February 25, 2025 Volume 71 Issue 25

Provost John L. Jackson, Jr. has announced the formation of an ad hoc consultative committee to advise him on the selection of a vice provost for research. Dawn Bonnell, the Henry Robinson Towne Professor of Materials Science and Engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, who has served as vice provost for research since 2013 and as senior vice provost for research since 2020, will step down at the end of her current term on June 30, 2025.

The vice provost for research oversees the University’s wide-ranging research enterprise, encompassing research support services, regulatory bodies, multi-disciplinary centers and institutes, grant administration and compliance, and partnerships, both inside and outside the University, to advance innovation, research commercialization, and Penn’s research portfolio. The Office of the Vice Provost for Research manages the Penn Center for Innovation, the Office of Research Services, the Research Integrity Office, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, the AI Council, the Office of Animal Welfare, the Human Research Protections Program, University Laboratory Animal Resources, and Environmental Health and Radiation Safety. The vice provost for research is a vital member of the provost’s senior leadership team for academic and strategic planning and will report to and be supported by the deputy provost.

The committee invites nominations of and applications from currently tenured faculty members at Penn. The ideal candidate will have a strong record of funded research, experience in managing a large research operation, and a thorough knowledge of research policies and practices at the investigator, national, and international levels. Candidates must be tactful and discreet in handling confidential information; work well with faculty, staff, deans, and department chairs in negotiating difficult situations; and demonstrate outstanding written and oral communication, sound judgment, and administrative skills.

Nominations and applications, including CVs, may be sent by March 31, 2025 to Jennifer Canose in the Office of the Provost.

The members of the consultative committee are: 

Chair

• Beth A. Winkelstein, Deputy Provost; Eduardo D. Glandt President’s Distinguished Professor, School of Engineering & Applied Science

Faculty and Staff

• Shelley Berger, Daniel S. Och University Professor, School of Arts & Sciences and Perelman School of Medicine
• Mayassa Bou-Dargham, Postdoctoral Fellow, Perelman School of Medicine
• George Demiris, Mary Alice Bennett University Professor, School of Nursing and Perelman School of Medicine
• Desmond Upton Patton, Brian and Randi Schwartz University Professor, Annenberg School for Communication and School of Social Policy and Practice
• Phillip Scott, Professor and Vice Dean for Research and Academic Resources, School of Veterinary Medicine
• Mark Trodden, Fay R. and Eugene L. Langberg Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Associate Dean for the Natural Sciences, School of Arts & Sciences
• Robert Vonderheide, John H. Glick Abramson Cancer Center Professor and Vice Dean for Cancer Programs, Perelman School of Medicine
• Jennifer Wilcox, Presidential Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and Energy Policy, School of Engineering & Applied Science
• Christopher Woods, Avalon Professor in the Humanities, School of Arts & Sciences; Williams Director, Penn Museum

Kyle Vining, an assistant professor of preventive and restorative sciences in Penn Dental Medicine with a joint appointment in materials science and engineering in Penn Engineering, has been awarded a $2 million Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award for Early-Stage Investigators grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The award will support Dr. Vining’s innovative research into the mechanical cues of the extracellular matrix and their role in regulating monocyte inflammation.

Monocytes, a type of immune cell, help the body respond to injury and infection as well as help tissues repair. They originate in bone marrow and move throughout the body to various tissues, where they help shape the inflammatory environment and influence key processes such as tissue regeneration and cancer progression.

“This project stemmed from the collaborative scientific environment at Penn, including colleagues from the Center for Innovation and Precision Dentistry, the Center for Engineering MechanoBiology, and the Abramson Cancer Center,” said Dr. Vining. “The project focuses on how the physical properties of the extracellular matrix, such as its elasticity and the way it dissipates stress, impact the behavior of monocytes. These properties are especially important in tissues undergoing inflammation or injury, where the matrix behaves like both a solid and a fluid at different scales.”

