October 14, 2025 Volume 72 Issue 10

Kathleen O’Neill, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the Perelman School of Medicine and the director of the uterine transplant program at Penn, is leading a program  to develop a new type of mRNA therapy—a platform that can be used to explore the underlying causes of abnormal uterine bleeding and also to treat it.

The new effort is funded through the Missed Vital Sign, a women’s health program launched by Wellcome Leap to accelerate breakthroughs in understanding and treating heavy menstrual bleeding, that will provide the team up to $5 million. Co-investigators on the project include Jillian Melamed, a research assistant professor of infectious diseases at Penn, Kara McKinley, an assistant professor of stem cell and regenerative biology at Harvard University, and Kelsey Swingle, an assistant professor of bioengineering at Rice University.

 “Heavy menstrual bleeding affects one in three women, but our resources for treating it are incredibly limited,” said Dr. O’Neill.

Every minute in the U.S., a woman requires a blood transfusion because of her period. Heavy menstrual bleeding regularly interferes with everyday life, causing women to miss school or work and potentially leading to adverse health conditions like anemia. Heavy periods can also indicate health issues such as uterine fibroids, thyroid disease, bleeding disorders, and pituitary tumors. Yet this all-too-common symptom is often overlooked by healthcare professionals. No clear measure or marker exists to define what constitutes “normal” bleeding, and many women with heavy menstrual bleeding don’t even realize their cycles aren’t typical.

Overall, through the Missed Vital Sign program, Wellcome Leap will invest $50 million in research to better quantify heavy menstrual bleeding, understand its causes, develop new treatments, and raise awareness among the public and healthcare providers about what normal menstrual bleeding is and is not. 

“The beauty of this program is that it’s trying to attack menstrual bleeding on all fronts,” Dr. O’Neill said.

Currently, treatments for heavy menstrual bleeding are limited. When bleeding is related to uterine fibroids, surgery to remove the fibroids can help to reduce menstrual flow. Patients with heavy periods may also benefit from hormonal interventions like birth control pills or an intra-uterine device (IUD), which thins the endometrial lining to reduce bleeding. Yet surgery and hormones can have significant risks and side effects, and they are not right for everyone.

Understanding the Endometrium and the Biology of Heavy Periods

As a physician-scientist in obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. O’Neill has a special interest in understanding the uterus and its inner lining, or endometrium. Dysfunction of the endometrium is associated with a host of problems, including abnormal bleeding, cancer, infertility, and pregnancy loss. Despite its importance, she says, “the endometrium has been like a black box. We still don’t understand many of the fundamental questions about how it works.”

Dr. O’Neill, Dr. Melamed and their collaborators plan to develop a new type of treatment: a vaginal gel made of lipid nanoparticles that will deliver mRNA to the endometrial tissue in order to restore the production of proteins that are critical in limiting menstrual bleeding. Treatments based on mRNA gained fame for their role in developing COVID vaccines, but they have shown promise for treating a variety of diseases, from autoimmune diseases to cancers to cystic fibrosis. With this new therapy, the researchers plan to extend the use of lipid nanoparticle delivery of mRNA to the field of women’s health to reduce heavy menstrual bleeding.

Previous research has singled out some of the biological pathways that may play a role in heavy periods, Dr. O’Neill said. One such pathway is vasoconstriction, the process that causes blood vessels to narrow to reduce blood flow. Another is proliferation repair, a process involved in regenerating new tissue during wound healing—and which plays a role in the monthly breakdown and renewal of the endometrium. Data from past studies in both animals and humans has pinpointed genes and proteins involved in these pathways that appear to be present at lower or higher levels in women with heavy menstrual bleeding.

Preclinical Research to Explore a Future Non-Hormonal Treatment

Dr. O’Neill, Dr. Melamed and their colleagues aim to develop a vaginal gel that would deliver mRNA into the endometrium to regulate those proteins. Initially, the team will test the treatment in samples of human endometrial tissue and mouse models that have been specially engineered to have menstrual cycles that mimic those of human women. If the treatment appears successful in those preclinical studies, the researchers hope to eventually test the safety and efficacy of an mRNA vaginal gel in clinical trials.

“This is just the first step,” Dr. O’Neill said. “But the hope is that we can eventually develop a new therapy for heavy menstrual bleeding that isn’t hormonal, doesn’t require surgery, and can be easily administered at home.”

Yet even if those first protein targets don’t succeed in reducing heavy periods, having a medication that safely delivers mRNA to the uterus would serve as a valuable tool for testing future protein targets as scientists continue to learn more about the diverse causes of heavy menstrual bleeding. 

“One of the benefits of the Missed Vital Sign program is that we have all these fellow collaborators who are trying to better understand what’s causing abnormal bleeding,” Dr. O’Neill said. “As they make new discoveries, we can test them in our model to see whether a particular protein is having a clinical effect.”

Dr. O’Neill is eager to find solutions to this pressing problem, in line with the ambitious goal of the Missed Vital Sign: to reduce the time it takes a woman to get effective treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding, from the current average of five years to just five months. 

