September 12, 2023 Volume 70 Issue 5

Emily Falk is the vice dean of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, effective as of September 1.

An interdisciplinary scholar whose research spans the fields of communication, psychology, marketing, operations, information, and decisions, Dr. Falk will work to unify the community in the school’s mission to produce innovative and impactful research.

“One of my priorities as the school’s new dean is to find ways to foster genuine collaboration, both at Annenberg and at other units and institutions within Penn, so that the whole of our impact can be greater than the sum of its parts,” said Annenberg School dean Sarah Banet-Weiser. “Emily has accomplished so much in her time at Penn — in the volume and collaborative nature of her brilliant research, the thoughtful mentorship of students and junior scholars in her lab, and in her strong presence at the school.”

Dr. Falk is the director of Annenberg’s Communication Neuroscience Lab, which uses fMRI and brain science to help people live healthier and happier lives. She is also a distinguished fellow at the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC).

Her research has been recognized by numerous awards, including honors from the International Communication Association, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, and the the Social and Affective Neuroscience Society; a Fulbright grant; a DARPA Young Faculty Award; and the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award.

Since 2021, Dr. Falk has been the associate dean of research at the Annenberg School, where she has led a staff committee in finding new ways to foster and facilitate research, as well as amplifying it to a broader public.

 As vice dean, Dr. Falk will work with Dean Banet-Weiser to help faculty, students and staff maximize their impact across many of the school’s areas of strength, including cultural inquiry, health communication, policy and political communication, and computational social science.

“We hope to identify areas where additional resources would allow our faculty, staff and students to push the frontiers of knowledge, engage more deeply with our communities, and broaden the ways we generate knowledge in the first place,” said Dr. Falk.  

Another of Dr. Falk’s objectives will be to grow the climate communication and action division in collaboration with APPC, which will further integrate climate action into the school’s research agenda, aligning academic pursuits with global challenges.

“I look forward to working with Dean Banet-Weiser to realize her vision for showcasing Annenberg’s major areas of strength,” said Dr. Falk. “We will continue to spotlight our faculty’s research accomplishments while fostering greater synergy among those working in similar areas. Our goal is to catalyze new possibilities and support members of the community to do the best work we can, individually, and collectively.”

With the new academic year, the Weitzman School of Design welcomes endowed chairs along with other members of the standing faculty. They come to Penn from leading institutions of higher learning across the United States, Europe, and Asia, and bring expertise in architecture, landscape architecture, city planning, and historic preservation.  

In announcing the latest appointments to the Weitzman community, dean and Paley Professor Fritz Steiner said, “Across the five departments, we share the belief that a more equitable, sustainable, and beautiful future is not only possible—we can help realize it. To do so, we’ll need to be even more interdisciplinary in our approach, and more receptive to expertise outside our own experiences.”

Sanya Carley, Presidential Distinguished Professor of Energy Policy & City Planning and Faculty Co-Director of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy

Sanya Carley joined Weitzman from Indiana University, where she served as an O’Neill Professor at the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and associate vice provost of faculty and academic affairs. Dr. Carley’s research focuses on energy justice and policies aimed at advancing the innovation of low-carbon and efficient energy technologies in both the electricity and transportation sectors. She holds secondary appointments in the department of business economics and public policy at the Wharton School and at the School of Social Policy & Practice. Dr. Carley will begin teaching in the spring of 2024.

Rossana Hu, Miller Professor Designate and Chair Designate of Architecture

Rossana Hu will join the faculty at Weitzman on January 1, 2024. A role model for the creative vanguard, Ms. Hu has helped transform Shanghai’s design culture over the past 20 years. She co-founded Neri&Hu Design and Research Office, the widely-acclaimed interdisciplinary architecture practice based in Shanghai. Alongside her design practice, Ms. Hu has been deeply committed to architectural education and has lectured at universities and professional forums throughout Europe, Asia, and the U.S. In addition, she is currently a professor and chair of the department of architecture in the College of Architecture & Urban Planning at Tongji University.

View the Weitzman School’s non-endowed appointments also beginning this academic year here.

Karen B. Lasater, an associate professor in Penn Nursing’s department of biobehavioral health sciences, has been appointed the Jessie M. Scott Term Chair in Nursing and Health Policy. The appointment took effect on July 1, 2023.

