Skip to main content

News

Maria Oquendo and Gregory Brown: $14 Million Grant for INSPIRE Center for Suicide Prevention Research

caption: Maria Oquendocaption: Gregory BrownSuicide is a leading cause of death in the United States that disproportionately affects minority and disenfranchised communities, including Black, Hispanic, and LGBTQ populations. Yet, these groups often are not included in suicide prevention research. In an effort to reduce disparities and increase the understanding of suicide, the National Institutes of Health awarded Penn Medicine researchers a grant of more than $14 million over the next five years to develop the Penn Innovation in Suicide Prevention Implementation Research (INSPIRE) Center.

The INSPIRE Center will be led by Maria A. Oquendo, Ruth Meltzer Professor and chair of psychiatry in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and Gregory K. Brown, a research associate professor of clinical psychology in the department of psychiatry at Penn and director of the Penn Center for the Prevention of Suicide. The center brings together psychiatry, implementation science, health economics, machine learning, and other interdisciplinary research experts to apply innovative approaches to suicide prevention.

“This grant allows us to further drive much-needed suicide research for underserved groups. Not only will we develop and adapt research-based suicide prevention interventions for underserved groups, but we’ll focus on testing ways to optimize how these evidence-based practices can be brought to scale efficiently,” Dr. Oquendo said.

Part of the focus of the center involves developing and testing strategies for a range of practice settings, including those with limited resources. For example, one project will test an approach using telehealth to deliver high-quality safety planning intervention and follow-up services in emergency departments.

INSPIRE will also support 10 pilot projects and a “Methods Core” focused on testing new methods to advance research at the intersection of suicide prevention and implementation science. Furthermore, the center will form a Suicide Prevention Scholars program, which will expand the cadre of suicide prevention researchers by engaging both emerging investigators and established scientists who do not currently work on suicide prevention—particularly those from groups under-represented in research.

“INSPIRE is poised to transform suicide prevention. By driving interdisciplinary, cross-sector collaborations and through advancing suicide prevention research, care, and policy, we hope to develop cost-effective, practical, and efficient ways to implement much-needed suicide prevention interventions,” said Dr. Brown, who is also a clinical psychologist at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia.

The new INSPIRE Center is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health. 

Angela Gibney and Daniel Krashen: Presidential Professors of Mathematics

caption: Angela Gibneycaption: Daniel KrashenAngela Gibney and Daniel Krashen have joined Penn Arts & Sciences as Presidential Professors of Mathematics. 

Dr. Gibney is an algebraic geometer who has obtained deep results about moduli spaces of complex curves and more recently on vertex operator algebras—core topics that arise in algebraic geometry, algebraic topology, and mathematical physics. In the past two years she has made breakthroughs in constructing two-dimensional topological and conformal quantum field theories, proving a series of longstanding conjectures having applications to enumerative geometry of moduli spaces. Her research has been supported by individual NSF research grants, and her work has appeared in high-level journals including Advances in Mathematics, IMRN, Algebraic Geometry, Algebra and Number Theory, and Journal of the American Mathematical Society. Dr. Gibney has been very involved in outreach activities to promote mathematics education at all levels, and to “widen the pipeline” to include women and others who are currently underrepresented in mathematics. 

Dr. Krashen’s research is in algebra and arithmetic geometry, including the study of division algebras, quadratic forms, local-global principles, moduli stacks, and derived categories. These areas have connections to a wide range of fields, including physics and cryptography. He has been awarded multiple NSF grants, including a CAREER award and the prestigious Presidential Early Career (PECASE) award. He is a fellow of the American Mathematical Society. His publications have appeared in top journals including Inventiones Mathematicae, Advances in Mathematics, IMRN, and Crelle’s Journal. Dr. Krashen has also been active in promoting outreach and diversity in mathematics at a range of levels, from middle school through early career professors.

Presidential Professorships are five-year term chairs awarded by University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann to outstanding scholars, whose appointments to the standing faculty are approved by the Provost and who demonstrably contribute excellence and diversity to Penn’s inclusive community.

Penn and Tuskegee: $1.5 Million Grant from Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for Center for the Preservation of Civil Rights Sites

The Center for the Preservation of Civil Rights Sites (CPCRS) at the Stuart Weitzman School of Design and the Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science at Tuskegee University have each received a $750,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to build capacity among Black-led institutions to reimagine, redesign, and redeploy historic preservation to address the needs of the historical places, organizations, and communities devoted to the legacy of civil rights.

The initiative, called Capacity Building for Sustainable Preservation of Civil Rights Heritage Places, entails training the next generation of preservation professionals to take on the cultural and technical work needed to redress the imbalances in what heritage places get preserved and conduct research into best practices in all areas of historic preservation work. From site documentation and management to policy making, the Penn-Tuskegee collaboration is devoted to explicitly lifting the profile and ensuring the sustainability of Black heritage places and organizations representing the country’s long struggles with civil rights.

The initiative builds on the partnership formally established between Penn and Tuskegee in 2020 with support from the J.M. Kaplan Fund. Together, Penn and Tuskegee have undertaken  curricular development, research initiatives, joint field projects, digital humanities tools, and other educational projects that will continue. In the longer term, community-centered efforts connecting civil rights heritage with economic development, arts-and-culture sectors, and urban planning processes are envisioned.

“It’s extremely gratifying to have Mellon’s support for our work as we look to deepen our relationships with community members in both Philadelphia and Alabama over the next three years,” said Randy Mason, faculty director of CPCRS and professor in the graduate program in historic preservation. From 2014 to 2017, Dr. Mason directed PennPraxis, the Weitzman School’s sought-after consulting and community engagement arm and he continues to lead the Urban Heritage Project at PennPraxis.

The Capacity Building for Sustainable Preservation of Civil Rights Heritage Places initiative is among the first to be supported through the Mellon Foundation’s new “Humanities in Place” program, which supports “a fuller, more complex telling of American histories and lived experiences by deepening the range of how and where our stories are told and by bringing a wider variety of voices into the public dialogue.”

“The field of historic preservation, long dominated by institutions marked by white privilege, has historically had a blind spot for many issues of significance for Black heritage, from listings and leadership to public policies and university study opportunities,” said Kwesi Daniels, interim department head of architecture at Tuskegee. “It is urgent to build capacity among Black-led organizations to meet the goals of culturally resonant, community-serving, and financially sustainable Black heritage and civil rights sites. Tuskegee University’s department of architecture is steeped in this heritage, has a long legacy of educational excellence, and I am grateful for their partnership.”

Founded in the fall of 2020, the Center for the Preservation of Civil Rights Sites in the Weitzman School is an academic partner working with organizations engaged in varied aspects of remembering, studying and stewarding the legacy of civil rights histories in the United States. CPCRS undertakes research, teaching and fieldwork to explore issues and solutions and raise awareness of civil rights histories. CPCRS’s initial focus is on 19th and 20th-century Black experiences—recognizing, though, that important civil rights histories and legacies draw on many other experiences in the U.S.

