$17.5 Million Gift from Jay Alix, W’77 Supports New Indoor Track & Field Facility
On April 18, the University of Pennsylvania announced a $17.5 million gift to the Penn Track & Field and Cross-Country Campaign for Excellence from Jay Alix, a 1977 graduate of the Wharton School, noted philanthropist, and founder of AlixPartners, the global consulting firm. This milestone gift will support the centerpiece of the campaign, a planned indoor track and field facility to be located at the southeast corner of campus. Mr. Alix’s gift provides vital support that will allow construction to begin on this long-planned project. Once complete, the new track & field center will be the only collegiate indoor facility of its kind in the greater Philadelphia region.
Mr. Alix’s commitment complements a lead gift from Wharton alumni Jane Ott and David Ott and will name the Jay Alix Throws Area in the new Jane and David Ott Center for Track & Field.
“We are incredibly grateful to Jay Alix for this extraordinary gift, which provides the additional support needed to turn a decades-long dream into reality,” said Interim Penn President Wendell Pritchett. “The new track & field center will have a dramatic impact on Penn’s program, enhancing our ability to recruit and develop scholar-athletes into leaders on and off the field.”
The planned 73,000-square-foot structure will be located behind the existing Hollenback Center near the South Street Bridge. Designed specifically for track and field, it will include a six-lane, 200-meter banked track; an eight-lane sprint track; dedicated areas for field events; and seating for spectators during competitions. Construction is slated to begin in August 2022.
For Mr. Alix, this gift has a personal significance. “My time at Penn was made all the more memorable by training and competing as a thrower, often in inclement weather. Track and field is an incredibly diverse sport and serves as an ideal platform for students to develop the teamwork and leadership skills that will serve them far beyond their college years. Investing in these talented student-athletes is more important than ever. I am pleased to help launch this new facility into construction. It will build on Penn’s legacy of track and field achievement to create an even brighter future for Penn athletes.”
The planned Ott Center will offer countless benefits to Penn’s track and field athletes. “This modern venue will not only allow us to attract elite scholar-athletes but will also serve as a home for Penn’s cross country and track & field teams. Enhancing the training and competition facilities for our talented student-athletes sends a strong message that Penn Track & Field is committed to helping them reach their full potential,” said Steve Dolan, James P. Tuppeny/Betty J. Costanza Director of Track & Field/Cross Country.
Judd Flesch is an assistant professor of clinical medicine in the department of medicine’s division of pulmonary, allergy, and critical care. He graduated from the Perelman School of Medicine in 2006 and subsequently completed his internal medicine residency, chief residency, and pulmonary/critical care fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. During his fellowship, he also served as the Mayock Chief Fellow. He joined Penn’s faculty in January 2014 and has served as an associate program director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program and site director at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (PPMC) for the past eight years. In addition to overseeing clinical rotations at PPMC, Dr. Flesch also oversees the mentorship program for residents. He is passionate about clinical teaching, working with residents, fellows, and medical students in both inpatient and outpatient settings. In addition to his educational roles, Dr. Flesch is active in clinical operations leadership at PPMC, serves on the department of medicine Professionalism Committee, and is the co-director of the Penn Medicine Program for LGBTQ Health.
Temitayo Ogunleye is an associate professor of clinical dermatology and the associate director of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the department of dermatology. She received her medical degree from the Perelman School of Medicine, completed her residency training in dermatology at the University of Michigan, and trained at the University of Pennsylvania as a clinician educator fellow to further her interests in medical education and develop her current niches of skin color and hair disorders. Dr. Ogunleye received a master’s degree in healthcare innovation from Penn in 2021 and was appointed as medical director of the dermatology clinic at the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine in January 2022. She plays an active role in medical education, interacting with both medical students and residents in her clinics and on inpatient consultations at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. She is a member of her department’s Clinical Competency Committee and serves as a GME Ombudsperson. She is also a faculty leader of the Faculty Forums committee of the Alliance of Minority Physicians, a resident-led organization comprised of residents, fellows, and attending physicians who are underrepresented in medicine and committed to creating a diverse workforce. A former trainee commented, “(she) is simply the best. She is kind, courteous, charismatic. She is a great teacher and…I love working with her.” 
