September 19, 2023 Volume 70 Issue 6

CAR T cell therapy pioneer Carl June, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies (CCI) at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center, has been named a winner of the 2024 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for the development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy, a revolutionary cancer treatment approach in which each patient’s T cells are modified to target and kill their cancer cells. The invention sparked a new path in cancer care, harnessing the power of patients’ own immune systems, a once-elusive goal that brought fresh options for those who could not be successfully treated with conventional approaches. 

Founded in 2012, the Breakthrough Prizes are the world’s largest science awards, with $3 million awarded for each of the five main prize categories. Dr. June is the sixth Breakthrough Prize laureate from Penn, which joins Harvard and MIT among the institutions whose researchers have been honored with the most Breakthrough Prizes.  

“This award is not only a testament to Dr. June’s outstanding contributions to science, but also a shining example of the caliber of discoveries and research which Penn faculty set their sights upon,” said University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill. “We are immensely proud to have Dr. June as a member of the Penn academic community, and we know that CAR T cell therapy is just the first chapter in an inspiring and lifesaving new era of medicine.” 

Dr. June is internationally recognized for his role in pioneering the CAR T cell therapy, which led to the first FDA-approved personalized cellular therapy, for children and young adults with the blood cancer known as acute lymphoblastic leukemia, in August of 2017—a step which has spurred five additional approvals of the technique in other blood cancers. Dr. June joined Penn in 1999, building momentum for Penn to become a global hub for cell and gene therapy. Gene-modified T cells engineered in Dr. June’s lab to retrain a patient’s own immune cells to attack cancer were used in the first clinical trial of CAR T cell therapy in 2010. Some of the earliest children and adults treated have experienced long-lasting remissions of 10 years or more. In addition to the FDA approvals that have made the therapy commercially available to patients across the world, thousands more have benefited from clinical trials testing these transformative treatments, including for the treatment of solid tumors and even autoimmune diseases like lupus. 

“Dr. June’s tireless commitment to advancing T cell immunotherapy research has been life-changing for many patients affected by cancer, who have lived longer, fuller lives, thanks to the discoveries made in his lab,” said J. Larry Jameson, executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and dean of the Perelman School of Medicine. “We are proud to see one of Penn’s most esteemed scientists recognized for the impact of his foundational work to develop a new class of cancer immunotherapy treatment.”  

In the decades since Dr. June began his CAR T cell research, the field has grown exponentially, with hundreds of CAR T cell clinical trials now in progress worldwide. Dr. June’s lab and the CCI team continue to drive innovation in personalized cell and gene based therapies, developing new strategies to make CAR T cell therapy more effective for all blood cancers, for solid tumors, and even for diseases beyond cancer. He has also made seminal contributions to HIV research, developing the first method to multiply T cells outside the body and showing that the cells could be safely reinfused into the patient, improving the patient’s immune function. These techniques would later be applied to his cancer research.  

Dr. June, who is also the director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Penn, is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the Baylor College of Medicine. He has published more than 500 articles and is the recipient of many prestigious scientific achievement awards, including the AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research, the Keio Medical Science Prize, the Dan David Award, the William B. Coley Award, the Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research, the Richard V. Smalley Memorial Award from the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer, the AACR-CRI Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology, the Philadelphia Award, the Taubman Prize for Excellence in Translational Medical Science, the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize, the Novartis Prize in Immunology, the Karl Landsteiner Memorial Award, the Sanford Lorraine Cross Award, the Debrecen Award, and a lifetime achievement award from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He is also a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences. 

In addition to his scientific accolades, Dr. June has been featured in hundreds of news outlets across the world, was listed in the 2018 TIME 100 list of the most influential people in the world, and is the subject of a documentary film, Of Medicine and Miracles, which made its debut at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival. 

Since its founding in 2013 by Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, Yuri and Julia Milner, and Anne Wojcicki, the Breakthrough Prize has been given to standout individuals in life sciences, mathematics, and fundamental physics. Along with Dr. June, this year’s recipients are Michel Sadelain, Sabine Hadida, Paul Negulescu, Fredrick Van Goor, Thomas Gasser, Ellen Sidransky, and Andrew Singleton. The laureates will be celebrated April 13, 2024, at the 10th annual Breakthrough Prize ceremony, held in Los Angeles.   

Penn researchers Drew Weissman and Katalin Karikó received the 2022 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for their mRNA-based vaccine technology which formed a foundation for the two COVID-19 vaccines deployed across the world beginning in December 2020 (Almanac September 21, 2021). In 2019, the prize went to Penn’s Virginia M.Y. Lee (Almanac September 10, 2019). Two other Penn faculty members, Charles Kane and Eugene Mele, won the 2019 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (Almanac October 23, 2018).

