May 31, 2022 Volume 68 Issue 36

To reveal how the immune system may drive health and disease in pregnant people and better understand how to best leverage vaccines to ensure maternal and fetal protection from infectious disease, a team of researchers has been awarded a five-year, over $12 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ Human Immunology Project Consortium (HIPC) for the promotion of multidisciplinary investigations and the advancement of maternal health. The grant recipients include faculty from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)/Harvard Medical School, and MIT. Ultimately, the researchers hope their work leads to new interventions that improve the lives of mothers and their babies.  

Michal Elovitz, the Hilarie L. Morgan and Mitchell L. Morgan President’s Distinguished Professor in Women’s Health at Penn; Galit Alter, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and group leader at the Ragon Institute; Douglas A. Lauffenburger, the Ford Professor of Engineering at MIT; and Andrea Edlow, a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist at MGH and an associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School, will lead investigations focused on uncovering the sequence of immune system changes in pregnant people and the development of the fetal immune system.

This project is the first time a HIPC project will support research into the immunology of pregnancy. Findings from the research will create a “Pregnancy Immune Atlas,” a platform that would not only provide insight into the optimal moments for vaccinations but would also reveal how variations in the immune system during pregnancy may lead to different health conditions.

“COVID-19 revealed what many of us taking care of pregnant individuals already knew—that there is insufficient understanding of how the immune system works in pregnancy and that the exclusion of pregnant people in both translational and clinical research has not protected them but, in fact, harmed them,” Dr. Elovitz said. “Our goal with this research is to map out what the immune system looks like and how it functions across pregnancy—so that we can have a platform on which to understand how to best use maternal vaccination and to help improve outcome from pregnancy complications driven by changes in the maternal immune system.”

This research collaborative marks a continued relationship between the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, and Penn. That includes a study last year published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology that found the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine offered immune protection to the virus for pregnant and lactating women at greater levels than prior infection. It also found that immune protection was transferred to neonates through the placenta and through breast milk.

Six members of the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School faculty have received teaching awards for the 2021–2022 academic year.

Elizabeth Pollman: Harvey Levin Memorial Teaching Award

Selected by vote of the JD class of 2022, Elizabeth Pollman is the recipient of the Harvey Levin Memorial Teaching Award. She is an expert in business law, and teaches and writes in the areas of corporate law and governance, as well as startups, venture capital, and entrepreneurship.

What the students say: “Pollman is one of the most engaging professors I’ve had at the Law School. She cares so much about this subject matter and was able to share her knowledge, past experience, and professional network throughout the class.” “Not only is she brilliant and an expert in corporate law, but Prof. Pollman is kind and respectful toward students. Her positive attitude was so refreshing and made me look forward to coming to class every week.” “Pollman is one of the kindest professors I met and, although she teaches multiple courses a semester, she always took time to get to know students and to answer questions in person in class or office hours and by email.”

Jill E. Fisch: LLM Teaching Award

Selected by vote of the LLM class of 2022, Jill Fisch has received the LLM Teaching Award. Ms. Fisch is an internationally known scholar whose work focuses on the intersection of business and law, including the role of regulation and litigation in addressing limitations in the disciplinary power of the capital markets.

What the students say: “Fisch does an excellent job stimulating interest in her courses. She has an interactive and encouraging lecture style that keeps students interested, and she inspires us to think of the policy impacts and to fully examine both sides of every issue.” “Her knowledge of the subject is impressive and it makes any student confident that they are having access to the best source of education available. She’s a masterful teacher.” “Fisch is a very impressive lecturer, and I’m always scrambling to write down exactly what she says because it’s brilliant, especially when I’m just trying to understand the case or issue at hand.”

Mitch Berman: A. Leo Levin Award for Excellence in an Introductory Course

Mitch Berman has received the A. Leo Levin Award for Excellence in an Introductory Course for the constitutional law course he taught this spring. He writes and teaches in American constitutional law and theory, philosophy of criminal law, general jurisprudence, and philosophy of sport.

What the students say: “Berman is a very humorous and engaging professor. He challenges students with the Socratic method at every turn, both inside and outside of class. He does a good job of keeping things interesting and encouraging people to think for themselves.” “Berman teaches you not just about constitutional law but how to approach an opinion, how to dissect concurrences and dissents effectively, and how to understand judges’ thinking and modalities.” “I think Professor Berman is a genius. This course changed how I read cases for the better.” 

Sophia Z. Lee: Robert A. Gorman Award for Excellence in Teaching

Sophia Lee has received the Robert A. Gorman Award for Excellence in Teaching for her outstanding teaching of administrative law in two large sections. She is a legal historian whose scholarship synthesizes constitutional and administrative law.

What the students say: “Lee is a great professor who effectively weaves together teaching the doctrine and posing questions for students to consider related to policy and constitutional or statutory interpretation. She keeps the class engaged while also teaching an incredible amount of content.” “Some of the best parts of the class were when Professor Lee pushed us to share our views on the materials we just covered. More than any other professor I’ve ever had, Prof. Lee has the striking ability to both affirm students’ views and ensure they feel heard, while simultaneously pushing back on their opinion to ensure students understand the weakness in their arguments.” “Lee is the most accessible and respectful professor I’ve had at Penn and one of the best instructors I’ve had in my educational career. No matter the approach––via email, during class, in office hours––she is consistently respectful and kind to her students. Although the class was challenging, I never once felt nervous to speak in class or to her privately.”

Rebecca E. Clayton: Adjunct Teaching Award

Rebecca Clayton has received the Adjunct Teaching Award for her work teaching the Intellectual property & corporate lawyering and ML: entrepreneurship law courses. She is an accomplished corporate attorney, with significant expertise in corporate and financial law, corporate governance, intellectual property, privacy, and nonprofit organizations. She has taught a variety of courses since 2004.

What the students say: “Clayton is thoughtful, strategic, knowledgeable, and forward thinking.” “Clayton was always prepared and found creative ways to spark conversation no matter the experience level of classmates in terms entrepreneurial or overall business experience.” “Intellectual Property & Corporate Lawyering is a course that does a really good job at teaching by doing. I feel like by the end of the course, the exercises had given me a really good idea of what the mindset of a corporate lawyer is.”

Lou S. Rulli: Experiential Teaching Award

Lou Rulli has won the Experiential Teaching Award for his work teaching and leading the Civil Practice Clinic and Legislative Clinic. He has expertise in public interest law, legislation, litigation, and clinical legal education and has written and lectured extensively on access to justice for the poor.

What the students say: “Rulli is a thoughtful teacher who has made a huge difference in my law school experience. I have absolutely no doubt that the things I learned in this class will serve me well throughout my future career as an attorney—and even shape its trajectory.” “Rulli was extremely enthusiastic to teach us about the legislative process, legislative drafting, and more. His energy permeated through the classroom and made learning that more enjoyable.” “I’ve taken two clinics with Prof. Rulli and both times he was kind, enthusiastic to teach the class new materials and provided me wonderful tools that I will use throughout my legal career.”

Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award: Elizabeth Woodward

This year’s Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award was presented to Elizabeth Woodward. The Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award is the most prestigious teaching award in veterinary medicine. It is presented annually to a faculty member at each college of veterinary medicine in the United States. Its purpose is “to improve veterinary medicine education by recognizing outstanding instructors who, through their ability, dedication, character and leadership, contribute significantly to the advancement of the profession.” The entire Penn Vet student body votes on the recipient. 

Elizabeth Woodward joined the department of biomedical sciences in 2016 as a clinical assistant professor. Before her faculty appointment, she held postdoctoral research appointments in the Reference Andrology Laboratory at New Bolton Center and at the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center, where she also earned her doctorate studying equine reproductive physiology. At Penn Vet, she is the course organizer for physiology, teaches anatomy, and serves on several committees. Her research interests are in the field of reproductive physiology, specifically in the areas of sperm physiology and equine endometritis.

A student said, “she strikes a perfect balance of teaching and supervision while encouraging us to push our boundaries and be ever more involved in cases with her.” Another said, “her constant hard work was really inspiring, and it makes me want to be a better doctor and person.”

William B. Boucher Award: Laurence Leduc

The Boucher Award honors a house officer at New Bolton Center for excellent teaching, as was exemplified by William Boucher over four decades at Penn Vet. The graduating class votes on the recipient.

This year’s winner is Laurence Leduc, a third-year large animal medicine resident. Dr. Leduc completed her veterinary medicine degree and large animal rotating internship at University of Montréal. After her residency, she will return to the University of Montréal to pursue a PhD in equine asthma. Her main interests are respiratory physiology, neonatology and cardiology. Dr. Leduc takes particular pride in student learning and developing the next generation of veterinary minds.

