August 27, 2024 Volume 71 Issue 3

August 23, 2024

Welcome back to Penn! For our new students, faculty, staff, and post-docs, welcome to your University.

I have been incredibly fortunate to have spent my adult life on a University campus. The excitement of Move-In Day reminds me of when I arrived at college as a first-year student. Everything, and everyone, was new. I loved literature and was confident I wanted to major in English. But a few years in, an inspiring teacher convinced me to explore the natural sciences, and I discovered an unexpected passion that turned into my career as a physician-scientist. Many of you may have a similar experience as you explore the vast array of courses at Penn.

When I started college, the country was embroiled in protests and was politically divided. As we start this academic year, overseas events are again sparking demonstrations, and the country is as politically divided as I’ve ever seen it. While this historic parallel may imply a sense of constancy, universities succeed not just by maintaining traditions of academic excellence into the future, but also by remaining relevant for the present. The protests of the 1970s catalyzed a cultural transformation in civil rights, human rights, environmental protection, and a dramatic shift in the demographics of higher education and the workforce. This evolution of our society is part of the reason we so passionately defend open expression, freedom of inquiry, and civil debate.

Higher education, and Penn specifically, faced many challenges over the last year. We had unanticipated leadership transitions, and received intense scrutiny and criticism from some alumni, the media, and government agencies. I heard from our champions, but I also met with and listened carefully to our critics.

Penn has much to celebrate—just look at the impressive accomplishments of our faculty, staff, and students! But we must always improve and adapt to a changing world. We must reinforce our commitment to excellence and ideological diversity, cultivating an environment in which everyone can fully explore the amazing opportunities offered by the University of Pennsylvania. The challenge we face together, as the Penn community, is to find a balance—supporting open expression and peaceful demonstrations while ensuring safety and a respectful, inclusive culture, that allows all to thrive.

Building on Penn’s actions to date, here are some important ways we are supporting our community and enabling Penn’s critical work.

• We are actively implementing the recommendations of the University Task Force on Antisemitism and the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community. Many of these recommendations are underway and we will provide regular updates throughout the year.

• New temporary standards and procedures for campus events and demonstrations were announced at the end of the last academic year. These standards support the balance we seek. All members of the Penn community should review these policies.

• We continue bringing the strategic framework, In Principle and Practice, to life. The Provost’s Office will soon announce inaugural leaders to spearhead our work on grand challenges and opportunities like climate and sustainability and the arts. We continue to advance our strength in data science and AI. We will soon announce new grants for dynamic projects that catalyze Penn’s strategic framework. New programs are being launched at Penn Washington as each of our 12 Schools bring scholarship to bear on public policy.

As the new year starts, I am reminded of those euphoric moments when new knowledge opens a different perspective. A new solution answers a long-standing problem. A new student discovers an unexpected calling. These are the pivots that redirect lives. They are enabled by a community that respects open-minded debate and privileges facts—a community where we put respect and dignity first, and where all are free to make the most of campus life. I believe ours is and will remain that kind of community.

Penn was founded by a scientist and a philosopher, a citizen who challenged the status quo and a statesman who recognized the outsized importance of relationships and diplomacy. Since the time of Franklin, our impressive faculty, students, and alumni have shaped every aspect of society, used knowledge to improve the world, and selflessly served their communities.

Together, we will continue to prepare the citizens and leaders of the future. Welcome to a new academic year at Penn!

­—J. Larry Jameson, Interim President

A multidisciplinary team of scientists led by Kurt Brunden at the Perelman School of Medicine, and Carlo Ballatore at University of California San Diego, has been awarded a $6.9 million grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to prepare a potential disease-modifying Alzheimer’s treatment for future clinical trials. In a recently published study about the new compound, called CNDR-51997, the team found it was effective in restoring brain health in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease. CNDR-51997 was identified through a joint drug discovery program at Penn and UC San Diego that was supported by grants from the NIA.

The new grant will help the researchers demonstrate the drug’s safety in the formal studies required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before the initiation of human testing. By the end of the three-year grant period, the researchers hope to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the FDA, which, if approved, would allow for Phase 1 clinical studies.

Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by abnormal deposits of two types of protein in the brain: amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau. The only currently available disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s, lecanemab (Leqembi) and donanemab (Kisunla), target Aβ deposits in the brain. Notably, there are currently no approved therapies that target pathological tau. In mice, the researchers found that CNDR-51997 was able to reduce both Aβ plaques and tau pathology in the brain.

In addition to Alzheimer’s, there are several other diseases characterized by tau pathology, such as traumatic brain injury, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), frontotemporal lobar degeneration, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, and Pick’s disease. The researchers believe that their compound could not only be a future treatment for Alzheimer’s, but also for these other related diseases, collectively called tauopathies.

“Our findings that CNDR-51997 reduces both Aβ plaques and tau inclusions in mouse models suggest that the compound holds considerable promise for Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Brunden, a research professor and the director of drug discovery at Penn’s Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research. “However, there is also a great unmet need for disease-modifying drugs for the other tauopathies. The potential of CNDR-51997 to address tau-related diseases beyond Alzheimer’s is another important aspect of its therapeutic promise.”

One of the functions of tau is to stabilize microtubules, dynamic tube-like structures that help give cells their shape. In neurons, microtubules play an important role in axonal transport, a process in which proteins and other cellular constituents are distributed to different parts of the long axonal extensions that are involved in brain function.

In Alzheimer’s disease and other tauopathies, tau becomes detached from microtubules, which causes them to become disorganized. This leads to axonal transport deficits and neuronal loss. In preclinical studies, the new compound CNDR-51997 was able to correct these imbalances, ultimately reducing both Aβ and tau pathologies.

“Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease with very few treatment options, so we are eager to advance CNDR-51997 through the drug development process,” said Dr. Ballatore, a professor at UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. “This compound has been designed to combat tau-mediated neurodegeneration and our preclinical data suggest that it could be beneficial for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and related dementias.”

The Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine, Andrew M. Hoffman, has announced the appointment of two new associate deans at the school’s veterinary hospitals. These new appointments signify the invaluable impact hospital services have on the school’s three-part mission.

Brady Beale, an associate professor of ophthalmology and Ryan Hospital’s director and chief medical officer, has been appointed to associate dean of clinical enterprise. In this role, she will oversee the management and operations of Ryan Hospital, including future development and implementation of strategic plans; deliver patient-centric care that meets the high clinical training standards for students, interns, residents, and fellows; and guide an environment that is conducive to clinical research and trials.