Carla R. Scanzello is an associate professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology at the Perelman School of Medicine, and section chief of rheumatology at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center (CMCVAMC) in Philadelphia. Dr. Scanzello received her medical and graduate degrees from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, completed her residency training at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, and her rheumatology fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. She joined Penn and the CMCVAMC in 2013, where she established a laboratory focused on osteoarthritis therapeutic development within the Translational Musculoskeletal Research Center, which she now co-directs. In addition to her research pursuits, she is dedicated to education of clinical trainees. She regularly supervises rheumatology fellows in their weekly VA clinics and participates as a faculty member in PSOM’s Cell & Tissue Biology and Mechanisms of Disease and Therapeutic Interventions courses. She teaches medical students and trainees from multiple specialties and primary care rotating through the rheumatology clinics at the CMCVAMC. This includes bedside teaching within the CMCVAMC Multi-Disciplinary Osteoarthritis Clinic, which she co-established. In partnership with colleagues in endocrinology and radiology, she co-organizes quarterly conferences in metabolic bone disorders for trainees at the CMCVAMC. In all these settings, she encourages trainees to set educational goals for themselves to foster a lifetime of self-directed learning and to collaboratively engage colleagues from other specialties to optimize inter-disciplinary care for patients. As former trainees have commented, “Dr. Scanzello is an outstanding teacher. She regularly helps fellows develop learning goals and then revisits these to check in on progress.” “I appreciate that she takes into account my learning goals and actively incorporates these into her teaching style…She is a great role model as a rheumatologist.”
Nicole Washington is an assistant professor of clinical pediatrics within the department of pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine and an attending physician with the division of general pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Dr. Washington received her BA in Spanish and her medical doctorate from the University of Virginia. She completed her pediatric residency training at CHOP. After completing her residency, she served as a pediatric chief resident for the hospital and the pediatric residency program. Dr. Washington remains active in the pediatric residency program, serving as one of the associate program directors and an integral member of the Intern Selection Committee; she also is currently the chair of the American Board of Pediatrics’ Education and Training Committee. Dr. Washington is one of the faculty mentors of the Alliance of Minority Physicians, a resident-led organization at CHOP comprised of residents, fellows, and attending physicians who are underrepresented in medicine and committed to creating a diverse workforce. Dr. Washington has mentored countless residents, medical students, and undergraduate students with a strong dedication to ensuring their personal and professional growth. Dr. Washington is also committed to her own professional growth and improvement, and is currently enrolled in the College of Liberal & Professional Studies’ Master in Organizational Dynamics Program. She plans to share this new knowledge and growing expertise with her trainees to further their leadership development.
David Aizenberg is an associate professor of clinical medicine in the division of general internal medicine. He came to Penn in 2007 as an intern and stayed on to complete his residency and a chief resident year. He then joined the faculty and continued to have an active role within the internal medicine residency. Dr. Aizenberg enjoys optimizing learning environments and has led several educational innovations, including transitioning the program into a block scheduling system and designing and implementing a theme-based ambulatory curriculum. In 2018, Dr. Aizenberg left Penn to lead the Drexel/Hahnemann University Hospital internal medicine residency as its program director. During the unexpected closure of Hahnemann, Dr. Aizenberg advocated on behalf of all the residents and fellows impacted by this crisis and helped them to find receiving programs. Dr. Aizenberg returned to Penn in 2020 and joined the GME leadership team as director of assessment and professional development. In this role, he helps programs improve their assessment systems and coaches struggling housestaff. Dr. Aizenberg continues to be clinically active in outpatient primary care and the inpatient wards at PPMC.