Building on his lab’s previous work and collaborations across schools, Dr. Vining has developed advanced biomaterial systems that mimic the architecture of tissues, using a combination of polysaccharide hydrogels and fibrillar type I collagen. These systems enable him to precisely tune the physical characteristics of the matrix, allowing for a better understanding of how immune cells interact with their surroundings.

The MIRA program provides support for research that falls within the mission of NIGMS, which looks to increase scientific understanding of biological processes and lay the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

“This NIH grant will support continued collaboration across campus and advance my lab’s work on monocyte mechanobiology,” said Dr. Vining. “We hope to apply our findings to improve basic science knowledge and develop new treatments for disease, specifically applying mechanobiology findings to improve dendritic cell therapies for treatment of oral cancer.”

Liang Wu, an assistant professor in the department of physics and astronomy in the School of Arts & Sciences, has been awarded $1 million from the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory’s prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), which incentivizes early career university faculty to pursue fundamental research in areas that could have significant impact on Army operational capabilities and related technologies. The award recognizes Dr. Wu’s overall achievements and his proposed research on topological nonlinear optics.

Dr. Wu’s proposal is also under consideration for the White House Honorary PECASE award—the highest honor bestowed by the United States government to those who show exceptional promise in their fields.

Dr. Wu is an experimental condensed matter physicist who employs light spanning the visible, infrared, and terahertz spectral range to probe quantum mechanical features of solid matter. Using these techniques, Dr. Wu has demonstrated this approach in his work at Penn, carrying out pioneering work on topological semimetals, on two-dimensional quantum magnets, and on novel ordering in frustrated lattice structures. Dr. Wu earned a BS in physics from Nanjing University in Nanjing, China, and a PhD in physics from Johns Hopkins University.

TO:                 Members of the Faculty Senate
FROM:           Eric A. Feldman, Chair
SUBJECT:       Senate Nominating Committee 2025

1. In accordance with the requirements of the Faculty Senate Rules, notice is given to the Senate Membership of the Senate Executive Committee’s nine-member slate of nominees for the 2025 Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee’s function is to nominate candidates for appointments to all committees and positions for which the Faculty Senate has responsibility in appointing. The Nominating Committee consists of nine members: the chair, chair-elect, and past chair, three incumbent members of the Senate Executive Committee, and three members of the Faculty Senate selected by the constituency representatives of the Senate Executive Committee. The nominees, all of whom have agreed to serve, are:

• Iwan Barankay (Associate Professor of Management and Business Economics & Public Policy in the Wharton School; Senate Executive Committee Member)
• Daniel Beiting (Associate Professor of Pathobiology in the School of Veterinary Medicine; Senate Executive Committee Member)
• Kathleen Brown (David Boies Professor of History in the School of Arts & Sciences; Faculty Senate Chair-Elect)
• Eric Feldman (Heimbold Chair in International Law and Professor of Law in the Penn Carey Law School; Faculty Senate Chair)
• Vivian Gadsden (William T. Carter Professor of Child Development and Education in the Graduate School of Education; Faculty Senate Past Chair)
• Raina Merchant (Professor of Emergency Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine)
• Claire Mitchell (Professor of Basic and Translational Sciences in the School of Dental Medicine; Senate Executive Committee Member)
• Sophia Rosenfeld (Walter H. Annenberg Professor of History in the School of Arts & Sciences)
• Jolyon Thomas (Associate Professor of Religious Studies in the School of Arts & Sciences)

2. Pursuant to the rules, additional nominations may be submitted by petition containing at least 25 signed names and the signed approval of the candidate. All such petitions must be received by Tuesday, March 11, 2025. If no additional nominations are received, the slate nominated by the Executive Committee will be declared elected. If additional nominations are received, an email ballot will be distributed to the Faculty Senate membership. Please forward any nominations-by-petition via email to the Faculty Senate office, senate@pobox.upenn.edu. Questions may be directed to Mr. Walsh by email to the address above or by telephone at (215) 898-6943.