Barbara Dallap-Schaer, a professor of surgery and emergency & critical care medicine, and hospital director of New Bolton Center, has been appointed associate dean for clinical education and operations for New Bolton Center.

As associate dean, she will oversee strategic direction for the large animal hospital; prioritize competency-based veterinary education; and optimize clinical rotation educational experiences at New Bolton Center.

These new appointments ensure the development and continued success of the school’s small and large animal hospitals and clinical services, and support Penn Vet’s compelling vision for the future of veterinary medicine.

Weitzman faculty members have been selected to receive $149,000 in funding from the Ramboll Foundation to develop an accessible solution to tackle urban heat. The team will partner with architectural firm Henning Larsen to develop KlimaKover, an innovative architectural application of membrane-assisted radiant cooling technology designed for climate resiliency.

The funding will be used to create a prototype external autonomous pavilion or an indoor replicable element, providing scalable solutions for emergency situations, and for communities susceptible to the urban heat island (UHI) effect.

As global temperatures soar, cities worldwide are grappling with the effects of extreme heat, projected to persist for nearly half the year. Exposure to these dangerous heat levels has increased by 200% since the 1980s, disproportionately affecting low-income and marginalized communities and exacerbating social inequalities. The traditional air conditioner market is predicted to grow by 1 billion units before the end of the decade, straining local power supplies, contributing to waste heat issues, and ultimately exacerbating global warming.

Designed to break this cycle, KlimaKover uses a membrane-assisted radiant cooling technology, which was developed by an international team of researchers from institutions in the U.S., Canada, Asia, and Europe, that provides low-energy cooling while allowing for natural ventilation.

“I’ve been fortunate to be part of a major cross-institutional research effort to make radiant cooling possible throughout the globe as an alternative to air conditioning, with the goal of achieving a sustainable and healthy form of cooling,” said Dorit Aviv, an assistant professor of architecture in the Weitzman School and director of the Thermal Architecture Lab. “This grant from the Ramboll foundation and collaboration with Henning Larsen, has the potential to make this technology accessible and deployable in the places that need it the most.”

The proposed solution takes the shape of a mobile, deployable, and autonomous structure designed for disassembly which can be transported to various locations and tested on developer partner sites. This is a low-energy consuming, condensation-free, radiant comfort product that can function in cooling or heating modes.

“As the impact of climate change becomes more severe, investment in innovative technologies for better climate resilience is crucial, and ensuring a more equitable approach to addressing and adapting to these challenges is vital,” said Kritika Kharbanda, head of sustainability at Henning Larsen. “We are so excited to take this forward with our partners Penn and Ramboll.”

The Weitzman team includes Dorit Aviv, an assistant professor of architecture; William Braham, the Andrew Gordon Professor of Architecture; and Eric Teitelbaum, a lecturer in architecture. The partnership between Penn, Henning Larsen, and Ramboll marks their first collaboration. Having secured significant funding, they are joining forces for innovation with a focus on design thinking and scalability. Also joining the project are collaborators from Princeton University and the University of British Columbia, who have led the development of the membrane-assisted radiant cooling technology. The project aims to deliver a prototype that demonstrates the technology’s potential by summer 2025.

PASEF, the Penn Association of Senior and Emeritus Faculty, is the organization of and for senior (age 55+) and emeritus and retired faculty from all schools and colleges of the University. PASEF encompasses both standing faculty and associated faculty with the rank of associate and full professor on the academic clinician, research, and practice tracks. Per its mission statement, PASEF “informs and advocates on matters of concern to senior and retired faculty through dialogue with the University administration and communication with its members and the larger community.”  

PASEF shares important information relevant to senior and emeritus faculty with its members and engages with the administration when matters of concern to the membership arise. PASEF also does much more—see below. The core mission, however, is service to faculty retirees and faculty approaching retirement and advocacy on their behalf. The PASEF officers meet periodically with the Vice Provost for Faculty to discuss issues of concern. We thank Vice Provost Laura Perna for her assistance and willingness to respond to the concerns of retired faculty.  

In the fall, the PASEF officers devoted substantial time to understanding the new FIAP program, which was suddenly announced in early September. Various means were used to communicate this to PASEF members, including a special panel discussion (via Zoom) on October 24. We regularly respond to member questions and provide information when we perceive that members may not be fully aware of how to access benefits—for example, the hearing aid benefit.

PASEF Size and Scope

PASEF’s membership is large and largely Philadelphia-based. As of July 26, 2024, PASEF had 2,214 members, including 1,345 senior faculty and 869 retired faculty. Of the retirees, 693 remain in the Philadelphia area.

The PASEF Council meets monthly throughout the academic year and attendance at council meetings is high, averaging 85–90%. Our meetings are hybrid, thus allowing those members who live far from Philadelphia or those travelling to participate. PASEF members sit ex-officio on the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and four of the standing committees of the Faculty Senate: Faculty Development, Diversity, and Equity; Faculty and the Academic Mission; Faculty and the Administration; and Students and Educational Policy. PASEF designates a member of Penn’s Committee on Personnel Benefits. And PASEF’s president sits on the Executive Council of our school-based organization, the Association of Senior and Emeritus Faculty of the Perelman School of Medicine (ASEF-PSOM).

PASEF Activities

PASEF’s principal activities consist of membership programs, membership engagement and communication, community service, and engagement with the Penn administration.

Membership programs. PASEF offers retirement-related, academic, and cultural programs for its members. This past year’s retirement-related programs included New FIAP—What are the Issues? (October 24), Exploring Living Options in Retirement (December 6), Medicare and Social Security: Concerns of Retiring and Retired Faculty (January 16), Estate Planning—Special Needs (March 26), The Nuts & Bolts of Retirement (April 25), and our annual Newly Retired & Emeritus Faculty Celebration (May 6).

PASEF’s retirement-related programs draw the largest audiences, around 100 a piece on Zoom. This past year the most popular was New FIAP—What are the Issues?

Our fall speaker event featured Claire Finkelstein on September 2 speaking about Defendant-in-Chief: Understanding the Trump Indictments and the Stakes for U.S. Democracy.

Our academic programs were Christian Terwiesch’s Would ChatGPT get a Wharton Degree? on October 26, Chris Callison-Burch’s Ask an Expert About ChatGPT and Its Potential Uses in Education (November 8), Can You Hear Me Now? An Introduction to Hearing Loss and Hearing Aids with Diane Holstein, AuD, Danielle Leibowitz, AuD, and Stacy Douberly, AuD (February 29); Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr.’s What I Did with Musicology and What It Gave Me Back (March 14); and Olivia Mitchell’s Longevity Awareness (April 9).