President Liz Magill and Provost John L. Jackson, Jr. have announced the appointment of Michael Weisberg as interim director of Perry World House, effective September 1, 2023. 

Dr. Weisberg, the Bess W. Heyman President’s Distinguished Professor and Chair of Philosophy in the School of Arts and Sciences, has served as a senior faculty fellow, global climate policy lead, and the director of post-graduate programs at Perry World House since 2020. A renowned philosopher of science and a senior negotiator at United Nations Climate Conferences, he is the editor-in-chief of Biology and Philosophy, director of the Penn Laboratory for Understanding Science, and director of Penn’s Galápagos Education and Research Alliance. He is the author of Simulation and Similarity: Using Models to Understand the World (Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Science, Oxford University Press, 2013) and co-author of the landmark photographic study Galápagos: Life in Motion (Princeton University Press, 2018). Dr. Weisberg has been a visiting professor at East China Normal University and the Australian National University. He currently serves as a senior advisor to the Maldivian Minister of Environment and as an advisor to the Maldivian Ambassador to the United Nations. He received a PhD and MA in philosophy from Stanford University and a BS in chemistry and BA in philosophy with highest distinction from the University of California at San Diego. 

“How can nations best support their people while protecting the environment?” said Penn President Liz Magill. “How do we bring interdisciplinary insights to bear in helping communities weather climate change? On these and other urgent questions, Dr. Weisberg is a widely recognized global scholar and leader. Esteemed across campus and at Perry World House, he is an outstanding choice for interim director. We are grateful for his service.”

Perry World House was founded in 2015 as a center for scholarly inquiry, teaching, research, international exchange, policy engagement, and public outreach on urgent global issues. It aims to bring Penn’s academic knowledge to bear on some of the world’s most pressing global policy challenges and to foster international policy engagement within and beyond the Penn community. Located in the heart of campus at 38th Street and Locust Walk, it draws on the expertise of Penn’s 12 schools and numerous globally-oriented research centers to educate the Penn community, prepare students to be well-informed global citizens, and connect Penn with leading policy experts from around the world to develop and advance innovative policy ideas. Michael Horowitz, who was appointed the director of Perry World House in 2020, is on leave from Penn to serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Development and Emerging Capabilities.

“Michael Weisberg is a pathbreaking leader who brings together philosophy, science, and global inquiry in highly original and influential new ways,” said Provost Jackson. “In particular, his work is illuminating critical issues of biodiversity and global climate policy that are of vital interest across our campus. He is already well-known to the Perry World House community, and I look forward to the exciting new ideas and initiatives that he will bring to the role of interim director. We are deeply grateful to vice provost Zeke Emanuel, associate vice provost Amy Gadsden, and the entire team at Perry World House and Penn Global for their outstanding work across this critical area of our Penn mission.”

Bob Russell has been named Chief Executive Officer of Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (PPMC), after serving as acting CEO since September 2022. He succeeds Michele Volpe, who was named COO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) in September 2022 following 23 years as PPMC CEO.

As acting CEO, Mr. Russell helped PPMC achieve success in various initiatives to bolster quality and patient experience, including cutting the overall length of stay in the emergency department and the post-anesthesia care unit. During the last year, he guided hospital leaders and staff as they worked to make key facility enhancements and upgrades, hire new physician leaders, and enhance efforts to engage with employees through rounding, meetings, and special events.

“After nearly two decades with the health system, Bob has demonstrated the expertise, experience, and institutional knowledge that makes him the clear choice for this role,” Ms. Volpe said. “I am thrilled for him to take on the CEO position permanently, where he will continue his important efforts to create an even more provider-friendly work environment, and improve patient experience and outcomes.”

Prior to his acting CEO role, Mr. Russell served as COO and associate executive director at PPMC. During that time, he was the architect of numerous initiatives that improved patient satisfaction and outcomes, including the creation of a concierge pharmacy service for patients returning home from hospitalizations, and implementation of an outpatient specialty pharmacy program. Before joining PPMC, Mr. Russell served as clinical director for ambulatory and ancillary services at Pennsylvania Hospital for three years, overseeing efforts to reorganize and expand key clinical operations. He previously held leadership positions at Health Management Solutions, Temple University Hospital, and Albert Einstein Medical Center.

“Since joining Penn Medicine, Bob has led many mission-critical initiatives to enhance administrative operations, patient experience, and care delivery,” said UPHS CEO Kevin B. Mahoney. “In his new role, he will continue to enhance the standard of excellence for which PPMC is known, all with the overarching goal of helping people in the communities Penn Medicine serves live longer, healthier lives.”

Mr. Russell holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Temple and a master’s degree in public administration from Villanova. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Vice Provost for Global Initiatives Ezekiel Emanuel has announced that Kristyn Palmiotto has been appointed executive director of Penn Abroad. Ms. Palmiotto joined the Penn Abroad team seven years ago and most recently served as the department’s deputy director.