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, by email at senate@pobox.upenn.edu.  

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Actions
Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Tri-Chairs’ Report. Faculty Senate Chair Eric Feldman reminded Faculty Senate members that the second of three spring 2025 colloquia on “The Future of American Universities” will be held on February 26 at 4:30 p.m. and will focus on “The Price of Knowledge: Is a College Degree Worth the Cost?” A recording of the first colloquium, “Higher Education and the State: Are Politicians Reshaping America’s Great Universities?,” is now available on the Faculty Senate website.

2025 Senate Nominating Committee. A slate of proposed members of the 2025 Senate Nominating Committee was unanimously adopted.

Update from David Asch, Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, and Beth Winkelstein, Deputy Provost. Vice President Asch and Deputy Provost Winkelstein shared progress updates on the In Principle and Practice strategic framework and the recommendations of the Task Force on Antisemitism and the Presidential Commission on Building Community and Countering Hate.

Open Expression Task Force. Task Force co-chairs Lisa Bellini and Sigal Ben-Porath shared recommended revisions to the Guidelines on Open Expression that are currently in draft form. Similar discussions will soon take place with other campus stakeholder groups. The principles have been endorsed both by the Task Force and the Committee on Open Expression.

Wednesday, March 5, 2025
4–6 p.m.
Hall of Flags, Houston Hall

1. Welcome.
2. Approval of the minutes of January 29, 2025.
3. Follow-up comments or questions on Status Reports.
4. President’s Report: FY25 University Operating Budget.
5. Focus Issue: Update on the Efforts Advancing Recommendations from the University Task Force on Antisemitism and the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community.
6. Responses to New Business topics raised at the January 29, 2025, University Council meeting.
7. Open Forum.
8. New Business.
9. Adjournment.

1. Prize for Undergraduate Teaching Assistants
2. Hold Antisemites Accountable
3. Non-Citizen Communities at Penn
4. Institutional Neutrality’s Impact on Student Safety
5. Benefits for Postdoctoral Workers
6. PTO Policies for Postdoctoral Trainees
7. Retirement Packages for Postdocs
8. Visa Issues for International Postdocs

The 2025 March AT PENN calendar is now available. Click here to view the calendar, and click here to view a printable PDF.

Conferences

27        H+U+D Symposium - Urban Spatial Justice: Perspectives from Humanities + Design; an interdisciplinary symposium at the intersection of urban scholarship, policy interventions, and design; 6 p.m.; register: https://tinyurl.com/hud-symposium-feb-27 Perry World House (Architecture). Also February 28, 9 a.m.-5:15 p.m.; Kislak Center, Van Pelt Library.

            Imagined Futures: Ruins of the Present and Horizons of the Past; explores how literature, film, and the arts imagine futures in response to present crises and historical legacies, covering topias and dystopias, post-apocalyptic narratives, and the transformative potential of ruins; time TBA; Rainey Auditorium, Penn Museum (Spanish & Portuguese). Also February 28, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; room 543, Williams Hall.

28        Wharton–Weitzman Future of Cities Conference; aims to bring together urban innovators and experts from the public and private sectors to challenge and deepen the discourse around the trends, technologies, and policies transforming the future of our cities; 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; the Study, 20 S 33^rd Street; register: https://tinyurl.com/iur-conference-feb-28 (Penn Institute for Urban Research).

            JIL Symposium: 80 Years Later: Reflecting on the Legacies of WWII 1945-2025; symposium of the Journal of International Law (JIL), the oldest topically focused journal at Penn Law and widely recognized as one of the top international law journals in the world; 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; info: https://www.pennlawjil.com/symposium (Penn Carey Law School).

Films

26        Sing Sing: Transformation Narratives in Mass Incarceration; explores the transformative power of a theater program at Sing Sing Correctional Facility; 6 p.m.; Public Trust, 4017 Walnut Street (Cinema & Media Studies).

