May 26, 2026 Volume 72 Issue 36

On May 14, Penn announced a $20 million gift from Wharton alumnus Greg Mondre and his wife, Alexandra, to advance financial aid and opportunity for middle-income students.

Penn has long offered some of the most generous financial aid policies in the country, meeting 100 percent of students’ financial need with grants, not loans. Building on this foundation, Penn reaffirmed and further strengthened its commitment in 2024 through an expanded set of financial aid policies known as the Quaker Commitment. Since then, the University has been effectively tuition-free for families earning up to $200,000 with typical assets, and home equity is no longer included in financial aid calculations.

“Through the Quaker Commitment, we are working to expand our deep commitment to affordability across the income spectrum,” said Penn President J. Larry Jameson. “We are deeply grateful to Greg and Alexandra for their dedication to expanding opportunity. This gift is an acceleration of a vision to make higher education accessible to all, and it will help us set a new national standard for supporting middle-income families.”

In recognition, Penn will name the Mondre Family Student Service Center in the Franklin Building. The center will serve as a hub for student support and house Financial Aid Counseling, the Registrar, and the Bursar’s offices. The center will also be home to Penn’s Financial Wellness program, which equips students with the resources to build financial confidence and acumen. Together, these services will be united in a modern, welcoming environment that provides essential support to undergraduate and graduate students across the University. For the last full academic year, 2024/2025, Penn awarded $330 million in grant-based aid to 46% of all Penn undergraduate students. The average amount received was $72,155. Notably, 65% of aided students received financial support that covered more than the full cost of tuition. Penn also provided $338 million in financial aid to graduate and professional students across its 12 schools, plus an additional $90 million in stipend support. The Mondres’ gift is a powerful investment in strengthening these efforts and widening access to Penn. The majority of their gift will establish the Mondre Family Initiative to sustain and advance a suite of middle-income financial aid policies that will increase affordability for more than 1,000 families each year.

Greg Mondre, a founding member of the Undergraduate Financial Aid Leadership Council, has played a key role in advancing these efforts. “Too many middle-income students and their families face difficult trade-offs that limit how they approach, choose, and navigate a path through higher education,” he said. “Alexandra and I are proud to support Penn’s leadership in addressing this challenge by working to ensure that students can fully participate in everything the University has to offer.”

Greg Mondre is a managing partner and co-CEO of Silver Lake Technology Management. He earned his BS in economics from the Wharton School in 1996. Alexandra Mondre is a managing partner at AGM Ventures.

Penn GSE has appointed Janine Remillard as its inaugural associate dean for community, climate, and doctoral education, a new leadership role shaped directly by the recommendations of faculty and staff.

This new position has emerged from a school-wide process led by the Committee on Climate and Community (CCC), which undertook a comprehensive review of how Penn GSE can sustain and strengthen an inclusive, supportive academic environment. Co-chaired by professors Ed Brockenbrough and Nelson Flores, the committee engaged faculty and staff across the school to gather input and identify priorities for the future.

That process yielded a clear consensus: Penn GSE should establish a faculty associate dean position, supported by dedicated staff, to lead this work. The recommendation—endorsed by Penn GSE’s Executive Committee—is now being implemented with Dr. Remillard’s appointment. Dr. Remillard, a longtime member of the Penn GSE community, brings deep institutional knowledge and a sustained commitment to advancing the school’s mission.

“This role reflects the collective vision of our faculty and staff to strengthen the ways we support one another as an academic community,” said Dr. Remillard. “I’m honored to help advance that work—particularly at the intersection of community, doctoral education, and teaching—all areas I care deeply about. We have a real opportunity to deepen both our impact and our sense of shared purpose.”

In her new role, she will oversee three interconnected areas critical to the school’s future:

• Community and Climate: Leading the Office of Community and Climate, Dr. Remillard will continue and expand ongoing efforts to foster an inclusive and supportive environment, including advancing recommendations from the Committee of Climate and Community’s 2025 report.
• Doctoral Education: Dr. Remillard will guide the implementation of recommendations from the 2025 Collaborative Planning Initiative steering group on doctoral student support and serve as graduate group chair.
• Teaching Quality: Building on recent faculty-led work, she will help advance efforts to elevate teaching as central to the Penn GSE experience.

The role also reflects the school’s evolving priorities, including an intentional emphasis on community as foundational to its work.

Dean Katharine O. Strunk expressed gratitude to the faculty and staff whose input helped shape the new position and to the committees whose work informed its design, underscoring that the appointment represents a collective vision for Penn GSE’s future.

Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have announced the appointment of Eric M. Morrow as the founding director of the Lurie Autism Institute. Dr. Morrow will assume this role on September 1, 2026, and will join the departments of pediatrics and genetics at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM).

The appointment marks a pivotal milestone for the Lurie Autism Institute, which was launched by a transformational, $50 million gift from Jeffrey Lurie Family Foundation and the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation in 2025. It is the largest single donation to a U.S. academic medical center that is focused on autism research across its lifespan. The institute will serve as a nationally and globally recognized hub for autism spectrum disorder research, collaboration, clinical care, and advocacy. The institute’s headquarters and research laboratories will be located on CHOP’s campus in Philadelphia.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Morrow to lead this once-in-a-generation initiative,” said Jonathan A. Epstein, Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine and Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System. “His extraordinary depth of scientific and clinical expertise in autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders, combined with his collaborative approach and longstanding ties to both Penn and CHOP, position him to drive the kind of cross-disciplinary discovery that this moment demands.”

“At Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, we see firsthand how autism affects children and families,” said Madeline Bell, Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “Dr. Morrow is an extraordinary scientist who is committed to translating research into life-changing breakthroughs in care. Under his leadership, the Lurie Autism Institute will focus on finding innovative ways to deliver better care and outcomes for patients throughout their lives.”

Following a highly competitive national search that attracted outstanding candidates across the country, Dr. Morrow emerged as the primary choice. His extensive knowledge of autism spectrum disorder, rigorous research program, and longstanding research collaboration with Penn Medicine and CHOP distinguished him as a visionary leader for the institute’s ambitious mission.

“From the very beginning, our family’s vision for the Lurie Autism Institute has been to create something truly transformational for the millions of families touched by autism around the world,” said Jeffrey Lurie, Chairman and CEO of the Philadelphia Eagles and founder of the Eagles Autism Foundation. “Dr. Morrow is exactly the kind of bold, rigorous, and compassionate leader this institute requires. His decades of scientific achievement, deep commitment to the autism community, and belief in the power of partnership give us tremendous confidence that the institute will make life-changing discoveries. We are so excited to continue this journey together.”