“It’s a lofty goal, but we’re trying to make an impact on a big problem—and one that has gotten insufficient attention,” Dr. O’Neill said. “Good science needs to be rigorous, but it sometimes moves too slowly. We have big ideas and want to move things along with a sense of urgency.”

Adapted from a Penn Medicine article by Kirsten Weir, September 11, 2025.

Penn Climate Insights, a new website platform for sharing and acquiring trusted information about climate knowledge and related research, is now accessible to the entire Penn community.

Initiated and led by Andrew Hoffman, dean of Penn Vet, the platform was launched after a year of research and development, including surveys and focus groups from the Penn community conducted by Sam Nguyen, Penn Vet’s climate innovation coordinator. Climate Insights is a new tool designed to help educators access and integrate rigorous climate information contributed from Penn faculty and community experts into their teaching and learning experiences. It will also be a resource for the rest of the Penn community to increase climate engagement, literacy, and—its founders hope—take action.

Anyone with an active PennKey can access the site to explore the Insights Library of articles, recorded lectures, and slides; collections of insights are also available. Those with expertise, or co-authoring with experts, can also offer submissions. The insights—concise, accurate information modules about climate change impacts, adaptation, mitigation, and resilience—have intentionally been kept brief to facilitate easy use. Text articles are no longer than about 500 words. The limit on audio and video files is about 15 minutes. There will also be toolkits with materials to support educators in incorporating climate insights into their coursework.

On October 13, during Climate Week, Penn Climate Insights held a “ribbon-cutting” to preview and celebrate the platform’s official launch. The website is open to contributions, with the goal of 500 insights by the end of FY26. The team has begun inviting experts to contribute to the website, hoping for a strong community response.  

Dean Hoffman and early website supporters Katie Unger Baillie, director of Penn’s Environmental Innovations Initiative (EII), and Sarah Kagan, professor of gerontological nursing, both of whom have already contributed information, will share their outlook for the new platform and why they believe it is needed.

Even before he thought about building a website, Dean Hoffman believed more education was key to climate agency and action. “My interest and the interest of our community in building education about climate and sustainability was not really backed by the availability of trusted knowledge, educational platforms, or toolkits for educators,” exploring climate education, said Dean Hoffman.

Research has shown that educators face significant barriers to environmental information due to siloed curricula, limited resources, and misinformation.

As research for the website, the Climate Insight founders administered a survey about climate and sustainability to faculty, staff, and students across Penn’s 12 schools. Ninety percent of its respondents said they seek out climate information. However, over a fifth reported a lack of accessible resources, and about as many said they lacked confidence in their climate knowledge.

The vast majority said they would use a ‘knowledge-sharing website created by the Penn community that offers searchable, peer-reviewed information on climate.’ That website is now Penn Climate Insights.

Wednesday, October 15, 2025
3-5 p.m. ET

1. Finalize the Minutes of September 3, 2025, and October 6, 2025
2. Reports from Constituencies
3. Referrals for Membership on Advisory Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Faculty and the Academic Mission (SCOF)
4. Faculty Panel Discussion Proposal
5. Update from Co-Chairs of Select Committee on Faculty Survey
6. Consideration of Proposed Resolution on Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education
7. New Business

Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Hall of Flags, Houston Hall
4-6 p.m.

1. Welcome.
2. Approval of the minutes of September 10, 2025.
3. Follow up comments or questions on Status Reports.
4. Focus Issue: Dining With Purpose: Building Campus Community at Penn.
5. Proposed Amendment to Council Bylaws: Rewording of the Standing Charge and Renaming of UC Committee.
6. State of the University, Report of the President.
7. Responses to New Business topics raised at the September 10, 2025, University Council meeting.
8. Announcement of Open Forum.
9. New Business.
10. Adjournment.

The Division of Human Resources will celebrate members of the Penn community who have worked at the University for 25 or more years at the annual 25 Year Club Celebration. The event will be held on Thursday, October 23 at 5 p.m. New and current 25 Year Club members and their guests are invited to register for this event at http://www.hr.upenn.edu/25yearclub. Registration is required by October 16.

For more information, please contact us at 25yearclub@hr.upenn.edu or 215-898-3463.