Annual Selection Period for Retirees and Long-Term Disability Recipients

The Annual Selection Period for retirees and Long-Term Disability recipients will run from Monday, October 25 to Friday, November 12, 2021. This annual event allows participants to review their current benefits and make changes for the upcoming calendar year. All changes will take effect on January 1, 2022. If you do not make changes, your current elections will roll over to the next year. 

While there will be a slight increase in rates, a $4,000 hearing aid benefit is being added to all medical plans. Additionally, a new voluntary comprehensive vision care plan from VSP will be available to participants. 

Personalized enrollment packets will be mailed to each participant’s home shortly. You’ll receive a 2022 Annual Selection Guide, which includes details about what’s new for 2022, current enrollment information and costs, medical plan comparison charts, and more. Visit the Human Resources website at www.hr.upenn.edu/retirees for complete details.

Pandemic health and safety precautions prevent Penn from holding on-campus information sessions and benefits fairs as we have done in prior years. We encourage you to visit www.hr.upenn.edu/retirees for additional Retiree Annual Selection information.

How to Enroll or Make Changes to Your Benefits

There are two ways to enroll or make changes to your benefits for the 2022 Annual Selection period. You can call the University of Pennsylvania Benefits Solution Center at Health Advocate at (866) 799-2329, or use the Workday@Penn enrollment system and complete the following steps online: 

  1. With your PennKey and password log in to Workday at www.myworkday.com/upenn/login.html.
  2. From your home page, select the Inbox icon in the upper right corner or click “Go to Inbox.”
  3. Select “Open Enrollment — Event” in your inbox.
  4. Click “Let’s Get Started.” Select “Manage” under each benefit offering, then click “Select” or “Waive” next to the corresponding benefit plan (your current coverage will be displayed for each benefits election). Click confirm and continue and save after each election. 
  5. When you have completed all of your elections, click “Review and Sign and then Submit.”

All elections or changes must be made by Friday, November 12, 2021 at 5 p.m. ET. 

If you have questions about this year’s Annual Selection Period, please contact the University of Pennsylvania Benefits Solution Center at Health Advocate at (866) 799-2329, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. -10 p.m., ET. 

—Division of Human Resources

Division of Public Safety Advisory About Bike and Scooter Thefts

October 11, 2021

The Division of Public Safety is investigating an increase in bike and scooter thefts in the Penn Patrol zone. This trend is being seen throughout the City of Philadelphia as well. We wish to inform and protect the community by working together to prevent additional thefts. There are steps you can take to help reduce the likelihood of a bike theft, such as properly securing your bike to a bike rack, registering your bike (and other property) with Campus Express, and being aware of your surroundings. 

Ways to Stay Safe: 

Lock your bike! Lock your bike to a secure bike rack using the triangle method. 

  1. Use a u-lock secured to a stationary rack and around the bike frame: through the rear triangle and rear wheel rim. 
  2. Cable lock secured through the lock and around the front wheel rim. 
  3. Locking skewers installed to replace quick releases. 
  4. Cable lock secured to the seat and around the bike frame.

Register your bike! You may register your bike though Campus Express at www.campusexpress.upenn.edu, including a description and a photo. 

Reminder: bicycles, scooters, and other motorized vehicles are prohibited on sidewalks in Philadelphia, and restricted on University walkways. Always wear a helmet.

Safe Biking on Campus

On public streets and campus paths, bicycles are vehicles and must comply with traffic laws. Cyclists, scooters and pedestrians share common University paths. To prevent injuries, common sense and courtesy are key. Bicycles and scooters must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians. Pedestrian traffic is especially heavy on Locust Walk. As a result, bike and scooter riding is prohibited on Locust Walk, Hamilton Walk, Women’s Walk and Smith Walk. Bicyclists and scooters are required to walk their bicycles and scooters over the Locust Walk, Walnut Street, Paley and Weave footbridges (emergency personnel exempt).

Student Health Service Bike information page: Penn Bike Well Site

We encourage you to use all of the free services available to you and offer the below reminders:

  • Use Walking Escort to walk with you to any location between 30th Street and 43rd Streets, from Market Street to Baltimore Avenue, 24/7; as well as west to 50th Street and north into Powelton between 10 a.m. and 3 a.m.
  • Use PennRides for free transportation to both the West Philadelphia and Center City areas.
  • For a medical emergency, call (215) 573-3333 for the Alternative Response Unit (AR-1) and Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT).
  • If you see something, say something. Report suspicious behavior immediately to Penn Police at (215) 573-3333.

Also, if you have not done so, please take a moment to sign up for the UPennAlert System, as well as the Penn Guardian App, which can help Public Safety locate you in an emergency. Remember that after receiving a UPennAlert, you can find additional information about the ongoing emergency on the Public Safety website. Our website becomes a “Bulletin Board” with real time updates during an event or emergency, and is an excellent source of information to the entire Penn community and parents of students who are living in the University City area.

DPS Contact Information

Emergencies:

  • Dial (215) 573-3333 or 511 (from any campus phone)
  • Use any of our 700 Blue Light Emergency Phones on and off campus

Walking Escort: (215) 898-WALK (9255)

Penn Transit Ride Service: (215) 898-RIDE (7433)

—Division of Public Safety

New Information Security Policy Requirements

Penn’s Vice President of Information Technology and University CIO, Thomas Murphy, has approved four new information security policy requirements. The new requirements, which will take effect in June 2022 and June 2023, mandate protections on Penn systems. Specifically, the new policy statements will require 2-step authentication in order to use the PennO365 email system, end-point protection software to be run on all Penn-owned machines, and stronger authentication in order to gain access to PennNet remotely.

University Chief Information Security Officer Nick Falcone cites the increasing frequency of phishing and ransomware attacks that have the potential to interfere with Penn’s operations and mission as the driving force behind these new requirements. The Penn Office of Information Security is available to consult on implementation concerns as well as answer any questions about the new requirements.

Penn’s IT Security Policy can be found at: https://www.isc.upenn.edu/ITPC/security-policy. Questions regarding these new requirements may be directed to: security@isc.upenn.edu.

Deaths

Jonathan Scott Enderle, Penn Libraries

caption: Scott EnderleJonathan Scott Enderle, PhD’11, a former digital humanities specialist at Penn Libraries, died on September 11. He was 42.

Dr. Enderle received his bachelor’s degree at Texas A&M, then came to Penn as a graduate student in the English department in 2004 and eventually received his PhD in 2011. His dissertation, “Novel Properties: Communication, Copyright, and the British Novel, 1710-1774,” explored the history of ideas about intellectual property and its impact on the eighteenth-century novel. 

After graduating from Penn, Dr. Enderle ac- cepted a position as a visiting assistant professor of English at Skidmore College, where he taught for four years. He then returned to Penn to ac- cept a position as digital humanities specialist, a newly created position in the Price Lab for Digital Humanities. As the University’s first DH special- ist, Dr. Enderle played a major role in shaping both the research program and the curriculum in digital humanities at Penn. His depth of historical knowledge made him an important resource for scholars in the History of Material Texts group, the English department, and the Price Lab. He had a guiding hand in a wide variety of DH projects, all of which focused on the history of the book or involved techniques of text mining, machine learning, or data visualization.

