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Consultative Committee for the Selection of a President

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania have no more important responsibility than the selection of the University President. With the need to identify a successor to Amy Gutmann, the Executive Committee of the Trustees has formed a Consultative Committee to support the presidential search process.

As prescribed by our governing statutes, the Consultative Committee shall include Trustees, Deans, representatives of the undergraduate and graduate student bodies, staff, and faculty chosen in consultation with the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate.

The Consultative Committee “will be charged with seeking the advice of their respective constituencies on the challenges a new president might face, strategic priorities, and recommended strengths and experience for the new President.” The results of the work of the Consultative Committee will inform the position description and provide criteria for the identification of potential candidates.

We invite members of the University community to provide input by responding to the survey on the presidential search https://www.upenn.edu/presidential-search or directly to a member of the Consultative Committee listed below.

The outcome of our search will affect the University far into the future. The goal of the Trustees, in which they seek the Committee’s assistance, and the Penn community’s input, is to identify the best individual to serve as the new president of this extraordinary institution.

—Scott L. Bok, Chair of the Board of Trustees

 

Consultative Committee Membership

Chair, Scott L. Bok, C’81, W’81, L’84, Charter Trustee

Trustees

  • Lee Spelman Doty, W’76, Charter Trustee
  • Perry Golkin, W’74, WG’74, L’78, Charter Trustee
  • Patricia Martín, M’85, Alumni Trustee
  • Marc F. McMorris, C’90, WG’94, Charter Trustee
  • Julie Beren Platt, C’79, Charter Trustee
  • Alan D. Schnitzer, W’88, Term Trustee

Deans

  • John L. Jackson, Jr., Walter H. Annenberg Dean of the Annenberg School for Communication and Richard Perry University Professor, Annenberg School for Commnication
  • J. Larry Jameson, Executive Vice President of the University for the Health System, Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine, and Robert G. Dunlop Professor, Perelman School of Medicine

Faculty

  • Vivian L. Gadsden, William T. Carter Professor of Child Development and Education, Graduate School of Education
  • Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Elizabeth Ware Packard Professor of Communication, Annenberg School for Communication and Director, Annenberg Public Policy Center
  • Jennifer A. Pinto-Martin, Viola MacInnes/Independence Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing; Professor of Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine; Director, Master of Public Health Program; and Executive Director, Center for Public Health Initiatives
  • Eve M. Troutt Powell, Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of History, School of Arts and Sciences
  • Michael Weisberg, Professor and Chair of Philosophy, School of Arts and Sciences; Senior Faculty Fellow and Director of Post Graduate Programs, Perry World House; and Co-Director, Penn Laboratory for Understanding Science

Staff

  • Stacey Lopez, Vice President for Institutional Research and Analysis

Students

  • Victoria Borlase, C’22, President, Undergraduate Assembly 
  • Paradorn Rummaneethorn, GEN’21, GR’24, President, Graduate and Professional Student Assembly 

Supporting the Work of the Consultative Committee

  • Medha Narvekar, WG’86, Vice President and University Secretary
  • Margaret Lizotte, Search Coordinator

Penn Medicine and Wharton Social Impact Initiative: $5 Million Fund for Health

Three start-up companies will be the first to receive investment from the Fund for Health, a joint partnership between Penn Medicine and the Wharton Social Impact Initiative of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School that seeks to invest in early-stage businesses striving to strengthen the social determinants of health of economically disadvantaged Philadelphians. The Fund for Health plans to invest a total of $5 million over the next three years to push for measurable progress in socio-economic factors that can have lifelong effects.

The three companies receiving a total of $750,000 in the first round of funding are:

  • Kinvolved, a leader in developing communications software to reduce absenteeism in underserved school districts.
  • Uptrust, a customer relationship management tool that helps keep people out of the criminal justice system by avoiding unnecessary technical violations, like missing court dates or probation appointments.
  • RecoveryLink, a telehealth and electronic recovery records platform that improves the availability and delivery of recovery support services to people experiencing substance use and mental health disorders.

“The path to health equity needs unconventional and transformative approaches. Penn Medicine and Wharton joined forces to create the Fund for Health because we believe we have a responsibility not just to our patients but also the broader communities we serve,” said Kevin B. Mahoney, chief executive officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. “Investing and supporting innovative, forward-thinking ventures has great potential to make a meaningful impact on our city’s health while helping to build sustainable and profitable companies for the region that provide paths to jobs and economic opportunities for more city residents.”

For the initiative, a diverse investment team of students from Wharton and Penn Medicine have been tasked with identifying and conducting due diligence on early stage, for-profit companies set out to strengthen social determinants of health.

Social determinants of health are conditions—such as food insecurity or equitable care or housing access – that are common in the places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. These drivers can explain why some populations often suffer from poorer health compared to others who do not contend with the same adverse conditions. Philadelphia County is hit particularly hard by these issues, with more than 25 percent living in poverty, 20 percent living with food insecurity, and nearly 15 percent without health insurance, according to Penn Medicine’s 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment report.

“The Fund for Health not only has the potential to improve the city’s health and economic vitality, it also is an important experience for students hoping to make a difference,” noted Katherine Klein, Wharton’s Vice Dean for Social Impact. “The program brings together students of business, medicine, and the social sciences from all across Penn and charges them with finding the most promising high-impact start-up companies that might merit a Penn investment.”

“Health starts within our communities, schools, and individual homes. Increasing resources and opportunities that address social determinants have a major impact on health outcomes, especially for the most vulnerable,” said Brandon Grant, a strategic support manager in the office of Penn Medicine’s CEO, who co-directs the Fund for Health with Rajith Sebastian of the Wharton Social Impact Initiative.

Support from the program will also bring the opportunity for consultation with Penn faculty and staff and opportunities to leverage insights from both Penn Medicine and Wharton’s own work.

“Access to subject matter experts, ground-breaking research in addiction and mental health, as well as business operations will allow us to accelerate the business in ways that means more people served faster,” said Robert D. Ashford, the founder and CEO of RecoveryLink.

The Fund for Health is expected to invest in up to 10 companies a year and will be funded by Penn Medicine. Penn students will also work alongside the companies with support and guidance from faculty and external advisors, creating opportunities for learning and leadership related to impact investing and social determinants of health.

Aurélie Ouss: Janice and Julian Bers Assistant Professor in the Social Sciences

caption: Aurélie OussAurélie Ouss, assistant professor of criminology, has been named Janice and Julian Bers Assistant Professor in the Social Sciences. Dr. Ouss studies how good design of criminal justice institutions and policies can make law enforcement fairer and more efficient. Her research, which has been published in Science, the Economic Journal, the Journal of Political Economy, and the Journal of Public Economics, has received support from Arnold Ventures, J-PAL North America, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation. Before coming to Penn, Dr. Ouss was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Chicago Crime Lab after completing her PhD in economics at Harvard University. 

The late Janice Bers graduated from Penn with an education degree in 1939. Her husband, the late Julian Bers, graduated from Wharton in 1931. He received Penn’s Alumni Award of Merit in 1968 and served as a trustee of the University, while Janice Bers served as president of her class and on its 50th reunion gift committee. They established this chair in 1972 to recognize assistant professors who demonstrate outstanding promise as teachers and scholars in the social sciences.

Jenny Jiang: $1.25 Million Immunotherapy Grant from Cancer Research Institute

caption: Jenny JiangNing (Jenny) Jiang, the Peter & Geri Skirkanich Associate Professor of Innovation in the department of bioengineering of Penn Engineering, has received a Lloyd J. Old STAR Program grant from the Cancer Research Institute (CRI), which is a major supporter of cancer immunotherapy research and clinical trials with the goal of curing all types of cancer. 

The CRI Lloyd J. Old Scientists Taking Risks (STAR) Program “provides long-term funding to mid-career scientists, giving them the freedom and flexibility to pursue high-risk, high-reward research at the forefront of discovery and innovation in cancer immunotherapy.” This prestigious grant was given to six awardees this year, chosen from a pool of hundreds of applicants, and recognizes “future leaders in the field of cancer immunotherapy [who are expected to] carry out transformational research.”

 The Old STAR Program Grant comes with $1.25 million in funding over five years to support the awardees’ cancer immunology research. 