Michael Adelman, Wharton School
Vivek Ahya, Perelman School of Medicine
Kelly Allison, Perelman School of Medicine
William Alvarez, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Gloria Andrade, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Lily Arya, Perelman School of Medicine
Vijay Balasubramanian, School of Arts and Sciences
Kendal Barbee, Division of Finance
Karen Barnes, Residential and Hospitality Services
Kirk Bechtel, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Joshua Beeman, Information Systems and Computing
Joseph Benatov, School of Arts and Sciences
Elise Betz, Development and Alumni Relations
Cynthia Bliven, Perelman School of Medicine
Tim Bolton, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Kathleen Boyajian O’Shea, School of Veterinary Medicine
Jenell Breitenbach, Penn Libraries
John Brestelli, School of Arts and Sciences
Haile Brooke, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Stephen Broomall, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Robert Brower, Human Resources
Charita Brown, Perelman School of Medicine
Stephanie Brown, Human Resources
Jorey Bump, School of Engineering and Applied Science
Brian Bushee, Wharton School
Gerard Cachon, Wharton School
Tianwen Cai, Wharton School
Craig Carnaroli, Office of the Executive Vice President
Gilbert Carroll, School of Engineering and Applied Science
Tara Carroll, Wharton School
Gene Chang, Perelman School of Medicine
Mien-Hwa Chiang, School of Arts and Sciences
Stella Chou, Perelman School of Medicine
Qingwei Chu, Perelman School of Medicine
Bryan Cole Smith, School of Dental Medicine
Robert Colligon, Perelman School of Medicine
Jose Colon, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Gina Conway, School of Arts and Sciences
Harry Coslett, Perelman School of Medicine
Christina Costanzo, School of Nursing
Patrice Costello, School of Veterinary Medicine
Cara Costello, Wharton School
Marc Culbreath, Perelman School of |Medicine
Marguerite Deal, Perelman School of Medicine
Robert Debbs, Perelman School of Medicine
Leslie Delauter, Development and Alumni Relations
Edward Delikatny, Perelman School of Medicine
Joseph Demarest, Information Systems and Computing
Christopher Denshuick, Division of Public Safety
Bimal Desai, Perelman School of Medicine
Daineen Devan, School of Dental Medicine
Russell Dileo, Division of Finance
Amy Dilling, School of Veterinary Medicine
Sharon Diskin, Perelman School of Medicine
Deborah Dole, School of Arts and Sciences
James Dorn, Division of Finance
Theron Driggins, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Jeffrey Duda, Perelman School of Medicine
Carolyn Duffy, Development and Alumni Relations
Joshua Dunaief, Perelman School of Medicine
Adrian Ecker, Perelman School of Medicine
Christopher Edwards, Perelman School of Medicine
Michael Edwards, Perelman School of Medicine
Lauren Elman, Perelman School of Medicine
David Embick, School of Arts and Sciences
Neil Fischer, Facilities and Real Estate Services
John Flaherty, Business Services
Sharon Fleshman, Student Services
Christina Frei, School of Arts and Sciences
Eron Friedlaender, Perelman School of Medicine
Serge Fuchs, School of Veterinary Medicine
Charles Gant, Perelman School of Medicine
Duamel Garcia, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Kristen Garvey, School of Dental Medicine
Gwendolyn Garvin, School of Dental Medicine
Nili Gold, School of Arts and Sciences
Noah Goodman, Perelman School of Medicine
Mark Goulian, School of Arts and Sciences
Kunaal Goyal, School of Dental Medicine
Walter Greene, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Linda Greene, School of Arts and Sciences
Tasha Gresham, Perelman School of Medicine
Maryeileen Griffith, School of Engineering and Applied Science
Paul  Grossman, Wharton School
Hancheng Guan, School of Dental Medicine
James Guevara, Perelman School of Medicine
Amy Guldin, School of Veterinary Medicine
Josef Gulka, Penn Libraries
Samantha Halter, Perelman School of Medicine
Olaino Hardaway, Wharton School
Dorothy Harris, Perelman School of Medicine
Matthew Harris, Perelman School of Medicine
Alexis Harris, Penn Carey Law School
Stephanie Heminger, School of Arts and Sciences
Evalynne Holloran, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Christopher Horrocks, Business Services
Xianxin Hua, Perelman School of Medicine
Jimmy Huh, Perelman School of Medicine
Maria Huitron De Romero, School of Veterinary Medicine
William Ihlenfeld, Perelman School of Medicine
Joseph Jakimowicz, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Patricia James, Wharton School
Eugene Janda, Division of Public Safety
Kyle Jordan, Wharton School
Kimberly Junod, President’s Center
Michael Kearns, School of Engineering and Applied Science
Janice Kelly, Perelman School of Medicine
Tejvir Khurana, Perelman School of Medicine
James Kikkawa, School of Arts and Sciences
Sarah Kim, Perelman School of Medicine
Heather Klusaritz, Perelman School of Medicine
Michael Knoll, Penn Carey Law School
William Krebs, School of Engineering and Applied Science
Susan Lamb, Perelman School of Medicine
Javita Lee, School of Dental Medicine
Christine Lee, Graduate School of Education
Mark Lewis, School of Veterinary Medicine