Dr. Morrow currently serves as the Mencoff Family Professor in the departments of molecular biology, cell biology and biochemistry, neuroscience, and psychiatry at Brown University. He also serves as director of the Center for Translational Neuroscience and director of the Developmental Disorders Genetics Research Program at Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital.

He earned his PhD in genetics and neurodevelopment from Harvard University and his MD through the Health Science Training Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Medical School. He completed clinical and scientific training in neurology and psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Morrow’s laboratory is a global leader in translational neurogenetics. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms and genetic underpinnings of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and intellectual disability. His laboratory investigates the tiny structures inside brain cells that handle critical jobs like generating energy and clearing out cellular waste. When these structures stop working properly, neurons can be damaged or even die off over time. Dr. Morrow’s lab has made important strides in understanding rare inherited conditions­­—including Christianson syndrome and GPT2 deficiency—shedding light on why certain brain cells are more vulnerable to deterioration than others. Building on these discoveries, his work focuses on developing treatments that target the underlying biological causes of these disorders.

In 2023, Dr. Morrow served on both CHOP’s and Penn Medicine’s Autism External Scientific Advisory Boards. That experience deepened his understanding of the partnership between the two organizations and reinforced his view that Penn Medicine and CHOP are uniquely positioned to accelerate progress.

For seven years, he has also served on the Eagles Autism Foundation’s scientific review panel, helping guide a competitive process of evaluating research and funding priorities for one of the nation’s leading autism-focused philanthropic organizations with international reach.

“I am deeply honored to join Penn Medicine and CHOP in building the Lurie Autism Institute,” said Dr. Morrow. “We are at an unprecedented moment in autism research. The convergence of genomic science, artificial intelligence, and institutional collaboration creates extraordinary opportunities to close knowledge gaps and develop therapies that can change lives. I look forward to working alongside the faculty, clinicians, trainees, families, and community members who make this partnership so strong.”

Craig Gronczewski has been named chief executive officer of Penn Medicine Doylestown Health, effective June 1. Dr. Gronczewski has served as chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs at Penn Medicine Princeton Health since December 2020.

Dr. Gronczewski will lead Doylestown Health’s broad network of care, anchored by Doylestown Hospital—a 245-bed community teaching hospital with more than 600 providers across 50 specialties serving patients across Philadelphia’s northern suburbs. A regional system recognized for high-quality, compassionate care, Doylestown Health provides seamless access to Penn Medicine’s world-renowned clinical services and research.

“Dr. Gronczewski has demonstrated a strong commitment to quality, patient safety, and a collaborative leadership that drives lasting results,” said Kevin Mahoney, CEO of University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS). “His deep roots within the Penn Medicine system—and his demonstrated ability to strengthen the connection between clinical teams and organizational strategy—make him exceptionally well-prepared to lead Doylestown Health forward.”

At Princeton Health, Dr. Gronczewski oversaw clinical and academic operations across Princeton Medical Center and Princeton House Behavioral Health. He served as president of the medical staff and as a member of the Princeton Health System Board of Trustees.

“What distinguishes Dr. Gronczewski is his ability to build genuine connections at every level of an organization,” said Michele Volpe, COO of UPHS. “He listens, he earns trust, and he leads by example—qualities that matter deeply to the physicians and employees of Doylestown Health and to the community they serve.”

During his tenure at Princeton, Dr. Gronczewski played a central role in rebuilding and expanding obstetric and gynecologic services. Earlier in his career, he served as chair of the department of emergency medicine at Princeton Medical Center, was a managing partner of Princeton Emergency Physicians.

Penn Dental Medicine faculty and staff members have been honored for excellence in teaching and service by the Class of 2026. Each academic year, the graduating class recognizes members of the faculty and staff who have had a significant impact on their educational experience; this year’s awards were presented as part of the Senior Farewell celebration on May 12. 

The awards and honorees included: 

Basic Science Award

This award is presented for excellence in teaching within the basic sciences. This year’s recipient is Elliot Hersh, emeritus professor in the department of oral & maxillofacial surgery/pharmacology. This marks a record 25 times that Dr. Hersh has received this award over his teaching career at Penn Dental Medicine. A highly respected researcher in non-addicting strategies to manage acute postoperative dental pain, Dr. Hersh joined the Penn Dental Medicine faculty in 1988. He has directed and lectured extensively in both the Introduction to Pharmacology and Neuropharmacology courses. Dr. Hersh has also received Penn’s Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching, the IADR Distinguished Scientist Award in Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, and Penn’s One Health Award, and been an invited speaker at NASEM. 

Robert E. DeRevere Award

This award is presented for excellence in preclinical teaching by a part-time faculty member. The award is named in honor of Dr. DeRevere, a member of the Penn Dental Medicine Class of 1945 who served on the school’s faculty.

This year’s recipient is Joy Bockstein Abt, D’94, a clinical associate professor of restorative dentistry. This marks the fifth time Dr. Abt has been honored with this award. Dr. Abt has been on the faculty of Penn Dental Medicine for over 20 years. From 2001 to 2004, she was an assistant professor of restorative dentistry and director of operative dentistry. She returned to the faculty in 2007 as a preclinical faculty member and the interim director of dental materials. In 2008, Dr. Abt was appointed director of fixed prosthodontics, a position she held for 17 years, until 2025.

Dr. Abt currently teaches preclinical fixed prosthodontics, removable prosthodontics, and operative dentistry. She is a member of the Matthew Cryer Honor Society and the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honor Society. Dr. Abt has also received the Penn Dental Medicine Award for Outstanding Service to Students in 2012, Penn’s Provost’s Award for Teaching Excellence in 2020, and the Penn Dental Medicine Alumni Award of Merit in 2024. 

Joseph L. T. Appleton Award 

This award is presented to a part-time faculty member for excellence in clinical teaching. The award is named in honor of Joseph Appleton, a 1914 alumnus of Penn Dental Medicine, who served as dean of the school from 1941 to 1951. The award was founded in 1979 by Abram Cohen, a member of the Class of 1923 and father of dean emeritus D. Walter Cohen. 

This year’s honoree is Ghina C. Maliha. Dr. Maliha is a clinical assistant professor of restorative dentistry and has been a member of the school’s clinical faculty since 2008, teaching students general restorative care within the clinics. A 1991 Penn Dental Medicine graduate, Dr. Maliha maintained a private practice until 2024, when she started dedicating more time to the dental school. Dr. Maliha’s passion for dentistry, her commitment, and strong support of her students were recognized with the Appleton Award.  

