGBT+ community in the military. He was awarded Department of Defense scholarships for study in eastern Europe and central Asia, and he was elected secretary-general of the University of Pennsylvania Model United Nations Conference. A Wharton Research Scholar, Mr. Staso is a recipient of the Military Officers Association of America Liberty Bell Award, Military Order of the Purple Heart National Leadership Award, Sons of the American Revolution Leadership Award and was selected by his peers for the Field Training Warrior Spirit Award. He also has worked with Russian immigrant patrons of food pantries in North Philadelphia to conduct studies on their health and diet. Mr. Staso will pursue a master’s degree in Russian and East European studies. After completion, he plans to begin his career as a U.S. Space Force officer.

The Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CURF) serves as Penn’s primary information hub and support office for students and alumni applying for major grants and fellowships, including the Thouron Award.

Adapted from a Penn Today article by Louisa Shepard, February 26, 2021.

David Newell, WG’21, came to Wharton’s EMBA program to learn how to “think bigger and make a larger impact.” At the time, he was thinking about how an MBA would help him transition into senior leadership and to run a company. However, Wharton gave him the confidence and the network to make a bigger impact immediately by helping to solve the national challenge of finding a COVID-19 vaccine.

In December 2020, his parents became eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine in his home state of Texas. However, like many other people their age, they were having trouble actually booking appointments. “I could see on the state website where the vaccines were offered, but you had to visit each pharmacy’s individual website to check availability and make an appointment. That meant searching 80+ websites multiple times a day, which was time-consuming and frustrating. For someone less comfortable with technology, it was even more troubling,” he said.

With a background in technology and engineering, Mr. Newell spent the first week of January building a website called Findashot.org to automatically search for available appointments and direct people to openings. “The site is not very complicated. I made it easier to search for appointments by state, zip code, or a ‘find near me’ option,” explained Mr. Newell. The site costs the equivalent of a few cups of coffee a month to run, and so far he has raised enough via Ko-fi to support the site for 2021.

His parents successfully found and booked appointments, and he realized that the methodology would be the same nationwide as it is for Texas. “This type of site is unique, as others are either focused on a particular city or state or on one or two specific pharmacy brands,” said Mr. Newell.

Expanding the site necessitated reaching out to more pharmacies to obtain cooperation and ensure they would not block access to their booking websites. He turned to the Wharton network for help. An alumna at CVS Health connected him with the director at CVS leading the development of the pharmacy scheduling app. And a classmate who works at Walmart connected Mr. Newell with the director of that brand’s scheduling app.

“Thanks to the Wharton network, the cooperation from these pharmacies has been awesome,” said Mr. Newell. “They are on board with this meaningful cause to get more people vaccinated. Supply is constrained compared to demand, and we do not want someone who is eligible for a vaccine to give up just because the first 10 pharmacies they check do not have appointments. That slows down the vaccine rollout. My website helps you search across all participating providers with real-time updates and it is free. Findashot.org now covers 47 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.”

The biggest challenge for the website, noted Mr. Newell, is awareness. “I want to spread the word about the website and also add more vaccine providers to the site. It feels great to get emails from people who spent days unsuccessfully searching for a vaccine and then used this site to finally book their shots.”

As an Eagle Scout, Mr. Newell has always been passionate and dedicated to serving the community. “This is one relatively small thing I can do to help a massive problem. And when I did face challenges, like trying to add certain pharmacies to my site, my Wharton network was there for me and stepped in to help.”

Adapted from a Wharton Stories article by Meghan Laska, March 1, 2021.

Penn has a variety of activities available for young children and students of every age this summer.

Due to the rapidly changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, check the URLs provided in each listing for updated information.  These camps are in addition to the 2021 Penn Summer Camps and Programs supplement published on February 16, 2021.

Enrichment & Education

Penn Laboratory Experiences in Natural Sciences (Penn LENS): June 21-August 5. Students interested in STEM careers shadow research groups through individualized placements in the School of Arts and Sciences’ laboratories. Emphasis is on computer-based data collection and analysis, as well as reading and communications skills. For rising 11th and 12th grade URM and/or FGLI students from School District of Philadelphia public and public charter schools only. Participants receive a $500 financial award plus a full scholarship to attend a Penn Summer Research Academy (offered through LPS) during this time period. To apply: https://apply.interfolio.com/83750; more information: https://web.sas.upenn.edu/penn-lens/welcome-to-penn-lens/. Application deadline: May 31.

Academics

Penn Medicine Summer Program: July 12-23. Spend two virtual (online) weeks experiencing the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine’s intensive program designed for high school juniors and seniors interested in medical careers. Modeled after actual Penn Medicine classes, you’ll gain exposure to the basics of medical training including practical experiences and online demonstrations. Cost: $2,195. To apply: https://www.boldsummers.com/summer-programs/penn-medicine-summer-program/. Rolling admissions.