Chen yan Lin, Perelman School of Medicine
Larry Lisby, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Helen Logan, President’s Center
Lowell Lysinger, Wharton School
Monica  Mainigi, Perelman School of Medicine
Marianna Makarukha, School of Dental Medicine
Lynn Makowsky, Penn Museum
David Mandell, Perelman School of Medicine
Dominic Marchiano, Perelman School of Medicine
Christine Marshall, Perelman School of Medicine
Terita Martinez, School of Dental Medicine
Gabriel Martinez, Weitzman School of Design
Wendy Mc Geehan, Wharton School
Jeff Mccray, Division of Finance
Bernard Mcguire, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Denise Mcguire, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Joyce McNeill, Health and Wellness
Monica Mean, Penn Museum
Silvia Medina, School of Veterinary Medicine
Steven Messe, Perelman School of Medicine
James Metz, Perelman School of Medicine
John Millar, Perelman School of Medicine
Monte Mills, Perelman School of Medicine
Michael Ming, Perelman School of Medicine
David Mongeluzi, Information Systems and Computing
Sandra Mosgo, Weitzman School of Design
Joshua Mosley, Weitzman School of Design
George Mostoller, Penn Libraries
Elaine Mshomba, School of Arts and Sciences
Brian Nelson, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Paula Olson, School of Veterinary Medicine
Amy Paglione, Perelman School of Medicine
Edward Patton (Nen), Facilities and Real Estate Services
Patricia Pawlow, School of Nursing
Kimberly Peurifoy, School of Nursing
MaryAnn Piccolo, Division of Finance
Stephen Pickup, Perelman School of Medicine
Shanel Plummer, Division of Finance
Anthony Poole, Development and Alumni Relations
Leah Popowich, President’s Center
Andrea Porter, School of Social Policy and Practice
Janine Pritchard, Perelman School of Medicine
Wei Qin, Perelman School of Medicine
Claudia Quinton, Human Resources
Tobias Raabe, Perelman School of Medicine
David Raizen, Perelman School of Medicine
Kevin Reed, Penn Libraries
Americus Reed, Wharton School
Kathryn Roach, School of Dental Medicine
Yolanda Robinson, School of Dental Medicine
Linda Robinson, School of Arts and Sciences
Erik Rockmore, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Audra Rodgers, School of Arts and Sciences
Neftali Rodriguez, Division of Finance
William Roka, Wharton School
Hannah Rollings-Cunningham, Perelman School of Medicine
Raymond Rollins, Perelman School of Medicine
Daniel Roman, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Mark Rondeau, School of Veterinary Medicine
Mark Roney, School of Veterinary Medicine
Neil Roper, Information Systems and Computing
Nancy Rothbard, Wharton School
Susan Rowling, Perelman School of Medicine
Leslie Russell, Development and Alumni Relations
Brenda Rynn, Perelman School of Medicine
Kim Sample, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Iris Sanchez, Graduate School of Education
Ezequiel Santos, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Saswati Sarkar, School of Engineering and Applied Science
Steven Sayers, Perelman School of Medicine
Thomas Schaer, School of Veterinary Medicine
Alexander Schmitz, Perelman School of Medicine
Katherine Schultz, Penn Libraries
Erin Schwartz, Perelman School of Medicine
Aliza Schwartzman, President’s Center
Safiya Shabazz-Evans, Perelman School of Medicine
Amanda  Shillingford, Perelman School of Medicine
Kenneth Shindler, Perelman School of Medicine
Harry Shirley, Perelman School of Medicine
Nikola Sizgorich, Perelman School of Medicine
Henry Smith, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Douglas Smullens, Penn Libraries
Anthony Sorrentino, Office of the Executive Vice President
Sarah Spaulding, Wharton School
S. Stavropoulos, Perelman School of Medicine
Karen Steffa-Mcquillan, School of Veterinary Medicine
Debbie Stein, Perelman School of Medicine
Donna Steinfeldt, Penn Global
Christopher Sterner, Perelman School of Medicine
Deborah Stokes, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Catherine Struve, Penn Carey Law School
Tomo Takebe, Information Systems and Computing
Paul Tapino, Perelman School of Medicine
Berhe Teferi, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Jacqueline Tileston, Weitzman School of Design
Scott Trerotola, Perelman School of Medicine
Edward Urmston, Information Systems and Computing
Jason Vail, Development and Alumni Relations
Usha Vankireddy, Provost’s Center
Cindy Vega, School of Dental Medicine
Catherine Von Elm, School of Arts and Sciences
Arastoo Vossough, Perelman School of Medicine
Richard Wagner, Penn Carey Law School
Doris Wagner, School of Arts and Sciences
Patricia Williams, Wharton School
Robert Williams, School of Engineering and Applied Science
Steven Wilmot, School of Social Policy and Practice
Pete Wilson, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Jennifer Wolfe, Perelman School of Medicine
Dong Xin, Perelman School of Medicine
Lanwei Xu, Perelman School of Medicine
Gui-Shuang Ying, Perelman School of Medicine
Kimberly Young, Facilities and Real Estate Services
Ming Yu, Perelman School of Medicine
Kenneth Zaret, Perelman School of Medicine
Kenneth Zeferes, Graduate School of Education
Lin Zhang, Perelman School of Medicine
Lin Zhou, Perelman School of Medicine