Earle Bank Hoyt Award

This award recognizes excellence in teaching by a faculty member who is a Penn Dental Medicine graduate. The award was established by a grateful patient in honor of Dr. Hoyt, a distinguished clinician and educator and member of the Class of 1918. This year’s recipient is Jay Dubin, a clinical associate in the division of restorative dentistry, who has been part of the faculty since 2015. Dr. Dubin teaches within the general restorative clinics.

Senior Outstanding Teaching Award 

This award is presented to a faculty member who goes beyond the scope of their responsibilities to significantly impact the class’s education at Penn Dental Medicine. This year’s recipient is Artur Kofman, CDT director of laboratory affairs and the Office of Laboratory Affairs supervisor of the clinical labs at the school; this is the tenth year in a row that Mr. Kofman has been recognized with this award. Mr. Kofman has been sharing his knowledge and expertise in dental lab work with students as a member of the school’s staff for the past 25 years. Among his responsibilities, he coordinates students’ lab work from the school to commercial laboratories and vice versa, guides dental students in lab-related technical issues, and provides hands-on assistance as needed for minor adjustments to dental appliances at a chair-side setting. In addition, he operates the 3D printing lab for fabricating 3D models, occlusal guards, and surgical guides and is involved in the newly designed curriculum for CAD/CAM and printing of digital dentures for the dental students. 

Outstanding Service Award

This award is presented to a staff member who is highly regarded within the Penn Dental Medicine community for their extraordinary dedication. This award celebrates an individual who, in the estimation of the senior class, has consistently gone beyond their formal responsibilities to significantly enhance the overall experience of the senior class at Penn Dental Medicine. This year’s recipient is Sam Williams, who is part of the instrument management services (IMS) team. Mr. Williams has worked in Penn Dental Medicine’s IMS since 2025. In his role, he supports students in their clinical care, providing the necessary equipment and materials to perform patient care and cleaning and sterilizing the equipment upon the return of their tools.

The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School announces the recipients of its teaching awards for the 2025-2026 academic year.

“These awards highlight the extraordinary care and thoughtfulness our faculty bring to the classroom every day,” said Sophia Z. Lee, Dean and Bernard G. Segal Professor of Law. “We are proud to recognize colleagues whose excellence in teaching reflects one of Penn Carey Law’s defining strengths.”

The 2025-2026 award recipients are:

William Ewald, the John J. O’Brien Professor of Comparative and International Law, a professor of philosophy, and co-director of the Institute of Law & Philosophy, received the LLM Prize for Teaching Excellence, selected by vote of the LLM Class of 2026.

Students said that “Prof. Ewald is incredibly friendly and made an active effort to meet with students outside of class. He’s also very receptive and will always respond to queries and emails.”

“Professor Ewald has a remarkable ability to spark genuine interest in the subject matter. His passion for the content is both evident and contagious, making each lecture not only informative but also intellectually engaging. He consistently encourages independent thought by posing thought-provoking questions and fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are welcomed and critically examined.”

Anjelica Hendricks, an assistant professor of law, has received the Regina Austin Award for Innovation in Teaching for her course Regulating Police. Professor Hendricks teaches in a fast-developing area of law without a traditional casebook, building the course instead around current legislation, police union contract provisions, and active reform debates. Her own experience as a former public defender and as an analyst for Philadelphia’s police advisory committee runs through the classroom, giving students a direct line from doctrinal frameworks to how policing is actually regulated on the ground.

Students said that they “really loved how she gave us so many examples of real-world instances of what we were learning through current events and news stories, and many examples of how the topics we discussed played out here in Philadelphia and in other major cities. We also had many practical exercises, through which we were able to brainstorm how we would advise different groups on their police-related policies.”

“One of my favorite parts of the class was the interactive segments where we would review contract provisions or proposed legislation and make comments on the written material!”

Allison K. Hoffman, the William Maul Measey Professor of Law and Health Sciences, has received the A. Leo Levin Award for Excellence in an Introductory Course for her teaching of Torts. Professor Hoffman is known for drawing students into a subject many initially approach with skepticism, unpacking the competing values embedded in the cases, probing jurisdictional differences, and encouraging students to critically examine judicial reasoning rather than simply absorb the doctrine.

Students said, “I didn’t think I would care about Torts. I didn’t think I would care about Med Mal or negligence. Allison Hoffman made me care. She successfully teased out the tensions in the cases that made it interesting. She pushed all of us to consider idiosyncrasies in jurisdictions, flaws in court reasoning, etc. I actually feel like I left this class a smarter person every day.”

“Professor Hoffman is incredible. I cannot say enough positive things about her class and the effectiveness of her teaching. I came into law school thinking that Torts was going to be my least favorite subject, but it has been exactly the opposite.”

Kathy Quaglia, curricular director of externships and a lecturer in law, has received the Experiential Teaching Award for her teaching of externship seminars at the school, as well as her direction of the Judicial Externship program. Professor Quaglia is an exceptional supervisor and advocate for her externs, supporting students not only in their substantive work in chambers but also in balancing that work with the rest of their academic obligations.

Students said that “Professor Quaglia was consistently accessible all semester long, responding promptly to any questions we had and making sure we knew we had someone looking out for us whenever we needed anything.”

“Prof. Quaglia was great. She is one of the friendliest and nicest professors at the school and she was very accessible. The school should consider her for an award.”

Jim Sandman, L’76, a distinguished lecturer, has received the Adjunct Teaching Award for his Leadership in Law and Public Service and AI and Civil Justice Lab courses. Professor Sandman has earned years of consistently outstanding evaluations across his Penn Carey Law teaching, and he is recognized this year for the depth of mentorship and intellectual engagement he extends to every student in his courses.

Students said that  “Jim is just an excellent instructor and person to know at the law school. He is so open to discussions and lunches with students, and really cares about being a mentor for anyone who takes his classes.”

“Professor Sandman was consistently welcoming toward students and fostered an open and inclusive classroom environment. He encouraged all questions during class, no matter how basic they might seem… Although he is optimistic about the potential of AI to improve access to justice, he equally welcomed more skeptical or critical perspectives, which made discussions intellectually balanced and engaging.”

David Skeel, the S. Samuel Arsht Professor of Corporate Law, has won the Harvey Levin Award for Teaching Excellence, selected by vote of the JD Class of 2026. In recent years, Professor Skeel has taught courses including Corporations, Bankruptcy, Debt Relief and Sovereign Debt Restructuring, Law, Literature, and Interpretation, and Christian Perspectives on Law.