Dr. Enderle’s interest in the communication of ideas was at once scholarly and practical. He was a teacher of Python and other computing languages with a willingness to explain how a given command or syntax had shifted over time. His interest in scalar analysis extended to the history and shape of both texts and languages, and he was one of the principal architects of the DH minor program in the College of Arts and Sciences. As lecturer in digital humanities in the department of English, Dr. Enderle developed Penn’s first Introduction to Programming in the Humanities, later named Data Science for History and Literature. Dr. Enderle is fondly remembered among his students and colleagues as a devoted mentor and a skilled teacher.

He is survived by his wife, Rachael; son, James; and his parents. There will be a colleague memorial service held Thursday, October 21, from 3-5 p.m. on the Penn Museum roof deck, third floor. Click here for more information. A larger, more formal event involving Dr. Enderle’s family will likely take place in the spring.

Edward B. Guy, PSOM

Edward B. Guy, a former faculty member in the department of psychiatry, died on August 20. He was 97.

Dr. Guy attended the College of William and Mary on an academic scholarship. During his freshman year there, he learned of a U.S. Navy program that trained physicians for World War II. Based on his high scores on aptitude tests, Dr. Guy was selected for an accelerated program that required him to take pre-med courses in a compressed schedule. He finished the coursework in two years and entered the Medical College of Virginia, today Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, where he earned a medical degree. 

After graduating, Dr. Guy completed residencies in internal medicine and psychiatry and served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He then moved his family to Philadelphia to teach at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, now the Perelman School of Medicine. He became assistant instructor of psychiatry in 1953, and was promoted to instructor two years later, a position he held until 1969. 

Dr. Guy was a practicing forensic psychologist, and in April 1969 he and coauthors Melvin S. Heller and Samuel Polsky published a paper in the Prison Journal, “Disposition of Mentally Ill Offender,” that addressed their concerns regarding the mental health and criminal justice systems. That same year, Dr. Guy left Penn to pursue prison justice and became a psychiatrist for the Philadelphia Prison System. In the 1970s, he became medical director of the Philadelphia Prison System.

Dr. Guy is survived by his first wife, Gloria Rankin; his children, Edward Guy, Jr., Thomas Guy, Nancy Wheeler and Susan Guy Brown; his stepchildren, Jonathan Crane and Susan Crane; 11 grandchildren; and his companion, Susan Andres. A private service was held. 

Phoebe Resnick, Penn Museum

caption: Phoebe ResnickPhoebe Resnick, former director of public relations at Penn Museum, died on September 25 of lung cancer. She was 85. 

Born in Brooklyn, she moved to Louisville, Kentucky when she was five. She graduated from the Kentucky Home School for Girls and then attended Wellesley College, receiving a bachelor’s degree in English and literature.

Ms. Resnick was a writer and a longtime public relations and marketing professional. She became director of public information at the Penn Museum in 1980, then served as the director of public relations there from 1984 to 1986. Ms. Resnick publicized countless events and personalities, coordinated special programs, directed tours for media and others, and served as the Penn Museum’s spokesperson in the press. She created campaigns that propelled Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass to fame and heavily promoted the publication by Penn of the first Sumerian dictionary. She also deftly spun a series of high-profile thefts that occurred at the Penn Museum in 1981 and 1982. Under the auspices of the Penn Museum, she created a radio series called Buried Treasure that broadcast on WHYY and introduced the public to some of the museum’s archaeological projects (Almanac April 10, 1984). She also served on the University Council Communications Committee.

In 1986, she opened Resnick Communications in Philadelphia, a public relations and marketing company. She worked with Moderne Gallery, the Center for Art in Wood, Thos. Moser furniture, the Main Line Antiques Show, and other clients. One colleague called her a “true communications maven with experience, savvy, contacts, and friendships that all combine to make her the ‘best of the best.’” She publicized projects about art, culture, history, music, entertainment, academics, politics, and other subjects.

She is survived by her husband, Myron Resnick; children, Rosalind Resnick, Bruce Resnick (Robyn Martin) and Dave Resnick (Marlys Miller); and eight grandchildren. 

Governance

From the Faculty Senate Office: Faculty Senate Executive Committee Actions

The following is published in accordance with the Faculty Senate Rules. Among other purposes, the publication of SEC actions is intended to stimulate discussion among the constituencies and their representatives. Please communicate your comments to Patrick Walsh, executive assistant to the Senate Office, either by telephone at (215) 898-6943 or by email at senate@pobox.upenn.edu.

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Actions

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Report from the Senate Tri-Chairs. Faculty Senate Chair William Braham reminded SEC members that the revised Faculty Senate Rules permit constituency representatives to name alternates. He reported that the feedback generated from SEC to the Consultative Committee for the Selection of a President was conveyed to it and that the faculty representatives highlighted that feedback during Consultative Committee discussions. 

Nominations sought for the 2021-2022 Senate Nominating Committee. Prof. Braham described the nominations process for the Senate Nominating Committee and invited nominations. The process is detailed in the Faculty Senate Rules (Section 9.C.). Standing Faculty members interested in being nominated should contact their SEC representative

Update from the Office of the Provost. Interim Provost Beth Winkelstein expressed her gratitude to all faculty for continuing to support Penn’s teaching and research mission during the past two challenging academic years including the ongoing campus repopulation effort. Provost Winkelstein offered updates in three areas: pandemic-related notices, a forthcoming faculty climate survey, and the launch of the reaccreditation process. 

Resolution from CIRCE: The Faculty Senate Select Committee on the Institutional Response to the Climate Emergency. SEC members were invited to offer feedback on the Resolution draft approved by the Senate Select Committee on the Institutional Response to the Climate Emergency (“CIRCE”) during the previous meeting. Additional time will be provided for SEC members to review the contents of the resolution with their constituents. The Resolution will be returned to CIRCE for further revision. In addition, a reminder was given of the Resolution on the Individual and Institutional Responses of Faculty in the University of Pennsylvania to the Global Climate Emergency, endorsed by SEC in May 2020, which is still accepting individual signatures by Penn faculty and staff.

Moderated Discussion. SEC members were invited to propose issues for deliberation by SEC during the upcoming months. 

Honors

2021 Excellence Through Diversity Fund Awardees

The Excellence Through Diversity Fund, awarded annually by the Office of the Provost, provides resources for innovative interdisciplinary projects on topics related to diversity and inclusion. This year’s awardees are:

Joretha Bourjolly, School of Social Policy and Practice
Project: Racial Sensitivity and Strategies for Talking about Race

Carmen Guerra, Perelman School of Medicine
Project: Dr. Edward S. Cooper Leadership Development Program

Megan Kassabaum, School of Arts and Sciences
Project: West Philadelphia Community Archaeology Project

Emily Steiner, School of Arts and Sciences
Project: Networks in the Humanities (NET-Hum)

Amy Gutmann Leadership Scholars

Penn Nursing has announced the recipients of its Amy Gutmann Leadership Scholars. Amy Gutmann Leadership Scholars are selected in collaboration with a specially appointed admissions committee. Selection criteria prioritize diversity, first-generation status, high academic achievement, demonstrated leadership potential, and an expressed desire to make a lasting impact in underserved urban and rural communities.