Kathryn Connell, an assistant professor in the department of biobehavioral health sciences in Penn Nursing, has been named a fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine (ACCM). This prestigious honor recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the field of critical care medicine through clinical practice, research, and education.

Dr. Connell is a critical care nurse and health services researcher who works to improve outcomes for patients and clinicians in intensive care units. Her scholarship focused on the ways in which nursing practices and ICU organizational structures shape patient outcomes and influence decision-making in complex, high-stakes care environments.

“This fellowship is a recognition not only of my scholarship, but also of the extraordinary contributions of critical care nurses and interdisciplinary teams who work tirelessly to care for the sickest patients,” said Dr. Connell. “I am honored to join the ACCM community at this point in my career, and I look forward to collaborating with colleagues to generate new insights that improve outcomes for patients, families, and clinicians.” In addition to her faculty role, she is a core faculty member at the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, an affiliated faculty member at the Palliative and Advanced Illness Research Center, a senior fellow of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, a nurse scientist at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, and a clinical nurse at Pennsylvania Hospital.

The ACCM is the professional home for physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals committed to advancing critical care. Its mission is to enhance the care of critically ill patients through innovation in research, education, and professional development. Dr. Connell will be formally inducted as a fellow at the Society of Critical Care Medicine’s Annual Congress in March 2026.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL) have selected Lorin Jackson, assistant director of the Holman Biotech Commons at the University of Pennsylvania, for the 2025-2026 cohort of the NLM/AAHSL Leadership Fellows Program. This competitive program accepts approximately five fellows annually and is designed to prepare emerging leaders for director roles in academic health sciences libraries.

In her role at Holman Biotech Commons, Ms. Jackson supports librarians providing research services and instruction in the biomedical sciences, while cultivating a welcoming atmosphere. The Leadership Fellows Program pairs each fellow with a mentor who is an experienced academic health sciences library director. She will be mentored by Elizabeth (Liz) Lorbeer, chair of the department of medical library at Western Michigan University. Over the course of the year, Ms. Jackson will engage in intensive leadership development, including a site visit to her mentor’s institution.

Since its inception in 2002, the program has had a strong track record of success: 54% of its graduates have gone on to serve as permanent library directors. Ten former fellows have returned to the program as mentors, and 22 mentors have served multiple terms—underscoring the program’s lasting impact on the field.

Penn Carey Law School’s Kate Shaw, a professor of law, is among this year’s recipients of the Arabella Babb Mansfield Award.

The award, which recognizes lifetime professional achievement, positive influence, and valuable contributions to women in law and in society, is the oldest given by the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL). It is named after the first woman admitted to a state bar in the U.S.

Ms. Shaw and fellow hosts of the Strict Scrutiny podcast, Leah Litman (a professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School) and Melissa Murray (a professor of law at New York University School of Law), were recognized “for their significant contributions to public understanding of the U.S. Supreme Court and legal culture as constitutional law scholars and for their influential work on the Strict Scrutiny podcast.”

The podcast, which debuted in 2019 and was acquired by Crooked Media in January 2022, provides accessible, engaging analysis of the Supreme Court and its cases while demystifying the legal culture surrounding it.

In true Strict Scrutiny fashion, the podcast hosts used the award recognition as an opportunity to not only analyze the current Court Term, but to look back at the impact of Mansfield’s career and the Supreme Court cases surrounding her admittance to the Iowa bar.

“Mansfield is elected to the Iowa bar in 1869, that’s an important moment,” said Ms. Shaw in a NAWL video presenting the 2025 Mansfield Award. “And there’s an important moment that sort of points in the other direction four years later, when the Supreme Court rules in Bradwell v. Illinois, that the state of Illinois—[Iowa’s] neighboring state—can continue to exclude women from the practice of law and from the bar. That sort of split screen is a really important and revealing one in a couple of ways.”

“One, progress and equality are not linear,” she said. “And I also think they drive home that in moments in which the Supreme Court sometimes fails us in essentially implementing the full guarantees of equality and liberty in the Constitution, states can sometimes fill the breach; when the Supreme Court said Illinois could exclude women, Iowa could include women.”

“Two things that I personally draw from Arabella Babb Mansfield’s career: one is the ‘I’m going to do it anyway’ energy that I think we all need to replicate,” added Ms. Litman. “The second is fighting to break into spaces and positions of power and authority that women have too long been excluded from.”

Ms. Shaw is a constitutional law scholar who has also taught courses in administrative law and legislation as well as a seminar on the Supreme Court. Her academic work focuses on executive power, the law of democracy, the Supreme Court, and reproductive rights and justice. She joined Penn Carey Law as a full time faculty member in January 2024 from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law of Yeshiva University, where she was also co-director of the Floersheimer Center for Constitutional Democracy.

Ms. Shaw’s scholarly work has appeared in several law reviews and her commentary is published in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Time, The Washington Post, and Slate. She previously worked in the Obama White House Counsel’s Office and served as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens and the Honorable Richard Posner of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. She was elected as a member of the American Law Institute in 2024.

“I just said ‘yes’ when Leah approached me and Melissa about launching this podcast six years ago, almost exactly, in June of 2019,” said Ms. Shaw. “It was pretty clear to us that the court and the law were going to be undergoing some major changes in the coming years, and we really wanted to add a different kind of voice and analysis to how people understood those changes.”