Students said, “Professor Skeel is one of the most captivating, likable, effective and knowledgeable professors I’ve had. His modesty and humor open up bankruptcy as a topic for anyone to understand, despite their background. He is an expert in the field, but he presents the material in a way that is engaging and digestible for the many individuals enrolled in his class.”

“Professor Skeel’s teaching is driven by clear passion and enthusiasm for corporations, which I found contagious and engaging. He has deep knowledge of the material and makes complex concepts accessible. He actively encourages critical thinking by posing hypotheticals, inviting discussion, and tying course doctrine to relevant current events.”

Shelley Welton, the Presidential Distinguished Professor of Law and Energy Policy, has received the Robert A. Gorman Award for Excellence in Teaching for her exceptional teaching of Environmental Law and Climate Change Law. Professor Welton’s courses are recognized for their interdisciplinary design, their integration of fast-moving legal developments, and her ability to translate theoretical statutes and legal frameworks into the practical work of environmental and climate practice today.

Students said that “the design of the class speaks for itself. This is a novel class, involving readings from across a range of disciplines, which is necessary to address a fundamentally interdisciplinary issue. The connections and ideas were generative. The work to design the class must have been considerable and paid off in a fascinating class. And Professor Welton always made sure to signal ideas of interest, and why they were interesting and also, equally importantly, to step back when the class went in interesting and unexpected directions. Top marks.”

“I adored this class—thus far, this was the best class I’ve taken yet in law school. Professor Welton, in my opinion, does a fantastic job translating the theoretical statutes/legal theories into practical impacts—how they’re being used in practice today, current events regarding environmental law, etc. It’s so hard to teach environmental law now because of the shifting legal landscape in this field, but I think Professor Welton did a great job in synthesizing new developments and really clarifying what still stands and what doesn’t. I also liked the in-class practice we were able to do that enabled us to apply the statutes in practice!”

Penn GSE has named Jess Jones as the next director of its Chief Learning Officer (CLO) program, effective June 1, 2026, following a national search.

The CLO Program prepares senior executives to lead learning and talent development at the highest levels of their organizations. Designed for working professionals, the three-year executive doctoral program blends research, leadership, and business strategy, equipping graduates to drive organizational performance and innovation across industries.

“Jess brings deep familiarity with the program and a strong track record of leadership across sectors,” said Penn GSE dean Katharine Strunk. “I am confident that she will be an outstanding steward of the CLO program, and I look forward to its continued growth and impact under her leadership.”

Dr. Jones brings a distinctive combination of deep program knowledge and broad leadership experience to the role. A graduate of Penn GSE’s CLO program, she currently serves as a leader and instructor within the program, positioning her to guide its continued evolution with both insider perspective and strategic vision.

In her new role, Dr. Jones will oversee the direction and development of the program, drawing on extensive experience spanning consulting, healthcare, and higher education. Her leadership background includes co-founding Back to Human Partners in 2024, a leadership training and consulting firm focused on authentic leadership development. Before that, she served as Chief Operating Officer of Huron Consulting’s leadership division, where she led strategy, budgeting, and business development for a major division.

Dr. Jones is also a trained executive coach through the Teleos Leadership Institute and a certified Prosci change management practitioner. Her scholarship and writing—focused on psychological safety and power dynamics in organizations—has been featured in Chief Learning Officer and Chief Talent Officer magazines.

In addition to her Penn GSE EdD, Dr. Jones has earned an MS in interdisciplinary telecommunications and dual bachelor’s degrees in business information systems and psychology from the University of Colorado.

Dr. Jones’s appointment reflects Penn GSE’s continued investment in leadership development at the intersection of learning, organizations, and innovation. As director, she will help shape the program’s next chapter, building on its foundation while expanding its reach and impact for learning leaders across industries.

Penn Engineering will host a memorial celebration for Arthur E. Humphrey (Almanac April 7, 2026), a former professor of chemical engineering and inaugural dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, on June 15, 2026, from 4-6 p.m. at the Singh Center for Nanotechnology, 3205 Walnut Street.   

The Faculty Senate has announced its leadership for 2026-2027: Past Chair: Kathleen Brown (SAS); Chair: Roy Hamilton (PSOM/Neurology); Chair-Elect: Eileen Lake (Nursing). 

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, either by telephone at (215) 898-6943 or by email at senate@pobox.upenn.edu. 

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Actions
Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Clarification of Policy on Class Meeting Times. Faculty Senate Chair Kathy Brown reported that, following an inquiry from the Senate Committee on the Economic Status of the Faculty, the Vice Provosts for Faculty, Graduate Education, and Undergraduate Education offered the following clarification of the Policy on Class Meeting Times: “The University standardized start times for courses in the 2021 Policy on Class Meeting Times to build in travel time between class meetings and provide time for students and instructors to continue discussions after the end of a class meeting without having to rush to the next class meeting. As before 2021, instructors continue to have complete discretion on when to adjourn their classes within the published course meeting time, up to the published class end time.” Professor Brown further clarified for the record that "the 60-minute, 90-minute, and 180-minute class time slots are not requirements for faculty to teach for 60, 90, or 180 minutes, respectively." 

Call for 2026–2027 University Council Steering Committee Representatives. SEC members were invited to self-nominate to serve as faculty representatives for the 2025-2026 University Council Steering Committee. 

Update from Co-Chairs of Select Committee on Faculty Survey. Professor John H. Holmes and Professor Harun Küçük reported on findings from six focus groups of faculty from across tracks and ranks to identify key faculty concerns, inform Senate priorities for the coming year, and highlight themes for a potential faculty survey.

Senate Committee Reports. Chairs of Faculty Senate Committees offered reports on the work of their committees from the previous year. Their reports will be published in a future edition of Almanac. 

Resolution to Recommend the Creation of a Teaching Faculty Track in the Associated Faculty. SEC members reviewed the text of a proposed resolution. Upon motion made and seconded, SEC members adopted the resolution by a vote of 31 in favor and one opposed, with one abstention. The resolution text is presented below.

Proposed Revisions to the Guidelines on Open Expression. SEC members discussed the proposed revisions that were published in Almanac on March 31, 2026, and reactions to comments made during the Community Listening Sessions held on April 23 and 24, 2026. Because of limited time available during this meeting,  SEC members unanimously expressed deep concerns with the draft guidelines and voted to hold two special meetings to continue discussion, form a committee to draft SEC’s response, and vote on that response.