Dr. Jiang, who recently joined Penn’s department of bioengineering, is a pioneer in developing tools in genomics, biophysics, immunology, and informatics and applying them to study systems immunology and immune engineering in human diseases. She was also inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows in March 2021 for her outstanding contributions to the field of systems immunology and immunoengineering and devotion to the success of women in engineering. Dr. Jiang focuses on systems immunology by developing technologies that enable high-throughput, high-content, single cell profiling of T cells in health and disease; she is recognized as one of the leading authorities in systems immunology and immunoengineering.

“The STAR Award from CRI allows my lab to answer some of the fundamental questions in T cell biology, such as is the T cell repertoire complete to cover all possible cancer antigens, as well as to improve the efficacy of T cell-based cancer immunotherapies,” said Dr. Jiang.

FY 2021 Annual Disciplinary Report for the University of Pennsylvania

Dear Penn Community,

As we all know, the 2020-2021 academic year brought new experiences and challenges to our campus and broader communities. In order to manage the complexities of this context, the Office of Student Conduct worked closely with faculty and staff to respond to the changing landscape in order to uphold our highest standards of academic integrity and our commitment to health and safety within our campus community and beyond. As you can see, the 2020-2021 year was an anomaly due to the constraints and restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. We appreciate the support of our campus partners and we look forward to the year ahead.

—Julie Nettleton, Director, Office of Student Conduct
—Michele Rovinsky-Mayer, AVP for Equity and Title IX Officer

Incident Type (by respondents)

Academic Year

2017-2018

Academic Year

2018-2019

Academic Year

2019-2020

Academic Year

2020-2021^^

Academic Integrity (total)

210

208

244

465

Undergraduate

167

150

188

389

Graduate/Professional

43 58 58 65

Non-Degree

0 0 0 11
Student Conduct (total) 88 166 77 519
Undergraduate  71 152 69 494
Graduate/Professional  18 14 8 25
Academic Integrity and Student Conduct (total) 0 1 1 0
Undergraduate  0 1 1 0
Graduate/Professional 0 0 0 0
Cases Resolved via Restorative Practices (Non-Case Related)* 16 24 174 159
Group Cases (Students Organizations/Fraternities/etc)** 3 7 7 5
TOTAL: 317 406 503 1148

*During FY20, the OSC hired a full-time Associate Director of Restorative Practices who collaborates with campus partners to resolve student conflicts as appropriate. 
See participant numbers below under “Sanctions: Student Conduct.”
**Group Cases include several individuals but are being counted as one respondent.
^On March 14, 2020 the University shifted to remote operation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
^^The majority of classes were offered remotely for the duration of the 2020-2021 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, violations of the COVID Student Compact were handled by OSC.

Case Investigations: Academic Integrity***

Academic Year 

2017-2018

Academic Year

2018-2019

Academic Year

2019-2020

Academic Year

2020-2021

Plagiarism

104 73 51 39

Unauthorized collaboration/use of another person’s work

44 34 63 117

Misconduct during an exam

33 12 15 24

Submission of false data

3 1 0 1

Falsification of grades or transcripts

1 0 1 1

Other academic violation

6 3 2 1

Altering of exam/paper for re-grade

5 3 2 0

Misrepresentation of academic records

1 0 0 0

Provided information to another student

0 0 0 0

Cheating

24 52 89 222

Fabrication

1 0 0 0

Multiple submission

1 1 2 1

Facilitating academic dishonesty

28 34 13 25

Unfair advantage over fellow students

4 3 5 31

 

Case Investigations: Student Conduct***

Academic Year 

2017-2018

Academic Year

2018-2019

Academic Year

2019-2020

Academic Year

2020-2021

Alcohol violation: First offense

32 4 0 5

Alcohol violation: Other

2 18 22 29

Assault

5 13 0 0

Attempted theft

0 0 0 0

Burglary

0 0 0 0

Disorderly conduct

27 11 7 6

Drug violation

1 2 0 0

Fire code violation

9 2 0 8

Forgery

0 0 0 0

Fraud

0 2 0 0

Fraudulent use of Penn ID

3 0 0 0

Harassment (not sexual harassment which is listed separately below)

0 2 0 0

Indecent exposure

0 0 0 0

Malicious mischief

1 0 0 0

Miscellaneous security violations

0 0 0 0

Disturbance/investigation of person

0 0 0 0

Relationship Violence

7 2 0 5

Retail theft/shoplifting

1 1 0 0

Sexual harassment

1 4 4 5

Sexual violence

9 6 6 10

Stalking

0 0 0

4

Theft

2 2 0 0

Trespassing

1 3 2 0

Vandalism

2 5 1 0

Other conduct violation

17 60 28 461^^^

Propulsion of object

0 0 0 0

Receiving stolen property

0 0 0 0

Use or possession of fake ID card

1 12 0 0

Recklessly endangering another person

1 0 0 0

Hazing

0 3 5 14

Terroristic threats

0 0 0 0

Use or possession of air guns/firearms/dangerous articles

0 0 0 0

Threats

0 6 0 0

Violation of safety regulations

0 0 0 1

Dangerous articles in residences

0 0 0 0

Noise violation

0 0 0 0

Threats with dangerous article

0 0 0 0

Computer violation/unethical behavior in the digital environment

11 27 0 2

Violation of agreement

1 0 4 0

Misrepresentation of status to the University

0 0 0 0

***Number of case investigations does not equal the number of respondents because some cases involve more than one type of misconduct.
^^^Other conduct violations in 2020-2021 include violations of the COVID Student Compact that were referred to OSC by the COVID Review Panel.

Sanctions: Academic Integrity****

Academic Year 

2017-2018

Academic Year

2018-2019

Academic Year

2019-2020

Academic Year

2020-2021

Academic support

86 118 57 60

Apology

5 15 0 0

Counseling

12 10 11 5

Decision-Making Tree*****

n/a n/a 47 81

Essay

90 105 55 44

Meet with appropriate person related to charge

1 0 1 2

Expulsion

0 0 0 0

Notation on transcript

2 0 0 0

Other (specialized)

2 9 1 4

Probation

13 19 34 93

Reprimand

82 77 53 58

Suspension

6 9 7 5

Suspension not imposed

26 32 12 44

Warning

34 75 32 27

Withdraw permanently from the University

3 1 0 0

Withheld/Delayed Degree

5 4 4 3

 

Sanctions: Student Conduct****

Academic Year

2017-2018

Academic Year

2018-2019

Academic Year

2019-2020

Academic Year

2020-2021

Resolved Through Restorative Practices^^

n/a n/a 42 45

Alcohol and drug education/evaluation

45 11 2 0

Alcohol/drug fine

0 0 0 0

Apology

58 6 0 0

CAPS substance abuse evaluation

0 0 3 0

Community services

41 28 0 12

Counseling

9 7 5 2

Essay

9 40 5 33

Expulsion

0 0 0 0

File sharing educational module

11 27 0 0

File sharing fine

0 0 0 0

Meet with appropriate person related to charge

2 1 0 0

No contact

4 12 8 3

Notation on transcript

5 0 0 0

Other (specialized)

51 7 6 100

Probation

4 7 6 97

Reprimand

61 27 3 43

Restitution

0 0 0 0

Suspension

3 1 2 1

Suspension not imposed

1 2 6 7

Warning

12 27 3 32

Withdraw permanently from the university

0 1 0 0

Withhold/Delay Degree

4 1 0 0

****Number of Sanctions does not equal the number of respondents because some cases result in more than one type of sanction.
*****The Decision-Making Tree is a new educational sanction that offers a structured learning opportunity in lieu of essay writing.
^^^^New category as of FY20. Restorative Practices involve consequences that are determined during the process rather than the student disciplinary system. Please note: OSC did not use Restorative Practices to resolve cases related to the COVID Student Compact.

Mode of Resolution of Cases

Academic Year

2017-2018

Academic Year

2018-2019

Academic Year

2019-2020

Academic Year

2020-2021

Signed Agreement

254 228 168 900

Resolved by Hearing

6 3 2 3

No formal disciplinary action/no policy violation or informal resolution

20 57 13 65

Restorative Practices (Total Case-Resolution and Non-Case Resolution)

8 77 216 159

Unresolved******

10 14 10 21

******Unresolved can mean that a student is no longer a member of the Penn community, that the investigation is on-going, or that a determination has been made, but no agreement has been reached.