A student said, “Dr. Leduc has a perfect way of knowing exactly when to push students and when to offer more encouragement. I really cannot describe how much working with her developed my confidence and made me realize how much I enjoy internal medicine, neonatology, and working with production animals.” Another said, “Dr. Leduc has great client and student communication skills and is always available to answer questions about her patients while giving encouraging feedback on students’ knowledge and skillsets. She does an incredible job of letting you make decisions on your patients.” 

Class of 2022 Philadelphia Campus Teaching Award: David Holt and Marc Kraus 

David Holt is a soft tissue surgeon in the department of clinical sciences and advanced medicine. He obtained his veterinary degree from the University of Sydney and worked in mixed and small animal practices in Australia before completing an internship and surgery residency at Penn Vet. His current research investigates using near-infrared imaging to visualize tumors, their margins, and metastatic lesions during surgery.  

A student said, “Dr. Holt is so invested in the education of his students! One time he had me pull up a step stool behind him during a surgery, outside of the sterile field, so that I could observe, even though I was not the student on the case. On a case where I was the primary student, he explained every step of the procedure to make sure I was following. He’s an incredible teacher.”

Marc Kraus is a professor of clinical cardiology at Ryan Hospital. He received his DVM degree from the University of Georgia and completed his specialty training in Internal medicine at the University of Georgia, then completed his cardiology training at Cornell University. Dr. Kraus has extensive experience in treatment and management of congestive heart failure, interventional cardiology, and cardiac biomarkers. He has close collaborations with faculty at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Kraus is the author of more than 100 scientific articles, abstracts, book chapters, and a book on ECG interpretation.

A student said, “Dr. Kraus dedicates his time and effort to ensure that each student he works with learns with every case. I know I am going to learn something whenever working with him.”

Class of 2022 New Bolton Center Teaching Award: Marie-Eve Fecteau

Marie-Eve Fecteau is an associate professor of farm animal medicine and surgery in the department of clinical studies at the New Bolton Center. Dr. Fecteau is a diplomate of the American College of Large Animal Internal Medicine. In 2004, she joined Penn Vet as a clinician-scientist and farm animal specialist.  Her research interests are centered on the study of paratuberculosis (also known as Johne’s disease) in cattle and other ruminants. With collaborators at Penn Vet and Penn Medicine, she has also investigated the disease similarities and possible links between Johne’s disease and Crohn’s disease. 

A student said, “Dr. Fecteau leads by example with immense compassion and clinical skill. She encourages students daily on the clinical floor. Dr. Fecteau is one of the most patient and kind clinicians at NBC, even when working with non-food animal-oriented students. When she’s not performing surgery, she even doubles as a D barn housekeeper and removes the random objects that her students leave on the stall walls to prevent her patients from developing GI foreign bodies!”

Class of 2023 Lecture Teaching Award: Amy Johnson

Amy Johnson graduated from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and completed an internship at B. W. Furlong and Associates in Oldwick, NJ. She then completed both a large animal internal medicine residency at Cornell and neurology residency at Penn Vet. Dr. Johnson is currently an associate professor of large animal medicine and neurology in the department of clinical studies at New Bolton Center, and she is section chief of internal medicine and ophthalmology. Her primary research focus is improving antemortem diagnosis of neurologic disease in horses in a quest to keep her patients away from the pathologists.  She has a special interest in infectious diseases, including EPM and Lyme neuroborreliosis, as well as in non-infectious diseases, such as EDM, that are prevalent in her caseload. 

A student said, “I am so happy to see that Dr. Johnson was voted best lecturer! It is clear she takes care to create thoughtful, organized lectures, and she presents the material in a way that is very easy follow. I always looked forward to her lectures and appreciate her efforts!”

Class of 2023 Laboratory Teaching Award: Heather Rudolph

Heather Rudolph is a certified veterinary technician who received her training from Harcum College.  As the teaching lab coordinator, Ms. Rudolph has developed and manages the hands-on Clinical Skills Lab for students at Penn Vet. The students have access to models to practice skills such as restraint, venipuncture, gowning and gloving, clinical pathology, and suturing. Before coming to Penn Vet, Ms. Rudolph worked in emergency and critical care at Crown Veterinary Specialists and Quakertown Veterinary Clinic.

A student said, “Heather is so patient with students in clinical skills labs. She has no problem going over something several times because her main goal is having us understand the techniques and rationale. She does a phenomenal job organizing the labs.”

Class of 2024 Lecture Teaching Award: Mark Oyama

Mark Oyama is currently a professor of cardiology and the Charlotte Newton Sheppard Endowed Chair of Medicine at Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital. He has recently been appointed the chair of the department of clinical sciences and advanced medicine. Dr. Oyama received his undergraduate and veterinary degrees from the University of Illinois. He interned at the Animal Medical Center in New York City and completed his cardiology residency at the University of California Davis. Since coming to Penn Vet, he has trained over 20 cardiology residents. He earned a master of science in clinical epidemiology from the Perelman School of Medicine in 2015. Also at Perelman, he currently holds an associate scholar position in the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, which he finds particularly rewarding. Dr. Oyama received the Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award in 2016. 

A student said, “Dr. Oyama is an excellent lecturer. He ensures that his lecture materials are clear and clinically relevant, and that they convey the most important points of the lecture. His thoroughness in answering questions and frequent clinical references make learning much easier.”

Class of 2024 Laboratory Teaching Award: James “Sparky” Lok

Dr. Lok received a PhD in medical entomology from Cornell University in 1981 and did postdoctoral training in parasitology at Penn. He joined the faculty of Penn Vet in 1983, where he now holds the rank of professor of parasitology. In addition to his commitment to teaching second- and third-year veterinary students, Dr. Lok is also an active member of the microbiology/virology/parasitology component of the Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group at Penn. Dr. Lok was a 1999 winner of a Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. Dr. Lok also received the 2014 Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award. His research interests are in the molecular and neuronal control of the infective process in parasitic nematodes.

A student said, “Dr. Lok is especially deserving of this award, given his incredible enthusiasm about and passion for Parasitology! Moreover, Dr. Lok was an amazing lab instructor – not only was he willing and able to clarify any concepts that students were struggling with during the lab, but he’d also stay after the lab was over to answer questions about the class’s lecture content.”

Class of 2025 Lecture Teaching Award: Rose Nolen-Walston

Rose Nolen-Walston was a professional dressage rider and riding teacher before she graduated with her DVM from the University of Georgia in 2001. She completed an internship and residency in large animal internal medicine at Tufts University. Dr. Nolen-Walston spent a year there doing research in adult stem cell biology in mice, then joined the faculty at Penn Vet, where she has been teaching and practicing internal medicine at New Bolton Center. She received the Class of 2023 Lecture Teaching Award in 2020, the Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award in 2017 and a Lindback Award in 2014.

A student said, “Dr. Nolen-Walston is an extremely engaging professor [who has] an incredible ability to create participation in the classroom and kindle a passion for learning in the students by her positive attitude and entertaining anecdotes.”

Class of 2025 Laboratory Teaching Award: Paul Orsini

Paul Orsini has served as director or co-director of Veterinary Gross Anatomy at Penn Vet since 1995 and has taught the course since 1987. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and completed specialty training programs in veterinary surgery and dentistry at Penn Vet, obtaining diplomate status in both disciplines. His love of veterinary anatomy started as a first-year student in Cornell’s department of anatomy. Dr. Orsini has authored scientific articles, abstracts, and book chapters in the fields of veterinary surgery, dentistry, and anatomy, and books in both equine and ruminant anatomy. He continues to enjoy teaching anatomy and performing veterinary dentistry and oral surgery.   

A student said, “Dr. Orsini is incredibly enthusiastic about anatomy, and his positive attitude and energy is contagious. He is always willing to answer questions, and he gives the best demonstrations/chalk talks that help with understanding.”

May 25, 2022

We thank everyone who took part in our two great Commencement ceremonies last week, as well as all the joyful events that marked the end of the spring semester. 

As we begin the first summer session, we want to update the community that screening testing will continue to be available on campus at no cost throughout the summer. We are consolidating our testing at one Penn Cares testing site located at 3734 Spruce Street and have closed down the testing sites at Houston Hall and the tent at Du Bois. Please remember that testing is required for students, faculty, staff, and postdocs who are not yet fully vaccinated and boosted and/or have not uploaded their vaccine information. 

We encourage all members of our community to wear a mask in indoor public settings, as COVID cases continue to rise in Philadelphia and on our campus. You can find more detailed information on our page of public health guidance, including updates about boosters and recommendations to wear a surgical mask, KN95/KF94/N95 mask, or Aries 40-hour mask rather than a less protective single layer cloth mask. Masks continue to be required in healthcare settings and on Penn Transit. 

As we approach the holiday, we wish all of you a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, and we encourage you to use good judgment to keep our families and extended communities safe and healthy for the start of summer. 