Dr. Lasater’s program of research contributes new knowledge to health services and patient outcomes research by delineating the value case of nursing in terms of costs to hospitals for investing in nursing resources and clinical outcomes for patients. One example of this research, published in Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice (2021), found that Magnet hospitals performed better than non-Magnets on quality measures linked with Medicare reimbursements. She is also the driving force behind the use of rapid policy response research, an innovative methodological advancement that can accelerate the pace at which academic research informs policy discussions using real-time data. Dr. Lasater recently applied this pioneering research approach to inform New York state-level policy debates about safe staffing requirements.

In addition to this appointment, Dr. Lasater is a core faculty member in the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research (CHOPR), a senior fellow of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, and a research associate at the Population Aging Research Center (PARC). Dr. Lasater is a nationally recognized researcher whose scholarship in nursing value and health policy is exceptional and uniquely deserving of this recognition. Her awards include the New Investigator Award from AcademyHealth’s Interdisciplinary Research Group on Nursing Issues and the Student Nurses at Penn Undergraduate Award for Teaching.

The Aresty Institute of Executive Education at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania has launched a new open-enrollment program for executives, Leading Today’s Talent: Management Strategies for an Evolving Workforce. Created in collaboration with Wharton People Analytics, this four-day, on-campus program, scheduled to run its first cohort from October 9–13, 2023, is designed to equip leaders with the essential skills needed to navigate the ever-changing landscape of people management.

“We’ve just experienced one of the biggest changes to the way we work in the last 40 years,” said Matthew Bidwell, a Wharton professor of management and the program’s academic director. “Open a newspaper, and there’s a plethora of headlines about ‘the future of work.’ This program covers the most important, research-based methods for successfully managing people, while also mindfully exploring how to prepare for what’s to come.”

The program uses a three-pronged approach to look at modern-day leadership—developing a style and vision that inspires; mastering the operational skills begetting a positive, productive workplace; and using the latest data-driven approaches for making sound decisions. Participants will throw out their assumptions and learn Wharton’s groundbreaking analytics research on what really works to attract, retain, reward, and develop talent.

Program sessions include Understanding Your People Strategy; People Analytics: Leveraging the Data; Building a Dedicated Team: Hiring; Planning for Succession; Making the Financial Case for Building Talent; Building and Managing Networks Effectively; Leading with Emotional Intelligence; Creating an Inclusive Workplace: Managing Diversity; AI and the Future of Work; Data-Driven Performance Management; Pay and Incentives for the Modern Workforce; Managing Algorithmic Management; Motivating and Retaining Talent; Successfully Managing the Remote Workplace; and Meaningfulness of Work.

Sessions will be led by core Wharton faculty including Matthew Bidwell, Iwan Barankay, Lindsey D. Cameron, Peter Cappelli, Andrew Carton, Marissa King, Cade Massey, Mary-Hunter McDonnell, Samir Nurmohamed, and Prasanna Tambe.

The program is designed for leaders seeking to improve business results through managing people better, covering topics such as talent acquisition, development, engagement and culture, and retention. This includes people leaders across disciplines such as marketing and analytics, research and development, accounting and finance, supply chain and logistics, manufacturing and engineering, human resources, and information technology.

“This program is for people who manage people,” noted Dr. Bidwell. “These could be executives who are functional experts who are taking on increasing responsibilities, often outside of the scope of their expertise. We want to help these leaders tackle the challenges of building and managing teams as well as developing new perspectives and ideas on how to move forward.”

Leading Today’s Talent: Management Strategies for an Evolving Workforce will run its first cohort on Wharton’s Philadelphia campus from October 9­–13, 2023 and is now accepting applications. Prospective participants can learn more and apply at https://executiveeducation.wharton.upenn.edu/.

Wharton Executive Education has served as the global leader in executive development for 35 years. Steeped in the heritage and analytical insights of the Wharton School, with an eye toward shaping the future of business, Wharton Executive Education’s individual, online, and custom programs prepare over 100,000 professionals a year to transform their careers and organizations. For more information on Wharton Executive Education’s practical business solutions, visit https://executiveeducation.wharton.upenn.edu/.

Penn Hospitality Services announces the reopening of the Penn University Club on Tuesday, September 12. Located next to the Living Room on the second floor of the Inn at Penn, 3611 Walnut Street, the club offers a buffet-style lunch menu including a daily sandwich and warm entrée selection, a fully stocked salad bar and daily soup and dessert options, along with hot and cold beverages. Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Monday to Thursday at a cost of $18.95. Cash and credit are accepted.