Monique Howard: Senior Director, Center for Global Women’s Health

caption: Monique HowardMonique Howard has been appointed the inaugural Senior Director of Women’s Health Initiatives. This new position will work to heighten visibility and strengthen both research and programming that originates out of  Penn Nursing’s Center for Global Women’s Health (CGWH).

“We are very excited that Dr. Howard is joining Penn Nursing in this capacity,” said Holly Harner, the Afaf I. Meleis Director of the Center for Global Women’s Health. “She will work to advance and create viable local and global partnerships to address central issues affecting women including violence and victimization, maternal morbidity and mortality, and gender equity and inclusivity.”

Dr. Howard has been a public health practitioner with a focus on women’s health for over 25 years. She has led a statewide female specific AIDS service organization in New Jersey, a maternal and child health organization in Chester County, Pennsylvania, the New Jersey Department of Women’s Health, and most recently, WOAR, Philadelphia’s only rape crisis center (formerly known as Women Organized Against Rape). Dr. Howard excels in nonprofit management, fund development, creating strategic alliances, and mobilizing communities around sensitive topics. She is a thought leader on issues that impact women and communities.

With a bachelor’s degree in microbiology, Dr. Howard began her career as a laboratory technologist who worked with a team that recognized the co-occurrence of TB and HIV. After obtaining her MPH, Dr. Howard spent her early years as a professional HIV/AIDS educator and program coordinator, research and intervention specialist, and facilitator trainer for federally funded researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, Columbia, and the Urban League of Metropolitan Trenton. She has traveled across the U.S., Virgin Islands, and South Africa, training facilitators and increasing staff capacities to work with  the curricula that were accepted by the Centers for Disease Control as evidence-based programs that work. 

Throughout her career, Dr. Howard has advocated for consumers and service providers and promoted systems to increase access and quality of care for women. She is committed to providing programming and services that increase the health and well-being of women and their families. She was part of the 2019 inaugural cohort of the Executive Program in Social Impact Strategy: Ending Violence & Abuse in Relationships, which is part of the University of Pennsylvania’s Ortner Center on Violence and Abuse.  

Dr. Howard earned her doctorate of education in human sexuality education from the University of Pennsylvania (2007), her master of public health in community health education from East Stroudsburg University (1993), and her bachelor of science in bacteriology from Wagner College (1989). 

Igor Brodsky: Chair of the Department of Pathobiology at Penn Vet

caption: Igor BrodskyIgor Brodsky has been appointed chair of the department of pathobiology at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet), effective October 1, 2021.

Dr. Brodsky joined the Penn Vet faculty in 2011 as an assistant professor of pathobiology. Six years later, he was promoted to associate professor with a secondary appointment as an associate professor of microbiology in the Perelman School of Medicine.

In his lab, Dr. Brodsky’s research interests focus on the interplay of bacterial virulence mechanisms and host innate immune recognition strategies, including how bacterial pathogens are sensed by host cells, how this sensing contributes to antimicrobial immune defense, and how bacterial pathogens evade innate immune recognition. Dr. Brodsky also serves as a member of several graduate groups and interdisciplinary research groups at Penn including the Immunology Graduate Group (Executive Committee and Vice Chair from 2018-2021), Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Institute for Immunology (Executive Committee), and Penn Center for Genome Integrity (Core Leadership Council member).

“Igor is an eminent scientist, recognized around the world for his work,” said James Lok, a professor of parasitology and the interim chair of pathobiology. “He is also a born mentor and educator who sincerely embraces all of the diverse missions of the department which span education, basic and applied research, and clinical service.”

Among his many awards and honors, Dr. Brodsky is a recipient of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease grant and the Zoetis Award for Veterinary Research Excellence. In addition, Dr. Brodsky gives back to the community as a member of the editorial boards of PLoS Pathogens and Infection and Immunity, and as a member of NIH study section panels. He is a past participant in the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Faculty Pathways Program, a leadership training program sponsored by the Office of the Provost.

“Dr. Brodsky’s accomplishments as a scientist, researcher, and mentor, and expertise in the fields of immunology and infectious disease make him an ideal fit to lead the department forward and serve as a key member of the school’s senior leadership team,” added Andrew Hoffman, the Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine.

Announcement About Climate Impact Offset Charges

Effective July 1, 2021, a Climate Impact Offset (CLIO) charge is applied to Penn business travel, whether the travel is booked or expensed through Concur, the University’s travel management system. This new program, included in Procurement Policy 2371, formalizes the University’s commitment to sustainable travel and is in alignment with Penn Compact 2022 and Penn’s Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0 (CSAP 3.0).

The fees that will be collected as part of this initiative ($11 for domestic flights and $25 for international flights) are an important part of the University’s strategy to address activities such as the carbon emissions resulting from air travel. Penn is taking a careful and targeted approach to carbon offsets, which broadly refers to any activity that leads to a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases to compensate for emissions made somewhere else. Carbon offsets are often described as a practical and effective way to address climate change and encourage the growth of renewable energy. 

Initially, CLIOs will counteract air travel emissions by purchasing offsets from a market provider.  The University will also be seeking to invest the proceeds in verified carbon offset projects, like improving air quality, reducing urban heat island effect, and improving economic conditions locally. 

With the creation of CLIOs, and through the ongoing management of Penn’s Travel Sustainability Fund, the University will continue to engage Penn’s faculty, staff, and students in the pursuit of addressing Penn’s carbon footprint.  

To learn more about Penn’s Air Travel Sustainability efforts, visit the Penn Travel & Expense Management website at www.upenn.edu/penntravel. For questions, please contact travel@upenn.edu.  

Penn Press: Partnership with the Association for Jewish Studies to Publish AJS Review

Effective with Volume 46 (2022), Penn Press will publish the Association for Jewish Studies (AJS) flagship journal, AJS Review. 

Published twice a year, AJS Review features a range of articles, essays, and book reviews highlighting pathbreaking work across the field of Jewish Studies. From biblical and rabbinic textual and historical studies to modern history, social sciences, the arts, and literature, the journal is an award-winning source of content of interest to both academic and lay audiences around the world.

The AJS was founded in 1969 as a forum for exploring methodological and pedagogical issues in the then-new field of Jewish Studies. Since its founding, the AJS has grown into the largest learned society and professional organization representing Jewish Studies scholars worldwide. Members of the Association for Jewish Studies receive the journal as a benefit of membership.

Penn Press has served scholarly communities in the humanities and social sciences since the founding of its imprint in the 1890s, publishing more than 20 journals and 100 books each year.  Penn Press actively supports the scholarly work of many partners on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania, including the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, who oversee the publication of the award-winning “Jewish Culture & Contexts” book series as well as The Jewish Quarterly Review.

Warren Hoffman, executive director of the AJS, states that the association “is thrilled to be collaborating with the University of Pennsylvania Press. The Press’s substantial history as a leading publisher of Jewish Studies scholarship, both in book and journal formats, make this a natural and beneficial partnership for our two organizations.”

Mary C. Francis, director of Penn Press, is “excited and gratified to be working with our colleagues at AJS.  Jewish Studies has long been essential to Penn Press’ mission, and this partnership gives us a tremendous opportunity to serve this community in a new way.  The AJS’s long-standing commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship is an outstanding example of mission-driven scholarly communication, and one that we are proud to support.”

Deaths

Gerard Gorman, Human Resources and Student Financial Services

Gerard (Jerry) Gorman, a former employee in Penn’s departments of Human Resources and Student Financial Services, passed away on August 12 at the age of 75. Mr. Gorman was born in Brooklyn, NY, and graduated from St. Francis College in 1967. He then joined the Peace Corps, serving several tours in Cameroon and other countries in West Africa. He returned to the U.S. and worked in Human Resources and, for several months in 2006, as a student financial consultant trainee in Student Financial Services. He then returned to Africa, working in Kampala, Uganda with Doctors Without Borders.

Mr. Gorman is survived by his children, Gregory and Leslie (Jeffery); his brothers, John and James; two grandchildren; and nieces and nephews. Services will be private. 