Appreciation for Outgoing Past Chair Eric Feldman and Welcome and Introduction of Chair-Elect Eileen Lake. Professor Brown recognized Professor Feldman for his three years of service as a tri-chair of the Faculty Senate. Professor Brown then delivered a prepared statement from Professor Eileen Lake in absentia, who accepted the nomination to serve as Chair-Elect of the Faculty Senate in 2026-2027.

Passing the Gavel. Professor Brown introduced Professor Roy Hamilton as Chair of the Faculty Senate and yielded the floor to him by presenting him with an actual gavel.. Professor Hamilton delivered a prepared statement.

Proposed Amendment to the Faculty Handbook. By mail ballot in late May 2026, SEC unanimously approved a proposed amendment to the Faculty Handbook to revise the Policy on Extension of the Probationary Periods that Apply to Granting of Tenure or Promotion to Associate Professor Because of a Catastrophic Professional Event. The amendment extends the period by which a faculty member must request an extension from thirty days to one year and also authorizes schools to establish their own procedures with the University’s policy as the foundation.

Faculty Senate Resolution to Recommend the Creation of a Teaching Faculty Track in the Associated Faculty

Whereas the Senate Committee on Faculty and the Academic Mission (SCOF) has assembled an advisory subcommittee that includes Associated Faculty and Academic Support Staff to investigate possible options for creating a teaching track; and

Whereas SCOF’s investigations into the practices of peer institutions have informed its preliminary report to SEC in January 2026 and its final report recommending a new Teaching Faculty track within the Associated Faculty category:

The Senate Executive Committee hereby recommends the creation of both a new, tiered Teaching Faculty track and a process to replace the existing full-time lecturer tracks in the Academic Support Staff category that enables current full-time Lecturers of all ranks and types the option to shift into this new track, with the goal of Faculty Handbook revision and implementation by the start of the 2027–2028 academic year.

Endorsed: Faculty Senate Executive Committee [May 13, 2026]

A meeting of the executive committee of the Board of Trustees took place on Thursday, May 14, 2026. Trustees chair Ramanan Raghavendran discussed alumni weekend and Penn’s 270th Commencement, held on May 18, 2026. He presented a resolution to amend the bylaws of Penn Medicine, which was approved. 

President J. Larry Jameson highlighted the amazing accomplishments of Penn faculty, staff, students, and alumni during his report to the Trustees. He said Penn is implementing the initiatives of Penn Forward and presented a resolution to appoint Joshua Beeman as Vice President for Information Technology and University Chief Information Officer, which was approved.

Provost John L. Jackson, Jr. informed the Trustees that 12 members of the Penn faculty have recently received Lindback Awards for Distinguished Teaching and Provost’s Awards for Distinguished PhD Teaching and Mentoring and for Teaching Excellence by Non-Standing Faculty (Almanac April 7, 2026). He presented a resolution on faculty appointments and promotions, which was approved.

Executive Vice President Mark Dingfield presented the financial report. For the nine months ending on March 31, 2026, total net assets were $36.2 billion, an increase of $2.3 billion, or 6.7%, over June 30, 2025. The change in net assets from operations reflected an increase of $483 million through March 31, 2026, $234 million, or 32.6%, below the increase in the same period last year. Operating revenue of $13.9 billion was $1.1 billion, or 8.6%, above last year. Expenses of $13.4 billion were $1.3 billion, or 11.1%, above last year.

For the academic component, the change in net assets from operations for the University reflected a $137 million increase versus a $455 million increase last year. A total revenue of $3.7 billion was $223 million, or 5.6%, below last year. Expenses of $3.6 billion were $95 million, or 2.7%, above last year.

For the health system, the change in net assets from operations reflected an increase of $345 million through March 31, 2026. The operating revenue increased $1.3 billion, or 15.2%, from $8.8 billion as of March 31, 2025 to $10.1 billion as of March 31, 2026. Expenses increased $1.2 billion, or 13.8%, from $8.7 billion as of March 31, 2025, to $9.9 billion as of March 31, 2026.

Jonathan A. Epstein, Executive Vice President for the Health System and dean of the Perelman School of Medicine, presented the Penn Medicine report. He highlighted impressive accomplishments this academic year, including the three awardees of the 2026 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences (Almanac April 28, 2026). Seven Penn affiliates have won the prize since 2020—a record unmatched among Penn’s peers. He also discussed the recent opening of the Pennsylvania Medical Hospital Museum (Almanac February 24, 2026). 

During the committee reports, the Budget & Finance Committee Acting Chair Dhananjay M. Pai shared that four presentations were heard at the committee meeting earlier that day—on the consolidated University and academic component financial results for the nine months that ended in March 31, 2026; on the Health System financial results for the nine months that ended in March 31, 2026; on the Capital Plan (academic component) for FY2027; and on research and commercialization. 

Two resolutions were presented and approved:

• To authorize the renovation of the Penn Libraries Center for Global Collections in the amount of $12.5 million.
• To authorize construction of the New Bolton Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for an additional $88.292 million (total revised budget of $94.313 million).

The next meetings of the Board of Trustees will take place June 11-12, 2026.

An annual meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held on Thursday and Friday, June 11-12, 2026. 

The meeting schedule is as follows:

Thursday, June 11, 2026
8:30-10 a.m.—Local, National, and Global Engagement Committee
10:15–11:45 a.m.—Facilities & Campus Planning Committee
1:45-3:15 p.m.—Student Life Committee
3:30-5 p.m.—Academic Policy Committee
3:45-5:15 p.m.—Budget & Finance Committee

Friday, June 12, 2026
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.—Stated Meeting of the Trustees

The agenda will be posted at https://secretary.upenn.edu/trustees-governance/open-trustee-meeting. Please contact the Office of the University Secretary at (215) 898-7005 or ofcsec@pobox.upenn.edu with questions regarding Trustees meetings.

To read Almanac's 2026 Commencement supplement, featuring the full texts of speeches given at Penn's 2026 Commencement and Baccalaureate and photos from both events, click here.

I would like to thank Steven O. Kimbrough, a professor of operations, information and decisions in the Wharton School, for his leadership this past year as chair of the Committee on Manufacturer Responsibility. I also thank all Committee members for their participation and thoughtful contributions.

The Committee’s report for 2025-2026 is below.