Many people contribute to the success of PASEF’s programs, too many to list, but special thanks go to PASEF Program Committee chair Andy Binns and members Ed George, Eduardo Glandt, and Ann O’Sullivan, who worked tirelessly to make our programs happen.

Membership engagement and communication. Membership in PASEF is automatic, but ongoing engagement of our membership depends on effective communication. Currently, PASEF has three key channels of communication: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Faculty Retirement, PASEF e-newsletters, and the PASEF website.

PASEF’s flagship publication is The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Faculty Retirement, now in its 16th edition. Though not an official publication of the University, the Hitchhiker’s Guide has become the de facto retirement manual for Penn faculty. This year’s membership survey indicated that the Hitchhiker’s Guide is considered an invaluable source of information for those nearing retirement. Annual updates and release notes are published each year, usually in January, although this year it was somewhat delayed due to the extensive changes made to FIAP.  Martin Pring and Janet Deatrick have ably managed annual revisions of the Hitchhiker’s Guide.

Nine PASEF e-newsletters were sent to members in the 2023-2024 academic year. We also sent one news flash. The newsletter highlights upcoming PASEF activities and, in the president’s column, alerts members to upcoming deadlines and changes in benefits, benefits administration, and other issues affecting retirees. This year’s membership survey revealed that our newsletter has the greatest reach, with 85% of respondents reporting that they read it at least occasionally.

Privileges of retired members of the associated faculty. Last year we were alerted that some retired associated faculty had problems concerning library privileges. Some other issues cropped up this year, and we have been endeavoring to get a full picture of the situation. Unlike for retired standing faculty, whose privileges are listed in the Faculty Handbook, privileges for retired associated faculty are left to the individual schools, which has seemingly led to some variation. In addition, certain issues require follow-up, including consistent coding of associated faculty in Workday upon retirement and the interface between Workday and the Penn community system.

PASEF Council and Committees. A list of 2023-2024 PASEF Council and committee members is appended. Thanks to all and especially to past president Marshall Meyer and president-elect Mitch Marcus for their counsel and support throughout.

In Memoriam. At every PASEF Council meeting, we note the passing of Penn faculty members and reminisce about their time at Penn. This year we sadly noted the passing of Anita Summers, who served as PASEF president from 2015-2016.

—Janice R. Bellace
2023-2024 PASEF President

Appendix: 2023-24 PASEF Council Members

• Sherrill L. Adams–Dental Medicine (Biochemistry)-at-large member of Council; Faculty Development, Diversity & Equity (SCFDDE) representative
• Gustavo Aguirre–Penn Vet (Clinical Sciences & Advanced Medicine)-at-large member of Council
• Roger M. A. Allen–Arts & Sciences (Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations)-representative to Faculty and the Academic Mission (SCOF)
• Janice Bellace–Wharton (Legal Studies & Business Ethics)–president; chair of Steering Committee
• Andrew N. Binns–Arts & Sciences (Biology)-at-large member of Council; chair, Program Committee
• Peter Conn–Arts & Sciences (English)-library liaison
• Janet Deatrick–Nursing (Family & Community Health)-co-editor of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Faculty Retirement; representative to Senate Executive Committee (SEC)
• Edward I. George–Wharton (Statistics and Data Science)-at-large member of Council
• Peter Kuriloff–Graduate School of Education–secretary; representative to University Council Committee on Personnel Benefits (PBC)
• Mitch Marcus–Engineering & Applied Science (Computer and Information Science)-president-elect; chair, Nominating Committee; co-chair, Community Involvement Committee
• Marshall W. Meyer–Wharton (Management)–past president; chair, Membership Engagement Committee
• Charles Mooney, Jr.–Penn Carey Law-at-large member of Council; pepresentative to Faculty and the Administration (SCOA)
• Ana Lía Obaid–Penn Medicine (Neuroscience)-at-large member of Council; co-chair, Community Involvement Committee
• Ann L. O’Sullivan–Nursing (Family & Community Health)-at-large member of Council
• Martin Pring–Penn Medicine (Physiology)-co-editor of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Faculty Retirement
• Brian M. Salzberg–Penn Medicine (Neuroscience)-at-large member of Council
• Irene Wong–Social Policy & Practice-at-large member of Council; representative to Students & Educational Policy (SCSEP)
• Former Presidents: Gerald J. Porter, Neville E. Strumpf, Roger M. A. Allen, Ross A. Webber, Jack H. Nagel, Anita A. Summers, Paul Shaman, Lois K. Evans, Janice F. Madden, and Janet Deatrick

Solomon R. Pollack, C’55, Gr’57, PhD’61, an emeritus professor of bioengineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science, died on August 4. He was 90.

Dr. Pollack was a Penn alumnus, earning his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and PhD, all in physics, from Penn in 1955, 1957 and 1961, respectively. In 1964, he joined the Penn faculty as an assistant professor in what was then called the School of Metallurgical Engineering. (The faculty of that school, now the department materials science and engineering, was absorbed into the newly-formed School of Engineering & Applied Science in 1972.) In 1977, Dr. Pollack joined Penn Engineering’s department of bioengineering, where he continued to serve until 2003, when he retired and took emeritus status. During his time at Penn, Dr. Pollack also held secondary appointments in the School of Medicine’s department of orthopaedic surgery and in the School of Nursing. He served as the department chair of bioengineering from 1977 to 1982 and again from 1990 to 1991, and also as associate dean of graduate education and research in Penn Engineering from 1981 to 1986.

Dr. Pollack studied the bioelectrical properties of bone and connective tissue, the electrical stimulation of bone growth and fracture healing, and transport phenomena in bones, and published his findings widely in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Pollack was renowned on Penn’s campus as an outstanding teacher and mentor; he received Penn’s Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1968 and Penn Engineering’s S. Reid Warren, Jr. Award in 1992 (Almanac December 15, 1992). He mentored many graduate students, many of whom have led distinguished careers at peer institutions. Upon Dr. Pollack’s retirement, his daughter Andrea Pollack and son-in-law Adam Usdan established the Solomon R. Pollack professorship in honor of Dr. Pollack’s groundbreaking contributions to the department of bioengineering.