Penn Nursing has announced the fourth cohort of the Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program, a group of dedicated nursing professionals from all over the country. These new fellows are beginning their full-time studies to become primary care nurse practitioners. Through this unique opportunity, they will gain the advanced education and clinical skills necessary to address complex challenges in their communities and make a lasting impact on healthcare.

“With the passing of Leonard A. Lauder earlier this year, the spotlight shines brighter on his legacy in the healthcare community,” said Penn Nursing dean Antonia M. Villarruel. “The Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program Fellows are committed practitioners who are urgently solving the problem of care access in underserved communities. This is nursing as it should and must be.”

The current cohort of Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Fellows come from a variety of backgrounds and share a commitment to using this unique opportunity to further their education and clinical experience to help solve the challenges they see in their chosen field.

The 2025 cohort of Lauder Fellows are:

• Anjelique Agudo
• Taylor T. Allen
• Morgan Bacon
• Meryl Joy Cantoria
• Lilith Frisco
• Natalie Graf
• Julianna Grainge
• Tessa Harstrick
• Riley Hennessy
• Nelissah Joseph
• Lucia Lopez
• Christopher Macaraeg
• Isabel Martinez 
• Adam Mayfield
• Lakeshia Montgomery 
• Victoria Moseley
• Teresa Palacios Romero
• Sophie Rust
• Kelly Shi
• Saisahana Subburaj
• Yinglin Sun
• Regenie Tee
• Daniela Valle
• Amy L. Wong
• Chih-Cheng Wu

A $10,000 prize-winning idea topped the competition at the first Smarter Care Datathon, organized by Penn Nursing and Penn Engineering. Team 6 CARE: A Critical-Care Acuity & Resource Evaluation Metric, developed by students, earned the top award by creating a solution to better evaluate patient acuity and resource needs.  

Nearly seventy students from both schools participated in the Datathon, which was sponsored by the Penn Community Collaboratory for Co-Creation on September 20 in Fagin Hall. Interdisciplinary teams used the MIMIC-IV database, a massive critical care dataset, to develop innovative, data-driven solutions for real-world healthcare challenges.

Teams chose from three key focus areas:

• Documentation and workflow
• Staffing and patient outcomes
• Early prediction of patient outcomes 

Throughout the day, students honed their ideas before presenting final pitches to a panel of judges for a chance at a $10,000 prize. The top prize was awarded to Team 6 CARE: A Critical-Care Acuity & Resource Evaluation Metric, which developed a solution to help better evaluate patient acuity and resource needs. Team 6 was made up of Busra Coskun, Belle Hsieh, Monica Lama, Luke Ni, Kevin Song, and Victor Wanjohi from Penn Engineering, and Cheryl Wang and Jonathan Zhu from Penn Nursing.

In a show of the event’s collaborative spirit, students also recognized their peers’ work through a peer participation award. This honor went to Team 3 Vocal Voices, further highlighting the creativity and teamwork that defined the day. This team was made up of Xavier Beltran Urbano, Teena Bhatia, Ignacio Boero, Vansh Dalal, Antonio Pariente, and Seher Taneja from Penn Engineering, and Hannah Cho and Sean Sygaco from Penn Nursing.

“The inaugural Smarter Care Datathon builds on the long history of collaboration between Penn Nursing and Penn Engineering. This powerful synergy showcases the critical importance of interdisciplinary teamwork in solving complex healthcare challenges,” said George Demiris, a Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor and Penn Nursing’s Associate Dean for Research and Innovation. “By uniting the clinical expertise of nursing with the innovative problem-solving skills of engineering, we are forging a path toward a healthier, more inclusive future for patient care.”

Planning committee members for the Smarter Care Datathon include Dr. Demiris; Patricia Brennan, the Provost’s Distinguished Visiting Faculty Fellow; Marion Leary, director of innovation; Kathryn Connell; Ann Muramatsu, Penn4C Outreach Facilitator, all from Penn Nursing; and Mark Yim, a professor of mechanical engineering from Penn Engineering. During the Datathon challenge, Penn Nursing faculty Liming Huang and Jungwon Min, and postdoctoral student David Yu served as mentors for the teams.

Penn Medicine’s Homeless Outreach Project forges connections between medical students and those experiencing homelessness to shine a light on the transformative power of street medicine. After months of visits from the students, individuals like Victor have trusted them enough to share their medical concerns.  

In partnership with the Mexican Cultural Center, the Penn Museum will showcase Mexico’s vibrant cultural traditions with its 14th annual CultureFest! Día de los Muertos on Saturday, November 1, 2025 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Philadelphia fashion designer Virginia Rivera will construct a monumental ofrenda—an elaborate altar honoring those who have passed. These ornate and colorful altars honor the dead (and encourage them to join the party) with bright yellow marigolds, food, drinks, and photos. 

This year, the massive site-specific art installation will be dedicated in memory of Mexican singer Paquita la del Barrio.