University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann and her husband Michael Doyle made a $2 million gift to Penn Nursing, creating the Amy Gutmann Leadership Scholars Program. This endowed program provides financial aid for exemplary undergraduate and graduate nursing students, supplementing their education with tailored learning to help shape nurse leaders who deliver exceptional evidence-based care, design research, inform policy, spark innovation, and advocate for social justice world-wide. Penn Nursing has a long-standing reputation as a leader in research, education, and practice. With Penn Nursing alumni living in more than 50 countries around the world, the newly minted Amy Gutmann Leadership Scholars join a vast network with an ever-growing legacy of global impact.

The purpose of the program is to equip diverse and talented Penn Nursing students, especially those who are committed to work in underserved urban and rural areas, with leadership tools and tactics to complement their Penn Nursing education. Scholars will develop personal and professional leadership skills and plans through a range of activities, including self-learning, cohort building, and purposeful school, University, and community engagement.

  • Bellinda Accimé, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Linda Chan, BSN (Los Angeles, CA)
  • Katerina Fella, ABSN (Haverhill, MA)
  • Andrea Finch, ABSN (St. Croix, USVI) 
  • Juliana Ivanof, Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (Duxbury, MA)
  • Jolie Sinclair Jemmott, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Jordan Lindekens, Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (Cornelius, NC)
  • Anna McGlynn, ABSN (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Key Duy Nguyen, Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (Burlington, VT)
  • Maria Grazia Leon Sausa, ABSN (Hayward, CA)

Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education 2021 Winners

The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education continues to shine a light on people who have had an extraordinary impact on the field. This year’s winners, announced by the Graduate School of Education, are Richard Baraniuk, Doug and Lynn Fuchs, and Carol D. Lee. Each is recognized for their achievements in higher education, preK-12 education, and learning science research respectively and will be honored Wednesday, November 10 in a streaming ceremony. Each winner will also receive an award of $50,000 and a prize sculpture.

Since 1988, the McGraw Prize has celebrated innovation in education by recognizing outstanding individuals who have dedicated themselves to improving education and whose accomplishments are making a huge impact. The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE) became the new home for the prize in 2020. As part of the partnership with the McGraw Family Foundation, Catalyst @ Penn GSE has created an array of programs to share ideas, insights, and best practices from the community of nearly 100 former McGraw Prize winners.

“We are so proud to be able to partner with the McGraw family for these awards. It gives me great pleasure to celebrate the work of these remarkable educators,” said Penn GSE Dean Pam Grossman. “Their body of work embodies a tremendous mix of innovation and inspiration aimed at making substantive changes in how we teach and learn.”

Engineer, education entrepreneur, and researcher Richard Baraniuk, the 2021 McGraw Prize winner in Higher Education, has revolutionized college publishing by putting free and open-source books in the hands of tens of millions of students and faculty worldwide. As founder and director of OpenStax, a nonprofit educational and scholarly publishing project he founded in 1999, Dr. Baraniuk and his team address a major but often hidden barrier to college affordability: the cost of textbooks and related educational materials. Dr. Baraniuk is the C. Sidney Burrus Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University.

Trailblazers in the field of special education, Lynn Fuchs and Doug Fuchs are the 2021 McGraw Prize winners in the PreK-12 Education category. Across four decades of methodologically rigorous and innovative research and development, they helped establish Data-Based Individualization as the most respected approach to instructing students with serious learning disabilities and as the sine qua non of special education intervention. Dr. and Dr. Fuchs are Institute Fellows at the American Institutes for Research and research professors in the departments of special education and psychology & human development, respectively, at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.

Carol D. Lee, the 2021 McGraw Prize winner in Learning Science Research, has had a profound and lasting impact on the learning sciences by introducing transformative perspectives to the field. In her five-decade career, she adopted a broad ecological focus, closely attending to the role that people’s participation in cultural practices contributes to robust learning, with a special focus on literacy. Dr. Lee is the Edwina S. Tarry Professor Emerita in the School of Education and Social Policy and in learning sciences and African American studies at Northwestern University.

Penn Medicine Researchers: NIH Director’s Awards

The National Institutes of Health has awarded grants to researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania to support “highly innovative and broadly impactful” biomedical science through the NIH Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research program. The seven awards total approximately $8.2 million over five years, 

The High-Risk, High-Reward Research program catalyzes scientific discovery by supporting research proposals that, due to their inherent risk, may struggle in the traditional peer-review process, despite their transformative potential. Program applicants are encouraged to pursue trailblazing ideas in any area of research relevant to the NIH’s mission to advance knowledge and enhance health.

The 2021 Penn Medicine recipients are among 106 national awardees:

New Innovator Awards

Amber Alhadeff: Harnessing Sensory Food Circuits to Influence Feeding Behavior

Dr. Alhadeff, an adjunct assistant professor of neuroscience, is taking a unique approach to understanding obesity by evaluating the power of taste, smell, and nutrient neural circuits in modifying eating behavior. Her team will also uncover how sensory and nutritive information is integrated in the brains of mice to predict future weight gain. Successful completion of this project will transform our understanding of how our brain and environment interact to promote overeating and obesity.

Peter S. Choi: Exploring Hidden Determinants of Splicing with Genome-Targeted Proximity Labeling

Dr. Choi, an assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, will examine the connection between epigenetics and RNA splicing to uncover their relationship in both healthy and unhealthy contexts, as well as to identify new opportunities for therapeutic intervention in diseases such as cancer.

Erica Korb: The Epigenetic Encoding of Learning and Memory

Dr. Korb, an assistant professor of genetics, will seek to uncover the transcriptional signature encoding a memory within a neuron and how this is influenced by epigenetic mechanisms. Through this work, Dr. Korb’s lab hopes to understand how the physical world influences gene regulation in the brain to allow us to learn, adapt, and become the people we are today.

Mustafa Mir: Quantifying the Dynamics of Gene Regulation and Nuclear Organization During Embryogenesis

Dr. Mir, an assistant professor of cell and developmental biology, will integrate cutting-edge techniques to directly visualize and quantify how the regulation of gene expression is orchestrated during embryonic development. The critical new information that will be gained from the proposed experiments has the potential to lead to novel therapeutic approaches to preventing or repairing defects that arise from aberrant gene expression during development, in aging, and in cancer.

Liling Wan: Illuminating Transcriptional Condensates Using an Integrated Approach

Dr. Wan, an assistant professor of cancer biology, is investigating the functions and mechanisms of a newly-recognized form of transcriptional assembly in order to better understand gene regulation. Successful completion of this project would establish a new model of gene control and have the potential to transform how we target gene dysregulation in cancer and other diseases.

Transformative Research Awards

Ben Black and Michael Lampson, Mendelian Inheritance of Artificial Chromosomes

Dr. Black, an associate professor of biochemistry and biophysics, along with co-principal investigator Michael Lampson, a professor of biology in the School of Arts and Sciences, are aiming to construct the first synthetic mammalian artificial chromosomes that follow Mendel’s laws, from minimal components. Success will transform fundamental understanding of what comprises a mammalian chromosome and have wide-ranging applications in synthetic biology and biotechnology, such as creation of animal models for drug development and as sources of personalized organs for transplantation.