—Wendell Pritchett, Interim President
—Beth Winkelstein, Interim Provost
—Craig Carnaroli, Senior Executive Vice President
—J. Larry Jameson, Executive Vice President for the Health System

Mortimer M. Civan, an emeritus professor of physiology in the Perelman School of Medicine and an influential researcher of epithelial salt and water transport, passed away on April 17 after a brief illness.

Dr. Civan obtained his AB in 1955 and his MD degree in 1959 from Columbia University, where he was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha honorary societies. Following an internal medicine internship and residency training at Presbyterian Hospital, New York City, Dr. Civan studied salt and water transport across kidney epithelia at the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases, a sub-group of the National Institutes of Health. He then moved to Boston and joined the lab of Alex Leaf, then chief of the renal service at Massachusetts General Hospital. In the Leaf lab, and then as a faculty member at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Civan focused on the toad urinary bladder as a model of the kidney and contributed to the discovery of the need by cells for an energy-dependent mechanism to effectively extrude water (the “double Donnan” hypothesis). He went on to publish over thirty reports over three decades, using biophysical analyses and approaches, including NMR, electron-probe X-ray microanalysis and electrophysiology. His studies elucidated fundamental mechanisms of epithelial salt and water transport and their regulation by vasopressin and aldosterone. 

In 1972, Dr. Civan joined Penn’s faculty as an associate professor of physiology and medicine. Advancing to the rank of full professor in 1979, he continued to make essential contributions to the renal transport field. At Penn, Dr. Civan expanded to a second interest in ocular physiology, where he also made major contributions to the understanding the underlying mechanisms of fluid transport within the anterior part of the eye. Using methods that were analogous to his work in kidney transport, Dr. Civan addressed the nature and control of the ionic channels responsible for the turnover of aqueous humor, including adrenergic, adenosine and purinergic mechanisms. Using cell volume analysis, patch clamp techniques and fluorescent ion imaging, he dissected the contributions of various ion transporters to the salt and fluid uptake by the ciliary epithelium and drainage through the trabecular meshwork. He published over 70 papers on this research, as well as many review articles and book chapters.

Over his 43 years in Penn’s physiology department, Dr. Civan trained numerous fellows and graduate students. He was awarded the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching Basic Science in 1988. Among other editorial positions, Dr. Civan served for 40 years on the editorial board of the American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology. He was active in the American Physiological Society, the Society of General Physiologists, and the International Society of Eye Research. He was an established investigator of the American Heart Association from 1970 to 1975 and was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1988. He was the recipient of 3 patents. 

“His local, national and international colleagues held him in the highest regard, with deep-felt respect for his scientific contributions, his inquisitive mind, his broad knowledge and his character,” said Dr. Civan’s colleagues. “To his colleagues at Penn, Mort was a caring, gentle, fair, steady and humorous man. For many, Mort was a constant source of support, always inquisitive about how one was doing, a great listener, positive in his outlook, and always with a bit of a twinkle in his eye. He provided counsel that was rational and thoughtful, often punctuated with ‘keep up the good work!’” 

Dr. Civan is survived by his wife, Judith; two sons, Ethan and Jesse; and five grandchildren.

B. Kembrel Jones, a former deputy vice dean of student life at the Wharton School, passed away on May 13 from a heart attack. He was 62. 

Dr. Jones grew up in Florence, Alabama. He graduated from Bradshaw High School in 1978, where he was named Mr. Bradshaw High School. He then graduated from the University of North Alabama in 1982, serving as president of Sigma Chi fraternity. Upon graduation, he worked for the International Headquarters of Sigma Chi in Evanston, Illinois. He then earned a master’s degree and a PhD in education administration from Harvard University, graduating at the top of his class in the latter program. 

After graduating from Harvard, Dr. Jones racked up an impressive record of service in higher education. He first returned to his alma mater, the University of North Alabama, as director of alumni relations and annual giving. He later held positions at the University of Miami, Birmingham Southern College, and at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, from which he also earned an MBA. In 2008, he was recruited to the faculty of the Wharton School by Tom Robertson, a former colleague at Emory. That year, Dr. Jones became the deputy vice dean of student life at Wharton. 

At Wharton, Dr. Jones served the needs of over 1,500 MBA students, planning events for them and becoming known as the “Dean of Happiness” and the “Dr. Phil of Huntsman Hall” due to his friendly relationships with students and his availability as a friendly shoulder to cry on. “We have to debunk this mystery or these impressions people have of Wharton and Wharton MBAs,” he said in a 2010 Penn Today profile. They’re talented and they’re generous, and they’re thoughtful and they’re collaborative and they are creative. They are really, really good kids.” He was popular among the Wharton community and launched several traditional Wharton events, like the Spring Welcome, that are now customary. Dr. Jones retired from Penn in 2018. 

Dr. Jones worked at Yellowstone National Park during summers and mentored and advised interns there. 

Dr. Jones is survived by his mother, Joan Jones; his siblings, Pamela Jones Tyner (Kevin) and Rex Jones (Leslie); and five nephews and one niece. A visitation was held on May 22. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Sigma Chi Foundation Scholarship fund for graduate scholarships to help future students have the opportunity to continue their education (sigmachi.org).

Robert Roy MacGregor, an emeritus professor of medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine, passed away on May 12. He was 84.

Dr. MacGregor received an AB from Princeton in 1960 and an MD from Harvard four years later. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Boston City Hospital and a fellowship in infectious diseases at University of Washington, Seattle. He then worked at the Laboratory of Clinical Investigation at NIH, where he made the acquaintance of Richard Root. In 1971, Dr. Root was recruited to Penn, where he launched its infectious diseases department, and he brought Dr. MacGregor with him. Dr. MacGregor came to Penn in 1971 as an assistant professor of medicine; five years later, he was promoted to an associate professor. 

In 1975, Dr. Root left Penn for Yale, and Dr. MacGregor was asked to be interim chief of infectious diseases. He eventually served until 1990 and led the department admirably. As Dr. MacGregor’s colleague Harvey Friedman, professor of medicine, wrote, “he gave his heart and soul to help the new infectious diseases division thrive. He recruited some of our most successful faculty and fellows and set the tone that established the collegial atmosphere in the infectious diseases division that remains today. I think his most important contribution to Penn was his determination and dedication to provide care to the underserved and less privileged.” He launched the Infectious Diseases Management Conference, still a popular annual event in the department. In 1986, Dr. MacGregor became a full professor. He was also active elsewhere at Penn—throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Dr. MacGregor served on committees of the Faculty Senate and University Council, as well as several special task forces. 

Dr. MacGregor launched Penn’s HIV clinical program in 1988, despite many early stigmas and uncertainties surrounding the virus. Under the auspices of this program, Dr. MacGregor made cutting-edge scientific innovations. In 1994, he contributed to the discovery of the vpr gene, which regulates latency in HIV and can be targeted by drugs. Two years later, he contributed to the development of the one of the earliest HIV vaccines. In the early 1990s, he also served on Penn’s HIV/AIDS Task Force, helping communicate to the Penn community the variety of mitigation, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment strategies available. In 2005, he was awarded a Red Ribbon by the Community Advisory Board of Penn’s Center for AIDS Research in honor of his contributions to the fight against AIDS.

In 2005, Dr. MacGregor retired and took emeritus status. In retirement, he served as one of the founding executive committee members (and later, a president) of the Penn Association of Senior and Emeritus Faculty. In May 2006, the infectious diseases’ outpatient clinic that Dr. MacGregor had helped found was renamed the MacGregor Infectious Diseases Clinic in his honor. Dr. MacGregor continued to be active at Penn during his retirement, launching a service in 2011 in which retired medical faculty visited HUP patients to explain confusing medical terminology. 

“Rob epitomized compassion as a provider,” said Dr. Friedman. “He had a huge heart and his patients loved him for it. He was a very skilled provider with great judgment and common sense. He was the ultimate patient advocate.”

Dr. MacGregor is survived by his wife of 58 years, Peggy MacGregor; and his children, Laurie, Matthew, and Sarah. 

Kwaku Ohene-Frempong (often known by his initials, KOF), a professor emeritus of pediatrics in the Perelman School of Medicine and director emeritus of the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), passed away from complications of metastatic lung cancer on May 7. He was 76. 