Fitness & Learning

27        Communicating Your Science: Science Communication Workshop; will provide the foundational skills to create engaging activities/presentations for non-science audiences; noon; first floor, 3539 Locust Walk (Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships).

28        CURF Faculty Panel; hear from faculty members across the University to learn more about what research looks like in different fields, how and when to get involved with research as an undergraduate, and the types of skills you can learn from participating in undergraduate research; 3 p.m.; Ben Franklin Room, Houston Hall (Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships).

            Making After Modernism; celebrate art making with an afternoon of screen printing on hoodies, a see + sip, and button making with the Common Press; 3-5 p.m.; Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library; register: http://ng-after-modernism-tickets-1245357691379/ (Arthur Ross Gallery).

College of Liberal & Professional Studies

Online webinars. Info: https://www.lps.upenn.edu/about/events.

26        BAAS to Success: Charting Your Career Journey; noon.

27        Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences Virtual Application Completion Session; 12:30 p.m.

28        Penn Employee Executive Master of Public Administration Information Session; noon.

Graduate School of Education

Online webinars. Info: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/news/events-calendar?date=2025-02.

26        School Leadership Program Virtual Information Session; 7 p.m.

27        Learning Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (Online) MSEd Virtual Information Session; 7 p.m.

28        International Educational Development Virtual Open House; 10 a.m.

Penn Libraries

Various locations. Info: https://www.library.upenn.edu/events.

26        Image Permissions for Dissertations, Publications, and Research; learn how to make sense of image rights and seek permission to use images in dissertations and other publications; 2 p.m.; room 241, Van Pelt Library.

            Spinning Fiber into Yarn; learn to prepare fibers for hand spinning into yarn on a drop spindle; 2:30 p.m.; seminar room B, Fisher Fine Arts Library.

27        Bookbinding: Drum Leaf Binding; bind your own book; 5-7 p.m.; seminar room B, Fisher Fine Arts Library.

28        Arduinos, Electronics, and AI; try out physical computing using Arduinos by making a simple electronics project, like an automatic timer to switch on/off an electrical appliance or a music activate LED light bar; 12:30 p.m.; Education Commons.

Music

26        Music in the Stacks: Penn Sound Collective Presents Joseph Franklin and Satoshi Takeishi; genre-spanning performance by Joseph Franklin, a composer and bassist from Gunaikurnai country in regional Australia; and Satoshi Takeishi, a drummer, percussionist, and arranger from Mito, Japan; 7 p.m.; main lobby, Van Pelt Library (Music Department).

On Stage

27        Bloomers Presents “Unholy Matrimony”; bring something borrowed or blue and say “I do” with Penn’s premier sketch comedy troupe; 8 p.m.; Iron Gate Theater; tickets: $10-$20 (Platt Performing Arts House).

            Without A Net Presents “Gooney Tunes”; performance by Penn’s oldest (and only) improv comedy troupe; 8 p.m.; Class of 1949 Auditorium, Houston Hall; tickets: $10-$12 (Platt Performing Arts House).  

28        Penn Glee Club: No Script? No Problem!; a lively meta-showbiz comedy about a group of high school students tasked with creating an original production for their theater class's annual musical, packed with humor, heart, and a healthy dose of musical mayhem; 7 p.m.; Zellerbach Theater, Annenberg Center; tickets: $10-$15; tickets: https://pennlivearts.org/event/glee-club-no-script (Platt Performing Arts House, Penn Live Arts). Also March 1, 2 p.m.

Readings & Signings

Kelly Writers House

In-person events at Arts Café, Kelly Writers House. Info and to register: https://writing.upenn.edu/wh/calendar/0225.php.

26        Long Form Journalism in a Short Attention Span Era; Michael Sokolove, New York Times Magazine; Ann Gerhart, Washington Post; noon.