Pioneer Awards

Jennifer Phillips-Cremins: From 3D Genomes to Neural Connectomes: Higher-Order Chromatin Mechanisms Encoding Long-Term Memory

Dr. Phillips-Cremins, an associate professor of bioengineering and genetics, is seeking to unravel the functional link between long-range 3D genome folding patterns and synaptic plasticity during the encoding of long-term memory in the mammalian brain. Because many key neurological disorders are thought to be diseases of the synapse, successful completion of this work will provide a foundation for future studies unraveling the role for misfolded genome topology on the onset and progression of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.

Perelman School of Medicine Awards and Accolades

caption: Yong Chencaption: Alessandra ChesiYong Chen, an associate professor of biostatistics, has won a 2021 Titan Award for Methodological Research from the Observational Health Data Sciences & Informatics program, based at Columbia University. The Award for Methodological Research recognizes extraordinary contributions in the development or evaluation of analytical methods for clinical characterization, population-level effect estimation, or patient-level prediction. Dr. Chen’s research focuses on integrating fundamental statistics principles into quantitative methods for tackling key challenges in modern biomedical data.

Alessandra Chesi, an assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, has been named one of 11 recipients of a 2021 Genomic Innovator Award from the National Human Genome Research Institute. These awards support highly innovative work by early-career investigators who have “great potential to accelerate future genomics research.” Dr. Chesi’s research aims to identify causal variants and target genes for neurodegenerative and brain-related disorders.

Susan Renz: NHCGNE Award

caption: Susan RenzPenn Nursing’s Susan Renz, primary care program director and practice associate professor in the department of family and community health, will receive a 2021 Distinguished Gerontological Nurse Educator award from the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence (NHCGNE). The awards will be presented at the NHCGNE Leadership Conference to be held virtually, October 26 – 28, 2021.

The Distinguished Educator in Gerontological Nursing Program is an NHCGNE initiative that aims to recognize the leadership of nurse educators working with students, faculty, providers, and older adults in diverse settings.

“I feel honored to be receiving this distinguished award,” said Dr. Renz. “It amplifies my continuing mission to educate others in the field of gerontological nursing and to advocate for the provision of quality care and support of older adults.”

Features

Penn Students Travel Cross-Country to Collect Pandemic Stories

caption: Max Strickberger, C’22, and Alan Jinich, C’22. Photo by Eric Sucar.It was toward the end of their 7,300-mile journey across 23 states, on a quest to interview young adults about how the pandemic has changed their lives, when the two University of Pennsylvania students were faced with a decision: Should they go to the high school prom in Circleville, Utah? 

Yes, they did at the invitation of a local farming family, joining most of the town, population 600, that spring evening. The prom was one of dozens of unexpected experiences shared by Penn seniors Max Strickberger and Alan Jinich—best friends and Penn roommates who grew up on the same street in Chevy Chase, Maryland—during their journalistic endeavor. 

They traveled the country seeking the stories of a diverse range of people, 18 to 25 years old, to create an archive of the pandemic experience. The resulting website for that archive, Generation Pandemic, will feature about twenty 1,500-word oral history narratives and podcasts drawn from the interviews, photos, and videos they gathered on their journey. They also have a Generation Pandemic Instagram page.

Mr. Strickberger is an English major with a concentration in creative writing and Mr. Jinich a neuroscience major and English minor. Both, in the College of Arts and Sciences, are back on campus this fall for their senior year. Faced with another semester of virtual courses this past spring, they decided to take a chance and take the semester off from their Penn classes to pursue their Generation Pandemic project. But they prepared with Penn professors and kept in touch with them along the way. 

“I wanted to do something. I felt like I was living in history and I wanted the chance to capture any part of it or play a more meaningful role in what history was like for me and for people of our age,” Mr. Strickberger said. 

Mr. Jinich, a photographer, said he wanted to pursue a long-term creative project, and get out of the bubble of reading everything through his phone screen. “We wanted to work on something together and so we decided, just two weeks before the spring semester started, to take it off and take on this project,” Mr. Jinich said. 

They started by reaching out to several Penn faculty, including Kathy Peiss, the Roy F. and Jeannette P. Nichols Professor of American History; Margo Natalie Crawford, professor of English, the Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Professor for Faculty Excellence, and director of the Center for Africana Studies; Jean-Christophe Cloutier, associate professor of English and comparative literature; and writer Sam Apple, who teaches creative writing.

Mr. Jinich had taken Dr. Peiss’s class, Modern American Culture, and she agreed to collaborate on this project, creating an eight-week syllabus of readings and meeting with them virtually once a week. They read several classic texts and recent writings, including Studs Terkel’s books Working, first-person interviews with a variety of workers in the 1970s, and Hard Times, first-person accounts of daily life during the Great Depression. “We wanted to do that kind of oral history with personal narratives, but specific to our age and about the pandemic,” Mr. Strickberger said. “We wanted the peoples’ stories to speak for themselves.” 

Dr. Peiss said she chose readings to help them think about how to position themselves as interviewers, how to relate to new people and places, and how to deal with their own assumptions. They also often spoke with Dr. Cloutier, who taught Mr. Strickberger in his courses Jack Kerouac & Postwar Counterculture and Post 45 American Literature & Film.

“I see some tendrils of Kerouac and the Beat Generation in Max and Alan’s project,” Dr. Cloutier said. “They’re combining forces to try to understand and diagnose a moment in time for a certain generation. And of course they’re going on the road—they seek actual encounters.” 

Mr. Strickberger and Mr. Jinich had taken a creative writing course, Extreme Noticing, taught by Mr. Apple, who suggested they read Eli Saslow’s column in The Washington Post, “Voices from the Pandemic.” “We read it and realized that is exactly what we wanted to emulate,” Mr. Strickberger said. “We wanted to do more serious interviews that aren’t just a snippet of someone’s life, but a more sustained engagement with what was going on in a particular moment during the pandemic.”

They used a demographic GIS map, Social Explorer, to determine a route with geographic and socioeconomic diversity, down through the Deep South, out west through the Rockies, and back through the Midwest. 

“We were looking for different kinds of places, big cities, tiny towns, places with racial, ethnic, political, religious diversity,” Mr. Jinich said. 

The pair set out on April 8, both fully vaccinated against COVID-19, driving Mr. Jinich’s mother’s SUV, with a plan to stay with friends and family in combination with Airbnbs and car camping. The first week was loosely planned, and the rest unfolded as they went along. The first day they made it to Chattanooga, Tennessee and conducted their first three interviews, prearranged through a friend from Penn. But after that, they would pull into a new place and start asking strangers who looked like they were in the age range if they would be willing to be interviewed. 

“I’d basically say ‘Hi, my name is Max. I’m working on an oral history project, talking to young people all over the country. We just got into the area. We’d love if you’d be interested in taking some time to speak with us.’” Mr. Strickberger said. “And they’d tell us no, or yes, or I can but not right now, or I’m not in that age range but try the church down the street, or the hotel, or the grocery store.”