Dr. Pollack is survived by his wife, Ellen (née Goldenberg); his children, Michael Pollack (Debbie), Andrea Pollack (Adam Usdan), and Carolyn Pollack; and his grandchildren, Jen (George), Ben, Hanna, Matthew, Jacob, and Zachary. Contributions in his memory may be made to Birthright Israel at www.birthrightisrael.com.

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To Report A Death

Almanac appreciates being informed of the deaths of current and former faculty and staff members, students and other members of the University community. Call (215) 898-5274 or email almanac@upenn.edu.

However, notices of alumni deaths should be directed to the Alumni Records Office at Suite 300, 2929 Walnut St., (215) 898-8136 or email record@ben.dev.upenn.edu.

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

As we bid farewell to summer and prepare ourselves for a new academic year, I write as chair of the Faculty Senate to welcome you back to campus and to invite you to participate in the work of the Faculty Senate of the University of Pennsylvania.

We find ourselves, as a faculty and as a nation, at an extraordinarily complex and challenging juncture. The political, economic, and ideological tensions that are evident nationally are echoed on our campus and show no sign of abating. Major global conflicts continue in Ukraine, the Middle East, and elsewhere; elections in the U.S. and other nations have exposed and exacerbated domestic conflicts; poverty and disease are endemic. Locally, the City of Philadelphia confronts profound economic inequality, a continuing opioid epidemic, and a struggling city center. Over the past academic year, our campus experienced the resignation of President Elizabeth Magill and chair of the Board of Trustees Scott Bok, major protests (ending with police intervention) over the war in Gaza, incidents involving antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hate, and an attack on the core principles and values that have made the University of Pennsylvania one of the world’s premier academic institutions for almost three centuries. These are turbulent times.

Although the Faculty Senate cannot address all of these challenges, it can and will consistently advocate for the fundamental values that bind us as a community. As chair of the Faculty Senate, I will prioritize and defend three values that are essential to the academic mission. The first is shared governance, articulated over a century ago by the American Association of University Professors in its 1920 “Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities.” Shared governance means that the faculty have the primary say in areas including the curriculum (what is taught and how it is taught), appointments, promotion, tenure, and dismissal. The faculty play an important role in decisions involving the hiring of university leaders, budgeting, planning, student and faculty conduct, and more. In some cases, the faculty can and should work autonomously, and in others, we must work collaboratively with other University leaders. Shared governance has been increasingly challenged in recent years; the Faculty Senate must and will strenuously oppose those efforts.

The second value crucial to the health of this (and every) campus is open expression. At the heart of all great universities is the open, honest, and respectful exchange of ideas. The essence of our job as members of Penn’s faculty is to think, to listen, to try out new ideas, to critique our own arguments and those of others, and to strive to arrive at the best possible theories, arguments, and explanations in our fields. The same goes for our students: their education depends upon their willingness and ability to freely and openly express their thoughts and ideas, and to engage in thoughtful exchanges with their teachers, colleagues, and community. No campus can live up to the responsibility of educating its students if it does not fully embrace a commitment to open expression. As our community continues to debate the meaning and boundaries of open expression, the many voices of the faculty must be heard.

Academic freedom is the third value that I will prioritize. Simply put, academic freedom protects faculty and students from punishment, censorship, intimidation, or retribution for the views, findings, or methods that animate their teaching, research, or classroom expression, even when those views, findings, or methods are controversial or unorthodox. As Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote in the 1957 U.S. Supreme Court opinion Sweezy v. New Hampshire: “Scholarship cannot flourish in an atmosphere of suspicion and distrust. Teachers and students must always remain free to inquire, to study and to evaluate, to gain new maturity and understanding; otherwise, our civilization will stagnate and die.”

In addition to the importance of these three values, Penn faces an even broader existential challenge. Americans of all political persuasions increasingly view higher education as a bad investment. A college degree is too often considered an overpriced commodity that does not provide sufficient returns, trust in institutions of higher education is diminishing, and barely half of Gen Z teenagers express interest in pursuing a four-year degree. As a recent article in The Atlantic succinctly put it, “Americans are losing their faith in higher education.” For now, Penn’s application pool remains extraordinarily strong. But we cannot be complacent in the face of this broad skepticism of higher education.

Shared governance, open expression, academic freedom, and the future robustness of higher education are not guaranteed, and they must not be taken for granted. I invite you to join me, along with chair-elect Kathleen Brown, past chair Vivian Gadsden, and the other 55 members of the Senate Executive Committee, in protecting the values that make the University of Pennsylvania an exemplary institution of learning. We face powerful headwinds and significant challenges. Your participation and involvement in the Faculty Senate will help to ensure Penn’s future.

—Eric A. Feldman
Chair, Faculty Senate
Deputy Dean for International Programs
Heimbold Chair in International Law, and
Professor of Medical Ethics & Health Policy
Penn Carey Law School

The Faculty Senate: An Overview

The Faculty Senate is the representative voice for standing faculty and is led by a tri-chair arrangement in which decisions are made jointly by the chair, the past-chair, and the chair-elect. All standing faculty are members of the Senate, and most of the work is conducted by an elected Senate Executive Committee (SEC) of 58 faculty members that meets monthly, and by several standing and select committees. All standing faculty members are encouraged to become involved in the Senate’s work by contacting the Senate office or your constituency representative.

The standing committees of the Faculty Senate focus broadly on our campus and community-wide concerns. They include the following Senate committees:

• Economic Status of the Faculty (SCESF), which gathers and organizes data on compensation and represents the faculty in the determination of University policy on salary issues
• Faculty and the Academic Mission (SCOF), which oversees and advises on matters relating to the University’s policies and procedures concerning the academic mission, including the structure of the academic staff, the tenure system, faculty appointments and promotions, faculty research, and faculty governance
• Faculty and the Administration (SCOA), which oversees and advises on matters relating to the faculty’s interface with the University’s administration, including policies and procedures relating to the University’s structure and the conditions of faculty employment
• Faculty Development, Diversity, and Equity (SCFDDE), which identifies and promotes best practices for faculty development, mentoring, and work environment to facilitate faculty success at all career levels and evaluates and advocates processes for faculty recruitment, promotion, and retention that support diversity, equity, and work/life balance for the faculty
• Students and Educational Policy (SCSEP), which oversees and advises on matters relating to the University’s policies and procedures on the admission and instruction of students, including academic integrity, admissions policies and administration, evaluation of teaching, examinations and grading, academic experiences, educational opportunities, student records, disciplinary systems, and the campus environment
• Institutional Response to the Climate Emergency (“CIRCE”), which facilitates discussion of global warming and climate change as they pertain to Penn Faculty.  A spinoff group, CIRCE: Medicine, is working to help Penn Medicine implement the Climate and Sustainability pillar of its current strategic plan

(A list of Senate committees and constituency representatives can be found here.)

