November 25, 2025 Volume 72 Issue 16

The W. P. Carey Foundation, one of the leading philanthropic supporters of educational institutions, has made a $3 million gift to the School of Arts & Sciences to endow the William P. Carey Professorship in Economics. With this gift, the foundation supports and recognizes exemplary faculty and facilitates research at the intersection of economics and political science. The inaugural chair holder will be Enrique Mendoza, who will assume the title of William P. Carey Professor of Economics.

“During his lifetime, William Polk Carey encouraged interdisciplinary communication between economics and political science, with the understanding that each field stimulated and enhanced the other,” said Mark Trodden, Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences and the Thomas S. Gates, Jr. Professor of Physics & Astronomy. “Enrique Mendoza exemplifies this connection, applying his expertise to public service and public service to his research. With this esteemed professorship, the W. P. Carey Foundation honors Carey’s legacy and furthers his commitment both to Penn and to the United States.”

Dr. Mendoza, whose research interests include international capital flows, financial crises, sovereign debt, and business cycles, joined Penn in 2013 and previously served as a Presidential Term Professor and as director of the Penn Institute for Economic Research. Before coming to Penn, he was the Neil Moskowitz Professor of Economics at the University of Maryland and held positions at Duke University, on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, and at the International Monetary Fund.

Dr. Mendoza has served on the National Science Foundation Economics panel, on the editorial boards of various leading journals, and as managing editor of the Journal of International Economics. He has also worked as a consultant for several central banks and international organizations. In addition, Dr. Mendoza is a fellow of the Econometric Society, a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a member of both the Bank for International Settlements Advisory Panel and the Latin American Committee on Macroeconomic & Financial Issues.

“Bill Carey was deeply passionate about interdisciplinary collaboration between the departments of economics and political science, often emphasizing that politicians should be better informed about economic principles, and that economists must better understand the political realities that shape policy,” said William P. Carey II, WG ‘19, chair of the W. P. Carey Foundation and a Penn Trustee. “There is no better place than Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences to carry forward this vision, where the integration of ideas across disciplines continues to drive meaningful progress.”

In addition to his myriad academic and service roles, Dr. Mendoza has received numerous accolades and has authored a wealth of wide-ranging publications. He was awarded the Maria de Maeztu Visiting Professorship at Cemfi in 2022, the Lamfalussy Senior Research Fellowship at the Bank for International Settlements in 2021, and the Duisenberg Fellowship at the European Central Bank in 2017. He has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles and made 25 contributions to conference volumes and policy journals and has supervised over 40 doctoral students. 

The W. P. Carey Foundation has a storied history with the University of Pennsylvania, with generations of Carey family members having attended the University over the past three centuries. The foundation’s primary mission is to support educational institutions with the larger goal of improving America’s competitiveness in the world, with a particular focus on three critical areas: business and legal education, primary and secondary education, and community. 

This endowed professorship is the latest in the W. P. Carey Foundation’s longstanding support of Penn. The foundation has previously made a historic gift to endow Penn Carey Law. In addition, the foundation has endowed the three-year Francis J. and William Polk Carey JD/MBA program jointly offered by Penn Carey Law and Wharton, co-founded the Penn Institute for Economic Research, endowed the William Polk Carey Prize in Economics, and supported term chairs in mathematics and economics.

University of Pennsylvania senior Florence Onyiuke, from Altamonte Springs, Florida, has been awarded a Rhodes Scholarship for graduate study at the University of Oxford in England.

The Rhodes, established in 1902, is highly competitive and one of the most prestigious scholarships in the world. The scholarship funds tuition and a living stipend for two or three years of graduate study at Oxford and may allow funding in some instances for four years. At Oxford, Ms. Onyiuke plans to pursue a master’s degree in economic development with a focus on West Africa.

Ms. Onyiuke is pursuing an international studies and business degree in the Huntsman Program, a dual degree program in the Wharton School and the School of Arts & Sciences, as well as a minor in Spanish. Ms. Onyiuke’s interests include international economic development, international law, and immigration. Her senior thesis, based on research she conducted in Spain during a Penn Abroad semester last spring, explores the informal economy and socioeconomic mobility of West African street vendors in Barcelona. Ms. Onyiuke has been a Frederick Douglass Global Fellow, a three-year Perry World House Student Fellow, a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board, and executive director of Black Wharton Consulting. She is also a Coca Cola Scholar, Ron Brown Scholar, and recipient of the Presidential Service and Educational Excellence Awards.