Dr. Ohene-Frempong was born in Kukurantumi, Ghana. His father was a cocoa farmer and a prominent member of a royal family. He attended a boarding school, Prempeh College, then came to the U.S. He received a BS in biology from Yale University in 1970, where he was also captain of the track and field team, setting indoor and outdoor records in the high hurdles. He then received an MD from Yale in 1975 and completed a residency at New York Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan, then studied pediatric hematology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

A week after graduating from Yale in 1970, Dr. Ohene-Frempong married Janet Williams, a recent graduate of Cornell University. In 1972, their first child, Kwame, was born, and was shortly thereafter diagnosed with sickle-cell disease, a fatal genetic condition (from which he passed away in 2013). Dr. Ohene-Frempong made it his mission to combat the disease. In 1980, he joined the faculty of the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, where he was an associate professor of pediatrics. There, he also established the Tulane Sickle Cell Center of Southern Louisiana and worked with the state of Louisiana to develop a newborn screening program for the disease. In 1986, however, he returned to CHOP and, this time, Penn. That year, he joined Penn’s School of Medicine faculty as an assistant professor of pediatrics. He was promoted to full professor in 1997.

At CHOP, Dr. Ohene-Frempong founded the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, which attracted federal grant money and conducted leading research on the disease. He studied the natural course of sickle cell disease (blockages in blood vessels in the brain), which led to scientific ability to predict how the disease would develop and which children were at the highest risk. Dr. Ohene-Frempong extended his scientific expertise to his home country of Ghana, founding the Kumasi Center for Sickle Cell Disease and eventually leaving Penn to work in Kumasi full-time. Dr. Penn retired from Penn in 2011 and took emeritus status. 

As part of his work in Ghana, Dr. Ohene-Frempong became president of the Sickle Cell Foundation of Ghana and the national coordinator of the American Society of Hematology’s Consortium on Newborn Screening in Africa. Dr. Ohene-Frempong was widely acknowledged in the U.S. and in Ghana for his work, receiving the Order of the Volta (2010) and the Millennium Excellence Award (2015) in Ghana. In 2020, he received the Assistant Secretary of Health Exceptional Service Medal from the Department of Health and Human Services. The next year, the American Society for Hematology honored him with its Stratton Award for Translational and Clinical Science. 

“I relied on his wisdom at almost every turn in my career,” said Dr. Ohene-Frempong’s colleague at CHOP, Alexis Thompson. “Part of it was watching with this tremendous awe what his vision was and the things he thought to do to move this field forward.” 

Dr. Ohene-Frempong is survived by his wife, Janet; his daughter, Afia; three brothers, Kwabena Ohene-Dokyi, Kwasi Ohene-Owusu and Reynolds Twumasi; a sister, Ama Ohene-Agyeiwaa Boateng; and two grandchildren. 

The Faculty Senate has announced its new leadership for the upcoming year: Past Chair: William W. Braham (Weitzman); Chair: Vivian L. Gadsden (GSE); Chair Elect: Tulia G. Falleti (SAS/Political Science). The Annual Reports of the Faculty Senate will appear in a future Almanac issue.

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.

Report from the Senate Tri-Chairs. Faculty Senate Chair William Braham introduced Professor Tulia Falleti as 2022-2023 Chair-Elect of the Senate. He then offered a brief year-in-review of the work of SEC:

• Consultation with University officials on responding to evolving public health conditions because of the pandemic and its direct effects on decisions made on campus protocols such as extending masking periods in classrooms.
• Addressing difficult issues regarding academic freedom and free speech, including holding three webinars on the topic. SEC will continue to foster discussion on the matter in the coming months.
• Initial steps toward examining the effects of the U.S. Department of Justice’s China Initiative on Penn researchers and the role of University policies and practices in supporting and protecting the faculty.
• Passage of several resolutions: Resolution on the Institutional Response to the Climate Emergency; Resolution on Faculty Bylaws; Resolution for Election Day (2022 version)

Issues Requiring a Vote. SEC voted to elect a slate of four faculty representatives for the 2022-2023 University Council Steering Committee. 

Senate Committee Reports. SEC heard and discussed reports given by chairs of certain Senate committees. Reports from all Senate standing committees will be published as a supplement to a future issue of Almanac.

Senate Committee on Faculty Development, Diversity, and Equity (SCFDDE). Professor Nelson Flores reported on SCFDDE’s findings and recommendations. Selected recommendations include:

• The Faculty Senate should create an Ad Hoc Committee that closely examines the current University and school-level procedures related to balancing academic freedom and tenure protections with the need for faculty sanctions (including possible tenure removal) for faculty misbehaviors with a particular focus on bringing more transparency to this process and considering the needs of those who have been victimized by these misbehaviors. 
• The Faculty Senate should consult with Human Resources to review the current policies related to parental and teaching leave for faculty who choose to grow their families via foster care with the goal of revising the Faculty Handbook as appropriate to address faculty need.
• The Faculty Senate should review the associated faculty and academic support staff options available in the Faculty Handbook with an eye toward making the positions appealing enough to attract a diverse applicant pool and considering the possibility of promotion and professional growth for each of the different positions. 
• Further, the Faculty Senate should seek data that can help determine trends in gender, race and ethnicity in division, department chair, deanship leadership at the University over the past five years.

Senate Select Committee on the Institutional Response to the Climate Emergency (CIRCE). Professor Braham reported on the ongoing work of CIRCE’s four subcommittees:

• The Subcommittee on Operations received a report from Office of Sustainability on operational responses to the Resolution on the Individual and Institutional Responses of Faculty in the University of Pennsylvania to the Global Climate Emergency. 
• The Subcommittee on Community & Policy has advocated for air travel offsets to be invested locally and created a Faculty Climate Pledge appeal film.
• The Subcommittee on Education and Research created a white paper for President-Elect Liz Magill on the topic: “What shall we prioritize for the new administration?”  The white paper addressed the topics Assessing Climate Risks, Developing Mitigation and Adaptation Solutions, Constructing Policy Pathways, and Building New Educational Curricula and Communication Tools.
• The Subcommittee on UPHS and CHOP continues to advocate for the development of its own carbon action plan and is in the process now of developing a dozen active working groups so as to distribute the workload. Any UPHS or CHOP employees are encouraged to contact the Senate office to be added to the CIRCE:UPHS/CHOP mailing list.

Senate Committee on the Economic Status of the Faculty (SCESF). Professor Iourii Manovskii reported on SCESF’s findings and recommendations. SCESF focused on identifying salary and compensation inequities based on race, gender, and other observable characteristics. It also focused on effects of the pandemic-related salary freeze, the ongoing rise in inflation, and effects of the Policy on Class Meeting Times established in fall 2021.

Prof. Manovskii suggested that one-time events, such as salary freezes and increases in inflation, can have significant long-term consequences on salaries and retirement savings account balances, absent specific corrective actions in subsequent years. He shared example calculations to illustrate the point. The lack of a merit-based raise in FY2021 seems justified in the circumstances of the pandemic, though if the effects are not reversed by supplying an appropriate increase in subsequent years, a one-time freeze can add up to a large and lasting reduction in faculty salary payments over time. Once the impact of the pandemic on University finances subsides, the University should return base salaries to the same point on their growth trajectory, absent the freeze. However, the University has indicated that no cost-of-living increases for continuing faculty will be made.  Some distributional effects of inflation were discussed and will be printed in detail in the forthcoming report.

Passing the Gavel. Professor Braham recognized Professor Jamieson for her three years of service as a Tri-Chair to the Faculty Senate by presenting her with a commemorative gift: an 1864 edition of Thomas Jefferson’s Manual of Parliamentary Practice. He then yielded the floor to Professor Gadsden. SEC members welcomed Professor Gadsden as chair of the Faculty Senate for the 2022-2023 year. 

To read speeches, view photos and see other coverage from Penn's belated in-person ceremony for the Class of 2020 and the Class of 2021 graduate students, click here. 

The Division of Public Safety is committed to enhancing the quality of life for the campus community by integrating the best practices of public and private policing with state-of-the-art technology. A critical component of a comprehensive security plan using state-of-the-art technology is Closed Circuit Television (CCTV).

As prescribed by the University Policy “Closed Circuit Television Monitoring and Recording of Public Areas for Safety and Security Purposes” (Almanac April 29, 2008), the locations of all outside CCTV cameras monitored by Public Safety are to be published semi-annually in Almanac. The locations and descriptions of these cameras can also be found on the Division of Public Safety website: https://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/about/security-technology/closed-circuit-television-cctv/.