Children’s Hospital Summer Program in Pediatric Medicine: June 28-July 2. Experience a one-week virtual deep dive into pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia summer program. Designed for rising high school juniors and seniors, this program is ideal for students interested in careers in the healthcare field, including medicine, nursing, respiratory therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy. This program offers a mix of lecture-based and skill-based learning to provide a broad exposure to the various professions that specialize in the care of babies, children and young adults. Cost: $985. To apply: https://www.boldsummers.com/summer-programs/chop-pediatric-medicine/. Rolling admissions.

Exhibits

18        Anti-Racism & Mental Wellness Workshop: Turning off the Gaslights and Illuminating Brave Spaces; Ramani Durvasula, clinical psychologist; 8 p.m.; online event; register: https://paachatupenn.ticketleap.com/ (TAASS).

19        Virtual Global Guide Tour: Middle East Galleries; a thought-provoking tour of the Middle East Galleries led by a guide who grew up in the region; 2:30 p.m.; online event; register: https://tinyurl.com/global-guide-mar-19 (Penn Museum).

Fitness & Learning

17        Salary Negotiation Workshop; equips attendees to negotiate salary and other aspects of a job offer; 2:30 p.m.; online event; info: https://upenn.joinhandshake.com/login (SP2).

18        Navigating Sizeism and Fatphobia in Academia; learn to navigate discussions about size and perceptions; 2 p.m.; online event; info: https://gsc.upenn.edu/events (GSC, CAPS).

            Recommendation Letter Workshop; Karen Redrobe, cinema studies; Sophia Rosenfeld, history; noon; online event; register: https://tinyurl.com/rec-letter-mar-18 (Wolf Humanities Center).

            PAVE x SWE Workshop: Being an Active Bystander; workshop for women to discuss active bystander awareness, take action against interpersonal violence, and learn about Penn resources relating to sexual violence; 5 p.m.; online event; register: https://forms.gle/CBMyCoxTab5ws6gV6 (CBE, ODEI, PICS).

Graduate School of Education
Online events. Info and to register: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/news/events-calendar

16        Racism and Anti-Racism in Contemporary America: The Higher Education System; 5 p.m.

18        The SNF Paideia Program presents the Power of the Open Mind; 4:30 p.m.

19        Racial Literacy Series; for GSE and SP2 staff and faculty; 10 a.m.

            Staff Service Recognition Lunch; for GSE and SP2 staff and faculty; noon.

23        Virtual Submatriculation Information Session; noon.

Penn Law
Online events. Info and to register: https://www.law.upenn.edu/newsevents/calendar.php#!view/all  

19        Master in Law Information Session for General Audiences; noon.

23        Master in Law Information Session for Members of the Penn Community; noon.

Penn Libraries
Online events. Info and to register: https://guides.library.upenn.edu/workshops

23        PubMed Tips & Tricks—Saving Time and Finding What You Need; noon.

            Physical and Chemical Property Search Techniques; 3 p.m.

Readings and Signings

18        NPL Book Club: The End of Leadership; join friends and colleagues to discuss the Barbara Kellerman book; 6:30 p.m.; Zoom meeting; register: https://tinyurl.com/sp2-book-club-mar-18 (SP2).

Talks

17        Evolutionism in Historical Representations of “Nomads”; David Sneath, Cambridge; 10 a.m.; Zoom meeting; register: https://tinyurl.com/sneath-talk-mar-17 (CEAS).

            Distracted Driving Not Just About Teens and Cell Phones; Catherine McDonald, nursing; Sharon Irving, nursing; noon; online event; info: https://tinyurl.com/mcdonald-irving-mar-17 (Nursing, Penn Alumni).

            Immigrant Neighborhoods and Eviction: Hidden Housing Crisis? Rebbeca Tesfai, Temple; noon; online event; info: https://sociology.sas.upenn.edu/events/ (Sociology).

            Policing and Prosecuting Sexual Assault:  Lessons from Los Angeles; Cassia Spohn, Arizona State; noon; Zoom meeting; join: https://tinyurl.com/spohn-talk-mar-17 (Criminology).

            Democracy and Truth—and Elections; Sophia Rosenfeld, history; 1 p.m.; online event; register: https://tinyurl.com/rosenfeld-talk-mar-17 (PFWF).

18        When Ions Meet Electrons — Modeling the Interfaces in Solid-State Batteries; Yue Qi, Brown; Zoom meeting; 10:45 a.m.; info: info-mse@seas.upenn.edu (MSE).

            Defending Maya Lands and Maya Future: A Place to Be and Be Well; panel of speakers; 12:30 p.m.; online event; register: https://tinyurl.com/maya-talk-mar-18 (Penn Museum).