Governance

From the Office of the University Secretary: University Council Meeting Agenda

University Council Meeting Agenda

Tuesday, September 21, 2021, 4 p.m. 
Virtual via BlueJeans Events

I. Welcome (1 minute) 

II. Appointment of a Moderator (1 minute)

III. Announcement of appointment of a Parliamentarian (1 minute)

IV. Approval of the minutes from April 21, 2021 (1 minute) 

V. Follow-up comments or questions on Status Reports (5 minutes)

VI. Presentation and scheduling of Focus Issues for the academic year (5 minutes)

VII. Presentation of the Council committee charges for 2021-2022 (10 minutes)

VIII. Timing and format of Open Forum sessions (5 minutes)

IX. Presentation and discussion of the Year of Civic Engagement (30 minutes)

X. New Business (5 minutes)

XI. Adjournment.

Honors

Penn Arts & Sciences: Making a Difference in Global Communities and Klein Family Social Justice Grants

caption: Peter Decherneycaption: Hans-Peter Kohlercaption: Emilio Parradocaption: Nicolas Sambaniscaption: Deborah Thomascaption: Michael Weisbergcaption: Bethany Wiggincaption: Angela Duckworthcaption: Morgan Hokecaption: Sarah Jaffeecaption: Megan Kassabaum caption: Mona Merlingcaption: Carol Mullercaption: Karen Redrobecaption: Daniel Wodak


University of Pennsylvania Arts & Sciences has awarded grants to fifteen projects through the Making a Difference in Global Communities and Klein Family Social Justice initiatives. Making a Difference in Global Communities, formerly known as Making a Difference in Diverse Communities, supports multidisciplinary projects led by Arts & Sciences faculty working with students to address global societal challenges, including inequities in race, gender, sexual identity, socioeconomic mobility, education, health care, and political representation, as well as climate change, poverty, and immigration.

The Klein grants, a new program, are a component of the school’s commitment to contributing to the achievement of social justice through research and teaching, and through community engagement rooted in the arts and sciences.

The awarded projects are led by faculty from across the humanities and social sciences, with contributions from scholars from the Graduate School of Education, the Weitzman School of Design, Penn Nursing, Penn Vet, and the Perelman School of Medicine. In addition, the granted projects involve partnerships with community organizations in locations from Philadelphia to the Galápagos Archipelago, South Africa, Cyprus, and others. 

The 2021 Making a Difference in Global Communities projects are:

Penn-in-Kenya II: Bringing the World’s Premiere Refugee Film School Online, led by Peter Decherney, professor of English and cinema & media studies. This project, expanding on previous work in Kenya, will partner Penn students with students at the FilmAid Kenya training program at the Kakuma Refugee Camp to design an open online course (a MOOC) that will allow refugees and other at-risk communities around the world access FilmAid’s successful curriculum.

Diverse Global Communities and Local Resource Allocation, led by Hans-Peter Kohler, Frederick J. Warren Professor of Demography and co-director of the Population Aging Research Center. In the past few years, Malawi has seen a surge in the number of officially recognized villages and traditional authorities (local chiefs). This project explores how village size and village heterogeneity shape the provision of local public goods and seeks to understand the policies that drive village-splitting decisions and how fragmentations impact inequality and prosperity. Guy Grossman, professor of political science, is co-director of the project. 

Reducing Inequalities in College Access in Latinx Communities in Philadelphia, led by Emilio Parrado, Dorothy Swaine Thomas Professor of Sociology. This project is a partnership between Penn’s Center for Latin American and Latinx Studies and the Center for Culture, Art, Training, and Education. The two-year project aims to enhance college access and success among Latinx communities in Philadelphia through a college readiness program, student mentoring, conversations between Penn faculty and high school students, and service learning and research opportunities that will bring Penn students into the community.  Amalia Dache, associate professor in the higher education division of the Graduate School of Education, co-directs this project. 

Seeds of Understanding: Prejudice-Reduction via Inter-Cultural Contact, led by Nicholas Sambanis, Presidential Distinguished Professor of Political Science. The project explores whether anti-immigrant bias, prejudice, and hostility can be mitigated via social contact in a learning environment designed to promote inter-cultural understanding. In collaboration with the University of Cyprus and Caritas, an international NGO providing humanitarian assistance to migrants and refugees, researchers will measure the effects of intergroup contact between natives and refugees/immigrants from different ethno-racial groups in the context of an after-school program targeting school-age children.

Sighting Black Girlhood, led by Deborah Thomas, R. Jean Brownlee Term Professor of Anthropology and director of the Center for Experimental Ethnography. The project builds on an existing exhibit and portrait campaign called “The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face,” designed to see Black girlhood as a sacred experience. It will involve a team-taught course, collaborations with partners in Philadelphia, Jamaica, and South Africa, and a traveling exhibit that will generate research on interventions in the lives of Black girls in those area. Grace Sanders Johnson, assistant professor of Africana studies, and Krystal Strong, an assistant professor in the literacy, culture, and international education division of the Graduate School of Education, co-direct the project. 

LAVA: Laboratorio para apreciar la vida y el ambiente, led by Michael Weisberg, professor and chair of philosophy. Penn researchers have established partnerships in the Galápagos Archipelago through community science initiatives that pair communities and technical experts to co-conceive, plan, execute, analyze, and disseminate scientific research. The grant allows the LAVA team to continue and expand their work, with projects including research on and public engagement with marine life and the health of the aquatic ecosystem, climate change resilience, and a public health survey. Faculty co-directors include Erol Akçay, associate professor of biology; Karen M’Closkey, associate professor of landscape architecture in the Weitzman School of Design; Keith VanDerSys, senior lecturer in landscape architecture in the Weitzman School of Design; Jennifer Pinto Martin, Viola MacInnes/Independence Professor of Nursing in Nursing; Carl McLaughlin, assistant professor of clinical medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine; and Daniel Beiting, assistant professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine. 

My Philadelphia Climate Story, led by Bethany Wiggin, associate professor of Germanic languages and literatures and founding director of the Penn Program in Environmental Humanities. This project recognizes the urgent need to integrate climate literacy into all levels of education and training. Leaders will develop a network of ten regional climate classrooms linked to one another and to Penn faculty and students to create a diverse collection of student-researched, developed, and authored climate stories. Their genres range from personal micro-essays to field notes, to long-form oral histories, essays, and video documentaries, and they will culminate in a storytelling festival and book which shares the project’s title.

The 2021 Klein Family Social Justice Grant awardees are:

Diversity and Equity Initiative (DivE In) for the Mind Sciences, led by Angela Duckworth, Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor in the department of psychology. This project addresses the underrepresentation of students of color, first-generation students, low-income students, and students from the LGBTQ+ community in the mind sciences generally and at the graduate level at Penn. Through one-on-one workshops and mentorships and a comprehensive online program, DivE In aims to remove systemic barriers to higher education. 

Community Assessment of Race-Related Experience of Stress for Black Mothers, led by Morgan Hoke, assistant professor of anthropology. Philadelphia exhibits significant racial disparities when it comes to maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. This interdisciplinary project seeks to document the experiences of race-related stress among Black pregnant women in the greater Philadelphia area. Working in collaboration with community organizations and health partners, the project documents women’s experience of stress and the sources of stress relief alongside information on birth outcomes, thereby generating information for policy makers and care providers while also providing resources to study participants and their communities. Jennifer Warren of George Mason University co-directs the project.

Belonging, Daily Emotions, and Academic Performance in First-Generation Students, led by Sara Jaffee, professor of psychology. This project will test how first-generation, low income (FGLI) students’ sense of belonging in college impacts their day-to-day emotional experiences and grades. As the number of FGLI students at Penn increases, it is important to know how these factors intersect and where greater efforts can be made to increase a sense of belonging for all students. Camille Zubrinsky Charles, Walter H. and Leonore C. Annenberg Professor in the Social Sciences, and Laura Perna, Vice Provost for Faculty and GSE Centennial Presidential Professor of Education, co-direct the project. 

West Philadelphia Community Archaeology Project, led by Megan Kassabaum, associate professor of anthropology. In collaboration with People’s Emergency Center, a homeless services provider, this project focuses on community archaeology in Philadelphia’s Mantua, West Powelton, Saunders Park, Belmont, and Mill Creek neighborhoods. Despite gentrification and other changes, material traces of the rich history of these areas persist. The power of community archaeology lies in the ability to use these material traces as entry points into discussions about gentrification, systemic racism, and socioeconomic change and to recover a heritage that may seem lost. Douglas K. Smit, a senior fellow in the department of anthropology, is project co-director. 

Prison Teaching Initiative Collaboration, led by Mona Merling, assistant professor of mathematics. Under the scope of this project, mathematics faculty and graduate students contribute directly to prison education by teaching accredited college-level mathematics classes at the South Woods State Prison in New Jersey, through the Prison Teaching Initiative (PTI) program housed at Princeton University. In addition to providing instruction to incarcerated students, PTI’s innovative, evidence-based practices offer faculty and graduate students an occasion to improve and expand their teaching. 