—Medha Narvekar, Vice President and University Secretary

Report of the Committee on Manufacturer Responsibility 2025-2026 Academic Year

It is my pleasure to report on the deliberations of the Committee on Manufacturer Responsibility during the 2025–2026 academic year.

Code Compliance

Penn’s Licensing Annual Compliance Survey was distributed to 122 licensees. As of April 2026, 121 Annual Licensing Compliance Surveys were reviewed and found to be either in compliance with the code or actively working to address identified violations. One licensee indicated that it will not be seeking renewal of its license and did not respond to the questionnaire.

Penn Business Services will issue letters of appreciation to licensees that reported laudable achievements or described proactive efforts to address known violations.

Next Steps

During the next academic year, the Committee will continue to review licensee compliance with the code and will recommend follow-up with entities that report outstanding issues or ongoing challenges. As appropriate, the Committee may request additional information or updates to assess progress toward remediation and sustained compliance. These efforts will support continued adherence to the code and inform the Committee’s review of compliance matters in future reporting periods. I would like to express my appreciation to all the Committee members for their work on the Committee.

—Steven O. Kimbrough, Chair
Professor, OIDD

Members of the Committee on Manufacturer Responsibility, 2025–2026

Steven O. Kimbrough (Chair), Wharton
Mark Stern, Social Policy & Practice
Daniel Camacho, UA
Yvonne Yang, GAPSA
Bethany Robblee Schell, PPSA

Ex Officio Members
Lizann Boyle Rode, Office of the Secretary
Sean Burke, Office of the General Counsel
Jessie Burns, Provost’s Office
Cheryl Krementz, Business Services
Leah Popowich, Office of the President

, the Julie Beren Platt and Marc E. Platt President’s Distinguished Professor of English and Africana Studies in the School of Arts & Sciences, began his term in January as president of the Modern Language Association (MLA). With more than 20,000 members in one hundred countries, the MLA hosts an annual convention, sustains a publishing program, is an advocate for the study and teaching of languages and literature, and serves as a clearing house for professional resources for teachers and scholars. 

The presidency is part of a three-year leadership trilogy, serving one year as second vice president, one year as first vice president, and one year as president.

Alycia Bischof, a practice assistant professor of readiness to practice and central clinical site coordinator in the department of family and community health at Penn Nursing, has been appointed by the American Medical Association Board of Trustees to represent the American Nurses Association as an alternate advisor to the Health Care Professional Advisory Committee. Her term continues through June 2028.

Dr. Bischof is a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner and a member of both the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Sigma Theta Tau National Honor Society. She earned her bachelor of science in nursing, master of science in nursing, and doctor of nursing practice from Penn. She has practiced at Advocare Woodbury Pediatric since 1996.

The Housing Initiative at Penn has been selected to receive a 2026 Institutional Challenge Grant, a three-year, $650,000 award to support a research-practice partnership with the Shapiro administration focused on addressing youth homelessness across Pennsylvania.

The grant is part of a $2.6 million funding initiative supported by the William T. Grant Foundation, which was joined this year by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Bezos Family Foundation, Doris Duke Foundation, and the Spencer Foundation. The Institutional Challenge Grant encourages university-based research institutes, schools, and centers to strengthen research-practice partnerships with public agencies or nonprofit organizations to reduce inequality in youth outcomes.

The award will support work led by Vincent Reina, a professor of city and regional planning at the Weitzman School of Design and the founder and faculty director of the Housing Initiative at Penn (HIP), in partnership with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s Office. The partnership will examine the effectiveness of state policies in addressing youth homelessness while building lasting infrastructure for meaningful collaboration between Penn and the Commonwealth.

“The partnership will provide a valuable blueprint for how Penn faculty can meaningfully collaborate with state government institutions by developing shared goals and expectations, establishing dedicated channels for collaboration and data-sharing, and building trust and capacity for using rigorous research to advance effective policy,” said Mr. Reina. “We will create a guidebook and webinar series for Penn faculty to replicate this model and develop a curriculum to encourage emerging research-practice collaborations to become formal partnerships.”

Approximately 50,000 children and youth were identified as homeless in the 2023-2024 school year in Pennsylvania—the highest recorded number to date. Child and youth homelessness has been shown to exacerbate and perpetuate racial, educational, and health inequalities.

Like many other states, Pennsylvania’s housing and homelessness initiatives are siloed across various agencies. To address this issue, Governor Shapiro has signed an executive order creating Pennsylvania’s first-ever Housing Action Plan, aligning state and local leaders, builders, advocates, and communities around a shared vision: building and preserving more homes, stabilizing housing outcomes, and expanding housing opportunity for all Pennsylvanians.

In partnering with the Governor’s Office, HIP plans to build on two strategies spearheaded by the Administration: (1) the Housing Action Plan, which was released earlier this year; and (2) the Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH), which was created in 2025 and convenes stakeholders from various agencies to develop and execute an integrated strategy on youth homelessness.

As part of the grant, HIP and the Governor’s Office will jointly develop a research agenda to embed evidence into the decision-making processes conducted by ICH, with the ultimate goal of creating an evidence-based policy menu of state and local programs that have proven effective at reducing homelessness.

In addition, HIP will conduct a study to understand the effects on child and youth homelessness of Pennsylvania’s increase in the amount of its Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit. Governor Shapiro tripled the relief available through this tax credit in 2024—eligible Pennsylvanians can receive between $600 and $2,100, depending on their income level and number of dependents. Because very few evaluations of this type of state-level program exist, the study is expected to benefit researchers and policymakers nationwide.

Charles Epstein, the Thomas A. Scott Professor Emeritus of Mathematics in the School of Arts & Sciences, was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences on April 22, 2026. He joins leaders in the arts and sciences, business, philanthropy, and public affairs who are elected to the academy in recognition of their exceptional contributions to their fields and professions.

Dr. Epstein is a senior research scientist at the Flatiron Institute’s Center for Computational Mathematics, where he founded and chaired the university’s graduate group in applied mathematics and computational science.

Dr. Epstein’s research interests include partial differential equations, Maxwell’s equations, population genetics, imaging science and numerical analysis. He has also worked in hyperbolic geometry, univalent function theory, functions of several complex variables, microlocal analysis and index theory. In recent years, he has worked to develop theoretical foundations and effective numerical methods for solving scattering problems in open waveguides.

Dr. Epstein is a Sloan Foundation Fellow, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a fellow of the American Mathematical Society (AMS). In 2016, the AMS awarded the Stefan Bergman Prize to Dr. Epstein and François Trèves “for their profound contributions to complex analysis and geometry.”