In honor of the club’s reopening, the membership requirement for individuals is waived for the fall semester, allowing all  standing and emeritus faculty staff, postdoctoral researchers and fellows, graduate students, and alumni with valid PennCards to dine there. Guests may accompany the PennCard holder. Beginning in the spring semester, the club will once again charge an annual membership fee of $75. (Note: Departmental accounts need to reactivated in order to use the facility. Contact universityclub@upenn.edu.)

The University Club is a great place to have a quiet lunch with colleagues, entertain new staff and faculty, or treat yourself to a uniquely Penn experience. You can learn more about what the club has to offer and check weekly menu options by visiting the University Club Website.

—Penn Hospitality Services

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

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Actions

Wednesday, September 6, 2022

Welcome and Introductions. Faculty Senate chair Tulia Falleti welcomed the members of the Senate Executive Committee (SEC) and offered a brief review of the Senate and its structure. A full roster of SEC members is available on the Senate website.  

Report from the Tri-Chairs. Professor Falleti invited all faculty to review her 2023 Welcome Letter, which was published on August 29. She shared several informational items:

• A virtual seminar on “Attendance and Disability Accommodations: Supporting Students Who May Need to Miss Class” was held Monday, September 11 at 3:30 p.m. Information about this topic is available on the Center for Teaching and Learning website.
• An educational module is now available in Workday on Preventing and Addressing Sexual Assault at Penn.
• A list of wellness resources to support students is available on the Wellness @ Penn site.

Discussion and vote on draft Charges for Senate Standing Committees, 2023-2024. The specific charges of the Faculty Senate standing committees were finalized.  Approaches for addressing some specific charges were offered, and that guidance will be shared with the respective committees.

Updates to the Faculty Income Allowance Policy (“FIAP”). Laura Perna (Vice Provost for Faculty), Jack Heuer (Senior Vice President for Human Resources), Susan Sproat (Executive Director of Benefits), and James Damon (Associate General Counsel) joined the meeting to share a revised policy that took effect on July 1, 2023, and was announced on September 5, 2023. SEC members discussed situational applications of the policy with the guests.

On Thursday, September 28, there will be meetings of the Trustees. Due to building capacity limitations, in-person attendance is limited to 15 observers.

Thursday, September 28
10:45 a.m.-12:05 p.m.—Budget & Finance Committee (REVISED START TIME)
2:30-2:45 p.m.—Public meeting of the Executive Committee

Individuals who are not directly involved in the presentation are encouraged to use the dial-in option, which will be available on the website beginning September 26. Agendas for the meetings will also be available on the website on September 26.

Penn Medicine’s Division of Emergency Ultrasound is at the forefront of promoting the use of bedside ultrasound. On July 1, Dr. John Barrett, a senior lecturer in the School of Nursing and a member of the faculty of Penn's DNP program, made history by becoming the first nurse practitioner to join a one-year certificate training program in advanced emergency ultrasonography. This significant milestone marks the beginning of a new era in ultrasound training.

Dr. Barrett received a BSN from Duke University and MSN from University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing’s Family Nurse Practitioner program in 2016. He completed Duke’s DNP Program in 2018 and became a lecturer at Penn Nursing in 2017. He has been a nurse practitioner in emergency medicine at Penn Medicine since 2020.

“Penn School of Nursing’s DNP program leadership team is thrilled that Dr. Barrett has been recognized for his exceptional clinical and practice leadership acumen with his appointment to this training program,” says Amy Sawyer, director of the Penn DNP program. “I am not at all surprised by Dr. Barrett’s appointment because John is truly the epitome of leadership in practice. He is an exceptionally brilliant, expert nurse practitioner with a remarkable ability to address systemic practice challenges with innovative, evaluable solutions. Recognition of Dr. Barrett’s practice leadership by Penn Medicine with his appointment as the 'first-ever' APRN to the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Training Program truly distinguishes Dr. Barrett as an impactful leader in everyday practice. We look forward to John’s continued exemplary teaching and mentorship of Penn DNP student scholars as they too develop as quintessential practice leaders.”

Bedside ultrasound has been extensively proven to reduce diagnosis time, enhance diagnostic accuracy, and facilitate prompt decision-making in emergency medicine, primary care, and critical care settings. This training program places a strong emphasis on developing expertise in clinician-performed ultrasound, conducting groundbreaking research, and sharing knowledge, thereby paving the way for unprecedented growth and impact.