Words and Beats: Music Technology and Social Emotional Healing in Philly Schools, led by Carol Muller, professor of music. This project collaborates with West Philadelphia High School (WPHS) and the Netter Center for Community Partnerships to create a therapeutically informed, sustainable music technology program at WPHS that can be replicated elsewhere in the city and other urban schools fighting poverty and daily trauma. It strives to work against racial inequality by equipping the school’s music technology studio with additional resources to enable students to produce their own words and music as they gain music technology knowledge, skills, and certification and gives students the space to create stories in a style of their own, supported by family and community. 

Empowering Community Voices and Visions, led by Karen Redrobe, Elliot and Roslyn Jaffe Endowed Professor in Film Studies. This project, a collaboration with Philadelphia’s Scribe Video Center and Penn’s Center for Teaching and Learning, is rooted in the belief that community-based learning spaces are sources of knowledge and experience, and that research universities can empower those spaces through the sharing of resources. The grant will support community-based media projects and the development of anti-racist teaching practices related to socially transformative media projects, and will also train Penn students as community facilitators. 

Philosophy in Prisons and Jails, led by Daniel Wodak, assistant professor of philosophy. This project will help to develop a long-term prison and jail education initiative, including teaching philosophy to adult and juvenile inmates in the Philadelphia region. The goal is to offer academically rigorous education, including credit-bearing courses, and ultimately, a degree-granting program for non-traditional populations. Jennifer Morton, Presidential Penn Compact Associate Professor of Philosophy, and Sigal Ben-Porath of the Graduate School of Education are project co-directors. 

Supplier Diversity & Economic Inclusion Impact Awards

Penn Procurement Services recently announced the inaugural recipients of the Penn Supplier Diversity & Economic Inclusion Impact Awards.  Two awards were bestowed, one to a team and another to an individual, and the recipients were honored for their outstanding contributions in driving impact in the area of supplier diversity and inclusion. 

The ideals behind this award recognition are vitally important to the University’s ongoing commitment to supplier diversity, according to vice president of the division of business services Marie Witt. “The efforts of these award recipients demonstrate the value that can be derived when inclusion is at the forefront of decision making.  Both awards exemplify how a positive difference can be made to foster prosperity within the neighboring community and throughout Philadelphia.”

One award was granted to a team from the Office of the University Architect in Facilities and Real Estate Services.  The honorees are Ke Feng, Mark Kocent, Eva Lew, and Jackie Schlindwein. During the early weeks of the pandemic, this team recognized that custom signage would be necessary to guide the Penn community during the University’s anticipated re-occupancy of campus. The chosen supplier was a Philadelphia-based, Black-owned business, Replica Creative. The business met this challenge and responded by creating a customized catalog with Penn prototypes that was consistent with Penn branding that could be used in buildings, elevators, and other areas where faculty, staff, and students would gather. 

Nadine Beauharnois from the Weitzman School of Design was recognized for her continual work to establish relationships with diverse and minority suppliers. Ms. Beauharnois, who has been described as helpful, caring, resourceful, and happy to help no matter the task, ensures that Weitzman faculty, staff, and students buy from not only major suppliers but the local, diverse services that are not always highlighted. Her self-motivation was a major factor in Weitzman’s level of business with diverse, local suppliers, placing their school’s spend among the very highest in the University.  

“Penn’s Supplier Diversity & Economic Inclusion Program underscores how a sound strategy can help identify and increase awareness about the importance of diversity in procurement,” said Chief Procurement Officer Mark Mills.  “This year’s inaugural honorees have cultivated meaningful relationships and have moved the needle as Penn intentionally seeks out and does business with local, diverse suppliers.” 

The awards were announced at the Penn Supplier Diversity Forum & Expo, held on July 28.

Features

Convocation 2021

On Monday, August 30, 2021, Penn’s Class of 2025 Convocation was held in person in Blanche Levy Park, in front of College Hall. 

caption: Penn President Amy Gutmann addresses Penn’s incoming Class of 2025. Photo by Eric Sucar.

Think Like a Diplomat

President Amy Gutmann

Hello Class of 2025!  

There has never been a Convocation quite like this. We’re back! 

For this momentous occasion, we get to zone out from Zoom. We are reunited. And it sure feels good! 

You are the most diverse, talented, and resilient class ever. Let’s hear it for the great Class of 2025! 

More than any class before, you had to become expert navigators. You were given no road map for this pandemic. Lacking any how-to guide, you not only finished high school remotely. You did so with flying colors. You made it to your new University despite the most daunting odds.

Now the first and foremost test you face, while challenging, is also exhilarating. How do I navigate Penn? 

I faced the same thing when I arrived more than seventeen years ago as a newbie President. To this day, I still find navigating Penn an uplifting challenge (which may help explain why I still haven’t graduated!).

So: How to do it well?

Imagine for a moment that you are invited to attend a global summit. Nothing less than the future of our world is at stake. 

It’s an impressive crowd, impressive in its talent and diversity. You join representatives from nearly 100 countries; all 50 U.S. states; Washington, D.C.; Guam; Puerto Rico; and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Many are the first in their families to attend such a summit. Many identify as a Black, Asian, Latinx, LGBTQ, or having a disability. Many come from backgrounds in which the social and economic cards were stacked against them. 

Though each person has their unique differences, all were chosen for their academic accomplishments, creativity, talent, and drive to do good. 

Take this to heart: You are absolutely integral to the global summit that is seated all around you. And you now embark on an exciting journey to make the most of it. 

You will make life-changing friendships; you will find a personally meaningful career; you will improve the lives of others, including your family, community, country, and the world: And you have no road map.

What you do have are all the makings of a leader. The most successful combine being both collaborative and independent-minded. Here is what I have found to be the best navigational advice for success. It is deeply rooted in Penn history: Think like a diplomat. 

Not long after Penn was founded, back in the 1700s, the American colonies were in trouble. Their war for independence from Britain was not going well. They needed friends. So they sent the greatest mind of the age across the Atlantic to forge an alliance with France. He’s actually sitting among us now: Benjamin Franklin. Not only did he found our University. He was also America’s very first ambassador.

In France, Ben became a pop culture phenomenon. If Instagram had existed, he would’ve been the CEO of going viral. He charmed the royal court with his signature spectacles, simple clothes, and homemade gifts. He dazzled philosophers and merchants alike with his intellect and wit. 

His printing press in Paris became synonymous with the transformational ideals of liberty and self-government. The French even named a hair style in Ben’s honor and it was all the rage.

What was key to Franklin’s genius? From differences, Franklin found strength. From competing interests, he forged consensus. In pursuit of aid for his homeland, he lent aid to others. A diplomat par excellence, Ben won the friendship of France and so changed the future for countless people.

What, you may ask, has Franklin’s life to do with my success at Penn? My answer is: Everything!  

You can make the most of your new home by thinking like a modern-day diplomat. An excellent start is by celebrating differences, for they are among your signature strengths. 

Not very long ago, another amazing Penn alum, Anea Moore, was able to accept Penn’s offer of admission thanks to our financial aid program. She was born and raised in West Philadelphia and was, like me, the very first in her family to attend college. 

A student leader, Anea put her experiences as a Black woman and her extraordinary talents to work across campus and beyond. She helped us implement a new initiative to empower our first-generation and low-income FGLI students. From that grew our Penn First Plus program. And in 2019, Anea was named a Rhodes Scholar. 

Successful diplomats are both collaborative and independent-minded leaders. To succeed, you will work with and lean on diverse others. 

But never forget this: What each of you brings here is uniquely yours. Share it bravely and be curious about the unique differences of others. 

Those differences and your own unique perspective make our community increasingly innovative, and ever more inclusive. At Penn, thinking creatively and being curious about others, that’s what leads to breakthroughs.

My latest case in point is a lifesaving one: On an ordinary day, much like any other, two Penn scientists—a woman and a man—crossed paths for the first time at a copying machine.

They chatted briefly about their research interests. By doing so, they discovered something neither had remotely expected. Their projects were quite different, but they found an intersecting interest. 

They decided to team up, thinking each might hold a key to the other’s future. That day, unbeknownst to anyone for years to come, history was made. 