            Speakeasy Open Mic Night; 7 p.m.

27        Talkin' the Music of Greenwich Village; David Browne, Rolling Stone; 6 p.m.

Talks

25        On Team Decision Problems with Nonclassical Information Structures; Andreas Malikopoulos, Cornell University; 1 p.m.; room 114, Skirkanich Hall (Electrical & Systems Engineering).

            Specializing LLMs for Reliability; Greg Durrett, University of Texas, Austin; 3:30 p.m.; room 414, Amy Gutmann Hall (Computer & Information Science).

26        Mechanical Regulation of the Distal Lung; Chan Shen, pulmonary, allergy & critical care; noon; room 213, Stemmler Hall (Penn-CHOP Lung Biology Institute).

            Multiferroic MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS): Tiny Devices that Sense, Communicate, and Harvest Energy; Troy Olsson, SEAS; noon; room 801, BRB; register: https://tinyurl.com/olsson-talk-feb-26 (PSOM Deans’ Distinguished Visiting Professorship Seminar).

            For Whom Is the Russian Joyce?: Alternative Receptions of James Joyce in Russia(n); José Vergara, Bryn Mawr College; 5 p.m.; room 135, Fisher-Bennett Hall (Russian & East European Studies).

            Dental Management of Individuals with a History of Down Syndrome; Robert Frare, Penn Dental Medicine; 5:30 p.m.; online webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/frare-talk-feb-26 (Penn Dental Medicine).

27        Body Experiences of Healthy-Weight Women in Weight Losing: An Analysis of Korean Women’s Diet Vlogs; Annie Ting, GSWS; Such a Good Guy; Aurora De Lucia, GSWS; noon; Zoom webinar; register: https://forms.gle/KnkTj9dv4d7ameFd9 (Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies).

            ML for an Interactive World: From Learning to Unlearning; Ayush Sekhari, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; noon; room 414, Amy Gutmann Hall (SEAS IDEAS Center).

            Niche Tanks and Coastal Sprawl: Species, Technology, and Economics of Shrimp Aquaculture in Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand; Lijing Jiang, Johns Hopkins University; noon; room 623, Williams Hall (Center for East Asian Studies).

            When Doubly Robust Estimators Collapse to a Single Linear Outcome Model; Elizabeth L. Ogburn, Johns Hopkins University; 1 p.m.; room 701, Blockley Hall, and Zoom webinar; join: https://tinyurl.com/ogburn-talk-feb-27 (Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Informatics).

            Realizing the Promise of Language-level Security in Real Systems; Evan Johnson, University of California San Diego; 3:30 p.m.; room 337, Towne Building (Computer & Information Science).

            Scaffold-Modulated Healing in Irradiated Bone; Katie Hixon, Dartmouth College; 3:30 p.m.; room 13, Skirkanich Hall (Bioengineering).

            From the Blessed Groves to Inferno: A Genomic-Guided Descent into Miscommunication, Migration, and COPD Microenvironments; Maor Sauler, medicine; 4 p.m.; room 11-146, Smilow Center (Penn-CHOP Lung Biology Institute).

            Backwaters of the Roman Empire: The Case of Marmarica; Carlos Noreña, University of California Berkeley; 4:45 p.m.; room 402, Cohen Hall (Classical Studies).

28        Privacy, Copyright, and Data Integrity: The Cascading Implications of Generative AI; Niloofar Mireshghallah, University of Washington; 10 a.m.; room 337, Towne Building (Computer & Information Science).

            Economic Warfare on the part of Germany and the UK During WWII; Mark Harrison, history; 2 p.m.; room 209, College Hall (History).

            Causes of War, Solutions for Peace; Jeffrey Sachs, Columbia University; 4:30 p.m.; room F85, Huntsman Hall (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Goldstone Forum).

Chemistry

In-person events at Carolyn Hoff Lynch Lecture Hall, 1973 Chemistry Building. Info: https://www.chem.upenn.edu/events.