Sean Harbison is a native Philadelphian, having spent almost his entire education and professional career within blocks of Broad Street. After earning his BA in biology from LaSalle College, Dr. Harbison attended Temple University School of Medicine and completed general surgery training at the Graduate Hospital and at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He has served as a faculty attending surgeon and professor of surgery at Graduate Hospital, Temple University Hospital and, most recently, in the department of surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine, where he focuses on educational roles at each institution. For the past 8 years he has served as an associate clerkship and sub-internship director in the department of surgery, and he recently earned a master’s degree in medical education from Penn. He has had his teaching prowess recognized by multiple teaching awards, including induction into AOA Medical Honor Society (2005), three Penn Pearl Awards (1995, 2017, 2021), and the Dean’s Award for Clinical Teaching (1997). A former student stated, “I hope to emulate your style with patients and students when I’m a physician: Thank you for making me feel like a valued team-member and [for] an inspired learning experience.”
Katharine Bar is an assistant professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases and a physician-scientist studying novel approaches to HIV prevention and cure. Her translational research program fuses a virology laboratory studying the basic mechanisms of viral pathogenesis with clinical trials of HIV and SARS-CoV-2 interventions. Dr. Bar is an engaged teacher in both her clinical and research roles at Penn and through her leadership in national scientific organizations. She precepts medical trainees and leads multiple small group sessions for medical students, internal medicine residents, and infectious disease fellows. She is also an active teacher of cell and molecular biology graduate students, for whom she co-directs a journal club format class centered on HIV. Through her laboratory, she serves as a formal mentor for multiple students and an informal mentor to many additional trainees, in particular women pursuing basic and translational research careers. Outside of Penn, she is known as a dynamic speaker who communicates complex concepts in an engaging manner. A physician-scientist trainee mentored by Dr. Bar wrote, “Dr. Bar has consistently mentored me through graduate and clinical phases of my development as a physician-scientist, always reminding me of the duality of my training. I have witnessed Dr. Bar’s tailored mentorship of numerous friends who are graduate students, medical trainees, and budding physician-scientists. She assesses a mentee’s needs and meets them at their level. Her advice is honest, thoughtful, and based on her wealth of experience as a successful physician-scientist.”
Subhajit Chakravorty is an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine and a staff physician at the affiliated Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center (CMCVAMC). He completed his medical school training at the University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi, India. He trained in psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh and completed his sleep medicine training and a master of science in translational research at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, he completed his addiction research and clinical care fellowship at the affiliated CMCVAMC. He is certified in psychiatry, sleep medicine, and addiction medicine. He attends to patients in sleep medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and addiction psychiatry at CMCVAMC.
Rahul Kohli is an associate professor of medicine in the division of infectious disease, with a secondary appointment in the department of biochemistry and biophysics. Dr. Kohli obtained his MD and PhD from Harvard Medical School, after which he completed his internal medicine residency at Penn and his post-doctoral fellowship and clinical infectious disease training at Johns Hopkins University. The chief objective of his research group has been to probe DNA modifying enzymes and using approaches rooted in enzymology and chemical biology. The enzymes targeted by his group’s studies catalyze the purposeful modification of the genome and are central to host-pathogen interactions or to epigenetics. Dr. Kohli’s work has been recognized through support from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the Doris Duke Foundation, the Rita Allen Foundation and an NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, among others. He has been elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigators (ASCI) and has received the American Chemical Society (ACS) Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry. At Penn, Dr. Kohli is dedicated to the mission of training the next generation of physician-scientists grounded in basic science. Since 2014, he has served as an associate program director of the Penn MD/PhD program. His roles in the program include supporting combined degree students in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group and being the course director for Topics in Molecular Medicine, a course aimed at introducing all first-year combined degree students to cutting edge basic science work with medical implications.