The two people were Penn Medicine’s Drew Weissman and Kati Karikó. By deciding to collaborate, they together pioneered messenger RNA technology. 

It was their breakthroughs that have made the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines against COVID possible. And these vaccines are what have made it possible for all of us to gather here today. We are teaching and learning in person, thanks to their combined collaborative and independent-minded character.

Among the many life-changing lessons to be learned from the examples of Drew and Katie, Ben and Anea are these: Always be open to that chance meeting on Locust Walk, in your College House, or with a faculty member. Though you may be strangers, though you are independently working toward different goals, your collaboration could one day change the world. 

At Penn, we succeed by lending a hand. 

Countless opportunities await you: Penn Leads the Vote, the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, Fox Leadership, the President’s Engagement and Innovation Prizes, SNF Paideia Fellowships, Social Equity and Community Internships, Young Quakers Community Athletics, and many others. 

As Wharton professor Adam Grant has shown, your success only stands to grow from lifting others up. Along the way, never ever hesitate to ask for help whenever you need it. None of us succeeds alone. Not even remotely. 

By now, some of you have heard the news about me. I have been nominated by President Biden to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to Germany. 

As I share my thoughts with you today, I vividly remember what it felt like to be a first-year college student, as anxious as I was excited. And now I am both excited and anxious about my future and the future of my family. 

My father, a refugee from Nazi Germany, died suddenly when I was a few years younger than you. I was a rising high school senior. My mom and I struggled mightily to make ends meet. Financial aid made it possible for me to go to college. I had imposter syndrome before there was a name for it. And even now, as we together face an uncertain future, I am feeling a lot of what you’re feeling, too. 

The advice I give to you is the very same advice I continue to take to the best of my ability. 

The power of Franklin’s example. Making the most of our connections to one another, our community, and the wider world. The ongoing urgency of addressing this global pandemic. Doing as much good as we creatively can as soon as we can in partnerships with others. 

The transformative people I’ve known and the enduring lessons I’ve learned at Penn are very much front and center for me as they will be for you.

So I can say to you with the greatest compassion and conviction: By being both creative and collaborative, you will make the most of your new home here at Penn. 

And you will also make Penn an even more inclusive and innovative, friendly and all-around better home for yourself and everyone around you. 

I am so very thrilled to say officially and in person to the great Class of 2025: Welcome to your new home! Welcome to Penn!

caption: Interim Provost Beth Winkelstein addresses Penn’s incoming freshmen during Penn's 2021 Convocation. Photo by Eric Sucar.

Lessons From a Pandemic Year

Interim Provost Beth Winkelstein

As Interim Provost—Penn’s Chief Academic Officer—it is my great pleasure to welcome you this evening. 

Convocation—the first time you’re gathered together, as a class—is a Penn tradition that dates back to the early 1900s. And here I should mention that I attended my own Convocation, as a Penn undergraduate. Not in 1910, but a few years later. Why mention that year in particular? Just as Penn’s Class of 1914 couldn’t have imagined the influenza pandemic waiting around the corner, when you entered high school you had no idea of the disruption to come. And yet: here you are! Penn’s Class of 2025, IRL [in real life]!

There are many lessons to take from our pandemic year. But I think there are two that are especially relevant to your Penn experience. Your path is not set. And we are all connected. Over the next four years, I urge you to embrace this uncertainty, and explore your interconnection. 

Sometimes, external events—yes, even a pandemic—will set you off in some new direction. But just as often, change comes from within. You’ll find joy or inspiration in some field or interest that’s new to you. And I’m not speaking solely of academics. Penn has countless opportunities to meet new people and try different things: student organizations, affinity groups, athletics, food, the arts. You’re here to become not just well-educated but well-rounded. It’s a path that goes in all directions.

And when you do decide on an academic track or major, know that this path, too, is not fixed. Your course—your courses—will change. Your major might change. When I entered Penn, I was sure I was going to be a doctor. But a summer in a research lab after my sophomore year changed my direction, and I became a bio-engineer. 

New directions can be challenging. Like some of you, I had taken AP courses, so I skipped my first-year math class and went to the 200 level. I got this, I thought. No, I didn’t have it. It was impossible to juggle everything! At least for me. So I dropped a level, and was better for it. Think about your courses and your choices, but try not to stress about them. Let me say that again: please try not to stress. Taking chances—altering course—inevitably brings setbacks. But it may also bring big rewards.

Your classmates and friends, your professors—everyone sitting up here tonight and the thousands of Penn staffers not here—want you to succeed. Which brings me to that second pandemic lesson. Regardless of our differences, in this world we’re all connected. We share a future. Just as you may need help from others, they may need your help. In these challenging times, remember no one succeeds alone. Here, at the nation’s first university, all our schools are on one campus. Penn’s interdisciplinary education is purpose-built for collaboration. Explore these connections, even—especially—when the path seems unclear. 

Every class that’s sat where you’re sitting has worked very hard, and overcome major obstacles, to get here. But, honestly, members of the Class of 2025, you have some serious bragging rights. After a year of screen time, I’m just thrilled we finally have some face time.

Welcome to Penn. 

Research

In California School District, Latinx Students with Latinx Teachers Attend More School

While the teaching workforce continues to be heavily dominated by white teachers, in particular white women, the academic and social-emotional benefits for students of color of having a teacher who is their same race have been widely documented. Less studied is the impact that having a same-race teacher has on attendance. In new research published in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Penn GSE’s Michael Gottfried, an associate professor in the education policy division, sets out to explore this question along with J. Jacob Kirksey (Texas Tech University) and Tina L. Fletcher (Penn GSE). 

Dr. Gottfried, Dr. Kirksey, and Ms. Fletcher used data from a high school district in California with a large Latinx student population to investigate the influence of student-teacher racial and ethnic match on absenteeism. They found that Latinx students with Latinx teachers attend more school; this relationship does not exist for white students. Notably, this relationship only appears for unexcused absences, not excused absences. 

“This is important for our modeling because excused absences signal health issues. But unexcused absences are about school engagement,” Dr. Gottfried explained. These results also only emerged for 11th and 12th graders, and are the strongest when students had a same-race teacher for the first period of the day. Dr. Gottfried hypothesizes that this same-race relationship could be “what motivates kids early in the morning to get to school.”

 Three student groups particularly benefitted from having a same-race teacher: students who were eligible for free and reduced-price lunch, migrant students, and students who were chronically absent the previous school year. As higher absenteeism is tied to a number of what Dr. Gottfried, Dr. Kirksey, and Ms. Fletcher describe as “negative academic and developmental consequences,” increasing the number of teachers of color continues to be an important policy intervention.

“I’m excited about this work because it addresses malleable ways to support students from diverse minority backgrounds at school—namely by showing the importance of a same-race/ethnicity teacher to boost importance student outcomes, like attendance,” said Dr. Gottfried. “But more so, it also stresses the importance of diversifying the teaching workforce.”

Adapted from a Graduate School of Education press release, August 10, 2021. 

Restoring “Chaperone” Protein May Prevent Plaque Build-up in Alzheimer’s

vels of the protein DAXX and a large group of similar proteins prevents the misfolding of the rogue proteins known to drive Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, as well as certain mutations that contribute to cancers. The findings could lead to new targeted approaches that would restore a biological system designed to keep key proteins in check and prevent diseases.

The findings were published online in Nature.

The study focuses on DAXX, or death domain-associated protein, which is a member of a large family of human proteins, each with an unusually high content of two specific amino acid residues, aspartate and glutamate, referred to as polyD/E proteins. The various roles of DAXX and approximately 50 other polyD/E proteins in cell processes have emerged over time, but their role as a protein quality control system—a “chaperone” that directs protein folding, so to speak—was unanticipated.

“We solve a decades-long puzzle by showing this group of proteins actually constitute a major protein quality control system in cells and a never-before-seen enabler of proper folding of various proteins—including misfolding-prone proteins associated with various diseases,” said senior author Xiaolu Yang, a professor of cancer biology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. “Keep that family of proteins functioning properly, and the tangling of rogue proteins may be diminished or stopped altogether.”

Proteins are the workhorses of the cell. To ensure normal cellular function and protect against protein-misfolding associated with disease, organisms have evolved elaborate protein quality control systems to enable efficient protein folding. However, these systems, especially those in humans, are still not well understood, which limits the ability to develop effective therapies.