26        Chemistry Innovation and Biological Discovery through Natural Product Total Synthesis; Mingji Dai, Emory University; noon.

Economics

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

26        Public Goods Provision and Optimal Taxation in a Hidden Income World; Alberto Ramirez de Aguilar, economics; noon; room 100, PCPSE.

GRASP Lab

Hybrid events. Info: https://www.grasp.upenn.edu/events/month/2025-02/.

28        Joint Depth and 3D Motion Estimation Two Ways; James Tompkin, Brown University; 2 p.m.; room 512, Levine Hall, and Zoom webinar.

Mathematics

Info: https://www.math.upenn.edu/events.

25        The Néron Model of a Lagrangian Fibration; Yoonjoo Kim, Columbia University; 3:30 p.m.; room 4C4, DRL.

26        A Mathematical Tower of Babel; Chris Laskowski, University of Maryland; 3:45 p.m.; room A2, DRL.

27        Mapping Class Group Actions on the Homology of Configuration Spaces; Richard Hain, Duke University; 3:30 p.m.; room 4C8, DRL.

Physics & Astronomy

Info: https://www.physics.upenn.edu/events/.

26        Studying the Higgs Boson at the LHC and Beyond; Liza Brost, Brookhaven National Laboratory; 3:30 p.m.; room 3W2, DRL.

            FRB Science Results from CHIME; Kendrick Smith, Perimeter Institute; 3:30 p.m.; room 4E19, DRL.

This is an update to the February AT PENN calendar. To submit events for an upcoming AT PENN calendar or weekly update, email 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 February 10-16, 2025. 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 February 10-16, 2025. 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: 10 incidents were reported for February 10-16, 2025 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’s 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 Environmental Innovations Initiative (EII) announces the opening of the research community grant application cycle for 2025-2026.

EII’s research communities program seeks to catalyze the formation of interdisciplinary groups focused on addressing the climate and biodiversity crises and systemic inequalities. Each community should meaningfully involve different disciplines, yield a public-facing outcome, and provide concrete opportunities for student involvement.

The call for proposals for the 2025-2026 academic year is now open and closes on March 21, 2025. Successful applicants will be notified in April and will receive up to $25,000 from the Environmental Innovations Initiative office in June. Click here to apply now.

The Barbara and Edward Netter Center for Community Partnerships announces ABCS course development grants to create academically-based community service (ABCS) courses that integrate research, teaching, learning, and service. ABCS students and faculty work with public schools, communities of faith, and community organizations in West Philadelphia/Philadelphia to help solve critical campus and community problems in a variety of areas such as the environment, health, arts, and education. ABCS courses are a form of community-engaged scholarship. Over 250 ABCS courses have been created and taught over time, and over 80 undergraduate and graduate ABCS courses are offered each year. Click here to see a list of current ABCS courses.

Funded by the Netter Center, ABCS course development grants are designed to assist faculty with developing new or substantially restructured undergraduate and graduate courses. The grant intends to fund course supplies and/or time spent on course development. Grants provide up to $10,000 to be spent over two years. 

The Netter Center also provides a set of ongoing resources to teachers of all ABCS courses. These include teaching assistants, transportation to sites, background checks for students as necessary, and support with developing community partnerships. Grantees would have access to these in addition to receiving the course development grant funding. Proposals should not request funding for food or for resources already provided. 

Proposed ABCS courses should be intended to be taught on an ongoing basis. 