The first big test was in Greensboro, Alabama, a town of about 2,500. No one would talk with them, but then a grocery store manager agreed to help and went up and down the aisles asking people their ages, introducing them. 

Their goal was to get a total of 50 interviews in six weeks, and they conducted 80, some as short as 15 minutes and others lasting for several hours, with the average being about an hour and a half. They did most interviews together but would frequently split up and take to interviewees alone. In pursuing the story of Jesus, a cattle rancher on the Texas-Mexico border, Mr. Jinich’s interviews spanned several days.

They asked each person to write in a notebook the answer to the question: “After the pandemic I want to…” Mr. Strickberger said he got the idea from a conversation with novelist Jennifer Egan about the project. 

The pair spoke with Ms. Egan the night before the trip. “She got us interested in this topic of futurity, looking down the road,” Mr. Strickberger said. “We had every single person we interviewed fill in the blank, in their own handwriting. We wanted something tactile, something more physical in that way. And that ended up being a really meaningful part, seeing young people writing while envisioning what life would be like after the pandemic.”

Dr. Peiss said this type of first-person archive is important for historians. “I think an archiving and interviewing project like this will be looked at many decades hence,” she said. “We’ll want to know what this time was like, just as people in the 1930s were trying to understand the Great Depression by interviewing people, by photographing them, and creating a record of that experience that we still draw upon today.” 

Early on they decided not to seek out interviews with people who were full-time college students like themselves, and instead looked for people who represented other experiences. Some stories they didn’t realize they needed until they found them, like Faith, a woman they encountered in Utah who told them she was the first person in her county to contract COVID-19. “She spoke with us about being treated like a pariah, about how rumors were spreading about her family and herself in this small town,” Mr. Strickberger said. “Once she got out of quarantine, everyone kept at a distance until the sheriff hugged her.” 

They went to many small towns, but also to several cities. In Chicago they were rejected by everyone they approached in Chinatown. “Then all of a sudden, I hear this guy on the street speak Spanish,” Mr. Jinich said. “So I started speaking to him in Spanish and we just bonded as Mexicans. I started interviewing him about his job and it ended up being my favorite story of the entire trip.” Fernando’s was one of several interviews that Mr. Jinich conducted in Spanish, his first language.

One of the most powerful interviews was with Sharon, a young woman in Santa Fe, New Mexico, who came back to live with her mother and older brother and his baby during the pandemic, struggling to help them while trying to keep up with college classes. Her brother was addicted to heroin and her mother, who did not speak English, was trying to navigate the court system for custody of the baby. 

The pair arrived back in Philadelphia on May 17, the day of Penn’s Commencement, and reconnected with many of their friends. During the summer they edited the narratives and photos, working with Penn alumnus Daniel Fradin to build their website. 

As they settle into their senior year at Penn, they are continuing work on the Generation Pandemic archive. Dr. Cloutier sees many possibilities. “Who knows how this will percolate in the long run for them: exhibitions, photographs, maybe works of non-fiction down the road? Maybe even a novel based on these experiences? Maybe an archive that will go on to inspire others and launch new endeavors?” he said. “Who knows? It’s exciting.”

Adapted from a Penn Today article by Louisa Shepard, October 11, 2021.

Events

Update: October AT PENN

Conferences

20    Settler Colonialism, Slavery, and the Problem of Decolonizing Museums; builds on recent research on the role of ethnographic museums in the development and representation of knowledge about people and processes; noon-6:30 p.m.; in-person and online; info and register: https://decolonizingmuseums.com/ (Center for Experimental Ethnography, Penn Museum). Through October 23, noon-3 p.m.

Exhibits

Penn Museum
Online and in-person events. Info: https://www.penn.museum/calendar.

22    Virtual Global Guide Tour: Mexico & Central America Gallery; 2:30 p.m.

23    Global Guide Tour: Mexico & Central America Gallery; 2:30 p.m.

24    Rome Gallery Tour; 11 a.m.

        Global Guide Tour: Africa Galleries; 2:30 p.m.

 

Films

20    The Last Laugh; includes Q&A with director Ferne Pearlstein; 7-9:30 p.m.; room 401, Fisher-Bennett Hall (Cinema Studies). 

21    Cactus Flower; 7 p.m.; online screening; tickets: https://pennlivearts.org/event/cactus-flower (Penn Live Arts). 

 

Fitness & Learning

Graduate School of Education (GSE)
Online events. Info: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/news/events-calendar?date=2021-10.

19    International Student Virtual Information Session; 7 p.m.

20    Executive Doctorate in Higher Education Management Program Information Session; 4 p.m. 

21    One Penn GSE Community: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & You; 7 p.m.

22    Friday Virtual Chats with Admissions; noon. 

        IES Predoctoral Program Seminar; Wendy Chan, GSE; 1 p.m.

25    Better Schools for Everyone Are Possible: Stories and Lessons from Immigrant Organizers & Educators; 5:30 p.m.

        Virtual Information Session: Mid-Career Doctoral Program; 8 p.m.

LGBT Center
In-person and online events. Info: https://tinyurl.com/lgbt-center-calendar.

20    LGBTQ+ U.S. History In Brief; noon; Goodhand Room, LGBT Center.

22    Staff and Facul-TEA; 1 p.m.; online.

26    Fall Semester Writers Room; 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; LGBT Center. 

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

19    Lambda Law (LGBTQ+) Panel; 3 p.m.

20    Office of Equity and Inclusion Webinar for JD Applicants; noon.

21    Native American Law Student Association (NALSA) Panel; 6 p.m.

 

Readings & Signings

21    Brave New Home; Diana Lind, Arts + Business Council for Greater Philadelphia; 6 p.m.; room B1, Meyerson Hall; register: https://tinyurl.com/lind-reading-oct-21 (City & Regional Planning). 

 

Special Events 

21    Colleague Memorial Service for Scott Enderle; colleagues in the department of English, the Price Lab, and Penn Libraries remember Scott Enderle; 3-5 p.m.; roof deck, Penn Museum (English, Penn Libraries, Price Lab).  

23    Culturefest: Día de los Muertos; full-day festival that offers fun for the whole family, including an arts activity, altar competition, artisan market, dance and music performances, and an enormous traditional altar installation by local artist Cesar Viveros; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Penn Museum; free with museum admission; info: https://www.penn.museum/calendar/964/culturefest (Penn Museum). 

 

Talks

19    Distributed Estimation Under Privacy and Communication Constraints; Ayfer Ozgur, Stanford; 11 a.m.; Zoom meeting; join: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/2822214402 (Electrical & Systems Engineering). 

        Proteomic Clues to Cell Organization; Martin Wühr, Princeton; 3:30 p.m.; Carol Lynch Lecture Hall, Chemistry Complex, and Zoom; join: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/97682459971 (Chemistry). 

20    The Multispecies Kinesthetic: Theorizing Epidemic Media; Bishnupriya Ghosh, UC Santa Barbara; noon; Zoom meeting; register: https://tinyurl.com/ghosh-talk-oct-20 (Cinema Studies). 