Michelle Jackson has nearly 15 years of experience as a clinician working in the field of individual, couple, and family therapy. She holds a BA in women’s studies and philosophy from Temple University and an MSS in clinical social work from the Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. Currently, Ms. Jackson is an attending faculty member in the Psychiatry Residency Assessment Clinic for third-year residents at Penn. She adds family and systems perspectives to the overall discussion of patients presenting for care and also ensures that residents consider race, gender, sexual orientation, social class, and cultural background for all of their new and on-going patients. Ms. Jackson was on the clinical faculty of the Center for Couples and Adult Families in the department of psychiatry at Penn Medicine until 2019. In that position, she collaborated with the clinical director and other colleagues to provide therapy for a wide variety of family life cycle transitions, adjustment and mood disorders, and relationship concerns. In addition to her work at Penn, Ms. Jackson has been a valued instructor for undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate students since 2014. She has taught in the department of psychology at Philadelphia University (now part of Thomas Jefferson University), in the Rutgers University School of Social Work, in the Couple and Family Therapy program at Thomas Jefferson University, and in the post-graduate certificate program at Council for Relationships. Known for her enthusiasm and dynamism in the classroom, Ms. Jackson is sought after as a student advisor, professional mentor, and clinical supervisor. 
Stéphane “Vie” Guerrier is a senior internal medicine resident at the University of Pennsylvania. She graduated from the Perelman School of Medicine in 2019. After she completes her residency in June of 2022, she will join Penn’s department of endocrinology as a fellow. She enjoys working alongside Penn’s hardworking and inquisitive medical students, who teach her unexpected lessons every day. 
Christopher Hunter is the Mindy Halikman Heyer Distinguished Professor of Pathobiology in Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Hunter has been a mentor far beyond the borders of his own laboratory, through the T32 grant he leads, the courses he directs, and the regular connection with students across several graduate groups. Dr. Hunter’s thoughtful advice has guided several generations of biomedical graduate studies (BGS) students through their PhD education and beyond. His dedication to mentoring students and guiding them in reaching their scholarly potential exemplifies the type of scientist and mentor that Mikey Nusbaum represents.
Dan Beiting is an assistant professor of pathobiology in Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Beiting’s creation of a new teaching model within Biomedical Graduate Studies through the development of the CAMB 714 DIY Transcriptomics course and his innovative approach to deliver biostatistics training with the BIOM 610 course will have a lasting impact on quantitative training for BGS students for years to come. His dedication to these efforts exemplifies the type of scientist/educator that Jane represented.
This year’s recipients of SAS’s highest teaching honor are Toni Bowers, a professor of English, and Rudra Sil, a professor of political science. Created in 1983, the Ira H. Abrams Award recognizes teaching that is intellectually challenging and exceptionally coherent. The award honors faculty who embody high standards of integrity and fairness, have a strong commitment to learning, and are open to new ideas.
This award, which is named after Robert A. Fox Leadership Professor and former Dean of the College in SAS Dennis DeTurck, recognizes exceptional creativity and innovation in instruction. The 2022 recipient is Grace Sanders Johnson, an assistant professor of Africana studies. Dr. Sanders Johnson brings extraordinary creativity and a penchant for interdisciplinarity and collaborative spirit to her teaching. A student describes the inventive structure of her course “Ships: Modalities of Black Freedom and Escape”—which included theorizing, sewing, dyeing fabric, photography, obtaining a boating license, and sailing—as “a journey where I bonded with peers and harnessed the various devices in the course to re-imagine freedom as a form of art.”
Robert Johnson, a senior lecturer in physics and astronomy, and Rupa Pillai, a senior lecturer in Asian American studies, are the recipients of this award, which recognizes the contributions to undergraduate education made by the school’s associated faculty. 
The recipient of this award, which recognizes teaching excellence in LPS undergraduate programs, is Sukalpa Basu, a lecturer and advisor in the pre-health post-baccalaureate program. Highlighting Dr. Basu’s keen dedication to making her challenging courses in physics and calculus accessible to all learners, a student said, “my last physics class was in high school over ten years ago, and I never imagined physics could be this straightforward and understandable. I fully credit Dr. Basu with providing me, and all her students, with the tools we need to study the physical world.”