The following criteria will be used to evaluate proposals:

• Academic excellence
• Integration of research, teaching and service
• Democratic partnership with schools, community groups, service agencies, etc.
• Focus on Philadelphia, especially West Philadelphia
• Evidence as to how the course will engage undergraduate and/or graduate students in local real-world problem-solving activities
• Potential for sustainability 

Please format proposals as follows:

• Cover page
  • Name, title, department, school, mailing address, proposed semester of the first course
  • Title of the proposal
  • Total amount of funding requested
  • 100-word abstract of the proposal (include a description of how the course will involve collaboration with the community and benefit the community)
• A one-page biographical sketch of applicant
• A two-to-four-page proposal
• Budget detailing how you intend to use the requested funding 

Learn more about ABCS course development grants, including additional information about the budget, here: http://www.nettercenter.upenn.edu/what-we-do/abcs-courses/abcs-course-development-grants

The Netter Center would be pleased to provide feedback on draft proposals before final submission. Final proposals for grants should be submitted by April 18, 2025. Please direct questions, drafts, and final submissions to abcscoordinator@sas.upenn.edu. 

—Dennis DeTurck
Robert A. Fox Leadership Professor 
Professor of Mathematics
Netter Center Faculty Advisory Board Co-Chair
Provost’s Senior Faculty Fellow at the Netter Center

—Matthew Hartley
Professor and Board of Advisors Chair of Education, Graduate School of Education
Netter Center Faculty Advisory Board Co-Chair

—Terri H. Lipman
Professor Emerita, School of Nursing
Researcher, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Netter Center Faculty Advisory Board Co-Chair

—Loretta Flanagan-Cato
Associate Professor, Psychology
Co-Director, Undergraduate Neuroscience Program
Director, Graduate Certificate in Community-Engaged STEM

—Ira Harkavy
Barbara and Edward Netter Director
Netter Center for Community Partnerships

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

Much of our purchasing now takes place online. Some sites such as eBay and Facebook Marketplace allow you to buy merchandise from other users. 

When you use these sites, make sure that you protect yourself and reduce the risk of being scammed. Follow these tips to keep yourself and your money safe:

1. If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is. Items priced seriously below cost are a red flag, as are elaborate stories about something being sold or given away. You are buying an item and do not need to get a life story. 
2. Ask questions about the condition of the item but know that items are usually sold “as is.”
3. Never pay or communicate outside of the platform you are using. The payment platforms track users, so any offer to avoid the platform’s suggested payment methods or communications channels indicates that the seller is hiding something
4. When paying, use the method suggested by the platform. Do not use payment methods designated for “friends and family,” third-party gift cards, or methods that cannot be reversed.
5. If you are purchasing an item with cash, meet in a public location.

These tips can help you have a successful buying experience.

--

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.

Olivia Sheridan

Like most clinical educators, my experience in both teaching and learning clinical dentistry reflects directly on my own training, not as a teacher, but as a clinical student. Much of what I incorporate in clinical teaching is modeling some of the effective methods in my own learning, being aware of some which were far less effective, and developing some that students have taught me through the years through their comments, reactions, and feedback. Although I am reflecting on clinical teaching experiences, I find that these strategies are universal in almost all teaching and learning interactions.

What I have learned, and what seems applicable in all teaching environments, are a few universal strategies. I read all of my evaluations at the end of the semester and let each class or group know that I have read them, thanking them for their candor. I also let them know how I intend to use suggestions, and appreciate the affirmation of what is working. Through the years there have been some truly excellent suggestions from students which would never have been realized without their feedback. When a new class or semester starts and I have made changes, I note with the new class that “this has changed” and why. 

Dental education is unique in that third-year students are responsible, under faculty guidance, for all of their assigned patients, including dental care, and also the financial and medical interpretation and supervision. The student’s experience has been limited to classroom learning previously, and they are reliant on that understanding of appropriate progress and outcomes, in real time and in the presence of their awake patients. This unique model of education also demands faculty engage in a process of reflection and re-evaluation of teaching effectiveness. Teaching and shaping critical thinking skills while simultaneously supporting the student and developing trust with the patient is complex. As a result, I always ask the students I have taught for feedback in the moment (Was that helpful? How can I relate this to what you know?) as well as in later group discussion. 