        Spatial and Dynamical Control in Metabolic Engineering Using Organelle Engineering and Optogenetics; José Avalos, Princeton; 3:30 p.m.; Wu and Chen Auditorium (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering). 

        Fels Racial Equity and Social Justice Conversation Series; Derek Green, Philadelphia City Council; 6 p.m.; online event; register: https://www.fels.upenn.edu/events/derek-green (Fels Institute of Government). 

21    Topological Physics: from Photons to Electrons; Mohammad Hafezi, University of Maryland; 12:30 p.m.; auditorium, LRSM Building (Materials Science & Engineering). 

        Phage and Robotics-Assisted Biomolecular Evolution; Emma Chory, MIT; 3:30 p.m.; room 216, Moore Building (Bioengineering). 

        Queer Faith: Reading Promiscuity and Race in the Secular Love Tradition; Melissa Sanchez, English; 3:30 p.m.; room 204, Claudia Cohen Hall (Religious Studies). 

         Leveraging Rare Respiratory Disorders to Illuminate Pulmonary Physiology; Raghu Chivukula, Harvard; 4 p.m.; BlueJeans meeting; join: https://bluejeans.com/574742202120/831444129093?src=join_info (Penn-CHOP Lung Biology Institute).

         Invisible China: How the Urban-Rural Divide Threatens China’s Rise; Scott Rozelle, Stanford; 4:30 p.m.; room 418, PCPSE (Center for the Study of Contemporary China).

22     Kinetic Theory for Superparameterization of Sea Ice Dynamics; Dimitris Giannakis, Dartmouth; 2 p.m.; PICS conference room, 3401 Walnut St. (Penn Institute for Computational Science).

         Modeling and Detection of Thermophiles in the Subseafloor; James Holden, University of Massachusetts Amherst; 3 p.m.; room 358, Hayden Hall (Earth & Environmental Studies).

25     Reconstructing the Experience of the Divine in Ancient Mesopotamia: An Argument for Direct Perception, Decentralized Cognition, and Sensorial Plasticity; Anastasia Amrhein, Bryn Mawr; noon; room 345, Penn Museum (Anthropology).

         From Egyptian Gold to Chichimeca Silver: Extractive Theory and Praxis in 16th Century Mexico; Iris Montero-Sobrevilla, Gates Cambridge; 3:30 p.m.; in-person and Zoom; info: https://hss.sas.upenn.edu/events/hss-workshop-iris-montero-sobrevilla (History & Sociology of Science).

         Design for Chosen Land: Building at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in the 21st Century; Pamela Hawkes, Scattergood Design; 6 p.m.; room B3, Meyerson Hall; register: https://tinyurl.com/hawkes-talk-oct-25 (Historic Preservation).

26     Robotics Goes Soft: Challenges and Achievements, for New Robotics Scenarios; Cecilia Laschi, National University of Singapore; 10 a.m.; Zoom meeting; info: peterlit@seas.upenn.edu (Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics).

         Prevention and Resolution of R Loop-Mediated Transcription-Replication Conflicts; Andres Aguilera, University of Seville; noon; GoToWebinar meeting; join: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/227215405 (Wistar Institute).

         Block the Vote: Historical and Contemporary Challenges to Voting Rights; panel of speakers break down the obstacles that voters face; 1:30 p.m.; Zoom meeting; register: https://tinyurl.com/block-the-vote-oct-26 (Penn Alumni).

Economics
In-person events. Info: https://economics.sas.upenn.edu/events.

20      An Economy of Neural Networks: Learning from Heterogeneous Experiences; Artem Kuriksha, economics; noon; room 100, PCPSE.

          Competition Under Social Interactions and the Design of Education Policies; Claudia Allende, Stanford; 3:30 p.m.; room F45, Huntsman Hall.

          Specialization in a Knowledge Economy; Yueyuan Ma, economics; 4 p.m.; room 100, PCPSE.

22      Seniority and Sovereign Default; Adrien Wicht, European University Institute; noon; room 100, PCPSE.

25      Social Learning with Heterogeneous Preferences; Pedro Brandão Solti, economics; noon; room 101, PCPSE.

26      State Dependence and Neighborhood Persistence; Jungsoo Yoo, economics; noon; room 101, PCPSE.

Mathematics
In-person and online events. Info: https://www.math.upenn.edu/events.

20      (In)stability of Minimal Surfaces; Otis Chodosh, Stanford; 3:45 p.m.; room 4E17, DRL and Zoom.

22      Canonical Heights on Shimura Varieties and the Andre-Oort Conjecture; Ananth Shankar, University of Wisconsin; 3:30 p.m.; Zoom.

Middle Eastern Studies
In-person events. Info: https://mec.sas.upenn.edu/events.

21      Social Change and Contentious Politics; Joel Beinin, Stanford; Rashid Khalidi, Columbia; Sean Yom, Temple; 4:30 p.m.; room 250, PCPSE.

Nursing
BlueJeans meetings. Info: https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/calendar/view/month/date/20211001.

20      Extraordinary or Ordinary? Nurses’ Work in China from Professionalization to SARS-CoV2; Nicole Elizabeth Barnes, Duke University; 4 p.m.

Penn Dental
In-person and online events. Info: https://www.dental.upenn.edu/news-events/events/.

19      AI in Practice: Artificial Intelligence, Real Dentistry; Kyle Stanley, Pearl; 6 p.m.; Zoom meeting.

20      Disability Rights Under ADA and the Impact on Private Dental Practice; Michael Ragan, Ragan Orthodontics; 5:30 p.m.; Zoom meeting.

21      C3-Targeted Therapy in Periodontal Disease: Moving Closer to the Clinic; John Lambris, medicine; noon; Cheung Auditorium, Levy Building and Zoom.

22      How to Train a TMJ Surgeon: A Perspective; Ron Aronovich, St. Joe’s Trinity Health; 7 a.m.; Zoom meeting.

Sociology
In-person events. Info: https://sociology.sas.upenn.edu/.

20      Asian Americans and Affirmative Action Policy; Van Tran, CUNY; noon; room 150, McNeil Building.

22      Translating Authentic Selves Into Authentic Applicants: Private College Consultants, Race, and Class in Selective College Admissions; Tiffany Huang, sociology; noon; room 367, McNeil Building.

--

AT PENN Calendar

To submit events for October calendar updates or upcoming AT PENN calendars, email almanac@upenn.edu.

Crimes

Weekly Crime Reports

University of Pennsylvania Police Department Crime Report

Below are the Crimes Against Persons, Crimes Against Society and Crimes Against Property from the campus report for October 4-10, 2021. View prior weeks’ reports. —Ed.

This summary is prepared by the Division of Public Safety and includes all criminal incidents reported and made known to the University Police Department for the dates of October 4-10, 2021. The University Police actively patrol from Market St to Baltimore and from the Schuylkill River to 43rd St in conjunction with the Philadelphia Police. In this effort to provide you with a thorough and accurate report on public safety concerns, we hope that your increased awareness will lessen the opportunity for crime. For any concerns or suggestions regarding this report, please call the Division of Public Safety at (215) 898-4482.