According to the Rhodes Trust, about 100 Rhodes Scholars will be selected worldwide this year. Ms. Onyiuke is among the 32 Rhodes Scholars chosen to represent the United States. According to the Rhodes Trust, nearly 2,800 American students began the application process this year; 965 were endorsed by 264 different colleges and universities; and 238 applicants reached the final stage of the competition.

Ms. Onyiuke applied for the Rhodes Scholarship with assistance from Penn’s Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.

As students from around the world apply to join Penn’s Class of 2030, each application includes a thank-you note to someone who shaped their journey. In solidarity and in that same spirit of gratitude, I write today to thank all of you in our Penn community. 

Thank you to our students—nearly 30,000 of you—for all the ways you engage, excel and inspire. You give me tremendous optimism for the future. In October, I joined four fourth-years onstage during Family Weekend for a deep dive into their Penn journeys. The audience loved their insider view, and so did I. We also recently celebrated another Penn Rhodes Scholar, Florence Onyiuke, joining a distinguished tradition of Penn scholars committed to making a difference in the world. These are just a few recent examples among countless.

Thank you to our faculty, distinguished by your exceptional teaching, rigorous scholarship, and how you ignite learning and strengthen the life skills of our students. You impress me every day. Onstage at a recent alumni event in New York, I was delighted to talk with two star professors, Sarah Gronningsater in SAS and Abby Reisman in GSE. They covered how teaching history and the classroom experience can model empathy and trustworthy communication, both critical to supporting a thriving democracy. In Boston, I interviewed Kirin Musunuru, who led a team to create a novel CRISPR gene editing treatment for a baby with a lethal genetic liver disorder. In just about every field under the sun, Penn faculty are providing scholarship and expertise while leading the important discussions of our time.

Thank you to our staff for the critical ways you enable our missions, ensure Penn runs seamlessly all day every day, and form the foundation of Penn’s success. You support our students, faculty, and one another; keep our campus safe, cutting-edge, and beautiful; deliver lifesaving care; and strengthen our local, national, and global partnerships. Your innovative thinking and dedication keep Penn at the forefront of education, research, and service. I am deeply grateful for the expertise and creativity you bring every day.

Thank you to our global alumni for maintaining such strong connections to Penn and each other. It was wonderful seeing many of you recently in Dubai, Boston, New York, and on campus for Homecoming. When I talk about the difference Penn makes in the world, I always highlight the extraordinary impact of our alumni, delivering Franklin’s mandate to do good in the world. You mentor our students, open doors to opportunity, champion our academic missions, and are Penn’s finest ambassadors.

As we enter the final weeks of the semester, I encourage you to thank someone who has made a difference in your life at Penn. Gratitude strengthens the bonds that hold our community together and propel us forward. I remain grateful to each of you—students, faculty, staff, and alumni—for your commitment to our shared goal of using knowledge for good.

Please enjoy the break, and I will see you around campus soon in December.

—J. Larry Jameson, President

November 20, 2025

Dear Colleagues,

We want to make you aware of a new information security training course that will be required of all Penn faculty, postdocs, student workers, and staff, including contingent workers and temporary workers. The course, titled “Information Security at Penn: A Practical Guide,” is part of the University’s ongoing efforts to strengthen our community’s ability to protect institutional systems and information, and you.

Why It Matters

• Ensuring the security and integrity of the University’s systems and information is critical to Penn’s mission. Cyber threats pose a serious and persistent risk. Criminals are increasingly targeting individuals, and some members of our Penn community have experienced account compromises.
• On October 31, 2025, systems supporting Penn’s development and alumni activities were accessed using stolen credentials obtained through a sophisticated form of identity impersonation known as social engineering. It is essential that our community remains vigilant and prepared to recognize and report these types of attacks—especially suspicious phone calls or emails that may be phishing attempts. This training will equip every member of our community with practical skills to recognize and prevent threats before they can cause harm to you or the University.

What to Expect

• You will need to complete three short training modules, approximately five minutes each, asynchronously in Workday Learning.
• After each module, you will complete a brief learning assessment.
• Training completion is required by December 31, 2025.
• To protect our entire community, failure to complete the training may result in loss of access to University systems.

How to Access the Course

• The training can be accessed through the information security course website (https://isc.upenn.edu/security/aware/infosec_online_training), which includes a link to the training in Workday Learning (PennKey login required), answers to frequently asked questions, and additional resources on best practices in information security.
• You will also receive an email from Workday Learning when the course is assigned with information on how to access the training.

Anyone who completed this course in Workday Learning on or after September 25, 2025, is not required to retake the training.

If you have any questions after reviewing this information, please feel free to contact security@isc.upenn.edu.  Thank you in advance for your partnership and your participation in this important initiative.