About his appointment to the training program, Dr. Barrett states, “My experience as a student and faculty member at Penn School of Nursing has fueled my confidence and capabilities as a clinician and educator. Now, as the first nurse practitioner in Penn’s Point of Care Ultrasound program, I’m determined to expand nurse practitioner practice nationwide. My goal is to inspire and empower fellow nurse practitioners, fostering a new generation of leaders and expert practitioners.”

For the fourth year, Sage has awarded 10-Year Impact Awards to three research articles that have had a lasting influence over the past decade. The awards are given to the authors of three papers published in Sage Journals in 2012 that have received the most citations in the 10 years since than all other studies published in the same year.

Among the three winning papers is “What Makes Online Content Viral?” by Wharton Professors Jonah Berger and Katherine L. Milkman in the Journal of Marketing Research.

“Short-term measures of research impact fail to account for the many ways in which scholarship continues to inform research, policy and practice in the years and decades after publication,” said Ziyad Marar, president of global publishing at Sage. “Scholarship in the social and behavioural sciences is frequently undervalued by such metrics, with citations and other measures of impact in these disciplines accruing over longer time spans. As an independent publisher, Sage is free to think beyond traditional impact metrics to promote a broader perspective on research excellence that celebrates the significant and enduring contributions of the social and behavioural sciences.”

The 10-Year Impact Awards form part of Sage’s work to improve the methods used to measure the impact of research in the social and behavioral sciences (SBS).

This year marks the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy’s eighth annual Carnot Prize for distinguished contributions to energy policy—and the 2023 recipient is Ramón Méndez Galain, physicist, renewable energy visionary, and former energy director of Uruguay.

During his tenure, Dr. Méndez transitioned Uruguay away from fossil fuels and toward a diverse mix of wind, solar, hydro, and other forms of clean energy. Thanks to his plan, 98% of Uruguay’s electricity today is generated with renewable energy. Uruguay is one of the most electrified countries in the Western Hemisphere—with 99.9% of its homes connected to the electric grid. He is currently the executive director of Ivy, an association that aims to help Latin America accelerate its path towards a new sustainable transition model for the 21st century, contributing to the necessary global transformation.

A lecture in his honor will be given on Monday, October 2 by Roberto Schaeffer, professor of energy economics and principal investigator of the Centre for Energy and Environmental Economics (CENERGIA). Penn President Liz Magill will present the award and a reception will follow. The presentation will take place at the Energy Forum at the Kleinman Center, located in the Fisher Fine Arts Library. Register for the event here. 

The national and international Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) has announced that Chao Guo of Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) has been elected president of the organization.

At SP2, Dr. Guo is a professor of nonprofit management and faculty director of the Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership Program.

“In the past quarter century, ARNOVA has been my community of support and source of inspiration, transforming my career in fundamental ways,” said Dr. Guo. “I appreciate this opportunity to give back to our association by serving as ARNOVA president.” Dr. Guo’s four-year term will include one year as president-elect, two years as president, and one year as immediate past president.

With a focus on the intersection between nonprofit and voluntary action and government, Dr. Guo’s award-winning research includes many published articles in highly respected and influential journals and two co-authored books. In 2022, he was co-recipient of both the Outstanding Book Award in Nonprofit & Voluntary Action Research and the Editors’ Prize for Best Scholarly Paper in Nonprofit Management & Leadership, Volume 31, at ARNOVA’s annual conference.

Dr. Guo served on the ARNOVA Board of Directors from 2009 to 2015 and as a co-editor-in-chief of ARNOVA’s journal, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, from 2016 to 2022. Globally, he has helped create a regional conference series in Asia (ARNOVA-Asia). In 2019, he received the Distinguished Achievement and Service Award from ARNOVA.

ARNOVA is a diverse community of scholars, educators, and practice leaders that strengthens the field of nonprofit and philanthropic research in order to improve civil society and human life.

(Statistics for 2020, 2021, and 2022)

The federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, as amended, requires colleges and universities to provide information related to security policies and procedures and specific statistics for criminal incidents, arrests, and disciplinary referrals to students and employees, and to make the information and statistics available to prospective students and employees upon request. Federal law also requires institutions with on-campus housing to share an annual fire report with the campus community. 

In addition, the Uniform Crime Reporting Act requires Pennsylvania colleges and universities to provide information related to security policies and procedures to students, employees and applicants; to provide certain crime statistics to students and employees; and to make those statistics available to applicants and prospective employees upon request. 