The following existing cameras meet those criteria:

University of Pennsylvania Cameras

• 39th St. & Baltimore Ave. 
• (Vet School, Hill Pavilion)
• 40th St. & Baltimore Ave.
• 41st St. & Baltimore Ave.
• 42nd St. & Baltimore Ave.
• 43rd St. & Baltimore Ave.
• 31st & Chestnut Sts. (Left Bank)
• 33rd & Chestnut Sts.
• 34th & Chestnut Sts.
• 36th & Chestnut Sts.
• 38th & Chestnut Sts.
• 40th & Chestnut Sts.
• 4040 Chestnut St. (front)
• 41st & Chestnut Sts.
• 43rd & Chestnut Sts. 
• 46th & Chestnut Sts.
• Steve Murray Way & Chestnut St.
• 38th St. & Hamilton Walk
• 36th St. & Locust Walk
• 37th St. & Locust Walk (1&2)
• 38th St. & Locust Walk
• 39th St. & Locust Walk
• 40th St. & Locust Walk
• 41st & Locust Sts.
• 42nd & Locust Sts.
• 43rd & Locust Sts.
• 39th & Ludlow Sts.
• 40th & Ludlow Sts.
• 34th & Market Sts.
• 36th & Market Sts.
• 38th & Market Sts.
• 40th & Market Sts.
• 40th & Pine Sts.
• 41st & Pine Sts.
• 42nd & Pine Sts.
• 36th & Sansom Sts. (Franklin Bldg.)
• 38th & Sansom Sts.
• 39th & Sansom Sts.
• 4040 Sansom St. (rear)
• Steve Murray Way & Sansom Sts.
• 33rd St. & Smith Walk
• 34th & Spruce Sts.
• 36th & Spruce Sts.
• 37th & Spruce Sts.
• 38th & Spruce Sts.
• 39th & Spruce Sts.
• 40th & Spruce Sts.
• 41st & Spruce Sts.
• 42nd & Spruce Sts.
• 43rd & Spruce Sts.
• 31st & Walnut Sts. (Left Bank)
• 33rd & Walnut Sts.
• 34th & Walnut Sts.
• 36th & Walnut Sts.
• 37th & Walnut Sts.
• 38th & Walnut Sts.
• 39th & Walnut Sts.
• 40th & Walnut Sts.
• 41st & Walnut Sts.
• 43rd & Walnut Sts.
• 4119 Walnut St.
• 100 Block of S. 37th St.
• Blockley Hall (bike racks 1-8)
• Blockley Hall (roof)
• BRB II (loading dock–exterior)
• BRB II (roof–rear and front)
• Caster Building (rear entrance)
• Caster Building (bike racks 1&2)
• Chemistry Building (bike racks 1-4)
• CineMark
• College Green (1&2)
• College Green (lower)
• College Hall (exterior basement)
• CRB (roof)
• CRB-Stemmler Hall (main entrance)
• CRB-Stemmler Bridge (interior)
• CRB-Stemmler Bridge (main entrance hall)
• English House (Law School bike rack)
• Fels Institute of Government
• Fisher-Bennett Hall (overseeing Levine Bldg.)
• Franklin Field
• Garage 40 (rooftop)
• Generational Bridge (1&2)
• Gregory College House (bike rack)
• GSE on Plaza 1
• GSE on Plaza 62
• Harnwell College House
• Harrison College House (1&2)
• Hayden Hall (east door & west door)
• High Bay Garage (entrance)
• Hilton (Homewood Suites–1&2)
• Hollenback (lower level rear parking)
• Hollenback (rooftop)
• Houston Hall/Penn Commons
• Irving & Preston Sts.
• Jerome Fisher (main entrance)
• John Morgan Building (Hamilton Walk)
• Jon M. Huntsman Hall (NE corner)
• Kane Park (Spruce Street Plaza)
• Law School (Sansom St.)
• Left Bank (loading dock)
• Levy Dental (loading dock)
• Meyerson Hall (bike racks 1&2)
• Mod 7 (North)
• Mod 7 (Southeast)
• Mod 7 (West)
• Museum (33rd St.–exterior)
• Museum (Kress entrance–exterior)
• Museum (Kress entrance–interior)
• Museum (loading dock–exterior)
• Museum (upper loading dock–
• exterior)
• Museum (Warden Garden–main entrance)
• Museum (Stoner Courtyard–lower courtyard) 
• New College House West (Bike Rack)
• Osler Circle Courtyard
• Palestra (1&2)
• Pennovation Works
• Pennovation Works (gate)
• Pottruck (bike racks 1&2)
• Public Safety Annex Building (2-5)
• Richards Labs (rear door)
• Ringe Squash Court Parking
• Rodin College House (bike rack)
• Schattner (coffee shop)
• Schattner (bike rack)
• SEAS (Courtyard)
• Shoemaker Green (1-8)
• Singh Center (courtyard)
• Singh Center (east loading dock)
• Singh Center (Nano roof terrace north)
• Singh Center (nitrogen loading dock)
• Singh Center (roof terrace south)
• Singh Center (west loading dock)
• St. Leonard’s Court (roof, rear)
• Solomon Labs (1-4)
• Steinberg Conference Center
• Steinberg Hall-Dietrich Hall 
• (Joe’s Café)
• Steinberg Hall-Dietrich Hall (trolley)
• Stellar-Chance Labs (loading dock)
• Stellar-Chance Labs (main entrance)
• Stellar-Chance Labs (roof–rear)
• Stellar-Chance Labs (roof–front)
• Tandem Accelerator Laboratory
• Translational Research Labs, 30th St. (lower level South)
• Translational Research Labs, 30th St. (lower level North)
• Translational Research Labs, 31st St.
• Translational Research Labs, 31st St. (upper level)
• University Meeting & Guesthouse Courtyard
• University Meeting & Guesthouse Parking Lot
• Van Pelt-Dietrich Library (Button)
• Van Pelt-Dietrich Library (Ben Statue)
• Van Pelt-Dietrich Library (Mark’s Café 1&2)
• Van Pelt Manor (bike rack)
• VHUP (bike rack)
• VHUP (dog walk 1&2)
• Weiss Info Commons (front door)
• Weiss Info Commons (rear door)
• Wharton Academic Research Building Bike Racks
• Wharton EMBA (loading dock)
• Williams Hall (bike racks 1-3)
• WXPN/World Café Live
• WXPN/World Café Live (SW side–lower level)
• 1920 Commons (38th & Spruce roof)

Penn Park

• Field 1
• Field 1 (bike rack)
• Field 2
• Field 2 (bike rack)
• Field 2 (NE corner)
• Field 2 (SW corner)
• Field 2 (north bike rack)
• Field 4 (South Street Bridge)
• Lower 30th & Walnut Sts. (1&2)
• Paley Bridge (1&2)
• Paley Bridge (entrance walkway)
• Paley Bridge (walkway to Penn Park)
• Parking Lot (SW corner)
• Parking Lot (NE corner)
• Penn Park (NE corner)
• Penn Park (North)
• Penn Park (Plaza)
• Penn Park Drive (entrance)
• River Field
• Ropes Course
• Ropes Course Maintenance Bldgs.
• Softball Stadium (bike racks 1&2)
• Softball Stadium (men’s restroom)
• Softball Stadium (women’s restroom)
• Tennis Center
• Tennis Center (Field 4)
• Tennis Center (Field 4 walkway)
• Tennis Center (Transit Stop)
• Utility shed
• Walnut St. Bridge (Pedestrian Walkway)
• Walnut St. Bridge (Upper)
• Weave Bridge (Bower Field) 
• Weave Bridge (East)
• Weave Bridge (Hollenback)
• Weave Bridge (Penn Park ramp)

Penn Medicine Cameras 

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

• 34th St. Pedestrian Bridge
• Dulles Bldg. (bike racks-Spruce St.)
• Emergency Department (Driveway 1-4)
• Gates Bldg. (fire exit door-Spruce St.)
• Maloney Bldg. (entrance–36th & Spruce Sts.)
• Miller Plaza (adjacent to Stemmler)
• Penn Tower/HUP Bridge/Civic Center
• Penn Tower Bridge (Hospital side)
• Ravdin Bldg. (Driveway–Civic Center Blvd.)
• Rhoads Bldg. (1st floor–Hamilton  Walk)
• Rhoads Bldg. (1st floor–patio)
• Rhoads Bldg. (basement–dock ramp)
• Rhoads Bldg. (loading docks 1&2)
• Rhoads Bldg. (loading dock ramp)
• Rhoads/Stemmler bike rack
• Spruce St. between 34th & 36th Sts. (facing east)
• Spruce St. between 34th & 36th Sts. (facing west)
• Spruce St. (Maloney entrance & morgue driveway)
• Spruce St. (Morgue, Maloney Ground –36th St.)
• Spruce St. (west fire tower door)
• White Bldg. courtyard
• White Bldg. (entrance–Spruce St.) 