“Anyone who has worked with Kristyn is familiar with her work ethic, dedication to partnership, incredible attention to detail, and ability to implement initiatives,” said Amy Gadsden, associate vice provost for global initiatives. “Kristyn will lead the Penn Abroad team in achieving Penn’s goal to provide a meaningful global experience to every Penn student.” 

Ms. Palmiotto has been a driving force behind numerous key Penn Abroad initiatives over the years, including Penn Global Seminars, Semester Abroad, Exchange@Penn, and the Global Research and Internship Program. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, she played a pivotal role in leading Penn and the Ivy League in resuming student global opportunities. 

Ms. Palmiotto has a strong, strategic vision for moving Penn Abroad forward by strengthening current programs and initiating new ones. She is dedicated to upholding core values that resonate with Penn Global, including the commitment to advancing global education through access, diversity, and inclusion. 

Before coming to Penn, Ms. Palmiotto worked at Temple University’s Fox School of Business with the school’s international and executive programs. She received her BA in linguistics and Arabic studies from Binghamton University and her MA in international educational development from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Daeyeon Lee has been named the Russell Pearce and Elizabeth Crimian Heuer Professor in the department of chemical and biomolecular engineering in Penn Engineering. Dr. Lee was previously the Evan C Thompson Term Chair for Excellence in Teaching.

Dr. Lee leads the Soft Materials Research and Technology (SMART) Laboratory in Penn Engineering, which works to develop a deeper understanding of the interactions between soft materials (e.g., polymers, colloids and biologicals) at or near interfaces. The group uses this knowledge to direct the assembly of macroscopic structures that have designed properties and functionality. 

Dr. Lee joined the faculty of Penn Engineering in 2009 after earning a PhD in chemical engineering from MIT in 2007 and completing a postdoctoral fellowship with the Experimental Soft Condensed Matter Group in Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences from 2007-2008.

During his time at Penn, Dr. Lee has earned several honors and awards, most recently the 2022 Outstanding Achievement Award in Nanoscience from the American Chemical Society, the 2019 James M. Lee Memorial Award from Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Soft Matter Lectureship in 2017, and the 2017 S. Reid Warren, Jr. Award, which is presented annually by the Penn Engineering undergraduate student body and the Engineering Alumni Society in recognition of outstanding service in stimulating and guiding the intellectual and professional development of undergraduate students.

The Heuer Professorship was established in 1992 through a contribution from the Russell Pearce and Elizabeth Crimian Heuer Foundation to recognize chemical engineering faculty who excel in teaching. 

Learner group selection is one layer of the new University learning assignment model, which is intended to help the University fulfill its commitment to providing the education necessary to comply with federal and state laws and regulations, granting agencies, and University policy. All members of the University community are expected to complete a short training needs assessment known as learner groups in Workday through an easy, self-selection process. 

Workday Learning connects University faculty, postdocs, staff, students, and other workers and affiliates with their required job-related training and learning opportunities. Workday Learning replaced Knowledge Link on March 6, 2023 as the University’s administrative learning management system. The University’s former web-based survey Penn Profiler was replaced by the multi-layered learning assignment model, which combines automatic and manual methods. 

Beginning this fall, University community members will receive Workday notifications, which will provide easy-to-follow steps to review and select learner groups in Workday. Those receiving these notifications are required to complete the learner group selections. They can select learner groups in the categories of Animal Care and Use, Environmental Health and Radiation Safety, Finance, Human Subjects Research, and Research Administration that correspond to their University positions. They can also select that none apply to them at this time. 

For more information, please visit the Workday Learning Guide on the Workday@Penn website.

—Dawn Bonnell, Senior Vice Provost for Research
—Mark Dingfield, Vice President, Finance, and Treasurer
—Jack Heuer, Senior Vice President, Human Resources
—Chris Masotti, Vice Dean, Finance and Operations, Perelman School of Medicine
—Tom Murphy, Senior Vice President, Information Systems and Computing, and Chief Information Officer

Carole Lynn Mercaldo, a former staff member in accounting at Penn’s Division of Facilities and Real Estate Services (FRES), died unexpectedly on July 29. She was 60. 

Ms. Mercaldo received a degree in accounting in 1986 from Rider University. She worked as an accountant and a supervisor at General Accident Insurance Company, CGU Life Insurance Company, and Trammel Crow Higher Education Service before joining Penn’s staff in 2000. While working in Penn’s FRES division, Ms. Mercaldo became a trusted source of knowledge, leading a staff of seven, training 15 new staff members, and spearheading the division’s transition to new timekeeping systems. In 2019, she left Penn to become an accounting consultant at Resources Global Professionals (RGP). 