10/04/21

8:47 AM

3900 Spruce St

Ladder stolen from top of truck

10/04/21

12:12 PM

240 S 40th St

Dental tool stolen from treatment area

10/04/21

1:45 PM

231 S 34th St

Cable secured bike stolen

10/04/21

4:06 PM

4100 Spruce St

Suitcase and contents stolen from a vehicle

10/04/21

4:23 PM

3925 Walnut St

Merchandise removed without payment/Arrest

10/05/21

9:30 AM

3400 Civic Center Blvd

Pint of ethanol stolen

10/05/21

9:58 AM

51 N 39th St

Employee received threatening text messages

10/05/21

6:41 PM

3401 Grays Ferry

Complainant is being harassed by a former partner on social media

10/05/21

10:06 PM

3900 Walnut St

Parked vehicle stolen

10/06/21

9:13 AM

3620 Walnut St

Graffiti spray painted on a wall

10/06/21

1:35 PM

255 S 36th St

Chain secured bike stolen

10/06/21

1:40 PM

233 S 33rd St

Cable secured bike stolen

10/06/21

4:26 PM

4000 Market St

FTA warrant on Offender/Arrest

10/06/21

4:57 PM

210 S 33rd St

Cable secured scooter stolen

10/06/21

5:13 PM

3800 Chestnut St

Wallet stolen and transactions made on credit card

10/06/21

5:26 PM

4100 Ludlow St

Vehicle back windshield smashed

10/06/21

6:54 PM

3701 Walnut St

Cable secured scooter stolen

10/06/21

7:36 PM

3901 Locust Walk

Cable secured scooter stolen

10/06/21

8:42 PM

4200 Spruce St

Parked vehicle stolen

10/07/21

2:35 AM

3800 Chestnut St

Assault on police by offender/Arrest

10/07/21

9:09 AM

3417 Spruce St

Cable secured bike stolen

10/07/21

1:16 PM

249 S 36th St

Cable secured scooter stolen

10/07/21

1:54 PM

3730 Walnut St

Cable locked bike stolen

10/07/21

10:17 PM

200 S 36th St

Chain secured bike stolen

10/08/21

2:08 AM

3400 Market St

Vehicle left running and stolen

10/08/21

7:08 PM

4000 Chestnut St

Catalytic converter stolen from vehicle

10/08/21

10:30 PM

3910 Irving St

Cable lock secured bike stolen

10/09/21

2:29 PM

3330 Walnut St

Unsecured laptop stolen

10/09/21

3:40 PM

4100 Baltimore Ave

Catalytic converter stolen from vehicle

10/09/21

4:55 PM

3621 Walnut St

Merchandise taken without payment

10/09/21

6:36 PM

200 S 40th St

Unsecured computer taken from backpack

10/10/21

1:02 AM

3819 Walnut St

Disorderly conduct/Arrest

10/10/21

9:40 AM

3820 Locust Walk

Unsecured cash and credit cards stolen

10/10/21

2:00 PM

211 S 40th St

U-lock secured bike stolen

10/10/21

2:59 PM

3730 Walnut St

Cable lock secured bike stolen

10/10/21

5:38 PM

211 S 40th St

Cable lock secured bike stolen

 

18th District

Below are the Crimes Against Persons from the 18th District: 7 incidents (2 assaults, 2 aggravated assaults, 2 robberies, and 1 homicide) with 2 arrests were reported for October 4-10, 2021 by the 18th District, covering the Schuylkill River to 49th St & Market St to Woodland Avenue.

10/04/21

1:56 PM

100 S 45th St

Homicide

10/04/21

6:34 PM

4 S 43rd St

Aggravated Assault/Arrest

10/05/21

4:36 PM

S 49th & Chestnut Sts

Assault

10/06/21

12:00 AM

4500 Walnut St

Robbery

10/06/21

11:18 PM

4706 Hazel Ave

Robbery

10/07/21

2:48 AM

3800 Chestnut St

Assault/Arrest

10/10/21

2:06 PM

4628 Walnut St

Aggravated Assault

Bulletins

International Open Access Week: Workshops and Panels Hosted by Penn Libraries

The Penn Libraries recognize International Open Access Week 2021, October 25-31, with a series of virtual workshops and panel discussions open to the Penn community. 

Open access publishing makes scholarly information more widely available online at no cost to the reader, reducing barriers to access by students, scholars, and the general public. Inter- national Open Access Week is a global event, celebrated each year, offering opportunities for the academic and research communities to learn about the potential benefits of open access and share their findings with colleagues.

The Penn Libraries’ workshops will provide practical information and hands-on guidance for scholars interested in highlighting their work in open academic profile, sharing, and preprint platforms. Panel discussions will facilitate direct conversation with publishers, journal editors, and Penn scholars who have chosen to publish, distribute, and share their work through open access publishing venues.

The Penn Libraries also continue to facilitate open access publishing across the disciplines by con- sulting directly with individual scholars, partici- pating in consortia that further open access, and supporting initiatives that reduce or eliminate fees for authors to provide open access to their work. Find a full list of program descriptions and links to register: Penn Libraries International Open Access Week 2021 Events.

Penn’s Way Raffle Prize Drawings

Penn's Way logo

Visit https://pennsway.upenn.edu for more information. Paper forms must be submitted by noon on Friday, and online participation must be completed by midnight on Sunday for inclusion in a given week’s drawing that Monday morning. Note: list subject to change. 

Week Two drawing–October 18

  • Business Services: Palestra 5x7 frame ($100 value): Melissa Augustino, UPHS
  • Graphic Arts: B&N gift card ($50 value): Samuel Smith, UPHS
  • Shake Shack: Gift card ($50 value): Tanya Williams, UPHS
  • Howard Roe Gift Solutions: Amazon gift card ($100 value): Francoise Eberhardt, UPHS
  • BDJ Ventures, LLC: Gift card to Maggiano’s ($100 value): Rasheda Peoples-Starling, UPHS
  • USA Scientific: Gift card to New Deck ($50 value): Christian Cesanek, UPHS
  • SoulCycle: Two one-day passes ($68 value): Alexton Walters, UPHS

Week Three drawing–October 25

  • ThermoFisher: Gift card to Fearless Restaurants ($100 value)
  • Shake Shack: Gift card ($50 value)
  • The National Constitution Center: Four passes ($58 value)
  • Philadelphia Catering Co: Gift certificate for Catering ($100 value)
  • MilliporeSigma: Amazon Gift Card ($50)
  • The Chambers Group: Gift Card to Target ($50)
  • Soul Cycle: Two one-day passes ($68 value)

Penn's Way 2022 logo

Kleinman Center for Energy Policy 2020-2021 Annual Report

The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy annual report marks a full year operating during a pandemic. After transitioning to an entirely digital delivery system last year, Kleinman Center reported a highly productive year in three core areas: 

  • Fostering impactful research
  • Convening today’s experts
  • Developing tomorrow’s leaders

For more information, see the 2020-2021 Annual Report

Back to Top