The following agenda is published in accordance with the Faculty Senate Rules. Any member of the standing faculty may attend SEC meetings and observe by contacting Patrick Walsh, executive assistant to the Senate, either by telephone at (215) 898-6943 or by email at senate@pobox.upenn.edu.

Wednesday, September 4, 2024
3–5 p.m. ET

1. Welcome and introductions
2. Finalize the Minutes of May 15, 2024
3. Issues Requiring a Vote:
   • Finalize the 2024-2025 Hearing List for the Center for Community Standards and Accountability
   • Finalize the 2024-25 Hearing List for the Faculty Grievance Commission
   • Finalize the Faculty Membership on the 2024-2025 Committee on Open Expression
   • Finalize the Updated List of Faculty Senate Constituencies to include the Department of Cinema and Media Studies
   • Finalize the Draft Charges for Senate Standing Committees, 2024-2025
4. Fall and Spring Symposium Ideas
5. Update from the Office of the Senior Executive Vice President
6. Update from the Office of the General Counsel
7. New Business

In the fall 2023 cycle of Penn’s internally funded University Research Foundation, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research gave awards to the following members of the faculty for the projects listed below. Note: URF conference support is noted with an asterisk.

• Millan AbiNader, School of Social Policy and Practice, Developing a Suicidal Behavior Intervention in Emergency Department Settings for Victims and Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence
• Daud Ali, School of Arts and Sciences, South Asia Studies, History from the Margins: Memory, Local Knowledge and the Past in South India, 1600-1900
• Nadine Al-Naamani, Perelman School of Medicine, Medicine, Impact of low resistance exercise on quality of life in pulmonary arterial hypertension
• Juan Alvarez, Perelman School of Medicine, Cell and Developmental Biology, Coordination of DEC1 clockwork and insulin rhythms in pancreatic beta cells
• Charles-Antoine Assenmacher, School of Veterinary Medicine, Pathobiology, Undetected viral infection as potential cause of spontaneous neurodegeneration in severely immunocompromised mice
• Tobias Baumgart, School of Arts and Sciences, Chemistry, Flippase function in asymmetric lipid bilayers: the importance of stress differentials
• *Parrish Bergquist, School of Arts and Sciences, Political Science, Conference on the Political Economy of Climate Change and the Environment
• *Cristina Bicchieri, School of Arts and Sciences, Philosophy, Norms and Behavioral Change Conference (NoBeC) 2024: Polarization
• Cullen Blake, School of Arts and Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, Taking the Temperatures of Other Worlds
• Lorraine Boakye, Perelman School of Medicine, Orthopaedic Surgery, A Novel Approach to Monitoring Adherence to Immobilization Protocol and Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) in Patients Undergoing Management of Achilles Tendon Pathology
• Aislinn Bohren, School of Arts and Sciences, Economics, Prospective Bias in Belief Formation
• S. Pearl Brilmyer, School of Arts and Sciences, English, Lou Andreas-Salomé’s Psychoanalytic Theory
• Sarah Bush, School of Arts and Sciences, Political Science, Economic Diversification and Climate Change in the Middle East
• Juan Camilo Castillo, School of Arts and Sciences, Economics, The Potential of Public Transit: Evidence from Mobile Phone Data
• Brent Cebul, School of Arts and Sciences, History, Building Inequality: Redlining and FHA Rental Housing (including a related conference grant)
• Rita Copeland, School of Arts and Sciences, Classical Studies, Passions and Politics in Medieval Literary Culture
• Julie Nelson Davis, School of Arts and Sciences, History of Art, Understanding Japanese Material Texts: Metadata and Digital Humanities Impacts
• César de la Fuente, Perelman School of Medicine, Psychiatry, Microbiology, Molecular de-extinction: resurrecting antibiotics to combat drug-resistant infections
• Ivan Drpić, School of Arts and Sciences, History of Art, The Enkolpion: Object and Self in Medieval Byzantium
• Douglas Durian, School of Arts and Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, Circuits that Learn from the Bottom Up
• James English, School of Arts and Sciences, English, Reader Studies in the Digital Age: Diversity and the Data of Literary Consumption
• Ann Farnsworth-Alvear, School of Arts and Sciences, History, New Tools for Old Documents: Comparing outcomes using 18th, 19th, and 20th century archival materials about afrocolombian history, using large language modeling in combination with community-based pedagogies
• *Deborah Gaspari, School of Arts and Sciences, Psychology, Context and Episodic Memory Symposium 2024
• *Nili Gold, School of Arts and Sciences, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Dan Ben-Amos Memorial Symposium
• Erick Guerra, Stuart Weitzman School of Design, City and Regional Planning, Biking in Buenos Aires: The role of infrastructure, geography, and individual travel behavior in a rapid increase in cycling rates
• Michael Hast, Perelman School of Medicine, Orthopaedic Surgery, Development of Scaffolds for Critical Sized Defect Repairs with 3D Printed “Bonuts”
• Amy Hillier, School of Social Policy and Practice, Development of a Brief Parent-Report Gender Diversity Screener for Young Children
• DeMarcus Jenkins, School of Social Policy and Practice, School Safety (Re)Imagined: Examining School Changes to the Removal of Law Enforcement Officers
• Elizabeth Lennon, School of Veterinary Medicine, Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, Epithelial Monolayer Cultures to Model Species-Specific Host Responses to Infectious Diseases
• Lin Li, Perelman School of Medicine, Radiology, The Third Britton Chance International Symposium on Metabolic Imaging and Spectroscopy
• Zhongjie Lin, Stuart Weitzman School of Design, City and Regional Planning, Planning Autonomous Mobility for Sustainable and Equitable Cities
• Alicia Long, School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Evaluating the potential for the zoonotic transmission of antimicrobial resistance genes in horses receiving antimicrobials for colic surgery
• Julia Lynch, School of Arts and Sciences, Political Science, Seeing Health Equity Like a State: Health Statistics and the Politics of Inequality
• Sandra Maday, Perelman School of Medicine, Neuroscience, Elucidating cell-type-specific vulnerabilities to lysosomal damage in neurons versus astrocytes
• Andrew Markman Guzick, Perelman School of Medicine, Psychiatry, App-delivered exposure and response prevention for obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Megan Matthews, School of Arts and Sciences, Chemistry, New targets of old drugs lead to novel enzyme regulating global neurotransmitter metabolism
• Rahul Mukherjee, School of Arts and Sciences, Cinema & Media Studies, Cultures of Datafication in South Asia
• John O’Donnell, Perelman School of Medicine, Neurosurgery, Objective, multimodal, continuous monitoring of pig physiology in rehabilitation studies following traumatic brain injury
• Prashant Purohit, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Compaction of clays under gravity and shear loads
• Emanuela Ricciotti, Perelman School of Medicine, Systems Pharmacology, Role of circadian clock in the diurnal variability of response to aspirin
• Kathryn Schuler, School of Arts and Sciences, Linguistics, Probability matching as generalization
• Warren Seider, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Environmentally Sustainable Algae Biofuel Production using Gas Microbubbles: A Path to Green Energy
• Katie Sherwood, School of Arts and Sciences, Biology, Using restorative seaweed aquaculture to mitigate environmental change on coral reefs
• *Xi Song, School of Arts and Sciences, Sociology, Summer Institute on Computational Social Science and the International Conference for Computational Social Sciences
• *Emily Steiner, School of Arts and Sciences, English, Premodern Literature and Global Histories: A Conference in Honor of Professor David Wallace
• Amy Stornaiuolo, Graduate School of Education, Learning, Teaching, and Literacies, Writing in the Age of AI: Adolescent Writers Developing AI Literacy
• Alp Sungu, Wharton Business School, OID, Improving Nutritional and Environmental Outcomes Using  Data-driven Food Subsidies at the Base-of-the-pyramid
• Tatyana Svitkina, School of Arts and Sciences, Biology, Acquisition of a DeepSIM super resolution fluorescence microscope
• Jim Sykes, School of Arts and Sciences, Music, Musicianhood: Enchantment and Displacement in a History of Capital
• Thomas Tartaron, School of Arts and Sciences, Classical Studies, Past, Present, and Future of Traditional Fishing Communities: A Cross-Cultural Approach
• Colleen Tewksbury, School of Nursing, Biobehavioral Health Sciences, Nutrition Changes with Pharmacotherapy Treatment of Obesity
• Tariq Thachil, School of Arts and Sciences, Political Science, The Politics of Air Pollution in India’s Cities
• Noor Toraif, School of Social Policy and Practice, Breaking the Cycle: Examining the Contribution of Public Defender Teams in Supporting Multisystem Young Adults and Reducing Pathways to Incarceration
• Jessie Torgersen, Perelman School of Medicine, Medicine, Use of Deep Learning Algorithms to Enable Evaluation of the Determinants and Outcomes of Hepatic Steatosis, by HIV Status
• Theodoros Tsetsenis, Perelman School of Medicine, Neuroscience, Cell-type-specific dopaminergic enhancement of memory in Alzheimer’s disease
• Ioannis Verginadis, Perelman School of Medicine, Radiation Oncology, The role of host STAT3 on radioresistance in an orthotopic pancreatic tumor preclinical model.
• Domenic Vitiello, Stuart Weitzman School of Design, City & Regional Planning, Mafia, Anti-mafia, and Migrant Communities in Western Sicily
• Erica Weitz, Perelman School of Medicine, Psychiatry, A pilot study of Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) via wearable technology to better in identify risk for anxiety in the perinatal period
• *Liang Wu, School of Arts and Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, Workshop on Quantum Geometry
• Chenshu Zhou, School of Arts and Sciences, Cinema and Media Studies, Beyond Watching: Screen Time in a Changing China