“Carole was a kind and giving woman, spending time with family and friends offering a listening ear, solid advice, a warm hug or a delightful lunch,” said Ms. Mercaldo’s family in an online tribute. “She loved to travel visiting her favorite places, Yellowstone National Park, New England, and beyond. She was whip smart and applied this intelligence to her accounting job as well as mentally storing fine details of everyone’s lives. Pop ’70s was Carole’s favorite music and she loved to laugh, to the point her whole body would shake.” 

She is survived by her daughter, Sabrina; mother, Jean; sisters, Suzanne and Marie (Giovanni); and nephew, Nick Ingegneri. A visitation was held on August 4. In lieu of flowers, donations in Ms. Mercaldo’s memory can be made to Mayan Families: Natun Guatemala, https://natunguatemala.org/. 

During the University Council Meeting on Wednesday, September 14, Melissa Wilde, professor and chair of the department of sociology, was appointed the University Council moderator. Scott Schafer, University Privacy and Institutional Compliance Officer, was appointed parliamentarian. 

Lizann Boyle Rode, associate vice president in the Office of the University Secretary, responded to new business topics raised during the April 19, 2023, University Council meeting. Topics covered include the value of humanities studies; postdoctoral researcher compensation; University City Townhomes; and the Center for Teaching and Learning’s bias training for faculty. 

Tulia Falleti, Class of 1965 Endowed Term Professor of Political Science and chair of the Faculty Senate, presented the Council Committee charges and focus issues for 2023-2024. The focus issues include an update from Public Safety; artificial intelligence and machine learning; democracy and civic engagement; and the arts at Penn.

During new business, two student representatives made a call for the allocation of funding to the Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Program for recruitment and retention of disability scholars, a promotion of the Program to departmental status, and additional funding for disability studies for undergraduate and graduate students.

In the 1970s, the United States found itself trying to untangle from the tumult of the previous decade. Despite the civil rights marches, anti-war protests, and social rebellions of the 1960s, progress was seemingly stalled, in particular, progress towards racial equality.

Amidst this backdrop, leadership at the University of Pennsylvania was stirred into action, said Charles Wardlaw of the chemical engineering class of 1975.

“Dean Arthur E. Humphrey saw a need for increasing minority representation in Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science,” Mr. Wardlaw said. “Concurrently, Joseph Bordogna, the then-associate dean of Penn Engineering, was motivated by a national commitment from the National Academy of Engineering to uplift underrepresented minority students. Together, they envisioned a place where intellectual and personal growth for marginalized students could prosper.”

Mr. Wardlaw said that this is around the time when two African American women, Cora Ingrum and Donna Hampton, embarked on a lifelong mission to create a sanctuary that would later be known as the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) at Penn Engineering.

Two Women, One Mission

Mr. Wardlaw recounts the encouragement Ms. Ingrum would impart to him when he first arrived at Penn. “Cora was one of my main sources of support throughout my undergraduate degree,” he said. “She would always make time to just listen to me and helped me stay connected with other Black engineers who had preceded me, which were far and few in the early ’70s.”

In his fourth year at Penn, Mr. Wardlaw worked with Ms. Ingrum and others in Engineering to establish Penn’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). He would return to Penn a year after graduation to work alongside Ms. Ingrum and Ms. Hampton, who joined sometime later, to shape the development of the ODEI. “At the time, it was the Office of Minority Affairs, and there were very few structures in place to support the growing population of Black engineers,” Mr. Wardlaw said.

“This isn’t an indictment of the University, or any other universities at the time. This was a wholly new paradigm we were all operating in. There were a lot of smart people coming, really good students, but guiding them through the University and showing them how to maneuver when there wasn’t much in place to facilitate was tricky.”

Mr. Wardlaw said his six months at what was then known as the Office of Minority Affairs “was one of the most difficult and challenging assignments.” The main goal was retention and that they wanted to make sure that the students were getting through their programs, but above all, “we needed to make sure they were staying in school,” he said. “Cora and I were trying to create a ‘home field advantage’ for the students who might otherwise feel isolated when they entered an unfamiliar environment where most of the people don’t look like them.”

He said he believes Ms. Ingrum had a unique understanding in that making a space for the students was integral to their success. “When you look at Penn Engineering now,” he said, “you see that Cora’s wisdom has been transferred to the others who’ve worked with her and now serve the ODEI.”

Mr. Wardlaw recalls meeting Laura Stubbs, the current director of ODEI, saying “she was one of the engineering students we had helped support in my early days at the office, and she was one of the initial members of the National Society of Black Engineers, so it’s incredible to see her pick up Cora’s torch and support the next generation of students.”