Perelman and Smilow 

• 3600 CCB-Ll01 (NW Corner E/W)
• 3600 CCB-Ll01 (NW Side E/W)
• 3600 CCB-Ll01 (SW Corner E/W; entrance to Lot 51)
• 3600 CCB-Ll01 (SW Side E/W; loading Dock)
• 3600 CCB-L1 (NE Entrance)
• Civic Center Blvd. at East Service Dr.
• Convention Ave & Health Science Dr.
• Discovery Walk (between Museum and Pavilion)
• East Service Dr. & Health Sciences Dr.
• East Side of Pavilion 
• Emergency Department Driveway
• Health Sciences Dr. (outside loading dock–1& 2) 
• Main Entrance Driveway along Convention Center
• Perelman (front door)
• Perelman (loading dock)
• Perelman Parking garage entrance (Health Sciences Dr.)
• PCAM staff entrance (Convention Ave.) 
• West Side of Pavilion

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

• Advanced Care Canopy (bench)
• Advanced Care Canopy (ED 1&2)
• Advanced Care Canopy (Trauma 1-4)
• Cupp Lobby (entrance)
• Garage (front & side)
• Heart and Vascular Pavilion (front entrance)
• Heart and Vascular Pavilion (rear entrance)
• Helipad
• Mutch Bldg. (roof)
• Powelton Ave.
• Powelton Ave. (dock)
• Powelton Lot
• Scheie Eye Institute (north door)
• Wright/Saunders Bldg. (main entrance)
• 38th St. (Healing Garden)
• 38th St. (Advanced Care Building)

3930 Chestnut Street

• Front Main Entrance
• Loading Dock Entrance
• Patio Seating Area
• Parking Lot Bike Rack
• Parking Lot (Front) 
• Parking Lot (Rear) 

Twenty-five University of Pennsylvania students and alumni have been offered Fulbright grants for the 2022-23 academic year, including 18 seniors who graduated on May 16.

They will conduct research, pursue graduate degrees, or teach English in Colombia, France, Germany, Greece, India, Jordan, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Timor-Leste and the United Kingdom.

The Fulbright Program is the United States government’s flagship international educational exchange program, awarding grants to fund as long as 12 months of international experience.

Most of the recipients applied for the Fulbright with support from Penn’s Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.

Penn Fulbright grant recipients for 2022-23:

Aishwarya Balaji, from Frankfort, Kentucky, graduated with the Class of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in chemistry from the College of Arts and Sciences (the College). She has been offered a Fulbright to conduct research on implicit biases on lemurs at the German Primate Center in Göttingen, Germany.

Gavin Blasdel, from Baltimore, is a PhD candidate in ancient history in the School of Arts & Sciences. He has been offered a Fulbright to conduct research in Greece for his dissertation on the inscribed honorific statue monuments of Athens during the Roman Empire.

Lilian Chen, from San Jose, California, graduated with the Class of 2022 with a degree in nursing and health care management through a dual-degree program between the School of Nursing and the Wharton School. She has been offered a Fulbright to teach English in Taiwan.

Ria Chinchankar, from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, graduated in the Class of 2022 from Wharton, with a concentration in behavioral economics and business analytics. She has been offered a Fulbright to teach English in Mexico.

Amira Chowdhury, from Glendale, California, graduated in the Class of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in urban studies and political science and a minor in urban education, from the College. She is also graduating with her master’s degree in social policy from the School of Social Policy & Practice. She has been offered a Fulbright to teach English in Timor-Leste.

Luke Coleman, from Dayton, Ohio, graduated with the Class of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree from the College in philosophy, politics, and economics with a concentration in public policy and governance and minors in Hispanic studies and survey research and data analytics. He has been offered a Fulbright to teach English in Spain.

Sonali Deliwala, from Yardley, Pennsylvania, graduated with the Class of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics and a minor in creative writing from the College. She has been offered a Fulbright to conduct research in India.

Alice Heyeh, from Chappaqua, New York, graduated with the Class of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in communication with a concentration in culture and society and minors in design and consumer psychology from the College. She has been offered a U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Arts Award to pursue a master’s degree in communication design at Northumbria University in the United Kingdom.

Robin Hu, from Los Angeles, California, graduated with the Class of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in communication with a concentration in data and network science and a minor in chemistry from the College. She has been offered a Fulbright to teach English in Taiwan.

J’Aun Johnson, from Bowie, Maryland, graduated with the Class of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in dual romance languages with a concentration in French and Hispanic studies and a minor in chemistry from the College. He has been offered a Fulbright to teach English in Colombia.

Jordyn Kaplan, from Media, Pennsylvania, graduated with the Class of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in American history and minors in urban education and political science from the College. She has been offered a Fulbright to teach English in Spain.

Erin Kraskewicz, from Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, graduated with the Class of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in international relations and history from the College. She has been offered a Fulbright to teach English in Spain.

Becca Lee, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and a minor in sociology from the College in 2020 and with a master’s degree in chemistry in 2021 from the School of Arts & Sciences. She has been offered a Fulbright to teach English in Taiwan.

Shaila Lothe, from Richmond, Virginia, graduated with the Class of 2022 with a dual degree majoring in political science in the College and concentrating in behavioral economics in Wharton and minoring in Hispanic studies. She has been offered a Fulbright in which she will be paired with a company or non-governmental organization and study international business in Mexico.

Brendan Lui, from Potomac, Maryland, graduated with the Class of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in comparative politics from the College. He has been offered a Fulbright to pursue a master’s degree in political science at the University of Cologne in Germany.

Amin Marei, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a PhD candidate in education, culture, and society in the Graduate School of Education. She has been offered a Fulbright to conduct research in Jordan.

Rebecca Morse, from Acton, Massachusetts, graduated with the Class of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in biology with a concentration in mechanisms of disease and minors in chemistry and French from the College. She has been offered a Fulbright to conduct research at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, studying the effect of previous acute infections on COVID-19 vaccine responses.

Wil Prall, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a PhD candidate in biology concentrating in cell and molecular genetics in the School of Arts & Sciences. He has been offered a Fulbright to continue his thesis work in France at the Universite Paris-Saclay.

Avneet Randhawa, from Houston, Texas, graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in 20th and 21st century modernisms from the College. She has been offered a Fulbright to teach English in Spain.

Kaitlyn Rentala, from Rye, New York, graduated with the Class of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, politics, and economics with a concentration in globalization from the College. She is a recipient of a Fulbright-Schuman research grant to the European Union and will spend the academic year in Germany and the Netherlands conducting research on E.U. tech policy and political philosophy.

Anyara Rodriguez, from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, graduated with the Class of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and political science with a minor in chemistry from the College. She has been offered a Fulbright to study the sleep and circadian influences on memory retrieval at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in Germany.

Lily Snider, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in creative writing from the College. She has been offered a Fulbright grant to complete a nonfiction, research-based creative writing project in the Azores, Portugal.

Stefan Tomov, from Las Vegas, Nevada, graduated with the Class of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in international studies and a Chinese language certificate from the College and a concentration in business analytics from Wharton as part of the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business. He has been offered a Fulbright to teach English in Taiwan.

Irene Yee, from Manlius, New York, graduated with the Class of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and minors in chemistry and gender studies from the College. She has been offered a Fulbright to conduct research in Sweden.

Chloe Zhou, from San Jose, California, graduated with the Class of 2022 with a master’s degree in education from the Graduate School of Education. They were part of the Urban Teaching Apprenticeship Program to be certified to teach English in secondary classrooms. They have been offered a Fulbright to teach English in Taiwan.

Michael Glick, Executive Director of Penn Dental Medicine’s Center for Integrative Global Oral Health, was named the Academy of Dentistry International’s International Dentist of the Year for 2021. The award honors career contributions to dentistry, international education, and service. 

Dr. Glick has been active with the FDI World Dental Federation since 2007, serving on multiple committees. He also had a leading role in establishing FDI’s Vision 2020 and most recently was the primary author of its Vision 2030, giving guidance for a global interdisciplinary and integrative role for oral health. Dr. Glick served as Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of the American Dental Association from 2005 to 2020.

Dr. Glick served as Dean of the University at Buffalo, SUNY, School of Dental Medicine (2009-2015) where he remained as professor of oral diagnostic Sciences before coming to Penn Dental Medicine in 2021 to lead Penn Dental Medicine’s new Center for Integrative Global Oral Health (CIGOH). The school’s first policy center, CIGOH is seeking to find creative solutions to address unmet oral health needs around the world through public policy, education, and research initiatives, collaborating across disciplines and across borders. 

The ADI will present the award at its 2022 annual meeting (delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic), to be held in November in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Glick was also invited to present a continuing education lecture as part of the meeting.  

The ADI is an international honor society for dentists dedicated to sharing knowledge in order to serve the dental health needs and to improve the quality of life of people throughout the world. This transnational organization is devoted to the advancement of dentistry throughout the world and to the elevation of dental standards by continuing education. There are chapters and fellows in over 80 countries around the world.

Sharon Y. Irving, an associate professor of pediatric nursing and vice chair of Penn Nursing’s department of family and community health, has been selected to serve on the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition’s (ASPEN) Board of Directors. The board of directors is responsible for developing the strategic vision and priorities of the organization. Her one-year term will begin on June 1, 2022.