The researchers showed that DAXX and other polyD/E proteins facilitate the folding of proteins, reverse protein aggregates, and unfold misfolded proteins. They prevent neurodegeneration-associated proteins, such as beta-amyloid and alpha-synuclein from misfolding, tangling, and forming extracellular plaques and intracellular inclusions, they found. Beta-amyloid clumping between the nerve cells is observed in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients and the target of many treatment approaches, while intracellular inclusions of alpha-synuclein are observed in the brains of patients with Parkinson’s disease.

The team also showed DAXX’s potential role in treating cancer.

DAXX restores native function to tumor-associated and aggregation-prone p53 proteins, reducing their cancer properties. This finding is  important because p53 is the preeminent tumor suppressor and mutations in p53 are associated with a bevy of cancers, including lung, colon, pancreatic, ovarian, and breast cancer. Bolstering DAXX function, the authors said, might represent an alternative approach to therapeutically reestablish the tumor suppressive function of mutant p53 to treat patients.

“The findings give us a better understanding of a new biochemical activity that effectively contends with protein misfolding seen in Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, as well as in cancer, and represent an opportunity to develop new approaches to treat these diseases,” Dr. Yang said.

The first author of the study is Liangqian Huang, a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Yang’s lab.

Adapted from a Penn Medicine press release, August 26, 2021. 

Developing Endotracheal Tubes that Release Antimicrobial Peptides

Endotracheal tubes are a mainstay of hospital care, as they ensure a patient’s airway is clear when they can’t breathe on their own. However, keeping a foreign object inserted in this highly sensitive part of the anatomy is not without risk, such as the possibility of infection, inflammation, and a condition known as subglottic stenosis, in which scar tissue narrows the airway.

Broad-spectrum antibiotics are one way to mitigate these risks, but come with risks of their own, including harming beneficial bacteria and contributing to antibiotic resistance.

With this conundrum in mind, Riccardo Gottardi, assistant professor of pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and of bioengineering at Penn Engineering, along with bioengineering graduate students and lab members Matthew Aronson and Paul Gehret, are developing endotracheal tubes that can provide a more targeted antimicrobial defense.

In a proof-of-concept study published in the journal The Laryngoscope, the team showed how a different type of antimicrobial agent could be incorporated into the tubes’ polymer coating, as well as preliminary results suggesting these devices would better preserve a patient’s microbiome.

Instead, the investigators explored the use of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are small proteins that destabilize bacterial membranes, causing bacterial cells to fall apart and die. This mechanism of action allows them to target specific bacteria and makes them unlikely to promote antimicrobial resistance. Prior studies have shown that it is possible to coat endotracheal tubes with conventional antibiotics, so the research team investigated the possibility of incorporating AMPs into polymer-coated tubes to inhibit bacterial growth and modulate the upper-airway microbiome.

The researchers, led by Matthew Aronson, a graduate student in Penn Engineering’s department of bioengineering, tested their theory by creating a polymer coating that would release Lasioglossin-III, an AMP with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. They found that Lasio released from coated endotracheal tubes reached the expected effective concentration rapidly and continued to release at the same concentration for a week, which is the typical timeframe that an endotracheal is used before being changed. The investigators also tested their drug-eluting tube against airway microbes, including S. epidermidis, S. pneumoniae, and human microbiome samples and observed significant antibacterial activity, as well as prevention of bacterial adherence to the tube.

Adapted from a Penn Engineering press release, August 12, 2021. 

Events

Ulysses Jenkins: Without Your Interpretation at ICA

caption: Ulysses Jenkins: Without Your Interpretation is an exhibit of innovative video art and other works that will open at the Institute of Contemporary Art on September 17.

Ulysses Jenkins: Without Your Interpretation, the first major retrospective on the work of groundbreaking video/performance artist Ulysses Jenkins, is on view at ICA this fall, September 17–December 30, 2021. The exhibition is co-curated by Meg Onli, ICA Andrea B. Laporte associate curator and Erin Christovale, associate curator, Hammer Museum at UCLA, where the exhibition will travel this winter.

A pivotal influence on contemporary art for over fifty years, Ulysses Jenkins (born 1946 Los Angeles, lives Los Angeles) has produced video and media work that conjures vibrant expressions of how image, sound, and cultural iconography inform representation. Using archival footage, photographs, image processing and elegiac soundtracks, Mr. Jenkins pulls together various strands of thought to interrogate questions of race and gender as they relate to ritual, history, and the power of the state.

Beginning as a painter and muralist, Mr. Jenkins was introduced to video just as the first consumer cameras were becoming available. He quickly seized upon the television technology as a means to broadcast alternative and critical depictions of multiculturalism—citing the catalyst of Melvin Van Peebles’s Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971) and its call to Black filmmakers to control their subject-hood by controlling the media depicting them. Adopting the role of a “video griot,” Mr. Jenkins is inspired by the oral traditions in videos that are often structured around music and poetic recitation, as well as dynamic performances.

Requiring three years of intensive research by the curators—including studio visits, the digitization of a sprawling archive, and conversations with Mr. Jenkins and his collaborators—the exhibition, which has been organized closely with the artist, encompasses a broad range of over twenty of Mr. Jenkins’s videos, as well as more than sixty works that showcase his collaborations, mural paintings, photography, and performances, highlighting the scope of the artist’s practice.

Among the many video works included in the exhibition is Mass of Images (1978), an innovative video art piece considered one of the first works in the genre by a Black artist. In it, Mr. Jenkins critiques the media’s role in perpetuating racist and harmful images of Black people in the U.S. Like other works in the exhibition, it is grounded in the issues at the heart of contemporary conversations about inequality and environmental devastation amplified by unchecked capitalism, governmental oppression, and systemic racism’s impact on Black cultural production.

Technology’s role in building community is a primary concern across Mr. Jenkins’s work. Just as the artist has used nascent technology to address pressing issues of our time, the exhibition uses current technology to capture the artist’s original intent to foster international collaboration, increase access to shared experiences, and provide a platform for marginalized voices.

Many emerging Black video artists who came of age in the 1990s and early 2000s cite Mr. Jenkins as a major influence in their work. Mr. Jenkins’s groundbreaking and prescient work is only now being revisited by scholars, curators, and other artists. The political and social commentary present in Mr. Jenkins’s work make it particularly relevant in today’s context, such as his interrogations of Black stereotypes in the American entertainment industry in Mass of Images (1978) and Two-Zone Transfer (1979), and calls to protect the rights of indigenous groups and champion environmental conservation in performance piece Bay Window (1991).

Update: September AT PENN

Fitness & Learning

caption: Visit Makuu’s in-person open house on September 8 to learn about one of Penn’s cultural hubs. See Fitness & Learning.

8          Makuu: Open House & Umoja Fair; learn about Penn’s cultural space to center the experiences of students of the African Diaspora; 3 p.m.; lobby, ARCH (Makuu).

14        Career Services’ 2021 Engineering Career Day; virtual fair showcasing career opportunities for Penn Engineers, candidates in STEM fields and those interested in engineering and technology; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Handshake online event; info: https://tinyurl.com/seas-career-day-2021 (Penn Engineering).

 

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

10        Friday Virtual Chats with Admissions; noon; online event.

 

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

7          Research to Go Office Hours; 12:30 p.m.; room 251, Huntsman Hall. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

8          Lippincott Library Overview for MBAs; 5 p.m.; Lippincott Library.

14        What's New in Canvas Workshop; 11 a.m.; online event.

            Linoleum Carving Workshop; 4 p.m.; Fisher Fine Arts Library. Also September 21.

 

School of Social Policy and Practice (SP2)
Online events. Info and to register: https://www.sp2.upenn.edu/sp2-events/month/2021-09/.

14        Admissions Information Session: Master’s Programs; 4 p.m.

 

Readings & Signings

Kelly Writers House
Online and in-person events. Info: http://writing.upenn.edu/wh/calendar/0921.php.

8          Speakeasy Open Mic Night: COVID Creativity; 7:30 p.m.; in-person event and YouTube livestream.

 

Talks

7          Delocalization and Quantum Diffusion of Random Band Matrices in High Dimensions; Fan Yang, statistics; 3:30 p.m.; room A1, David Rittenhouse Laboratory (Mathematics).

13        Real Fakes and Fake Fakes: Materiality in Literary Forgery; Jack Lynch, Rutgers University-Newark; 5:15 p.m.; Class of 1978 Pavilion, Van Pelt Library (English).