Mr. Wardlaw still regularly contacts Ms. Ingrum and Ms. Hampton, remains an active member of the Penn Engineering community, and attends NSBE banquets at Penn. He said that taking a step back and reflecting on the decades of work people like Ms. Ingrum, Ms. Hampton, Dr. Stubbs, and many others have done provides “a feeling of tremendous fulfilment and sense of warmth and encouragement.

“It truly all boils down to Cora’s early words of encouragement. ‘You can do it,’ she’d say, ‘You’ve got this,’ or her famous ‘keep up the good work.’ They may sound simple, but the power with which she would utter those words put into motion great changes to countless lives.”

The Next Generation

Yulanda Essoka, the associate director of the very office Ms. Ingrum and Ms. Hampton nurtured, recounts how the two women transformed her professional and academic life, as well as provided support on a personal level.

“I was just 16 when I first met Ms. Ingrum and Ms. Hampton. They’re inseparable in my mind, two halves of a powerful whole,” Dr. Essoka said. “During my senior year of high school, as I scouted for colleges, they had this incredible ability to make me and all the other students feel truly seen, which really motivated me to start my academic career at Penn.”

Dr. Essoka recalls Ms. Ingrum and Ms. Hampton offering support and a semblance of home during a particularly challenging time in her life. “I just lost my father and grandfather early into my undergrad,” she said. “Couple this grief with an overwhelming electrical engineering course load, and I thought there was no way I’d be OK. But Ms. Ingrum and Ms. Hampton were there for me when I needed a shoulder to cry on. They told me I could do it, that I deserved to be here and could do anything I set my mind on.”

Dr. Essoka would later change her major to Africana studies in the College of Arts & Sciences, but Ms. Ingrum and Ms. Hampton still regularly checked in on her and supported her on her academic journey, which eventually culminated in Dr. Essoka earning her doctorate from Penn’s Graduate School of Education.

“When I talk to Ms. Ingrum, because I still talk to her all the time, I think she’s been most happy with the number of students she’s gotten through not only a bachelor’s but advanced degrees,” Dr. Essoka said. “She really led the charge on helping to get Black students—who were often the first in their families to go to college—onto a PhD track. And to earn a PhD takes an enormous amount of time. But Ms. Ingrum’s iconic ‘keep up the good work’ was enough to get me through.”

Recognition and Ongoing Legacy

In May, Dr. Essoka proposed and led an initiative wherein Ms. Ingrum and Ms. Hampton, who retired from their roles as director and administrative assistant were recognized for their decades of service, more than 90 collective years. Dr. Essoka had commissioned artists and had their painted portraits added to Penn Engineering’s permanent collection, making them the first women of color and staff members to receive the honor.

At a celebration commemorating the event, Penn Engineering Dean Vijay Kumar welcomed the honorees and the room filled with generations of the students whose lives were touched by their work.

“Ms. Ingrum and Ms. Hampton have both created a vibrant support network and a home away from home for so many in this school,” Dean Kumar said. “And in doing so, you truly made a difference, not only for Penn Engineering but Penn as a University and, if I may add, for engineering as a profession.”

Without their transformative work, the department would not have the solid foundation for today’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to carry on their legacy, Dean Kumar said during his opening remarks at the unveiling of the portraits.

“Countless engineers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and individuals have found success in so many professions, not just in engineering, because of you both,” Dean Kumar said. “These portraits honor not only your tremendous energy and selflessness but also the hope and encouragement that you gave to the students during their time here. It’s our wish that these portraits continue to represent the hope and encouragement for so many yet to come to Penn.”

What followed were heartwarming speeches delivered by students Ms. Ingrum and Ms. Hampton had supported throughout their tenure and some closing remarks from the honorees.

Ms. Hampton delivered a characteristically brief six-word speech thanking all the speakers and those in attendance, to which Ms. Ingrum added, “for Donna and me, the students always came first, especially the minority students. Why minority students? Because they had limited presence in the School of Engineering and their needs were often overlooked.”

Ms. Ingrum noted that when she came to Penn in 1960, there were no Black students and virtually no Black staff. “It was me and an African American man who worked in operations. So, the term ‘minority’ was considerably inaccurate. Try ‘nonexistent,’” she joked.

“The school has changed greatly over the years, but many of the issues still remain, namely we need more Black faculty, more Black students, and more Black free-thinking members of staff in positions of power. These are issues Vijay and I have communicated extensively about over the years, and I’m confident he’ll be able to address them.”

In recounting the source of her successes as a mentor throughout her more than 55-year-long tenure at Penn, Ms. Ingrum said, “I always knew God and my trusted assistant, Ms. Hampton, were always there when there were barriers to face and no clear answers. Ms. Hampton and I were a team, and that’s truly what you need, not only here in Engineering but University-wide. We need to work as teams because when you work in teams you come out better off as one.”