Senior Vice Provost for Research Dawn Bonnell, who also serves as the Henry Robinson Towne Professor in Materials Science and Engineering, has been elected to the American Philosophical Society.

At Penn, Dr. Bonnell forges paths that allow Penn engineers to strategically plan and execute pioneering research. Dr. Bonnell plays an important role in developing strategies that anticipate future directions in scientific innovation, feeding the ongoing, thriving research enterprise and providing the underlying structures and programs that enable frontier research at Penn. She has also conducted extensive research across materials science, chemistry and physics.

The American Philosophical Society is the oldest learned society in the United States, founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin for the purpose of “promoting useful knowledge.” Today, the society honors leading scholars, scientists and professionals through elected membership and supports research and discovery through grants and fellowships, lectures, publications, prizes, exhibitions and public education. Dr. Bonnell was welcomed as a member of the society in May 2024.

“It is a great honor to be associated with such distinguished intellectuals, in history and present day,” said Dr. Bonnell. “I am looking forward to meeting colleagues and learning from their ideas and perspectives on topics way beyond my area of research. I am particularly excited to bring the insight I gain from collaboration and interaction with the American Philosophical Society back to the community at Penn.”

Earlier in Dr. Bonnell’s career, she volunteered in professional organizations, including serving as president of one that taught her how to lead groups with diverse goals. She has also served on several federal agency strategy committees, which provided her with insight into trending research directions and how to approach their funding. These experiences enabled Dr. Bonnell to help establish the NanoBio Interface Center at Penn in 2004, and led to her position as Senior Vice Provost for Research at Penn.

“As Senior Vice Provost for Research, I have enjoyed creating programs and partnerships that advance research and enable faculty, graduate students and postdocs to explore new frontiers,” Dr. Bonnell said. “It has also been very rewarding to be able to provide, with partnerships in the schools, the infrastructure required for frontier research and new system technologies that drive our functions.”

Dr. Bonnell supports the research endeavors of the greater Penn community, informed by her own roots as a researcher on nanotechnology tools used to measure and image atoms at surfaces and interfaces. Her work studies how to understand the behavior of atoms to manipulate properties that implicate a wide range of future devices, including biomedical sensors, solar cells, computer chips, next-generation batteries, memory storage, and energy harvesting and storage.

“My research has been in fundamental science,” said Dr. Bonnell. “We uncover new knowledge, and it is exciting to be in a position where you know something new that no one else knows, albeit for only a little while. It is then very gratifying to see others build on that knowledge to advance their research.”

Through Dr. Bonnell’s many roles at Penn, her passion lies in helping others succeed.

“One of the most satisfying components of research is seeing and helping students and postdocs become researchers,” she said. “To watch them develop skills and knowledge and then see the excitement when they make their first discovery or solve a problem is what I look forward to the most.”