14        Soft-Matter Engineering for Robotics and Wearables; Carmel Majidi, Carnegie Mellon University; 10 a.m.; Zoom meeting; info: peterlit@seas.upenn.edu (Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics).

 

AT PENN Deadlines

The September AT PENN calendar is now online. Our October AT PENN calendar will be published on Tuesday, September 28. Want to submit an event for the October AT PENN calendar? Email it to us at almanac@upenn.edu by Monday, September 13.

Crimes

Weekly Crime Reports

University of Pennsylvania Police Department Crime Report

Below are the Crimes Against Persons, Crimes Against Society and Crimes Against Property from the campus report for August 23-29, 2021. View prior weeks’ reports. —Ed.

This summary is prepared by the Division of Public Safety and includes all criminal incidents reported and made known to the University Police Department for the dates of August 23-29, 2021. The University Police actively patrol from Market St to Baltimore and from the Schuylkill River to 43rd St in conjunction with the Philadelphia Police. In this effort to provide you with a thorough and accurate report on public safety concerns, we hope that your increased awareness will lessen the opportunity for crime. For any concerns or suggestions regarding this report, please call the Division of Public Safety at (215) 898-4482.

08/23/21

11:39 AM

3600 Chestnut St

Offender bit officer twice/Arrest

08/23/21

4:12 PM

3925 Walnut St

Merchandise taken without payment

08/23/21

8:52 PM

3400 Spruce St

Patient struck employee twice in the face

08/24/21

11:26 AM

3701 Market St

Currency taken from office

08/24/21

6:37 PM

51 N 39th St

Secured bike taken

08/24/21

8:09 PM

3450 Hamilton Walk

Front tire taken from bike

08/25/21

8:37 AM

River Fields Drive

Windshield of utility cart broken

08/25/21

10:23 AM

120 S 36th St

Merchandise taken without payment

08/25/21

11:27 AM

3400 Civic Center Blvd

Complainant threatened by patient’s spouse

08/25/21

3:03 PM

400 S 40th St

Package taken from building

08/25/21

5:41 PM

3946 Pine St

Four car tires taken

08/26/21

1:15 AM

3700 Spruce St

Complainant struck by female

08/26/21

10:07 AM

3400 Spruce St

Security guard assaulted/Arrest

08/26/21

2:55 PM

3300 Market St

Vehicle taken by complainant’s friend

08/27/21

3:03 AM

400 S 40th St

Complainant was punched by offender

08/27/21

9:50 AM

4000 Chestnut St

Offender attempted to stab victim/Arrest

08/27/21

5:08 PM

3650 Chestnut St

Bike stolen from building

08/28/21

8:09 PM

3100 Walnut St

Wallet stolen from unattended bag

08/29/21

12:52 PM

3160 Chestnut St

Known offender exposed himself

08/29/21

4:10 PM

200 St. Marks Square

Offender broke vehicle window, stole a wallet

 

18th District

Below are the Crimes Against Persons from the 18th District: 12 incidents (6 assaults, 4 aggravated assaults, 1 indecent assault, and 1 robbery) with 3 arrests were reported for August 23-29, 2021 by the 18th District, covering the Schuylkill River to 49th St & Market St to Woodland Avenue.

08/23/21

1:31 PM

36th & Chestnut St

Aggravated Assault

08/23/21

10:03 PM

3400 Spruce St

Assault

08/24/21

12:11 AM

S 45th & Baltimore Ave

Robbery

08/24/21

10:56 PM

4211 Baltimore Ave

Assault

08/26/21

1:25 AM

3700 Spruce St

Assault

08/26/21

10:36 AM

3400 Spruce St

Assault/Arrest

08/27/21

3:36 AM

400 S 40th St

Assault

08/27/21

10:11 AM

N 40th & Market Sts

Aggravated Assault/Arrest

08/27/21

6:13 PM

4301 Chestnut St

Aggravated Assault/Arrest

08/28/21

12:44 AM

S 46th & Locust Sts

Aggravated Assault

08/28/21

9:04 AM

N 40th & Market Sts

Assault

08/29/21

12:45 PM

3160 Chestnut St

Indecent Assault

Bulletins

Guns in America: Annenberg Classroom Film on the Second Amendment

A still from Annenberg Classroom's film about guns in America.

In honor of Constitution Day (September 17), Annenberg Classroom, an iniative housed within the Annenberg Public Policy Center, has released a documentary on the Second Amendment’s “right to bear arms.” The film, Second Amendment: D.C. v. Heller and McDonald v. Chicago, is the latest in a series of award-winning films about the U.S. Constitution. 

The film examines the history of guns and gun ownership in American society from the Revolutionary War to modern times and the complicated debate over what the founders intended when they wrote the Second Amendment. Does it provide a right of individuals to keep and bear arms? Or is it a right that can be exercised only through militia organizations like the National Guard?

The film is one of several free, high-quality, nonpartisan resources offered to educators, students, and families by Annenberg Classroom and the Civics Renewal Network, projects of the Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics at the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.

The new film is being released in advance of arguments this fall on the most significant Second Amendment case to come before the Supreme Court in more than a decade. New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Corlett focuses on a New York state law that restricts an individual’s right to carry a concealed handgun in public.

“Guns have been part of American life since the beginning, since the settlers came and landed at Plymouth Rock,” David Cruz of the University of Southern California Gould School of Law says in the film. Before the American Revolution, firearms were integral to American society for purely practical, quotidian reasons—namely, the need to hunt and the need to protect oneself from external threats. When American colonists’ militias succeeded against British rule, armed militias and their guns were “romanticized, and romanticized in part because the Revolution starts with the militia,” said Robert Cottrol of George Washington University Law School. The Second Amendment to the freshly minted Constitution thus stipulated: “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

Although the amendment’s language is hotly debated today, scholars generally agree on one thing: The Second Amendment is not well written.

The conflict in interpretation came to a head in 2008 in the Supreme Court case D.C. v. Heller. A security officer named Richard Heller argued that he had the right to use his registered gun to protect his home from intruders, an illegal use for a firearm in Washington, D.C. A 5-4 majority of the Court ruled in favor of Mr. Heller and the individual’s right to own a gun. In the majority opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia argued that the Second Amendment’s “operative clause” that the “right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed” guaranteed those in the general community, not just in the militia, the right to own and use guns for the purpose of home defense. A 5-4 Supreme Court decision in McDonald v. Chicago in 2010 extended that right to the states, ruling that the Second Amendment right to bear arms is a fundamental right that states must protect.

Annenberg Classroom provides resources for middle and high school students and features a library of more than 60 videos, including conversations with Supreme Court justices, interactive games, a guide to the Constitution, and other resources.

Applications Open for Wharton Seminars for Business Journalists Flagship Program, October 18-19

What: The Wharton School is pleased to invite business journalists to apply for the flagship Wharton Seminars for Business Journalists program. 

The Wharton Seminars for Business Journalists, led by the Wharton School’s most prominent professors, help reporters gain a better understanding of key business and economic issues through intensive lectures and expert Q&A. For more than 50 years, the seminars have offered participants an opportunity to expand their knowledge, network with journalists from around the world, increase their exposure to leading experts, and broaden their perspectives in a stimulating environment. 

View the 2021 flagship program agenda here

When: Program runs October 18-19, 2021. The deadline to apply is Friday, October 8, 2021. 

Where: The 2021 flagship Wharton Seminars for Business Journalists program will be held virtually.

How: Interested journalists can visit the Seminars for Business Journalists application. Space is limited.

Who: In recent years, journalists from media outlets such as The New York Times, The Nikkei, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC India, San Francisco Chronicle, Reuters, FortuneFinancial Times, CNN, Marketplace, Les Échos, Bloomberg, BuzzFeed News, and China Central TV have attended the Seminars.

Program Benefits: Today’s global economy requires business journalists to have a strong foundation in business and economic knowledge. At the Wharton Seminars for Business Journalists, participants will:

  • Develop an in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of accounting, financial statements, central banking, the stock market, and more.
  • Network with colleagues from some of the world’s leading business news organizations.
  • Gain exposure to leading experts and establish new sources.

Learn More: For complete information on the Wharton Seminars for Business Journalists, visit https://journalists.wharton.upenn.edu/ or contact Wharton Media Relations at (215) 898-8036 or communications@wharton.upenn.edu.

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