—John L. Jackson, Jr., Provost
—Mark F. Dingfield, Executive Vice President
—Josh Beeman, Interim Vice President of Information Technology & Interim University Chief Information Officer

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

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Actions
Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Report from the Chairs. Faculty Senate chair Kathleen Brown recapped a gathering of faculty held in October and offered other updates on matters being addressed by the tri-chairs on behalf of the Senate.

Reports from Constituencies. Professor Brown invited four SEC members to offer reports from their constituencies.

Promoting a Culture of Belonging at Penn. Professor Roy Hamilton moderated a discussion on strategies being utilized by Penn leaders to promote cultures of belonging in their schools. Guests who joined the discussion included Brighid Dwyer, SAS vice dean for academic excellence and engagement in the School of Arts and Sciences; Renita Miller, executive director of community engagement in the Wharton School; and Christopher Gary Simmons, director of student engagement & community building in the Weitzman School of Design.

Update from the Office of the President. President J. Larry Jameson offered remarks on current events at Penn and higher education. He then responded to questions posed by SEC members.

University Council Agenda

Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Hall of Flags, Houston Hall
4–6 p.m.

I. Welcome.

II. Approval of the minutes of October 22, 2025.

III. Follow up comments or questions on Status Reports.

IV. Proposed amendment to Council Bylaws: Rewording of the Standing Charge and Renaming of UC Committee.

V. State of the University, report of the Provost.

VI. Responses to New Business topics raised at the October 22, 2025, University Council meeting.

VII. Open Forum.

VIII. New Business.

IX. Adjournment. 

The following topics have been submitted for the Open Forum at the December 3, 2025, University Council meeting, to be held in the Hall of Flags, Houston Hall.

• Lack of Covid Precautions on Campus, Erin Bailey, program coordinator, Wolf Humanities Center and Price Lab for Digital Humanities
• University’s Decision to Revoke Athletic Records of Lia Thomas, Nikhil Joseph Dharan, GR’25
• Hate Speech and Hateful Actions, Lauren Watts, C’28
• SEPTA’s University Pass (UPass) Program, Greyson Forster, C’28

The Rules Governing Final Examinations at the University of Pennsylvania are published each semester as a reminder to the academic community.

Information about fall 2025 final examinations can be found at https://srfs.upenn.edu/registration-catalog-calendar/final-exams.

—John L. Jackson, Jr., Provost

1. No instructor may hold a final examination nor require the submission of a take-home final exam except during the period in which final examinations are scheduled; when necessary, exceptions to this policy may be granted for postponed examinations (see 3 and 4 below). No final examinations may be scheduled during the last week of classes or on reading days.

2. No student may be required to take more than two final examinations on any calendar day during the period in which final examinations are scheduled. If more than two are scheduled, the student may postpone the middle exam. If a take-home final exam is due on a day when two final examinations are scheduled, the take-home exam shall be postponed by one day.

3. Examinations that are postponed because of conflicts with other examinations, or because more than two examinations are scheduled on the same day, may be taken at another time during the final examinations period if the faculty member and student can agree on that time. Otherwise, they must be taken during the official period for postponed examinations.

4. Examinations that are postponed because of illness, a death in the family, for religious observance, or some other unusual event may be taken only during the official periods: the first week of the spring and fall semesters. Students must obtain permission from their dean’s office to take a postponed exam. Instructors in all courses must be willing to offer a make-up examination to all students who are excused from the final examination.

5. No instructor may change the time or date of a final exam without permission from the appropriate dean.

6. No instructor may increase the time allowed for a final exam beyond the scheduled two hours without permission from the appropriate dean.

7. No classes or required class activities may be held during the reading period.

8. The first examination of the day begins at 9 a.m. and the last examination concludes by 8 p.m. There will be one hour between exam time blocks.

9. All students must be allowed to see their final examination. Exams should be available as soon as possible after being graded with access ensured for a period of at least one regular semester after the exam has been given. To help protect student privacy, a student should have access only to their own exam and not the exams of other students. Therefore, for example, it is not permissible to leave student exams (or grades or papers) in publicly accessible areas.

10. Students may not be asked for their social security numbers. Instructors may not publicly display a student’s Penn ID or any portion of the social security number, nor use names, initials or any personally identifiable information to post grades. Even when an identifier is masked or absent, grades may not be posted in alphabetical order, to protect student privacy.

11. Final exams for College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS) courses must be given on the regular class meeting night during the week of final examinations. No change in scheduling is permitted without unanimous consent of all students in the class and the director of LPS. LPS final exams may not be administered during the last week of class or on a reading day.