“Paquita is famous for her powerful ranchera and grupera songs that called out infidelity, abuse, and machismo, often using sharp humor and sarcasm,” explained Ivette Compean, executive director of the Mexican Cultural Center. “She became a feminist icon—especially among women in Latin America who see her as a voice of empowerment and resistance.”

At the event, attendees can also discover the origins of the iconic smiling calacas y calaveras (skeletons and skulls) that are seen on candy, masks, and dolls across parades, vigils, and gatherings. 

CultureFest! includes an artisan marketplace, activities, and live performances from:

• Esmeralda LaCor, singing songs made popular by Paquita la del Barrio
• Ballet Folklorico Yaretzi (dance)
• “The Magic Marigold Catrina” (storytelling about the Day of the Dead)

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a lively holiday blending of Indigenous Mexican beliefs and traditions with the Catholic celebrations of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. With roots in rituals dating back 3,000 years to pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, Día de los Muertos is observed across Latin America and in Latine communities worldwide.

Penn Museum’s Mexico and Central America Gallery explores the stories of powerful ancient societies, including Maya, Aztec, and Zapotec, while welcoming visitors to learn more about the traditions of people living in Mexico and Central America today.

All CultureFest! Día de los Muertos activities are included with Penn Museum admission. Children ages five and under, teachers, U.S. military veterans with identification, Penn Museum members, PennCard holders, Penn Medicine patients/families, and Penn Medicine staff receive free admission.

Tickets for CultureFest! Día de los Muertos can be purchased here.

Films

16        The Prison in Twelve Landscapes; weaves a portrait of a culture where jail time is part of daily life through a series of vignettes; features Q&A with co-director Brett Story; 11:30 a.m.; Widener Auditorium, Penn Museum (Cinema & Media Studies).

            Union; documentary about a group of Amazon workers who embark on an unprecedented campaign to unionize their warehouse in Staten Island, New York; features Q&A with co-director Brett Story; 5:30 p.m.; Rainey Auditorium, Penn Museum (Cinema & Media Studies).

19        Penn Wind Ensemble Film Screening: Interstellar; Penn Wind Ensemble hosts a screening of a movie whose score makes up part of its fall concert; stay after the movie to listen to the ensemble perform a medley of music from the film; 3 p.m.; Café 58, Irvine Auditorium (Music Department).

Fitness & Learning

15        Ethics in Biological Anthropology; as ethical concerns surrounding the collection and use of human remains gain increasing attention, institutions are confronting their complex and often controversial histories; this workshop allows K-12 educators to explore how to incorporate these debates into their curricula; 4:30 p.m.; Penn Museum; registration: $10; register: https://www.penn.museum/calendar/867/teacher-talks (Penn Museum).

17        The Richards Transportation Initiative at Penn Launch Event; celebrate the official launch of the Richards Transportation Initiative at Penn (R-TRIP)—a new, Penn-wide center that connects academic research with the practical challenges facing transportation systems across the country; 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Widener Auditorium, Penn Museum; register: https://tinyurl.com/r-trip-launch-oct-17 (Richards Transportation Initiative). Networking happy hour: October 16, 4:30 p.m.; Kleinman Energy Forum, Fisher Fine Arts Library.

20        Materials Science and Engineering Undergraduate Open House; freshman engineering students are welcome to learn more about the MSE major; 5:30-7:30 p.m.; reading room, first floor, Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter; register: https://events.seas.upenn.edu/event/mse-undergraduate-open-house/ (MSE).

Religious Studies

Various locations. Info: https://rels.sas.upenn.edu/events.

16        Job Market & CV Workshop; 3:30 p.m.; room 204, Cohen Hall.

            Profs & Pours (Undergraduate Event); 5:30 p.m.; religious studies lounge, second floor, Cohen Hall.

School of Social Policy & Practice

Unless noted, online webinars. Info: https://sp2.upenn.edu/.

16        Master of Social Work (MSW) Online Information Session; 11 a.m.

18        PhD in Social Welfare On-Campus Information Session; 1 p.m.; room 309/310, Castor Building.

Readings & Signings

15        Dalit Studies, Volume Two: Dalit Journeys for Dignity—Religion, Freedom, and Caste; Ramnarayan S Rawat, University of Delaware; K. Satyanarayana, English and Foreign Language University, Hyderabad; 4:30 p.m.; room 402, Cohen Hall (South Asia Center).

Penn Bookstore

In-person events in second-floor conference room, Penn Bookstore. Info: https://www.business-services.upenn.edu/bookstore-events.

21        Toward a More Perfect Rebellion; Josslyn Luckett, New York University; 5:30 p.m.

Talks

15        Contemporary Cinematic Solidarities: Organizational Experiments and Film Cultural Flows; Sima Kokotović, Center for Advanced Research in Global Communication; noon; room 330, Fisher-Bennett Hall (Cinema & Media Studies).

            An Ear for Freedom; Jorden E. Sanders, Rutgers University-New Brunswick; noon; room 105, McNeil Center; and Zoom webinar; info: https://www.mceas.org/events/2025/10/15/ear-freedom (McNeil Center for Early American Studies).