Penn Carey Law School associate dean, director of the Biddle Law Library, and lecturer in law Amanda Runyon has been awarded the 2024 Law Library Journal Article of the Year Award from the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL).

Since 1990, AALL has honored “outstanding achievement in research and writing” in a work published in Law Library Journal. Each year, AALL Awards Jury members review every Law Library Journal article published in the previous year before selecting a winner.

Ms. Runyon co-authored “Demonstrating Law Library Value Through Mission-Centered Assessment,” (Law Library Journal Vol. 115, No. 5, 2023) with Amanda Bolles Watson, assistant dean for library and information services at Harvard Law School; Amanda I. Karel, a higher education accreditation, assessment, and planning consultant; and Leslie Street, director of the Wolf Law Library and a clinical professor of legal research at William & Mary Law School.

The article came from a desire to “positively change the professional conversation around law library quality and find better ways to communicate value,” particularly as U.S. News & World Report adopted new metrics that fundamentally changed how it attempted to measure the value of law libraries in its law school rankings beginning in late 2020.

“Their revised formula placed a heavier emphasis on easily quantifiable metrics about law libraries, such as number of seats, titles owned, and hours open,” said Ms. Runyon. “While convenient to measure, these metrics offered little insight into the true quality of a law library’s services and collections.”

Conversations about law library quality became dominated by U.S. News rankings, overshadowing how well libraries actually served their institutions. The focus on U.S. News rankings led to a troubling perception of law libraries as separate entities, not integral parts of the law school with specific needs.

Ms. Runyon explained how this new emphasis on U.S. News metrics clashed directly with the American Bar Association (ABA) standards for law libraries. “The ABA requires libraries to develop resources and services tailored to each law school’s unique mission and curriculum,” she said. “Suddenly, law schools and libraries were pressured to prioritize measurable statistics over strategic allocation of resources based on actual needs.”

While the article argues against simple quantitative measures defining a law library’s quality and an overreliance on validation from organizations like the ABA and U.S. News, it also urges law librarians and leadership to take an active role in defining and demonstrating law library quality and the many ways in which they support their law schools. “We believed law librarians, as experts, should lead the conversation on what constitutes a quality law library, not outside entities defining quality and driving resource allocation,” said Ms. Runyon.

“Collaboratively authoring this article allowed us to combine our diverse backgrounds and expertise,” she said. “Our goal was to develop a modern framework for effectively demonstrating and communicating the value of law libraries that would be useful to all types of law libraries. Witnessing the positive impact of our efforts on the profession has been immensely rewarding.”

Eric Schelter, the Hirschmann-Makineni Professor of Chemistry in the School of Arts & Sciences, is one of 11 researchers selected by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement to receive its Cottrell SEED (Singular Exceptional Endeavors of Discovery) Awards for 2024. Each award is $60,000.

The competitive Cottrell SEED Award is designed to support members of the Cottrell Scholar community in high-impact research activities. This year, RCSA expanded SEED Awards to include two categories: New Research Directions and Exceptional Opportunities. Dr. Schelter’s award was for New Research Directions, which supports innovative research projects with potential to lead to a transformative line of inquiry. Dr. Schelter’s SEED project is titled New Directions for Sustainable Separations of Battery Materials.

Dr. Schelter’s research focuses mostly on synthetic inorganic and organometallic chemistry to address problems in critical metals separations, develop new materials with quantum properties, understand the roles of f-elements in biology, and gain insight into their unique chemical bonding.

Since 1994, the Cottrell Scholar program has honored and helped to develop outstanding teacher-scholars who are recognized by their scientific communities for the quality and innovation of their research programs and their potential for academic leadership.

The Research Corporation for Science Advancement is a private foundation that funds basic research in the physical sciences (astronomy, chemistry, physics, and related fields) at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.

The American Political Science Association (APSA) has announced that assistant professor Alice Xu of Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) is the recipient of its 2024 Harold D. Lasswell Award, presented annually to honor the best doctoral dissertation in the field of public policy. The leading professional organization for the study of political science, the APSA, serves more than 11,000 members in more than 100 countries.

The citation from the award committee reads, “Amid very strong competition, Alice Xu’s dissertation, ‘Segregation and the Spatial Externalities of Inequality: A Theory of Interdependence and Public Goods in Cities’ stands out. It is theoretically ambitious, methodologically creative, deeply rigorous, expertly executed, and elegantly crafted. This dissertation develops a new and more enlightened understanding of the factors that underlie support for the provision of public goods in urban settings, in the process opening up new methodological possibilities and theoretical lines of inquiry. The committee agrees that this is research of the highest quality and is thoroughly deserving of the Harold D. Lasswell Prize.”

Dr. Xu joined Penn in July of 2023 with a primary appointment at SP2 and a secondary appointment in the political science department in the School of Arts and Sciences. Previously a postdoctoral associate at Yale University’s Leitner Program in Political Economy, Dr. Xu studies the comparative political economy of development with a focus on the politics of inequality and social policy, urban and distributive politics, and climate justice and environmental politics in the global south.

The September AT PENN calendar is now available. View it online here, or click here to download a printable PDF.

The 30th annual Penn Friends and Family Day will be held on Saturday, September 28. The Division of Human Resources and Penn Athletics invite faculty, staff, postdocs, and friends to a day of football, food, community, and fun!

“Fall schedules are busy, so mark off space in your calendar if you can and come out to the opening football game at historic Franklin Field,” said Karen Kille, manager, of quality of work-life programs.

“Penn Friends and Family Day is the perfect occasion to share Penn tradition, fun and camaraderie with your family and friends,” Ms. Killie said. “The DJ, Penn Band, lunch, football game, and kids’ activities are always highlights for my family.”

This year’s Penn Family Day line-up of activities features a family-friendly tailgate party on Shoemaker Green, just outside of Franklin Field and the famous Palestra. During the party, your family and friends can enjoy lunch, games, a row of bounce houses, a photo booth, DJ, and face painting. Special appearances include the Penn Band, Penn Cheerleading, the Division of Public Safety, Fire & Emergency Services, MERT, and the Penn Working Dog Center.

After the tailgate party, the Penn vs. Colgate football game kicks off at 1 p.m. You can order up to four free tickets for the tailgate party and football game (additional tickets are $8 each). Your ticket includes lunch at the tailgate party and admission to the football game. Tickets are available now through September 23. To order tickets, log into the Penn Athletics ticket website.