In all matters relating to final exams, students with questions should first consult with their dean’s office. Faculty wishing to seek exceptions to the rules also should consult with their dean’s office.

The College of Physicians of Philadelphia is celebrating the election of 58 new fellows, marking its largest class in history. The organization honored these new fellows during an induction ceremony at College Night on October 17, 2025.

Founded in 1787, the College, home of the Mütter Museum and Historical Medical Library and the History of Vaccines, is a storied institution with the mission of “advancing the cause of health while upholding the ideals and heritage of medicine.” 

Biannually in the fall and spring, the organization hosts College Night, where it announces the induction of new members to its prestigious Fellowship program.

The new fellows represent 33 institutions and more than 40 specialties in medicine, administration, ethics, humanities, and public service. Boasting over 1,000 members, the fellowship includes prominent physicians, scientists, scholars, and community leaders committed to advancing patient care, public health, and medical knowledge and education.

The fellows from the Perelman School of Medicine are:

Srinath Adusumalli, associate professor of cardiovascular medicine and Vice President and Chief Health Information Officer, Penn Medicine

• Kristy B. Arbogast, professor of pediatrics, emergency medicine
• John G. Augoustides, professor of anesthesiology and critical care at HUP
• Olga Barg, associate professor of clinical psychiatry
• Benjamin M. Braslow, professor of clinical surgery
• Cindy W. Christian, professor of pediatrics at CHOP
• Jason D. Christie, Paul F. Harron, Jr. Family Professor of medicine
• Caoimhe Duffy, assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care
• Chris Feudtner, professor of pediatrics at CHOP
• Matthew Grady, professor of clinical pediatrics at CHOP
• James Guevara, professor epidemiology, biostatistics, & informatics and of pediatrics at CHOP
• Holly L. Hedrick, professor of surgery at CHOP
• Ken Kazahaya, professor of clinical otorhinolaryngology: head & neck surgery
• Heather Klusaritz, associate professor of family medicine and community health at HUP
• Jennifer R. Kogan, William Maul Measey President's Distinguished Professor in Medical Education
• Natasha Mirza, professor of otorhinolaryngology: head & neck surgery at HUP and VAMC
• Hillary CM Nelson, associate professor of biochemistry & biophysics and family medicine & community health
• William Peranteau, associate professor of surgery at CHOP
• Iris Reyes, adjunct professor of emergency medicine
• Francis E. Rosato, assistant professor of clinical surgery
• Joseph Savino, Abramson Family Professor in Anesthesia
• Jennifer K. Walter, associate professor pediatrics and medical ethics & health policy
• Richard C. Wender, Robert G. Dunlop Professor and chair of family medicine and community health

Penn Nursing has announced its third cohort of Conway Scholars for 2025-2026. This program was created with a $1 million grant from the Bedford Falls Foundation—DAF, which was later doubled to extend the duration of funding and expand the total number of scholars annually from ten to fifteen. Established by philanthropists Bill Conway Jr., co-founder and co-chairman of the global investment firm the Carlyle Group, and his late wife, Joanne Barkett Conway, the Bedford Falls Foundation is a national leader in supporting nursing. With this commitment, a total of eighty high-merit students with financial need will be awarded scholarships.

The third cohort of Conway Scholars includes:

• Mary Bagwell (Encinitas, CA)
• Sarah Bellete (Charlotte, NC)
• Azariea Bonner-Harris (Philadelphia, PA)
• Annalisa Brown (Bear, DE)
• Hyun-Ji Carpio (San Diego, CA)
• Maggie Chi (Hellertown, PA)
• Suzannah Costa (East Stroudsburg, PA)
• Sarah Croce (Venice, CA)
• Sydni Edwards (Philadelphia, PA)
• Biby Escobar (Newark, DE)
• Shirley Fung (Arcadia, CA)
• Laura Gomez (Matawan, NJ)
• Samuel Lee (Elkins Park, PA)
• Trinity McKinney (Cordova, TN)
• Dillon Tjiptamustika (Union City, CA)
• Dionnah Wearing (Philadelphia, PA)

“Penn Nursing is solving vital challenges together—and our partnership with the Bedford Falls Foundation is a vital part of what we do,” said Penn Nursing dean Antonia M. Villaruel. “The foundation’s investment that created the Conway Scholars program at Penn Nursing brings new voices and visions into the nursing workforce. More than that, it pushes nursing to the very edge of what is possible.”

“Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system,” said Bill Conway Jr. “At Bedford Falls Foundation, our principal mission is to facilitate greater access to high-quality nursing education by easing the financial burden, so they can better take care of us and the communities they serve.”