In closing her speech, Ms. Ingrum thanked all the attendees and delivered a phrase each of the students who’d spoken that day lovingly referenced. “Keep up the good work,” she said.

Adapted from a Penn Today article by Nathi Magubane, September 12, 2023.

Children’s Activities

22        At-Home Anthro Live: Legendary Heroes from Around the World; students will hear epic tales of heroes from around the world as told through artifacts in the Penn Museum collection, then use these tales as inspiration to create their own legendary heroes; 1 p.m.; online webinar; register: https://www.penn.museum/calendar/63/at-home-anthro-live (Penn Museum).

23        Teen Workshop: Hands-On History: Paper Making; participate in every step of the ancient (and modern) process from harvesting, processing, refining, pulping, and pulling sheets of paper; 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; free to high school students; register: https://tinyurl.com/museum-wkshp-sep-23 (Penn Museum).

Conferences

21        The U.S., China, and the Global South; will examine how China is shaping developmental (and associated) norms at the national and international levels; will bring together legal scholars and social scientists whose research provides empirical, conceptual, and analytical insights; 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; room 147, Silverman Hall (Center for the Study of Contemporary China).

Fitness & Learning

20        What I Did Last Summer: Student Career Presentation & Lunch; an informal presentation of summer work positions which current landscape architecture students held across the United States and internationally; 11:30 a.m.; plaza gallery, Meyerson Hall (Landscape Architecture).

            Behind the CV: Stories from Faculty; an event series about becoming and being a researcher and scholar; Gareth Roberts, linguistics, shares stories with a focus on the unspoken challenges of a life in academia; 3:30 p.m.; Fireside Lounge, ARCH (Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships).

21        Archival Methods Workshop; Jolyon Thomas, religious studies, demonstrates how to prepare before you actually head to the archive, how to approach materials once you're there, and how to file your materials so that you can find them later when you need them; 3:30 p.m.; location TBA; info: https://rels.sas.upenn.edu/events/ (Religious Studies).

            Feminist, Queer, and Transgender Studies/Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies Open House; celebrate the new year with FQT and GSWS faculty, staff and students; remarks by director Melissa Wilde at 4 p.m.; 3:30-5:30 p.m.; green space behind Fisher-Bennett Hall (FQT/GSWS).

            Penn Vet Fall 2023 BioBlitz; discover the biodiversity around our campus by joining Penn Vet for the semiannual BioBlitz through iNaturalist or in person; 4-6 p.m.; Kaskey Park (Bio Pond); info: https://tinyurl.com/vet-bioblitz-2023 (Penn Vet).

            Penn Student Making Workshop: Evil is in the Eye of the Beholder; explores the various talismans, amulets, and rituals employed to ward off evil spirits and many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures; 6-8 p.m.; Penn Museum; open to Penn students free with PennCard; https://tinyurl.com/museum-wkshp-sep-21 (Penn Museum).

22        Truman Scholarship: Q & A with Penn Truman Scholars; virtual panel of Penn Truman Scholars who will share their perspectives on the application process, experiences as a Scholar, and useful tips; 2 p.m.; Zoom webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/curf-workshop-sep-22 (Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships).

Graduate School of Education

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

20        Learning Analytics Virtual Information Session; 7 p.m.

26        Medical Education Virtual Information Session; 5 p.m.

Readings & Signings

22        Poetry Reading and Performance; Lucas Rivera, AfroLatinx artist; 5 p.m.; DuBois College House; followed by book signing; RSVP: https://bit.ly/LucasRivera2023; Penn ID needed to enter building (La Casa Latina).

Special Events

26        Beirut 1983: 40 Year Memorial to Janet Lee Stevens; commemorate the 40th anniversary of the passing of Janet Lee Stevens, a doctoral student at Penn who lost her life in a 1983 bombing in Beirut and who dedicated her life to bridging cultures and fostering understanding in the Arab world; 5:30 p.m.; room 401, Fisher-Bennett Hall (Middle East Center).

Talks

20        1.5* Minute Climate Lectures; panel of speakers; noon; Climate Week tent, College Green; speaker lineup: https://www.sas.upenn.edu/events/15-minute-climate-lectures-1 (School of Arts & Sciences).

            Curiosity in the Lab, in Situ, and Online: Implications for Health and Well-Being; David Lydon-Staley, Annenberg School for Communication; noon; Zoom webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/lydon-stanley-sep-20 (Nursing).

            Du Boisian Methodology and Historical Sociology: Colonialism, Racism and Modernity; José Itzigsohn, Brown University; noon; room 150, McNeil Building (Sociology).

            Super SDKs: Tracking Personal Data and Platform Monopolies in the Mobile Ecosystem; Jennifer Pybus, York University; noon; room 330, Fisher-Bennett Hall (Cinema & Media Studies).