Giving constructive criticism varies from individual to individual, and always involves context. One of the most effective methods I have found starts before the student and I interact in the classroom or on the clinic floor. I meet with the students I will be working with and try and learn interesting facts about them (athletics, cooking, etc.) and what their motivations and interests are in the profession. I give better feedback when I know students as individuals in the same profession who have different goals and experiences than I do. When a prior meeting is not possible, I ask students to submit a paragraph in advance of the clinical rotation which gives a brief summary of special interests and goals that are important for them. I also use what the Dental School calls the “face page” to reinforce the names and faces of each student so I can use their name and interest/experiences as often as possible during teaching. Reinforcing how I see each student individually enables me to remember and refine each teaching interaction and build on it. I also find that students respond to guidance much more positively when it is directed to them specifically and reflects a conversation rather than isolated approval or correction.

Giving feedback, offering suggestions, and making corrections in the presence of the patient (or the presence of peers) present challenges when I hope to simultaneously encourage critical thinking and create trust in the patient while not adding to the stress of the student. My first approach is to allow that student to display the usually substantial knowledge base they have by asking questions such as “what are you currently learning/understanding about (this)?”; “when you saw/heard/read this, did it remind you of…?” Skillfully asking students to access what they know, answers the direct question, but also helps them formulate a thought process for future problem-solving and also elevates them in the patient’s and peer’s eyes by letting them demonstrate their knowledge as well as their previous experience.

Occasionally discussions and corrections are inappropriate to hold in the presence of others. For those times, my students and I have created what we refer to as “consult corner,” a physical location within the clinic where we cannot be observed or heard. In consult corner, no question or opinion is discounted and everyone withholds judgment. We pull apart the matter at hand: concerns about the patient, a procedure that went poorly and why, multiple interpretations of a fact and the relevance of each point of view. Anyone may call for a consult corner discussion at any time, and aside from sorting out the specific issue, students learn the value of critical thinking: it’s okay to seek other input, impossible to always know everything, and that everyone has personal limitations. We resolve patient interaction issues with discussion and create a detailed plan for subsequent interactions. In these consults I learnt: in what procedures students have less confidence, when there is a breakdown in patient relations, when students feel a lack of knowledge. Because there is no judgment, we can allow our vulnerability to enhance our understanding of each other and explore our individual abilities and weaknesses. Students are frequently stymied about some procedures and anxious that they don’t have the ability to understand the diagnostic needs and the technical assessments of their patients. As students make their way through the procedure or concept, they are often halted by mostly trivial setbacks and lose their confidence. When I see this occurring, I am reminded of my sometimes hysterical frustration at trivial setbacks in my use of new technology and my inability to move forward with technology I thought I had already mastered. This is one of many analogies I use in comparing their ease in the use of technology, versus, say, my ease in thinking about dentures, or whatever is their stumbling block. I try and create the expectation that we all have areas which intimidate us, but we also have resources to get through it. I also remind them that most of us understood and mastered the Krebs cycle and the autonomic nervous system, among other roadblocks, through sheer determination and persistence and the help of others.

Finally, I often share my own disasters and near disasters. “When I did this for the first time...” type stories resonate with those who are doing it for the first time. I remind myself that they haven’t seen the years it’s taken me to improve; they only see the results. I reinforce that I do get things wrong, and when I have down time, I can sometimes pull up cases that I would do differently, or diagnoses that I might reconsider. As part of the discussion (often in consult corner or my office), we talk about how it is okay to be wrong, but also important to acknowledge when you are wrong so you can work, individually or with others, to improve. I try and let them know that I also continue to learn, and it’s often from them.

Olivia Sheridan is a clinical professor in the division of restorative dentistry in Penn Dental Medicine. 

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This essay continues the series that began in the fall of 1994 as the joint creation of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Lindback Society for Distinguished Teaching. 

See https://almanac.upenn.edu/talk-about-teaching-and-learning-archive for previous essays.