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC), has received a Special Recognition Award from the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR) for “outstanding service” to the field of prevention and public health.

The APTR, which is dedicated to health promotion and disease prevention, honored Dr. Jamieson “for her national leadership in strengthening the integrity of public discourse, including co-founding FactCheck.org and advancing the science of communication to combat misinformation and improve public understanding of complex health and policy issues.”

Dr. Jamieson addressed a plenary session of the group’s Teaching Prevention 2026 conference in Savannah, Georgia, on April 21, 2026, on “Preempting or Displacing Misconceptions About Controversial Science.” In her talk, she discussed a “protective knowledge model” using a “mental model approach,” a form of organizing knowledge.

In a 2025 paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Dr. Jamieson and her co-authors showed through a series of experiments that a mental model approach to inform people about aspects of science could undercut the effect of exposure to misconceptions, regardless of whether people were exposed to the models before or after encountering the misinformation. The paper was co-authored by APPC research analysts Laura A. Gibson and Shawn Patterson Jr., and Patrick E. Jamieson, director of APPC’s Annenberg Health and Risk Communication Institute.

In her talk, Dr. Jamieson described three mental model approaches. These include “bypassing” misinformation, displacing it with relevant, consequential information; “foreclosing” misinformation by exposing people to a mental model showing why the claim is implausible; and “contextualizing” misinformation, using a mental model to create a context for accurately interpreting a problematic claim.

She illustrated how these approaches could be used when encountering specific false or misleading claims—in the case of bypassing and foreclosing, countering erroneous claims about how an mRNA Covid-19 vaccine works and, in contextualizing, by showing how and what scientists know about changes in the extent of Arctic sea ice. The research on Arctic sea ice, coauthored by Bruce W. Hardy and Dr. Jamieson, was published in PNAS in 2014, with a 2016 follow-up in Environmental Communication.

Dr. Jamieson, the Elizabeth Ware Packard Professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication, co-founded FactCheck.org in 2003 at the APPC with journalist Brooks Jackson.

Five students from the School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) have been selected as the school’s inaugural cohort of Stamps VMD/VMD-PhD Fellows, a prestigious scholarship initiative through the Stamps Scholars Program that recognizes exceptional veterinary students who exemplify leadership, academic excellence, and service. Penn Vet is one of the first graduate institutions selected to participate in the Stamps Scholars Program, signaling a notable expansion of the program’s impact beyond the undergraduate level.

Penn Vet’s Stamps VMD Fellows are:

Halle Avratin, VMD Class of 2030, majored in animal science at Cornell University. Throughout her undergraduate career, Ms. Avratin demonstrated a clear and focused commitment to veterinary medicine, particularly equine care. As a member of the Cornell University Equestrian Team, she won first place in the Open Flat Class B competition during the team’s third consecutive Ivy League Show Championship in 2024.

Vernard L. Hodges, VMD Class of 2030, majored in biology at Morehouse College. While an undergraduate, Mr. Hodges conducted feline reproductive research at the Royal Veterinary College in London, exploring in vitro fertilization techniques to support the conservation of endangered big cat species.

The Stamps VMD-PhD Fellows are:

Namju Kim, VMD-PhD candidate, is a 2025 graduate of Vanderbilt University, where he majored in molecular and cellular biology. His academic interests span computational genomics, gene-regulation modeling, and veterinary science. With experience across leading medical and veterinary institutions, including Yonsei Song-Dang Institute for Cancer Research, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, his work investigates genotype-phenotype associations and translational applications in both human and animal health.

Caroline O’Rourke, VMD-PhD candidate, is a 2025 magna cum laude graduate of the The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), where she majored in biology. Ms. O’Rourke is an emerging scientist whose research spans genetics, bioengineering, and biomechanics, including the effects of space radiation on bone health and the engineering of viscoelastic hydrogels for personalized medicine. At CNJ, she also served as a peer tutor in biological and chemical sciences and was selected as a United Nations Millennium Fellow in recognition of her contributions to advancing global education initiatives.

Raegan Petch, VMD-PhD candidate, is a 2021 summa cum laude graduate of Colorado State University (CSU) with a BS in microbiology. Her research interests include host-virus interactions, viral evolution, and zoonotic disease. She is currently working in the laboratory of Paul Bates at the Perelman School of Medicine, developing and optimizing vaccine candidates to combat tick-borne viruses with high fatality rates. In addition to her research, Ms. Petch serves as a histology teaching assistant, mentoring first-year veterinary students. While at CSU, Petch investigated the spillover of feline leukemia virus from domestic cats to pumas in Susan VandeWoude’s lab.

 “We are immensely grateful to the Stamps Scholars Program for their extraordinary investment in our students and in the future of veterinary medicine,” said Andrew M. Hoffman, Penn Vet’s Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine. “This partnership empowers outstanding VMD and VMD-PhD combined degree students to pursue their boldest, most innovative ideas and career paths in clinical care, research, and public service without financial barriers. Stamps Fellows will not only thrive at Penn Vet but also advance animal and human health, thereby leading  meaningful change worldwide. We are very proud to support their journey.”

Founded in 2006 by E. Roe Stamps and his late wife Penny, the Stamps Scholars Program partners with prominent colleges and universities to provide financial support and high-impact educational experiences that empower students with remarkable promise to pursue ambitious academic, research, and leadership goals.

The Faculty Innovation Fund, a University-wide initiative to promote collaboration and generate new insights, is awarded by the Office of the Provost. The awardees for the 2026-2027 academic year are:

• Chenoa Flippen, School of Arts & Sciences: CSERI Early Career Book Conference
• Ravi Radhakrishnan, School of Engineering and Applied Science: Rising Stars in Engineering in Health Workshop 
• Vincent Reina and Matt Fowle, Stuart Weitzman School of Design: Commonwealth Housing Solutions Initiative
• Mallika Sarma, School of Arts & Sciences, and Dorit Aviv, Stuart Weitzman School of Design: Walk to Work: Examining Health Impacts When Navigating Philadelphia Urban Walking Infrastructure Under Heat Stress

The 2026 Summer AT PENN calendar is now available. Click here to view the calendar, and click here to view a printable PDF.

In partnership with Wharton Community Engagement, the Penn Museum will host Penn & Philly 250: A Celebration of Community, Culture, and Freedom on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from noon to 6 p.m. Admission is free.