Check out the full schedule of Penn Friends and Family Day activities, including soccer, volleyball, field hockey, ice skating, and cutting-edge art exhibits and shows. There’s something for everyone at this campus celebration.

Films        

8/28     Chocolate Milk; celebrate National Breastfeeding Month and Black Breastfeeding Week with an exclusive screening; 4 p.m.; Ann L. Roy Auditorium, Fagin Hall; register: https://tinyurl.com/nursing-screening-aug-28 (Penn Nursing).

Fitness & Learning

8/30     Kelly Writers House Activity Fair; learn about student-led Writers House activities and initiatives, including magazines, writing groups, film production, and more; 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Kelly Writers House (Kelly Writers House).

Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships

Online webinars. Info and to register: https://curf.upenn.edu/events.

8/30     Introduction to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program; 2 p.m.

Graduate School of Education

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

8/28     Lunch and Learn: Keyboard Shortcuts; noon.

8/29     Learning Analytics, MSEd (Online) Virtual Information Session; 8 p.m.

Morris Arboretum & Gardens

In-person events at Morris Arboretum & Gardens. Info and to register: https://www.morrisarboretum.org/see-do/events-calendar.

8/31     Writers’ Meetup; meet other writers, walk the gardens, and write through guided prompts about the natural world; 10 a.m.; tickets: $35/general, $30/members.

On Stage

8/29     Student Performing Arts Night (SPAN); brings together 50+ student performing arts groups and hundreds of new Penn performing artists for a whirlwind collage of short, get-to-know-you performances; 7 p.m.; Zellerbach Theater, Annenberg Center; tickets: $10; register: https://pennlivearts.org/event/SPAN-24 (Performing Arts Council).

Talks

8/28     Computing with Physical Systems; Peter McMahon, Cornell University; 3:30 p.m.; room A8, DRL (Physics & Astronomy).

            Self-Assembly Models for Crystal Growth and Phase Transitions; Julia Dshemuchadse, Cornell University; 3:30 p.m. Wu & Chen Auditorium, Levine Hall (Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering).

            Providing ADEPT-CARE to Patients with Disabilities: A Student-Created, Novel Teaching Tool; Lydia Smeltz, Penn State University; 5:30 p.m.; online webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/smeltz-talk-aug-28 (Penn Dental Medicine).

8/30     Beyond “Hate”: Violence in Asian American History; Mark Tseng-Puttermnan, ASAM; Asian American Politics; Sonya Chen, ASAM; noon; room 473, McNeil Building, and Zoom webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/asam-talk-aug-30 (Asian American Studies).  

This is an update to the Summer AT PENN calendar. The September AT PENN calendar appears in this issue and is online now. To include events in a future AT PENN calendar or weekly update, send 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 12-18, 2024. 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 12-18, 2024. 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: 2 incidents were reported for August 12-18, 2024 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 Office of the Vice Provost for Research announces that the fall 2024 cycle of the University Research Foundation (URF) opened on August 19 and that applications will be accepted until the October 10, 2024 deadline. The URF is an intramural funding program that provides up to $75,000 of support for research projects and up to $5,000 for conference support.  The URF provides seed funding for research activities that are expected to lead to external sponsorship and/or peer-reviewed research publications.  The URF has two awards types, research support grants and conference support grants. Each program has its own guidelines and budget requirements. Details are below, and more information is available online at https://research.upenn.edu/funding/ovpr-funded-opportunities/  

Research Support Grants

This program provides up to $75,000 for research support. The objectives of this program are to: (a) help junior faculty undertake pilot projects that will enable them to successfully apply for extramural sources of funding and aid in establishing their careers as independent investigators; (b) help established faculty perform novel, pioneering research to determine project feasibility and develop preliminary data to support extramural grant applications; (c) provide support in disciplines where extramural support is difficult to obtain and where significant research can be facilitated with internal funding; and (d) provide limited institutional matching funds that are required as part of a successful external peer-reviewed application.

Conference Support Grants

This program is designed to provide funding up to $5,000 for meetings and conferences to be held at Penn to enhance existing research and scholarly programs, particularly in disciplines where external funding is difficult to obtain. Conferences that promote interdisciplinary and multi-school participation are given priority. Evidence of additional financial support is required in the application.

Disciplinary Areas

Faculty members are invited to submit their applications to one of four disciplinary areas: biomedical sciences, humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and social science and management.

Eligibility

Eligibility is limited to Penn assistant, associate and full professors in any track. Note: the biomedical sciences panel limits applications for research grants to assistant and early stage associate professors (faculty members in their first three years). Instructors and research associates must provide a letter from their department chair establishing that the applicant will receive an appointment as an assistant professor by the time of the award (on or before March 2025). Adjunct and emeritus faculty are not eligible to apply. Only one application is permitted per PI per cycle. Awards must be expended on University of Pennsylvania facilities, equipment and/or associated University technical staff and undergraduate students.

—Office of the Vice Provost for Research

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

The Penn Office of Information Security welcomes faculty and staff to a new academic year. We wish you all a safe and secure environment where your:

• Device is protected. On your first day back at work, you might consider installing and running an antivirus application to ensure your device is clear of viruses and malware. Penn provides its eligible employees and students with Sophos, a free supported antivirus and antimalware application.
• Regular software updates are crucial for maintaining the security of your computing device, including browser plugins like Adobe. We strongly recommend running these updates to ensure that your device is protected.
• Data is safe. It is essential to back up data on an external drive or a secure cloud location. Penn data should be handled according to Penn’s Data Risk Classification and stored on a managed solution. Your IT support staff can suggest where you can back up Penn-related data.  
• Information is protected. We advise updating your password to meet Penn password guidelines. Penn provides a password manager that generates strong passwords for various applications stored in a vault and accessed using one strong password.  
• Email is secure. Always verify the email’s source before acting. You can click on the reply button to check the sender’s address but be cautious not to press Send. If an email urges you to click on a link or open an attachment, it is likely a phishing attempt designed to trick you into giving a hacker access to your system or sharing sensitive information.

We encourage you to visit these web pages for more information:

• Penn Data Risk Classification: https://www.isc.upenn.edu/security/data-classification
• Antivirus for Desktops and Laptops: https://www.isc.upenn.edu/how-to/antivirus-desktops-and-laptops
• Change PennKey Password: https://weblogin.pennkey.upenn.edu/changeexpiredpassword
• Self Service Password Reset: https://pennkeysupport.upenn.edu/recovery-service

Have a secure year!

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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.