To review Penn’s most recent annual report containing this information, please visit: https://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/ASR/2023_ASR_PENN.pdf.  

You may request a paper copy of the report by calling the Office of the Vice President for Public Safety at (215) 898-7515 or by emailing vp@publicsafety.upenn.edu. 

—Division of Public Safety

The Penn community is marking Climate Week with more than two dozen events spanning September 18-22, 2023.

Since its start in 2020, Climate Week at Penn has served to enliven campus around climate learning and action. Now in its fourth year, the week’s events come from every corner of campus, featuring a range of possibilities, from hands-on volunteer opportunities and engaging panel discussions, to lively performances and workshops. To date, more than 100 events have engaged several thousands of participants under the Climate Week umbrella, hosted by organizations across Penn.

This year’s Climate Week offers a multitude of ways to take part. Among them:

• A dean’s roundtable to discuss the impact of climate change on health and health education,
• Penn faculty and students from across the University will deliver 1.5* Minute Climate Lectures to share their perspective on extreme weather and climate events and their impacts and call for large-scale climate action,
• A film screening and discussion about a massive scientific undertaking to explore a lake beneath sea ice in Antarctica,
• A discussion of climate-driven extinction, and
• A Biodiversity Fair with opportunities to connect with organizations at Penn sharing information and interactive displays related to biodiversity and sustainability.

Many more events are planned that showcase the expertise of Penn community members from partners across campus. See the full schedule of events by visiting climateweek.provost.upenn.edu.

Penn Procurement Services will host its Supplier Show on Wednesday, September 27 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts at 3680 Walnut Street. Come learn about the innovative supplier solutions from the approximately 50 exhibitors that will be onsite. Attendees will discover what’s new in office supplies, IT products, computers, furniture, print, promotions, travel services, and other sourcing categories.

Plus, you can “go green” at the show by joining in the surplus office supplies SWAP (Surplus with a Purpose) Shop. Attendees are encouraged to bring items they don’t need in exchange for other supplies offered at the SWAP Shop.

Another highlight of the show will be the presentation of the 2023 Penn Green Purchasing Award, which begins at 12:15 p.m.

Register in advance. Then, continue to check the event website to receive updates about the exhibitors that will be in attendance. Attendees will be able to enjoy a boxed lunch provided by one of Penn’s local and diverse caterers. Please bring your PennCard for check-in upon arrival and to be eligible for door prizes.

—Penn Procurement Services

Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Scarecrow Design Contest is back for the 16th year. This year’s theme is “The 1990s” in celebration of the arboretum’s 90th anniversary as a public garden.

This is an opportunity to create a scarecrow version of your favorite ’90s musician, icon, or nostalgia for display at the Morris. Participants must register by September 21. Scarecrows will be on display from October 1 through October 31. Visitors will vote online for their favorite scarecrow to determine the winners. The top three scarecrows will win a cash prize—top prize is $250!

Supplies can be picked up Saturday, September 16 through Sunday, September 24. Pickup of the scarecrow frame, straw, burlap and twine occurs at the Morris entrance kiosk during public hours.

Scarecrows can be dropped off September 26-27 between 4:30 and 7 p.m. at the Bloomfield Farm, directly across from the entrance to the Morris.

To register, visit https://www.morrisarboretum.org/see-do/events/16th-annual-scarecrow-design-contest.

Children’s Activities

15        At-Home Anthro Live: Senet: Make and Play an Ancient Egyptian Board Game; students will learn about its history and how the game became an important symbol for ancient Egyptian beliefs on the afterlife; they will then make their own senet boards and learn how to play; 1 p.m.; online event; register: https://www.penn.museum/calendar/61/at-home-anthro-live (Penn Museum).

Conferences

16        Radiology Imaging Case Competition: Focus Africa and the Middle East; designed for medical trainees in low- and middle-income countries to present cases unique to their region; features keynote speech by Amal Saleh Nour, Addis Ababa University; 9 a.m.-noon; register: https://tinyurl.com/global-health-conf-sep-16 (Global Health).

Fitness & Learning

13        Soros Fellowship for "New Americans" Event with 2022 Penn Soros Fellow; Nikka Landau from the Soros Foundation will visit Penn to discuss the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans; 5 p.m.; room 242, Van Pelt Library; register: https://tinyurl.com/curf-workshop-sep-13 (Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships).