Penn Nursing’s Jeannette Kates, an assistant professor of oncology nursing in the department of biobehavioral health sciences, has been selected to receive the 2026 Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) Volunteerism Award. This honor recognizes an HPNA volunteer who demonstrates an ongoing commitment to serve the mission of HPNA through volunteerism. She will be recognized in person at the 2026 HPNA Annual Conference, held from May 7-8, 2026, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The HPNA was established in 1986 and is the national professional organization that represents the specialty of palliative nursing, which includes hospice and palliative nurses.

Penn Dental Medicine remains ranked among the top universities worldwide for dental studies. In the 2025 QS World University Rankings By Subject, Penn Dental Medicine was ranked fourth among dental schools in North America and sixteenth worldwide from more than 100 global university dental programs.

The QS World University Rankings by Subject are conducted annually by QS Top Universities. For 2025, dental institutions were evaluated in the areas of academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per paper, h-index citations, and international research network, with employer reputation weighted 10% and the other factors weighted 30% each in determining the ranking. Weightings are reviewed on an annual basis.

The indicators used in the ranking are defined by QS TopUniversities as follows:

• The academic reputation indicator measures the reputation of institutions and their programs by asking academic experts to nominate universities based on their subject area of expertise.
• The employer reputation indicator measures the reputation of institutions and their programs among employers.
• The citations per paper indicator measures the impact and quality of the scientific work done by institutions on average per publication.
• The h-index is a metric that attempts to measure both the productivity and impact of the published work of an individual scientist or an institution. The index is based on the set of the most cited papers and the number of citations received in other publications.
• An international research network is a measure of an institution’s success in creating and sustaining research partnerships with institutions in other locations. The indicator measures the diversity and richness of an institution’s research network by examining the number of different countries represented and whether these relationships are renewed and repeated.

“This ranking reflects the tremendous depth of research and collaboration among our faculty,” said Penn Dental Medicine’s Morton Amsterdam Dean Mark S. Wolff. “They can take great pride in continuing to advance dental medicine, and in turn, the reputation of Penn worldwide.”

Laura Perna, Penn’s vice provost for faculty and the Centennial Presidential Professor of Education in the Graduate School of Education, has been selected for the inaugural class of fellows of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE). The fellowship, which was created in honor of ASHE’s 50th anniversary, celebrates scholars’ “integrity, advancement of knowledge, mentoring, and service.” 

“This recognition is deeply meaningful to me, as ASHE has been my scholarly home since my time as a doctoral student,” said Vice Provost Perna. “Over these past 30 years, ASHE has provided invaluable opportunities to advance my research through presentations and rich discussions, and to build a network of colleagues, collaborators, and friends. It’s been a privilege to work alongside so many ASHE members—receiving thoughtful feedback, mentoring and being mentored, and contributing through committee service and leadership, including as president. The community has shaped my scholarship and my career in profound ways.”

Twenty-five scholars from across the country have been selected for the honor, gathered from open nominations. The criteria included research and professional integrity; consistent advancement of knowledge through research, policy and/or practice; active and consistent mentorship of emerging scholars; and sustained and meaningful service to ASHE in various roles. 

Vice Provost Perna is an expert in college access, affordability, and success, especially for low-income, first-generation, and non-traditional students. She has served as president of ASHE, is the co-founder of Penn GSE’s Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy (Penn AHEAD), and has testified before Congress and advised university leaders and federal policymakers. 

“Few people are as deserving as Laura to be an inaugural ASHE Fellow,” said Jeremy Wright-Kim, an assistant professor at the Marsal School of Education at the University of Michigan, a former student of Vice Provost Perna’s, and one of her nominators. “She has made demonstrable advancements in our thinking about higher education equity, access, and policy through decades of rigorous empirical work, while generously uplifting the burgeoning researchers around her to establish their own scholarly identities. She has held the highest leadership positions in our field, including the ASHE presidency, and continues to serve in countless ways. And most importantly, she has done so with great integrity by following through with her commitments and showing up for those in need. I was lucky to learn from her while at Penn, and I’m even luckier to count her as a colleague now.” 

The inaugural fellows were celebrated at an event during the ASHE 2025 Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado.

Beth Simmons, the Andrea Mitchell University Professor in Law, Political Science, and Business Ethics in the Penn Carey Law School and the School of Arts & Sciences, has been named president-elect of the American Political Science Association (APSA). She will serve a term as president from September 2026 to 2027, and a year as immediate past president the following year.