“I am honored to be appointed to the ASPEN Board of Directors and to represent nurses on the board,” said Dr. Irving. “The learning, networking, and collaboration I have gained through my membership and active participation in ASPEN are immeasurable. I continue to grow as a nurse scientist with a clinical and research focus in nutrition care. As the premier organization addressing the science and clinical aspects of nutrition care, I am very proud to serve the organization through board membership. I look forward to participating in the envisioning, development, and sustainability of ASPEN as an organization addressing the nutrition care challenges faced by our patients, families, and health care providers.”

ASPEN has more than 6,000 members and champions the best evidence-based nutrition care for patients and educating families and health care providers. ASPEN is dedicated to improving patient care by advancing the science and practice of clinical nutrition and metabolism. Founded in 1975, ASPEN is an interdisciplinary organization whose members are dedicated to the provision of clinical nutrition care, including parenteral and enteral nutrition both in the acute care and home environment. The international community of ASPEN includes dietitians, nurses, pharmacists, physicians, basic scientists, students, and other health professionals from every facet of nutrition  clinical care practice, research, and education.

The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at Cornell University announced that Penn professor Kathleen Hall Jamieson is the recipient of its 2022 Warren J. Mitofsky Award for Excellence in Public Opinion Research. The award recognizes Dr. Jamieson, the Elizabeth Ware Packard Professor of Communication and director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, for her numerous contributions to understanding public opinion.

In announcing the award, the center cited Dr. Jamieson’s “scholarly contributions to our understanding of political opinion, in particular its interrelation with media, in a range of contexts from electoral choice to public health and, presciently, the public’s understanding of science and its importance.”

The center also pointed to Dr. Jamieson’s long-standing research interest in the risk of misinformation in the media and its effects on American society. Her 1992 book Dirty Politics explored deceptive practices in political ads and speeches, and the way that inflammatory rhetoric succeeded in capturing media attention.

As a means to confront this deception, she co-founded the nonpartisan group FactCheck.org in 2003 at the Annenberg Public Policy Center with journalist Brooks Jackson, with the support of philanthropists Walter and Leonore Annenberg.

“For decades, Kathleen has been masterful in employing public opinion research to understand the media’s impact on ordinary Americans,” said Annenberg School Dean John L. Jackson, Jr. “Her commitment has been unwavering in the effort to help us all understand just how misinformation and disinformation threaten to undermine democracy.”

The second cohort of Projects for Progress has been awarded, continuing the mission of faculty, staff, and students coming together around outreach projects directly in the neighborhood and larger Philadelphia community. 

Established by Penn president emerita Amy Gutmann in 2020, Projects for Progress is overseen by Penn’s Office of Social Equity & Community. “Penn students, faculty, and staff are already coming together, bringing their valuable perspectives and ideas to the table, to build real world initiatives that address major societal issues,” said Nicole Maloy, director of the Office of Social Equity & Community. “This award is one way to honor efforts that focus specifically on Philadelphia.”

The teams proposed initiatives that would make an impact in Philadelphia, focusing on one of three goals: eradicating or reducing systemic racism; achieving educational equity; and reducing health disparities based on race, gender, sexual orientation, and/or social determinants of health. The winning teams receive up to $100,000 to implement their initiatives over the coming year.

The Economic Justice Partnership 

The Economic Justice Partnership is an effort launched at Penn to train marginalized young people (first generation college students, high school students of color) to be paid racially-conscious economic justice coaches for other young people and community members.

• Brian Peterson, director of Makuu: The Black Cultural Center 
• Khushi Shelat, Wharton undergraduate, statistics 
• Solomon Thomas, Wharton undergraduate, management/entrepreneurship & innovation

An Initiative to Lower the Burden of Cancer in West Philadelphia 

The initiative will partner with community organizations to reduce racial disparities in colorectal cancer in West Philadelphia by disseminating and implementing a novel initiative—drive-through Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT)—which decentralizes screening from the clinic to the community. The initiative will also treat and evaluate a drive-through FIT implementation toolbox to help further disseminate this program throughout West Philadelphia.

• Roderick Brathwaite, Perelman School of Medicine PhD student, cell and molecular biology, cancer biology
• Carmen Guerra, Perelman School of Medicine, Ruth C. and Raymond G. Perelman Associate Professor of Medicine 
• Erin Hollander, Perelman School of Medicine MD/PhD student, cell and molecular biology, cancer biology concentration 
• Claudia Melendez, School of Arts & Sciences undergraduate, neuroscience/international relations, chemistry minor 
• Michael Noji, Perelman School of Medicine PhD student, cell and molecular biology, cancer biology concentration 
• Armenta Washington, Abramson Cancer Center and Perelman School of Medicine research coordinator senior, Office of Diversity and Outreach

Public Schools as Equity Infrastructure Studio+ 

This is an opportunity for West Philadelphia teens in public schools, teachers, Penn graduate students, and faculty to partner with education activists and community-based organizations on the design and implementation of public school campus upgrades that embody a new system-wide vision for schools as equity infrastructure.

• Anna Balfanz, Netter Center for Community Partnerships, Academically Based Community Service (ABCS) coordinator
• Ellen Neises, Stuart Weitzman School of Design, executive director of PennPraxis, and the Laurie Olin Professor of Practice
• Akira Rodriguez, Stuart Weitzman School of Design assistant professor, department of city & regional planning
• Elinor Williams, Graduate School of Education PhD student, education policy 
• Corey Wills, Stuart Weitzman School of Design and School of Arts & Sciences graduate student, Master of City Planning, Master of Environmental Studies

A total of nine teams applied this year, including 16 students, ten faculty, and nine staff. The process is overseen by the Office of Social Equity & Community and a selection committee representing Civic House, the Graduate School of Education, the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, Penn Medicine, Penn Nursing, School of Social Policy & Practice, and University Life. The recipients were approved by Interim President Wendell Pritchett.

“Penn’s second cohort of Projects for Progress recipients are truly magnificent,” said Interim President Pritchett. “They are undergraduate and graduate students, and professors and administrators, all working together to boost—alongside the Philadelphia community—social justice, educational equity, and healthcare reform. I have no doubt each team will use this award creatively as a launchpad for many years of success.” 

The 13th-ranked men’s lacrosse team won its second consecutive Ivy League Tournament by defeating fifth-ranked Yale 16-9 at Brown’s Stevenson-Pincince Field in Providence, Rhode Island, on May 8.

That same day, in New Haven, Connecticut, the women’s track & field team won their third consecutive Ivy League Heptagonal Outdoor Track & Field Championship.

The University of Pennsylvania has received the Jesse L. Moore Supplier 2022 Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest print diversity and inclusion publication in higher education.

The INSIGHT Into Diversity Jesse L. Moore 2022 Supplier Diversity Award honors colleges and universities that take proactive steps to support and engage with minority-owned businesses through supplier diversity offices, unique programs, and leading initiatives. A full list of award recipients, is available in the April issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. 

Penn was recognized for its work in and impact on supplier diversity and inclusion. Led by its procurement services department, the University uses its purchasing power to support the growth of diverse businesses and subsequently the Philadelphia economy.

For more information about Penn’s Supplier Diversity & Inclusion Program, visit www.upenn.edu/supplier-diversity.

Diane L. Spatz, a professor of perinatal nursing and the Helen M. Shearer Term Professor of Nutrition in Penn Nursing’s department of family and community health, has two new appointments: one national and the other international.

On the national front, Dr. Spatz has been appointed to a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine work group: Inclusion of Pregnant and Lactating Persons in Clinical Trials. Her appointment to this group follows her four-year appointment to the Congressional Task Force on Research Specific to Pregnant Women and Lactating Women. This public workshop will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to examine the current state of evidence generation for drug products used by pregnant and lactating persons and discuss barriers and opportunities for including these populations in clinical trials. The workshop will be hosted by the National Academies’ Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation.

Internationally, Dr. Spatz has been elected to the Board of Directors of the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation (ISRHML). ISRHML is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of excellence in research and the dissemination of research findings in the field of human milk and lactation. She will serve as treasurer.

“I am thrilled to have been appointed to the national workgroup and be elected as treasurer for ISRHML to showcase the leadership of nurses and to increase the public’s knowledge of human milk and lactation as a critical public health issue,” said Dr. Spatz.

Vaclav Vitek, professor emeritus in the departments of materials science & engineering and mechanical engineering & applied mechanics, has been elected to the Royal Society, one of the world’s preeminent scientific honors.

Dr. Vitek is one of 62 new fellows in this year’s class, and joins roughly 1,600 eminent scientists who have been elected to the oldest academic society in continuous existence.

Founded in 1663 as the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, the Royal Society served as a template for how scientific findings are now shared and evaluated, and is now the U.K.’s national science academy.

New fellows must be nominated by two existing members based on their “substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathematics, engineering science and medical science.” Committees of subject-matter experts then vote on which nominees will be elected in a given class.