            Roots/Routes to Freedom: Beyond Elsewhere-ism and the Academy; 3 p.m.; panel of speakers; Zoom meeting; register: https://tinyurl.com/roots-routes-mar-18 (Africana Studies).

            The Heterogeneous Host Response to SARS-CoV-2; Nuala Meyer, PSOM; 4 p.m.; BlueJeans meeting; join: https://bluejeans.com/497920610 (Penn-CHOP Lung Biology Institute).

            The Nineteenth-Century Debate About Color; Judith Kaplan, integrated studies; 4:30 p.m.; Zoom meeting; register: https://tinyurl.com/wilson-talk-feb-18 (Classical Studies).

            The American Future of Green Social Housing: Lessons from the Bronx’s Via Verde; panel of speakers; 6 p.m.; Zoom meeting; register: bit.ly/AmericanGreenSocialHousing (PSC; Social-Spatial Climate Collaborative).

19        World War II (Vanitas) 1975 and Dye-Transfer Photography; Audrey Flack, artist; noon; Zoom meeting; register: https://tinyurl.com/flack-talk-mar-19 (Arthur Ross Gallery).

            Interdisciplinary Spatial Precepts and African Urban Studies; Ato Quayson, Stanford; 3 p.m.; Zoom meeting; info: https://www.english.upenn.edu/events/ (English).

            Colored Multizeta Values in Characteristic p; Yao-Rui Yeo, mathematics; 3:15 p.m.; Zoom meeting; info: https://www.math.upenn.edu/events/ (Mathematics).

            Travels and Translations of Brazil in the Americas, 1870-2010; Krista Brune, Penn State; 4 p.m.; Zoom meeting; join: https://tinyurl.com/brune-talk-mar-19 (Hispanic & Portuguese Studies).

22        STEM and the Future of Work; Chrissy Houlahan, US representative; 11 a.m.; Zoom meeting; join: https://tinyurl.com/houlahan-talk-mar-22 (SEAS).

            Functional Genomics Screens in Leishmania; Eva Gluenz, University of Glasgow; noon; Zoom meeting; join: https://tinyurl.com/gluenz-talk-mar-22 (Penn Vet).

            The Social Genome; Jenny Tung, Duke; noon; Zoom meeting; join: https://pennmedicine.zoom.us/j/95174933958 (Genetics).

            Faye Anderson & Aaron Wunsch in Conversation; Faye Anderson, All That Philly Jazz; Aaron Wunsch, historic preservation; 12:15 p.m.; Zoom meeting; register: https://tinyurl.com/anderson-wunsch-mar-22 (Historic Preservation).

            Towards an Acoustemology of Afro-Cuban Rap; Pablo D. Herrera Veitia, University of St. Andrew’s; 5:30 p.m.; Zoom meeting; register: https://tinyurl.com/veitia-talk-mar-22 (Africana Studies).

23        Exploring the Structure of Sediment-Laden Turbidity Currents; Jorge Salinas, University of Florida; 10:30 a.m.; Zoom meeting; info: peterlit@seas.upenn.edu (MEAM).

            New Insights Into CAR T Cells for Cancer; Marcela Maus, Harvard; 11 a.m.; GoToMeeting; join: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/227215405 (Wistar Institute).

            Redefining the Future of Healthcare Transitions; Mary Schuler, NewCourtland; Ashley Rittner, NewCourtland; Mark Toles, UNC Chapel Hill; 2 p.m.; online event; register: bit.ly/HealthTransitions (Nursing).

            Clipper: p-Value-Free FDR Control on High-Throughput Data From Two Conditions; Jingyi Jessica Li, UCLA; 3:30 p.m.; BlueJeans meeting; join: https://bluejeans.com/553472553 (CCEB).

            What to Expect: Communications Law and Policy in 2021; Kevin Werbach, Wharton; Christopher Yoo, CIS; 4:30 p.m.; online event; register: https://tinyurl.com/wehrbach-yoo-mar-22 (Penn Law).

            Just Objects: The Construction Ecology of the Seagram Building; Kiel Moe, McGill University; 6:30 p.m.; Zoom meeting; register: https://tinyurl.com/moe-talk-mar-23 (Architecture).

Annenberg School for Communication
Info: https://www.asc.upenn.edu/news-events/events

17        Exploring Rupture and Repair Through Multimodal Scholarship; panel of speakers; noon.

Asian-American Studies
Info: https://asam.sas.upenn.edu/events

23        Filipino Americans; Race and Race Relations; Randy Duque, Philadelphia Commission on Human Rights; noon.

Economics
Info and to register: https://economics.sas.upenn.edu/events

22        VARs in 2020: Dealing with Outliers and the Lower Bound on Interest Rates; Massimiliano Marcellino, Bocconi University; noon.