Dr. Simmons is only Penn's second APSA president, after Roger Smith, the Christopher H. Browne Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Political Science, in 2018. An active member of APSA for more than thirty years, Dr. Simmons has previously served on the APSA Council and on numerous prize committees.

“The APSA president has an important role in influencing conversations about politics and policy in the United States and, potentially, internationally,” said Dr. Simmons. “With a membership of more than 11,000 individuals located in more than 100 countries around the world, it is an opportunity to further conversations of global importance.”

Founded in 1903, APSA is one of the leading political science associations in the world. The organization connects political scientists from various areas and careers to deepen the understanding of politics, democracy, and citizenship throughout the world.

APSA fosters a diverse and active community of scholars, teachers, students, and practitioners. By releasing major publications, organizing annual meetups, and promoting various programs and services for individuals and institutions, the association enhances the capacity for research and professional development.

As the organization’s main governing body, the APSA Council sets the strategic direction and vision of the association, monitoring its ongoing operation, making policies, approving appointments and budgetary decisions, and providing oversight, guidance, and advice.

In a statement of views via APSA’s 2025 Council nomination process, Dr. Simmons revealed her intention to search for new ways for the organization to help its members communicate more effectively about the “indispensable value of political knowledge in our world.”

“APSA should be a platform to help advance the contributions political scientists have made and will continue to make to a responsible understanding of governance,” she said.

At the Carey Law School and as a Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor, Dr. Simmons researches and teaches international relations, international law, and the seminar Borders and Boundaries in International Relations. She has also led a Global Research Seminar on international criminal and humanitarian law influences on the Colombian peace process, which included a week of on-site study.

Dr. Simmons is best known for her research on global policy diffusion, her research demonstrating the influence that international law has on human rights outcomes around the world, and most recently, the causes and consequences of global border hardening. She currently leads the Borders and Boundaries Research Project, centered in Penn’s Perry World House.

Two of her books—Who Adjusts? Domestic Sources of Foreign Economic Policy During the Interwar Years (2004) and Mobilizing for Human Rights: International Law in Domestic Politics (2009)—won the American Political Science Association’s Woodrow Wilson Award for the best book published in the United States on government, politics, or international affairs. The latter was also recognized by the American Society of International Law, the International Social Science Council, and the International Studies Association as the best book of the year in 2010. Dr. Simmons has worked at the International Monetary Fund, has directed the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard, is a past president of the International Studies Association, and has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

“As a scholar of international relations, I want to contribute to constructive thinking about the role of the United States, U.S. universities, and American researchers in the world and foreign researcher in the United States,” said Dr. Simmons. “I feel fortunate to be at Penn, where these conversations thrive.”

The December AT PENN calendar is available now. Click here to view the calendar on the web, or click here to view a printable PDF of the calendar. 

’Tis the season to eat, shop, and be merry. The holidays are here and we are excited to celebrate the season throughout the SHOP PENN district this December. SHOP PENN Days of Deals returns from December 1-12, and features 12 days of sales and giveaways from our collection of eclectic stores and restaurants around campus.

The SHOP PENN Holiday Window Decorating Contest also returns on December 8-14. Take a stroll through the district and vote for your favorite holiday window display.

For more details, visit www.shopsatpenn.com and follow SHOP PENN on Instagram, X, and Facebook.

—SHOP PENN

Registration is now open for Targeting the CNS, the 14^th annual symposium of the Center for Targeted Therapeutics and Translational Nanomedicine (CT3N). The 2025 CT3N Symposium takes place on December 3 and will feature outstanding speakers from the fields of targeted therapeutics, drug delivery, biomaterials, and nanomedicine, with a focus on targeting the CNS. The symposium can be attended in person (in the Arthur H. Rubenstein Auditorium of the Smilow Center for Translational Research) or via a live webcast.

Keynote speakers include Polina Anikeeva, the Matoula S. Salapatas Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and a professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Viviana Gradinaru, the Troendle Professor of Neuroscience and Biological Engineering and director and Davis Leadership Chair of the Merkin Institute for Translational Research at California Institute of Technology. Further information about speakers and the symposium agenda and a link to register may be found at https://www.itmat.upenn.edu/ct3n/symposium/.

An open session of the WXPN Policy Board will meet Wednesday, December 10 at noon at WXPN. For more information, email abby@xpn.org or call (215) 898-0628 during business hours. 

On Stage

29        Șèègèsí: A Durational Ritual; performance and visual artist Courtney Desiree Morris installs braid extensions in her hair over eight hours, accompanied by a soundscape of five mixtapes; visitors are encouraged to engage by making offerings of pennies, flowers, sweets, honey, stones or minerals, or shells; 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Penn Museum; free with museum admission (Penn Museum).