14        Introduction to the Truman Scholarship; learn about the Truman Scholarship and how you can prepare yourself to apply during the 2023-24 or 2024-25 application cycle; 4 p.m.; room 242, Van Pelt Library; register: https://forms.gle/2Mg84Dmj9hq622gs5 (Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships).

Graduate School of Education

Zoom webinars. Info and to register: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/news/events-calendar.

12        Restorative Practices at Penn 101 Workshop; for Penn faculty and staff; 1:30 p.m.

14        Global Higher Education Management Virtual Information Session; 8 a.m.

19        Executive Doctorate in Higher Education Management Virtual Information Session; noon.

School of Social Policy & Practice

Zoom webinars. Info and to register: https://sp2.upenn.edu/sp2-events/.

13        Doctorate in Clinical Social Work Information Session; 7 p.m.

14        Master’s Online Information Session; 10 a.m.

19        PhD Online Information Session; 2 p.m.

Readings & Signings

19        Nuclear Ghost: Atomic Livelihoods in Fukushima's Gray Zone; Ryo Morimoto, Princeton University; 5:15 p.m.; room 200, PCPSE; register: https://tinyurl.com/morimoto-talk-sep-19 (Center for East Asian Studies).

Talks

12        Viscoelastic Biopolymer Networks Model Fibrotic Niches; Kyle Vining, materials science & engineering; 10 a.m.; Wu & Chen Auditorium, Levine Hall (Materials Science & Engineering).

            Josephson Parametric Amplifiers for Rapid, High-Fidelity Measurement of Solid-State Qubits; Shyam Shankar, University of Texas at Austin; 11 a.m.; Glandt Forum, Singh Center for Nanotechnology (Electrical & Systems Engineering).

            Solutions-Driven Climate Storytelling; Michael Mann, Earth & environmental science, and Bethany Wiggin, German; 5 p.m.; Zellerbach Theater, Annenberg Center; register: https://tinyurl.com/ppeh-talk-sep-12 (Penn Program in Environmental Humanities).

13        60-Second Lectures: Microhistory: From Toenails to Teacups; Heather Sharkey, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations; 11:50 a.m.; Benjamin Franklin Statue, College Hall (School of Arts & Sciences).

            On Mergers and Workers: Labor Market Aspects of the Proposed U.S. Merger Guidelines; Gus Hurwitz, Carey Law School; Ioana Marinescu, SP2; Aviv Nevo, Federal Trade Commission; Sanjukta Paul, University of Michigan; noon; Zoom webinar; register: (Center for Technology, Innovation & Competition).

            Improving the Sustainability of Solvent-Borne Paints and Coatings Through Fundamental Studies of Polymerization Reactions; Masoud Soroush, Drexel University; 3:30 p.m.; Wu & Chen Auditorium, Levine Hall (Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering).

            Generalist Agents in Open-Ended Worlds; Jim Fan, NVIDIA AI; 3 p.m.; room 307, Levine Hall (GRASP Lab).

            Seeing India Through My Lens: East, West, and Coming Full Circle; Mira Nair, film director; 4:30 p.m.; Penn Museum; register: https://tinyurl.com/nair-talk-sep-13 (Center for the Advanced Study of India).

            What the Thunder Said; Eric Owen Moss, architect; 6:30 p.m.; Plaza Gallery, Meyerson Hall (Architecture).

14        The Indictments of Former President Trump and Their Implications for American Society; Bill Otis, Georgetown University; Paul Heaton, Penn Carey Law School; noon; room 145, Tanenbaum Hall; RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/federalist-talk-sep-14 (Federalist Society).

            Addressing Recruitment Bias in Cluster Randomized Trials; Georgia Papadogeorgou, University of Florida; 1 p.m.; room 1311, Blockley Hall, and Zoom webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/papadogeorgou-talk-sep-14 (Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Informatics).

            The Lost Green Games: The Environmental Legacy of a Radically Reimagined Tokyo 2020 Olympics; Robin Kietlinski, LaGuardia Community College of the City University of New York; 5:15 p.m.; room 200, PCPSE; register: https://tinyurl.com/ketlinski-talk-sep-14 (Center for East Asian Studies, Climate Week at Penn).

15        The Virtual Pregnancy: Using Computational Models to Probe Human Reproduction; Michelle Oyen, Washington University in St. Louis; 2 p.m.; room 534, 5^th floor, 3401 Walnut Street (Penn Institute for Computational Science).