Electrical and Systems Engineering (ESE)
Info and to register: https://events.seas.upenn.edu/calendar/tag/ese/list/

18        Synthetic Dimensions: Harnessing Light’s Internal Degrees of Freedom for Quantum, Nonlinear and Topological Photonics; Avik Dutt, Stanford; 11 a.m.

Computer and Information Science (CIS)
Info and to register: https://www.cis.upenn.edu/events/

18        Bias and Representation in Sociotechnical Systems; Danaë Metaxa, Stanford; 3 p.m.

23        Prioritizing Computation and Analyst Resources in Large-scale Data Analytics; Kexin Rong, Stanford; 3 p.m.

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AT PENN Deadlines

The April AT PENN calendar deadline is today. The April calendar will be published March 30. To submit event information, email almanac@upenn.edu.

What’s the secret to success in any field? Why do some people succeed and others fail? Authors David Epstein and Angela Duckworth discuss two different, seemingly contrasting perspectives on these fundamental questions during Range vs. Grit. The talk will take place on March 25, 2021 at 2 p.m.

For more information and to register, visit www.sas.upenn.edu/events/2021-stephen-levin-family-deans-forum-range-vs-grit

Entrepreneurial ventures that aim to scale global change through education are invited to apply for the 12th annual Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition (EBPC). This year’s competition invites applications from organizations focused on creating equitable outcomes in education. Applications for the prestigious competition will be accepted until April 20, and semifinalists will be announced in June. Finalists will compete on October 5, 2021.

Apply for the EBPC here.

In the EBPC’s 11 years, winners and finalists have been awarded more than $1.5 million in cash and prizes, and competitors have collectively gone on to raise more than $150 million in funding. In 2020, the Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition awarded more than $170,000 in cash and prizes.

Last year’s competition featured semifinalist ventures from 11 U.S. states and seven countries. The work of these groups focused on diverse initiatives, including building social-emotional intelligence and combating racism through games, comics, and virtual role play; engaging at-risk students, including incarcerated individuals, with STEM education and work opportunities; and building high school students’ capacity for community and global citizenship through entrepreneurship.

While the competition has always sought to recognize innovators driving impact, scalability, and profitability, this year’s competition is particularly focused on groups driving impact through equity.  In addition to scoring applicants on their ventures’ quality, innovation, and scaling capabilities, judging criteria will assess applicants’ potential to address inequities and achieve results in under-resourced communities.

“We recognize that those closest to the problems are often best suited to create solutions that work in that context,” said Michael Golden, executive director of Catalyst @ Penn GSE. “Following the many difficulties of 2020, we’re committed to supporting efforts in previously disadvantaged communities to move their systems toward equity in education. We will help these entrepreneurs refine their ideas so they can reach the market faster and make a bigger impact when they get there.”

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

Tax season is upon us, and so are the scammers who want your refund and personal information. This tax season may be especially challenging with changes to the tax code and the impact of the pandemic. Taxpayers may have more questions and concerns than usual. The good news is that there are strategies you can use to protect your information.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will never contact taxpayers by email, telephone, or social media. If you receive a telephone call purporting to be from the IRS, assume it’s a scam and disconnect the call. You can report these contacts to the IRS (see below). 

The IRS will never demand payment via a phone call, text message, or social media post. They will also not demand payment using gift cards, wire transfers, or Bitcoin. Any such demands are fraudulent.

If you are using a home computer to access tax documents, ensure that your antivirus software, operating system, and browsers are up to date. The University makes antivirus software available to active, eligible affiliates of the University  free of charge. Keep your PennKey password secure: do not share it with anyone under any circumstances. Any sites that use Penn Weblogin use Two-Step Verification to provide extra security when you use your PennKey.

Identify and report IRS scams: https://www.irs.gov/privacy-disclosure/report-phishing

Symantec Antivirus software: https://www.isc.upenn.edu/how-to/symantec-endpoint-protection

Two-Step Verification quick start: https://upenn.edu/twostep

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

As members of the Penn Community, faculty and staff can take advantage of special discounts on a wide range of products and services. These offers are easily accessible through the Deals@Penn website. There you will find programs managed by the University as well as options from well-known local and national service providers.

The YouDecide Portal—Be sure to visit!

Penn has a special relationship with YouDecide, a company that provides many organizations with a convenient online portal, affording access to hundreds of discounts in a variety of categories. Look for information about their offerings on the Deals@Penn page.

Browse at your convenience.

The options found on the Deals@Penn site are available for you to browse and select at your convenience. Please note that some of the links require you to enter your PennKey username and passcode. For the YouDecide program, you may access the portal via its weblink.

If you have questions regarding these programs, please direct them to the following email: bsd-mktg@pobox.upenn.edu.

We invite and encourage you to explore these opportunities.

—The Divisions of Business Services and Human Resources