Talks

26        From Giletta to Nigella (and Job): The Evolution of a Novella Trope; Alberto Gelmi, Vassar College; 2 p.m.; Zoom webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/gelmi-talk-nov-26 (Francophone, Italian & Germanic Studies).

This is an update to the November AT PENN calendar, which is online now. To submit an event for a future AT PENN calendar or weekly update, email almanac@upenn.edu. The December AT PENN calendar appears in this issue.

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 November 10-16, 2025. The Crime Reports are available at: https://almanac.upenn.edu/sections/crimes. Prior weeks’ reports are also online. –Eds.

This summary is prepared by the Division of Public Safety (DPS) and contains all criminal incidents reported and made known to the Penn Police, including those reported to the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) that occurred within our patrol zone, for the dates of November 10-16, 2025. The Penn Police actively patrol from Market Street to Baltimore Avenue and from 30^th Street to 43^rd Street in conjunction with the Philadelphia Police.

In this effort to provide you with a thorough and accurate report on public safety concerns, we hope that your increased awareness will lessen the opportunity for crime. For any concerns or suggestions regarding this report, please call DPS at (215) 898-7297. You may view the daily crime log on the DPS website.

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

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

Below are the Crimes Against Persons from the 18th District: 5 incidents were reported for November 10-16, 2025 by the 18^th District, covering the Schuylkill River to 49th Street & Market Street to Woodland Avenue.

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

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

Effective December 4, 2025, Workday will require those who receive pay from the University to provide their current bank account information before making any changes to their pay elections. This is a new layer of security that will help ensure that only authorized users can update payment elections used for direct deposits.

This security layer is designed to prevent unauthorized changes to payment elections and protect faculty, postdocs, staff, and student and temporary workers from potential paycheck fraud committed by increasingly sophisticated criminal behavior.

When you update your bank account information in Workday, you will note a new step in the process:

Log in Securely to Workday. Navigate to the Benefits, Comp and Pay Hub in your personal category of the navigation menu.

Click on Payment Elections. Select the account you would like to update and click Edit. Most of the account information is masked (asterisks in place of numbers).

Verify Your Current Bank Account Details. Please enter your current bank account number carefully and accurately when prompted.

Consequences of Failed Attempts: After three unsuccessful attempts, an administrative lock will be placed on your ability to edit bank accounts and pay elections. This lock will not prevent you from accessing other Workday functions.

Restore Access to Update Bank Account: If your access is locked due to an authentication failure, please contact the Penn Employee Solution Center as soon as possible to restore access. The Solution Center will initiate a verification process that will help restore access.

For more details on managing your payment elections, search for the Workday tip sheet “Self-Service: Manage Pay Elections” on the Workday website.

For more helpful information on what you can do to protect yourself, please review Penn’s ISC website, which offers guidance related to digital security.

To members of the University and surrounding community:

The deadline to submit nominations for the Women of Color Day 2026 Awards has been extended to Friday, December 5, 2025.

The National Institute for Women of Color (NIWC) has proclaimed March 1 National Women of Color Day. Women of Color Awards are given in recognition of individuals who have conscientiously endeavored to increase respect for women of color in the Penn community. For more information about the six categories, visit the original call for nominations published in the October 21, 2025 edition of Almanac.

To submit a nomination online, click here.

Learn more about the 2026 WOCAP Day Awards Program, to be held on March 20, 2026, at https://aarc.upenn.edu/women-color/women-color-awards.

—Women of Color Executive Planning Committee

In FY27, ISC plans to adjust rates in alignment with the planning parameters provided by the Office of Budget Planning & Analysis (as of fall 2025). These changes allow ISC to continue making important investments and deliver services that are effective and efficient. 

Rates for all billed services will increase by 2.0% and labor rates will increase by 3.0%. Additionally, there is a subset of services for which there will be no increase. ISC relationship managers will follow up with IT leaders to review these changes and answer any questions.

—Joshua Beeman, Interim Vice President for Information Technology & Interim and University Chief Information Officer (CIO)

There will be no issue of Almanac on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, because of the Thanksgiving Holiday. For Almanac's publication schedule and deadlines, visit https://almanac.upenn.edu/publication-schedule-deadlines.