            Opportunities for Improving the Sustainability of Critical Metals Chemical Processing in Support of Global Electrification; Eric Schelter, chemistry; 3 p.m.; room 358, Hayden Hall (Earth & Environmental Science).

18        60-Second Lectures: Is the Constitution Too Old? Sarah Barringer Gordon, history; 11:50 a.m.; Benjamin Franklin Statue, College Hall (School of Arts & Sciences).

            Politics, Lies and Conspiracy Theories: A Cognitive Linguistic Perspective; Marcel Danesi, University of Toronto; noon; room 345, Penn Museum (Anthropology).

            Cell-Cell Signaling in Archaea: How Haloferax volcanii Talk to Each Other; Priyanka Chatterjee, cell & molecular biology; 4 p.m.; room 209, Johnson Pavilion (Microbiology).

            The Architecture of Sustainability; Karen Goldberg, Vagelos Institute of Energy Science and Technology; Mark Kocent, University Architect; 5:30 p.m.; Glandt Forum, Singh Center for Nanotechnology; register: https://tinyurl.com/science-cafe-sep-18 (Penn Science Café).

            The Baltic Gothic and the Russian Imperial Imagination; Valeria Sobol, University of Illinois; 5:30 p.m.; room 209, College Hall (Russian & East European Studies).

19        Insect Respiratory Biomechanics and Insect-Inspired Microfluidics; Anne Staples, Virginia Institute of Technology; 10 a.m.; Wu & Chen Auditorium, Levine Hall (Materials Science & Engineering).

            Angular Momentum Conservation in Molecular Born-Oppenheimer Theory; Robert Littlejohn, University of California, Berkeley; noon; Carolyn Hoff Lynch Lecture Hall, Chemistry Complex (Chemistry).

            An Introduction to the Federal Appellate Courts; Stephanos Bibas, 3^rd Circuit Judge; noon; room 213, Gittis Hall; RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/bibas-talk-sep-19 (Federalist Society).

            The World Today: The Crisis of Climate-Driven Extinction; Erol Akçay, biology; Michael Mann, Earth & environmental science; Zinta Zommers, United Nations; 4 p.m.; World Forum, Perry World House; register: https://tinyurl.com/pwh-talk-sep-19 (Perry World House).

Economics

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

12        Market Power and Merger Efficiencies in the U.S. Hospital Industry; Jonathan Arnold, economics; noon; room 100, PCPSE.

18        Heterogeneity in Portfolio Construction: An Asset Demand Approach; Aaron Mora Melendez, economics; noon; room 202, PCPSE.

19        Protection or Segregation? Indigenous Education in Mexico; Ornella Darova, economics; noon; room 100, PCPSE.

Mathematics

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

14        Einstein Hypersurfaces in Irreducible Symmetric Spaces; Yuri Nikolayevsky, La Trobe University, Australia; 3:30 p.m.; room 4C8, DRL.

19        Random Walks in (Dirichlet) Random Environments with Jumps on Z; Daniel Slonim, University of Virginia; 3:30 p.m.; room 4C8, DRL.

This is an update to the September AT PENN calendar, which is online now. To submit an event for a future AT PENN calendar or weekly update, email the salient details to almanac@upenn.edu.

Division of Public Safety University of Pennsylvania Police Department Crime Report

About the Crime Report: Below are the Crimes Against Persons and/or Crimes Against Property from the campus report for August 28-September 3, 2023. The Crime Reports are available at: https://almanac.upenn.edu/sections/crimes. Prior weeks’ reports are also online. –Eds.

This summary is prepared by the Division of Public Safety (DPS) and contains all criminal incidents reported and made known to the Penn Police, including those reported to the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) that occurred within our patrol zone, for the dates of August 28-September 3, 2023. The Penn Police actively patrol from Market Street to Baltimore Avenue and from 30^th Street to 43^rd Street 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 DPS at (215) 898-7297. You may view the daily crime log on the DPS website.

Penn Police Patrol Zone
Market Street to Baltimore Avenue and from 30^th Street to 43^rd Street

Philadelphia Police 18th District
Schuylkill River to 49th Street & Market Street to Woodland Avenue

Below are the Crimes Against Persons from the 18th District: 8 incidents were reported for August 28-September 3, 2023 by the 18^th District, covering the Schuylkill River to 49th St & Market Street to Woodland Avenue.

The Division of Public Safety offers resources and support to the Penn community. DPS developed a few helpful risk reduction strategies outlined below. Know that it is never the fault of the person impacted (victim/survivor) by crime.