            Avian Inspired Design; David Lentink, University of Groningen; 3 p.m.; room 307, Levine Hall, and Zoom webinar; join: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/99611740636 (GRASP Lab).

21        DumoLab Research: Regenerative Architecture with Biomaterials; Laia Mogas Soldevila, Weitzman School of Design; 10:30 a.m.; Wu and Chen Auditorium, Levine Hall (Materials Science & Engineering).

            After the Storm: How the Lung Heals Following Viral Lung Injury; Joe Planer, pulmonology; noon; room 213, Stemmler Hall (Penn-CHOP Lung Biology Institute).

            Memory Movements and Reparations: Public History for Accountability; Liz Ševčenko, Humanities Action Lab; noon; upper gallery, Meyerson Hall; register: https://tinyurl.com/sevcenko-talk-sep-21 (Historic Preservation).

            Raising Public Awareness on Climate Change: Spotlight on Ecologically Sensitive Urban Places; Kelly Kennedy, Galapagos Education and Research Alliance; Joshua Mosley, fine arts; Simon Richter, German; noon; World Forum, Perry World House; register: https://tinyurl.com/iur-talk-sep-21 (Penn Institute for Urban Research).

            Tackling Climate Change with Machine Learning; David Rolnick, McGill University; noon; Kleinman Forum, Fisher Fine Arts Library; register: https://www.cvent.com/d/tpqwzz Carey Law School).

            Gender and the Economy in Early Iron Age Greece; Sarah Murray, University of Toronto; 4:45 p.m.; room 402, Cohen Hall (Classical Studies).

            Dead Letters: Neocolonial Espionage, Open Access Epistolarity, and the Sovereignty of the Author in the Long Haitian Revolution; Doris Garraway, Northwestern University; 5:15 p.m.; Cherpack Seminar Room, Williams Hall (French & Francophone Studies).

22        His and Hers Earnings Trajectories: Economic Homogamy and Long-Term Earnings Inequality Within and Between Different-Sex Couples? Allison Dunatchik, sociology; noon; room 367, McNeil Building (Sociology).

            Changing Ice in a Warming Climate; Ching-Yao Lai, Stanford University; 3 p.m.; room 358, Hayden Hall (Earth & Environmental Studies).

            The Many Worlds of Quantum Mechanics; Sean Carroll, John Hopkins University; 6 p.m.; room 208, ARCH; register: https://tinyurl.com/carroll-talk-sep-22 (Physics & Astronomy, Penn Alumni).

25        Community Engaged Ancient DNA and Microbiome Research Provides Insights Into the Lives of 18th Century African Descendants in Charleston, South Carolina; Theodore Schurr, anthropology; noon; room 345, Penn Museum (Anthropology).

            The Taiwan Straits Crisis and its Influence on Japanese National Security; Tomohisa Takei, 32nd Chief of Staff, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force; noon; room 419, Fisher-Bennett Hall; register: https://tinyurl.com/takei-talk-sep-25 (Center for East Asian Studies).

            Active & Adaptive Matter Driving Cell Dynamics; Margaret Gardel, University of Chicago; 4 p.m.; Glandt Forum, Singh Center for Nanotechnology (Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter).

26        Current and Emerging Issues in Technology, Intellectual Property, and Entertainment & Media Law; Cynthia Laury Dahl, Herbert Hovenkamp, Gideon Parchomovsky, Jennifer E. Rothman, and Polk Wagner, Carey Law School; 4:30 p.m.; room 2, Gittis Hall; register: https://tinyurl.com/ctic-talk-sep-26 (Center for Technology, Innovation & Competition).

            Secret Documents in Soviet Ukraine and the Making of The Face of Fire; Alexei Nikitin, author; 5:15 p.m.; room 27, Williams Hall (Russian & East European Studies).

            Machine Learning: How To Do It Well? Konrad Kording, Penn Integrates Knowledge professor; 8 p.m.; online webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/kording-talk-sep-26 (Wharton China Center).

Economics

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

20        What Falls During a Recession - The Three Margins of Employment Insurance; Andrei Zaloilo, Toulouse School of Economics; noon; room 101, PCPSE.

            Heterogeneity in the Credit Card Market; Burcu Eyigungor, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia; 4 p.m.; room 101, PCPSE.

21        Judicial Bias Against Attorneys; Priyanka Goonetilleke, economics; 3:30 p.m.; room 101, PCPSE.

26        The Role of Discounting in Bargaining with One-Sided Offers; Francesc Dilmé, University of Bonn; 4 p.m.

Mathematics

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

20        Formalizing Condensed Mathematics; Adam Topaz, University of Alberta; 3:45 p.m.; room A2, DRL.

21        Generic Mean Curvature Flow with Cylindrical Singularities; Ao Sun, Lehigh University; 3:30 p.m.; room 4C8, DRL.