            Intersections of AI, Photonics, and Scientific Discovery; Marin Soljacic, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; 3:30 p.m.; room A8, DRL (Physics & Astronomy).

16        Special Briefing: Strategies for Closing the U.S. Infrastructure Gap; 11 a.m.; panel of speakers; register: https://penniur.upenn.edu/events/special-briefing-rebuilding-america-states-infrastructure-maintenance-gap (PennIUR).

            Automated Vehicle Locators and Tracking Police Patrol Activity: Prospects and Challenges of a Novel Police Technology; Eric Piza, Northeastern University; noon; room 403, McNeil Building (Criminology).

            Measuring the Immeasurable: Tracking Informal Work and Output in Modern India; Pramit Bhattacharya, Data for India; noon; suite 230, PCPSE (Center for the Advanced Study of India).

            Reckoning with Fossil Fuel in Philadelphia; Jared Farmer, history; noon; Research Data & Digital Scholarship Exchange, first floor, Van Pelt Library (Climate Week at Penn; Penn Libraries).

            Hot Dogs Need Head Dunks: An Effective Cooling Method from the Penn Vet Working Dog Center; panel of speakers from the Penn Working Dog Center; 1 p.m.; Climate Week Tent, College Green (Penn Vet; Climate Week at Penn).

            Communication is a Climate Solution: How Taylor Swift Can Level Up Your Storytelling; Joseph Romm, Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media; 4 p.m.; room 109, Annenberg School; register: https://tinyurl.com/romm-talk-oct-16 (Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media).

            Homer as the Muse: Poems in Conversation with Classical Literature; A.E. Stallings, Oxford University; 4:45 p.m.; room 402, Cohen Hall (Classical Studies).

            Re-arming Europe: The Emergence of European Strategic Autonomy? Robert Hamilton, Delphi Global Research Center; 5:15 p.m.; room 201, Fisher-Bennett Hall (Russian & East European Studies).

17        Complex Polymer Design in the Age of AI: Why, What, and How? Michael A. Webb, Princeton University; 2 p.m.; room 534, 3401 Walnut Street (Penn Institute for Computational Science).

20        Religion; Emily Ng, Lauren Ristvet, and Alissa Jordan, anthropology; noon; room 345, Penn Museum (anthropology). 

            This Bridge Called My Back and the Shape of Dialectics to Come; Francisco Robles, University of Notre Dame; 5:30 p.m.; room 135, Fisher-Bennett Hall (English).

21        All Consuming: Germans, Jews and the Meaning of Meat; John Efron, University of California, Berkeley; 5:15 p.m.; Class of 1978 Orrery Pavilion, Van Pelt Library; register: https://tinyurl.com/efron-talk-oct-21 (Jewish Studies).

            Relevant Music—Is There Such a Thing? Reiko Füting, composer; 5:15 p.m.; room 101, Lerner Center (Music).

Center for Latin American & Latinx Studies

Various locations. Info: https://clals.sas.upenn.edu/events.

15        Testimonies of Central Asian Refugees in the USA; Jengishbek Karagulov, Kyrgyz asylee and activist; 3 p.m.; room 473, McNeil Building.

Chemistry

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

15        Machine Learning Strategies for Natural Product Discovery and Biosynthesis; Alison Walker, Vanderbilt University; noon.

Economics

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

15        Bailout Expectations, Default Risk and the Dynamics of Bank Credit Spreads; Luigi Falasconi, economics; 4 p.m.; room 200, PCPSE.

21        Misspecification Averse Preferences; Alfonso Maselli, economics; 4 p.m.; room 203, PCPSE.

Mathematics

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

15        Automated Reasoning and Symbolic AI; Jeremy Avigad, Carnegie Mellon University; room A1, DRL.

16        Machine Learning and Neural AI; Jeremy Avigad, Carnegie Mellon University; 3:30 p.m.; room A1, DRL.

This is an update to the October AT PENN calendar, which is online now. To submit events for a future 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 September 29-October 5, 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 September 29-October 5, 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: 13 incidents were reported for September 29-October 5, 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.

University faculty, staff, postdocs, and temporary and student workers can choose to go paperless when the University delivers W-2 tax forms in January 2026. Electronic delivery is secure. Turning off printing and mailing of paper W-2 forms avoids delays or errors in receiving year-end tax documents.

Log in and make the change in Workday before December 31, 2025. Those who previously submitted consent for an electronic W-2 do not need to take any action.

In Workday, visit the Benefits, Comp and Pay Hub, found in the personal tab of the global navigation menu, located in the upper left of your desktop screen. In the hub’s menu, select Pay, then Tax. In the top table called Tax Forms Printing Elections, click the Edit button, then click the radio button to receive an electronic copy. Click OK to save your paperless election.  

See the hub’s announcement, “Smart Action for Your W-2.” A newly updated 90-second video demonstrates how to turn off printing and mailing of the W-2. The announcement also contains important information on tax return preparation and, for those who do not go paperless, essential facts about the paper W-2. 

Please contact the Penn Employee Solution Center with any questions.