Flint Wang

Like many faculty at Penn, I have students who struggle to pay attention, even to short 15-30 minute chalk talks (which these days actually often take place at a white board). As a physician-educator in an inpatient hospital setting, the challenge is real. Finding 15 minutes of undivided learner attention without urgent phone calls and airport-level decibel alarms is nearly impossible. Although these chalk talks contain information I know my students need and are motivated to learn, I have to assume my learners will be called away or hope I will finish early so they can attend to sick patients. As a result, I grapple with how to capture their attention, present information that is immediately applicable, and ensure that they take useful notes that do not end up in the shredding bin. Here are some techniques that have transformed my teaching and have helped to cement the information in my learners’ minds. 

I begin by capturing students’ attention with something that frames the topic with a memorable gimmick. For example, in a talk about liver failure causing jaundice, I use Homer Simpson’s cartoon yellow body with fill-in boxes connected to each distant part of the body affected by liver failure. I don’t mind that my students might only remember Homer Simpson if it means that the memory of that visual allows them to re-make the fill-in boxes next to each body part. Some of the lectures I still remember years later did not ask me to remember every piece of information but rather set up just enough visual cues to allow my mind to re-derive the rest of the talk. It might sound cheap, but who is really going to forever remember a numerical list of the causes of chest pain? Even as a teacher, I find myself no longer referencing my answer sheet and instead just remembering the central theme and thinking about all the branch points from there. Similarly, in a talk about abnormal heart rhythms where a patient might need medications or an electric shock, I use images of Pikachu to line the flowsheet of treatment options (hint: Pikachu is a Pokémon character that fights its enemies with lightning bolts).

Next, I ensure my students’ engagement by giving them something concrete in their hands to engage with and signpost what they are learning. Nothing says “you received teaching today” more than walking home with a colorful handout that matches the visual fill-in boxes on the white board. More importantly, with a time-pressed audience eager to go back to their other tasks, it’s helpful to have the empty boxes and section dividers already drawn on the white board so they know when you’re 25% through, 50% through, and almost done and can adjust their focus appropriately. As an added bonus, I usually print the handout visual with the answers filled in on the back because I encourage the learners to take a cell phone picture for future reference and the computer-typed answer sheet is more attractive to reference than handwritten scribbles. If I do not have a handout printed and ready for distribution, I try to bring a small stack of white paper so that my learners have something to write on if their only other paper has patient information on it. In the end, I do whatever it takes to ensure a deliverable in-hand or on the phone.

I find that students learn more if I design the talk in layers so they can see the big picture and then (if we have time) get into the finer details. This method has allowed me to scale up or down whether I think I have five minutes with the learner or can flesh everything out in 30 minutes. If I see I’ve lost my students’ interest or there is a pressing clinical situation, I can easily omit layer five and not look like I got flustered and gave an incomplete talk. Learners who feel novice to a topic may have difficulty diving into extreme detail without first getting a 30,000-foot view. I often recommend learners to read Wikipedia about a medical topic for a layman’s interpretation, then read a summarized meta-analysis, and then read an individual highly-specific journal article if they wish. Learning in layers makes a complicated topic more digestible. For example, in a chalk talk about blood pressure medication, I first introduce what I call the “Hypertension Diamond,” which is A, B, C, and D headings in a diamond visual formation. Learners guess which medication classes each letter corresponds to. Then we go through and mention the two most common medications in each category. Next, we go back through the diamond and talk about the side effects or special indications for each of those medications. And finally, we review several patient cases and reason through the medication selection in each case. Learners are not forgiving about chalk talks or lectures going overtime, and this method has helped me avoid those situations.

Finally, I like to end each chalk talk with a bonus question that ties in some level of emotional salience. Invoking some degree of fear or real-life consequence can make a teaching point more meaningful. This could center on how you would treat a family member, what occurred in a malpractice lawsuit you were in, or a medical mistake that occurred. For example, I end a chalk talk about heart attack medication management with the question, “If you were telling your parents what dose and formulation of aspirin they should have in their medicine cabinet in case they ever had a heart attack, what would you tell them?” In another talk about escalation of therapies for low oxygen levels, I mention a real-life cardiac arrest case where chaos led to no one realizing the oxygen tubing has fallen off the oxygen tank connector.

A great chalk talk doesn’t just present information—it tells a story, sparks curiosity, and connects with the audience. By focusing on planting some attention-grabbing gimmicks, providing colorful handouts with clear fill-in boxes, presenting in framework layers, and adding stories with emotional salience, I can captivate even my highly distracted audience. While numerical lists or brief decision trees can be helpful, the most effective talks may be ones that learners can easily reference or re-derive from a central visual. With a bit of clever planning and a willingness to engage, I’ve created chalk talks that can be not just informative, but genuinely memorable.

Flint Wang is an associate professor of clinical medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine.

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

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