Dr. Vitek’s nomination citation describes him as a “founder and global leader of computational materials science.”

New fellows are formally admitted to the society at its Admissions Day ceremony in July, where they sign the Charter Book and the Obligation of the Fellows of the Royal Society.

Ha-Nam Yoon, C’23, has been named a 2022 Udall Scholar by the Udall Foundation. Udall Scholarships are awarded to college sophomores and juniors in recognition of leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment. Ms. Yoon, who is from Daejeon, South Korea, and Geelong, Australia, is pursuing a double major in political science and environmental studies. She is among 55 students selected from 382 candidates nominated by 181 colleges and universities nationwide.

Ms. Yoon interned in the law clerk program with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency throughout her junior year and is a research assistant with Sarah Light of the Wharton School, developing courses on environmental law and corporate environmental management. She is an undergraduate fellow with Penn’s Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, was involved with the Integrating Sustainability Across the Curriculum program, and participated in the Undergraduate Urban Research Colloquium with the Penn Institute for Urban Research. Ms. Yoon also works with Penn’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships and serves as an orientation leader for PENNacle. She is a peer advisor and vice president of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority.

Penn GSE professor Jonathan Zimmerman and editorial cartoonist Signe Wilkinson are being recognized for their contribution to the conversation. Dr. Zimmerman and Ms. Wilkinson’s book, Free Speech: And Why You Should Give a Damn, has been honored with a gold prize in the 34th annual IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award program’s “Political & Current Events” category.

Free Speech: And Why You Should Give a Damn features political commentary by Dr. Zimmerman alongside Ms. Wilkinson’s drawings. An educational historian, Dr. Zimmerman is the Judy and Howard Berkowitz Professor in Education in the Literacy, Culture, and International Education Division. He is also a frequent op-ed contributor to major publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post. Free Speech: And Why You Should Give a Damn (City of Light Publishing, 2021) is his eighth book, and it traces the history of free speech in the U.S., starting with John Adams and continuing through the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Wilkinson is a Pulitzer Prize–winning illustrator and editorial cartoonist for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The 34th annual IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards recognize excellence in independent book publishing across 57 categories. The award is one of independent publishing’s most prestigious prizes.

The 2022 Summer AT PENN calendar is online! It covers events in June, July and August 2022. 

To view a web version of the calendar, click here. To download a printable PDF of the calendar, click here. 

The 2022 Penn Supplier Diversity Forum & Expo, which will be held on Thursday, June 16, returns to Penn’s campus after a two-year hiatus.  The event, at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut Street, will begin with welcoming remarks from Interim Penn President Wendell Pritchett at 11 a.m. Remarks also will be made by Craig Carnaroli, Senior Executive Vice President; and Joann Mitchell, Senior Vice President for Institutional Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer. 

The forum, moderated by Mark Mills, Penn’s Chief Procurement Officer, will feature three dynamic individuals who will offer their unique perspectives as to how the pandemic impacted Philadelphia’s business community and the ways they intend to propel their respective organizations forward based on the insights they have gained over the past two years:

• Ken Anderson, Vice President of Civic Affairs, Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia
• Joy De Jesús, Senior Associate Athletic Director, Finance and Internal Operations/CFO Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics, University of Pennsylvania
• Donna Allie, Founder, President & CEO, Team Clean, Inc.

Attendees also can look forward to the announcement of the recipient of this year’s Penn Supplier Diversity and Economic Inclusion Award.  

Poster Sessions by several business organizations will be conducted before the Forum from 10:30–11 a.m.  

The forum, which is also being live- streamed for individuals unable to attend, will be followed by the in-person-only expo, opening at 12:30 p.m. The expo will bring together local and diverse suppliers showcasing their services to Penn’s community of buyers. Procurement representatives from both the University and its health system also will be on hand to answer questions about their resources from event-goers. An array of samples will be available from local caterers.

Please be aware that health and safety guidelines will follow campus COVID protocols. As these guidelines are subject to change, please visit the Penn COVID Website for the most current information.  

The Penn Supplier Diversity Forum & Expo is hosted by the University of Pennsylvania under the auspices of the Office of the Executive Vice President, Office of Government and Community Affairs, division of Business Services, and the division of Facilities & Real Estate Services. To register, click here.

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 May 16-22, 2022. 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 May 16-22, 2022. The University Police actively patrol from Market St to Baltimore and from the Schuylkill River to 43rd St in conjunction with the Philadelphia Police. In this effort to provide you with a thorough and accurate report on public safety concerns, we hope that your increased awareness will lessen the opportunity for crime. For any concerns or suggestions regarding this report, please call the Division of Public Safety at (215) 898-4482.

18th District

Below are the Crimes Against Persons from the 18th District: 7 incidents (3 robberies, 2 assaults, 1 purse snatch, and 1 rape) were reported for May 16-22, 2022, by the 18^th District, covering the Schuylkill River to 49th St & Market St to Woodland Avenue.

There will be system outage in effect from June 17 to June 20 to support the continued deployment of the Pennant suite of systems. The purpose of the outage is to convert spring 2022 data to Pennant. 

The new Pennant applications, Courses@Penn, Advising@Penn, and Path@Penn and their legacy systems Courses InTouch, Advisor InTouch, and Penn InTouch will be unavailable during this time. Canvas will still be available during the outage. 

Pennant systems will return on June 21 after the University’s observance of Juneteenth on Monday, June 20. The full list of applications affected by the outage can be found on the NGSS website at https://ngss.srfs.upenn.edu//ngss-systems-blackout-overview.html. 

NGSS Owners:

Jeanne Curtis, Executive Director of Application and Information Services, Information Systems and Computing; Dave Ishmael, Executive Director, Financial Systems & Training Leadership, Division of Finance; Rob Nelson, Executive Director for Academic Technology & Planning, Office of the Provost; and Matt Sessa, Associate Vice President, Student Registration and Financial Services, Division of Finance.

Now that the spring semester is complete, it’s a good time to unwind from the academic year, take a break from our usual routines, and explore new interests and new places. Why not do something new at the Penn Libraries as well? You probably know that our library locations are great places to find books and read articles, but did you know that you can also use your PennCard to borrow musical instruments from the libraries? Or learn a new language online? Or even check out recording equipment so that you can finally start that podcast?

This summer, spend some time exploring what your library has to offer beyond books. Here are just a few of the lesser-known things the Libraries can help you do: 

Produce an original song

Let the Penn Libraries help you achieve your singer-songwriter dreams. Get started by checking out a keyboard, a synthesizer, or even a theremin. Compose music with the help of software like Finale or Sibelius, both of which are available on desktop and laptop computers in the Ormandy Music and Media Center. Put it all together using the audio software that best suits your needs. You’ll start appearing on Spotify playlists in no time. 

Host a home movie night

Did you know that you can borrow DVDs from the Penn Libraries? Yes, we said DVDs! With new streaming services popping up every day and licensing agreements continually shifting, it’s becoming harder and harder to just rely on Netflix for all your movie-watching needs. Circumvent the whole streaming industrial complex by choosing a film from our vast selection. Don’t have a DVD player of your own? Find something to stream instead.

Document your family’s story

Do you have a family member, friend, or neighbor whose remarkable life deserves to be remembered? Don’t wait to tell their story! Log in to your library account with your PennCard and start your research using Ancestry, which makes Census records, government documents, and even high school yearbooks available and keyword searchable. Turn your discoveries into a film or slideshow using Final Cut Pro, and ta-da! You have a heartfelt DIY gift for a loved one. 

Experience live theater from the comfort of your couch

This one’s for you, music and theater nerds! Use your PennCard to stream Broadway musicals, Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, opera, and live musical performances using databases like Academic Video Online or Digital Theater+. It’s a lot cheaper—and in the age of COVID, perhaps safer—than traveling to New York City. Fancy clothes aren’t required, but they are encouraged.

Find out why everyone is mad on Twitter

Keeping up with the rapidly-moving news cycle is tough, but the Penn Libraries is here to help. Access online versions of The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal through our online catalog, and search our databases of even more historical and contemporary newspapers. We can’t promise that it will make you less anxious about the state of the world, but you will be better informed.

—Penn Libraries

The Office of the Vice Provost for Research, in consultation with the Provost Council on Research, is responsible for setting minimum stipend levels for postdoctoral trainees across the University.  The levels are informed by federal agency guidance, foundation requirements, and national trends. This annual process facilitates equal treatment of postdoctoral compensation across the University.

The stipend levels starting July 1, 2022 (FY2023) are listed below.

Stipends should be adjusted upwards at the time of the annual postdoctoral reappointment.

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

Those stipends funded partly or wholly from the NIH must follow the current NIH NRSA minimum stipend guidelines. See: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-22-132.html.

—Dawn Bonnell, Senior Vice Provost for Research