• See something concerning? Connect with Penn Public Safety 24/7 at (215) 573-3333.
• Worried about a friend or colleague’s mental or physical health? Get 24/7 connection to appropriate resources at (215) 898-HELP (4357).
• Seeking support after experiencing a crime? Call Special Services - Support and Advocacy resources at (215) 898-4481 or email an advocate at specialservices@publicsafety.upenn.edu
• Use the Walking Escort and Riding services available to you free of charge.
• Take a moment to update your cellphone information for the UPennAlert Emergency Notification System
• Download the Penn Guardian App which can help Police better find your location when you call in an emergency.
• Access free self-empowerment and defense courses through Penn DPS.
• Stay alert and reduce distractions. (Using cellphones, ear buds, etc. may limit your awareness.)
• Orient yourself to your surroundings. (Identify your location, nearby exits, etc.)
• Keep your valuables out of sight and only carry necessary documents.

On a yearly basis, Penn Global welcomes proposals from faculty and staff who seek support for their global research and engagement activities. Penn Global is now accepting new expressions of interest for Research Grants, with an application deadline of October 9. Penn Global research grants support a range of research, teaching, service, and other activities that focus on topics related to areas outside of the United States which may be national, regional, transregional, or global in nature. Projects must also advance Penn’s global engagement and align with grant program priorities.

Additionally, proposals for Convening Grants for spring semester events will be accepted through October 1. Convening grants are open to Penn faculty and staff as well as Penn graduate students, PhD students, and postdoctoral researchers.

Those with any questions about applying to either or both funding streams are welcome to contact Penn Global at global@upenn.edu.

Applications are being accepted for the 2024 cohort of Lauder Fellows. The Leonard A. Lauder program at Penn Nursing supports individuals who are admitted to a primary care nurse practitioner program. It was born of a $125 million gift—the largest ever to an American nursing school—by Penn alumnus Leonard A. Lauder, Chairman Emeritus of The Estée Lauder Companies. This pioneering, tuition-free program is dedicated to building a nurse practitioner workforce committed to working in and with underserved communities, both rural and urban.

Each Fellow will complete at least 50 percent of their clinical education at community partner sites and/or comparable sites that provide direct patient care, an invaluable experience that will prepare Fellows to meet the complex needs of patients and families. In addition to preparing individuals to be nurse practitioners, additional learning experiences prepare students to address social determinants at the point of care and develop skills for intersectoral leadership. Every Fellow will be expected to commit to practice or service in an underserved community for two years after graduation.

Visit the program website for more information.

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

Resilience is the ability for an organization to recover quickly from adverse events and evolve into a better state as a result of the experience.

There are five steps in organizational resilience: anticipate, prepare, respond, adapt, and bounce back better.  

• To anticipate is to think ahead to what adverse events might occur.
• To prepare is to develop plans for dealing with those adverse events.
• To respond is to execute those plans when the event happens.
• To adapt is to recover as the organization moves towards a new normal.
• To bounce back better is to learn from the experience of the adverse event and to grow into a more mature and stable organization.

Following these five steps allows Penn not just to cope but to thrive in the face of difficult circumstances.

For Penn as an organization to be resilient, each individual school and center needs to engage in the five steps. Penn also must ensure the safety and security of the Penn community when on campus. In addition, individuals within the Penn community—students, faculty, staff, and other constituents—must exercise care for their own personal resilience, ensuring that they have the stamina and preparation to deal with difficult circumstances in their own lives and in their interactions with the University.

Penn already engages in numerous activities designed to enhance organizational resilience; Mission Continuity planning is one of these. The Penn community demonstrated our resilience in how we dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, continuing to deliver on our institutional mission of teaching, research, and service throughout that challenging time. We are working towards becoming an even more resilient organization to address the many challenges we are bound to face, so Penn can not only continue to be a world-class University but can evolve into an even greater future.

For more information, and additional resources, e-mail askmc@lists.upenn.edu.

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

To add the 2023-2024 academic calendar (fall 2023 and spring 2024 terms) to your personal calendar, visit https://almanac.upenn.edu/penn-academic-calendar and click the blue Add to Calendar button. There will be an option to download it to Apple, Google, Office 365, Outlook, Outlook.com, or Yahoo calendars.

The academic calendar is also available as a public calendar in PennO365. To add it to your calendar views, visit https://www.isc.upenn.edu/how-to/adding-penn-academic-calendar-penno365.