22        GIT and Quivers; Emma Lennen, mathematics; 10 a.m.; room 3N6, 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.

An open session of the WXPN Policy Board will meet Thursday, September 28, 2023 at noon at WXPN. 

For more information, email abby@xpn.org or call (215) 898-0628 during business hours.

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 September 4-10, 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 September 4-10, 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: 9 incidents were reported for September 4-10, 2023 by the 18^th District, covering the Schuylkill River to 49th Street & 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.

The University of Pennsylvania recently announced that its Commuter Benefit Program discount has been increased to 50% (maximum discount of $105 per month) on Philadelphia regional transit for full-time benefits-eligible faculty, staff, and postdoctoral researchers and fellows who use public transportation for their commute to campus. This discount is available for transportation options including:

• SEPTA Monthly City TransPass+ and Monthly Regional TrailPass (does not include SEPTA Key’s Travel Wallet)  
• PATCO FreedomCard-T
• New Jersey Transit
• Amtrak Prepaid 10-pack tickets and Monthly Pass 

Commuters who ride transit at least three days per week may find the discount to be of value. Should you find this discount to be an economical option for you, we encourage you to enroll. The program is now managed by our new transit benefit provider, Jawnt, and the sign-up process is very simple. To register for a monthly transit fare product, visit the new Commuter Benefits portal and login using your PennKey credentials. Passes purchased by the 19th of the month are effective on the first of the following month. For example, passes purchased by September 19 are effective October 1 and auto renew until canceled. 

Note for SEPTA Riders: A SEPTA Key Card is necessary for enrollment. Cards can be purchased at the SEPTA Kiosk located in the Penn Bookstore or at SEPTA locations throughout the city. If you already have a SEPTA Key Card, and use the SEPTA Travel Wallet, you will not be able to access funds in your SEPTA Travel Wallet as long as you also have a SEPTA Monthly pass. Therefore, you might want to consider spending down your Travel Wallet funds currently on the Key Card before enrolling and canceling any auto-reload settings that you may have enabled.

Please be aware that participating in the Commuter Benefits program precludes eligibility from concurrent enrollment in certain other commuter offerings (i.e., an employee would not be eligible to participate in the Commuter Benefits program while also enrolled in the Bike Commuter Expense Reimbursement Program or holding Penn’s monthly Parking Permit.) Those who wish to take advantage of the commuter benefit but still have a need to periodically drive to campus may wish to consider enrolling in the Occasional Parking program.

For more information on how to enroll and other information on the program, visit the University’s service provider, Jawnt. 

—Penn Parking & Commuter Services   

All departments and centers are encouraged to reserve a table at the Penn Professional Staff Assembly (PPSA) Employee Resource Fair on October 24, 2023, from noon to 1:30 p.m., at Pottruck Health & Fitness Center. This University-wide event offers a valuable opportunity for centers to showcase their services and interact with Penn Faculty and Staff. 

To secure a table for your group, please register at: https://upenn.irisregistration.com/Form/ERF2023. Space is limited, and prompt registration is encouraged. Don’t pass up this valuable chance to connect with the Penn community and highlight your department’s contributions.

—Tonya Bennett , PPSA Chair-Elect, Director of Educational Technology, PennVet 
—Natalie Dury Green , PPSA Chair, Director of Operations, Master in Law Program,
University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School 
—J. Patrick Walsh, PPSA Past Chair, Executive Assistant, Faculty Senate

Students, postdocs, alumni, faculty, and staff are all invited to use the Professional Photo Booth in Career Services. Open during normal Career Services business hours (Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.), the booth is a self-serve experience. Visitors can take up to three photos and edit your favorite, all using the touch screen device in the booth or by scanning a QR code with your smartphone. Photos are then delivered by email. Career Services is located in the basement level (suite 20) of the McNeil Building at 3718 Locust Walk.

Use of the booth is on a first-come, first-served basis. Groups of ten or more interested in booking a block of time for their class/student group/office/etc. should fill out the Request Collaboration form and select “photo event,” and we will do our best to accommodate.

The Iris Photobooth, co-sponsored by GAPSA and the UA, is available for use by the entire Penn community to take free professional headshots. Users must agree to the Iris Terms & Conditions via an on-screen prompt before taking their photos. Users are provided with digital copies of their photos only. Career Services cannot print your photos. The creation of an account with irisbooth.com is required to download your photos. Photos are retained in the cloud for 12 months before being deleted. Career Services retains the right to access photos from the cloud service for technical support and review purposes.

Alternate arrangements can be made for current students and postdocs who are unable to use the photo booth to have their picture taken. Please email at careerservices@vpul.upenn.edu for details.

—Career Services