Combining the Penn Museum’s Juneteenth celebration with Wharton’s Wellness Empowerment Project (a collaboration with Penn Medicine), this indoor/outdoor festival was inspired by Penn & Philly 250’s campus-wide semiquintencennial programming throughout 2026. Bringing Penn’s schools and centers together with neighbors and local organizations, the summer event Penn & Philly 250: Celebration of Community, Culture, and Freedom honors Philadelphia’s rich history while centering vibrant communities whose voices keep its stories and heritage alive.

This festive community celebration offers a vast range of live cultural performances and activities, access to health and financial literacy resources, and conversations with Philadelphia artists and Penn faculty, as well as pop-up community exhibitions, a marketplace, and food trucks. Additional features include:

• Admission to the Penn Museum’s galleries, exhibitions, and historic outdoor gardens
• Host Starfire returns for the third consecutive year at the Juneteenth Freedom Stage with a DJ, line dancing, African drumming with Karen Smith, and Double Dutch with Philly Girls Jump in Stoner Courtyard.
• Performances by the West Powelton Steppers, the Black Boys Making Noise storytelling group, and spoken word artists
• All-ages activity zone featuring facepainting, henna, hands-on learning, and a sensory-friendly space
• Free on-site health screenings through the Penn Medicine Mobile Mammography Van and other preventative care focused on wellness, such as blood pressure checks, stroke prevention tips, and nutritional education
• Free fresh vegetable distribution in partnership with Philabundance
• Child safety initiatives—helmet giveaways, dental products, and CPR demonstrations
• Financial literacy resources and educational workshops led by faculty from the Center for Africana Studies in Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences and the Annenberg School for Communication
• Community conversations led by artists, authors, and Penn faculty
• Pop-up exhibitions featuring Heritage West: West Philadelphia Community Archaeology Project, the Caroline LeCount story, and the Stuart Weitzman School of Design
• A marketplace spotlighting Black-owned businesses like Royal Fulani Living, Black Forward, and the Mount Airy Candle Company.
• Locally owned food trucks offering sweet and savory fare for purchase, plus the Penn Museum Café is open from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. with themed menu selections

“The Penn & Philly 250 event reflects a shared commitment to listening, collaborating, and aligning Penn’s resources with the priorities of our Philadelphia neighbors,” said co-organizer Renita Miller, executive director of Wharton Community Engagement. “I am delighted to see the Wellness Empowerment Project integrated into this effort, underscoring that financial wellness and health are inextricably linked. Wharton’s partnership with Penn Medicine’s department of neurology has been critical in advancing this holistic approach and expanding access to meaningful resources for our community. At its core, this day is about intentional collaboration that strengthens our community. I am honored to help bring it to our Philadelphia neighbors.”

The Penn & Philly 250 festival builds on the history of cultivating strong and authentic community partnerships at the Penn Museum. For co-organizer Tia Jackson, director of staff and community engagement at the Penn Museum, it was essential to include Juneteenth-related components—marking the importance of June 19, 1865, the official emancipation date of enslaved people in Texas, while weaving that story into the country’s semiquincentennial.

“This is a special, collaborative university-wide event to mark the country’s 250th anniversary,” Dr. Jackson said. “With support from most campus centers and departments, it truly embraces Penn’s interdisciplinary approach to community engagement by sharing the resources of the University with our neighbors to address health, financial literacy, education, arts, and culture, but also to have a bit of fun outside. This year, we are combining our annual Juneteenth celebration with the Wellness Empowerment Project to have a broad, long-lasting impact on our communities. By working with our many community partners to host pop-up exhibits, community conversations, and feature dozens of small businesses and community organizations, our goal is to elevate their reach and amplify the stories they want to share.”

The Penn & Philly 250: A Celebration of Community, Culture, and Freedom event is hosted by the Penn Museum and Wharton Community Engagement, with support from Penn & Philly, the School of Social Policy & Practice, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Perelman School of Medicine, Penn Medicine department of neurology, Stuart Weitzman School of Design, School of Dental Medicine, School of Nursing, Graduate School of Education, Netter Center for Community Partnerships, School of Arts & Sciences, Penn Libraries, WXPN, and Office of Social Equity and Community.

Advance registration is required to receive free tickets to attend the event. Register here.

Children’s Activities

26        Bloomin’ Bubbles; the Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Whimsical Woods will transform into a bubble landscape for children to use their imaginations and play; 11 a.m.; Whimsical Woods, Morris Arboretum & Gardens; free with arboretum admission; info: https://www.morrisarboretum.org/see-do/events/bloomin-bubbles (Morris Arboretum & Gardens). Every Tuesday through August 25.

Fitness & Learning

28        Yoga in the Treetops; a one-of-a-kind yoga experience on the Out on a Limb exhibit, suspended 50 feet above ground and surrounded by a canopy of trees, colors, sights and sounds; 5:15 p.m.; Morris Arboretum & Gardens; fee: $40/general, $35/members; register: https://www.morrisarboretum.org/see-do/events/yoga-treetops-0 (Morris Arboretum & Gardens).

Penn Libraries

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

28        Coffee with a Codex: Franciscan Miscellany (Part 2); Kislak Center curator Dot Porter will discuss Ms. Codex 869, a collection of treatises, bullae, and regulations of Franciscan interest; noon; online webinar.

Talks

26        Cosmic Plumbing: Development of Instrumentation and Pipelines for Cosmology; Saianeesh Keshav Haridas, physics & astronomy; 9 a.m.; room 3C4, DRL (Physics & Astronomy).

            Modeling Supported Nanoparticles for Catalysis; Tibor Szilvási, University of Alabama; 11 a.m.; room 225, Towne Building (Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering).

            Decoding the Moment: Can the No Surprises Act Be Fixed? Benjamin Chartock, Bentley University; Zack Cooper, Yale University; Lindsey Murtagh, Brown University; Dan Gorenstein, Tradeoffs; 3 p.m.; Zoom webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/ldi-panel-may-26 (Leonard Davis Institute).

27        Bringing Japanese Conservation Practices to Penn Libraries; Sibylla Shekerdjiska-Benatova, Penn Libraries; noon; room 241, Van Pelt Library, and online webinar; register: https://libcal.library.upenn.edu/event/16690927 (Penn Libraries).

            Resilience In Action: Climate Solutions For Tomorrow; Dorit Aviv, Weitzman School of Design; R. Jisung Park, Center for Climate Adaptation and Resilience; Grace Rogers, Weitzman School of Design; noon; online webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/penn-climate-panel-may-27 (Penn Climate).

28        Bidirectional Effects Between Auditory and Visual Cues: The Cases of Hawai‘i Creole English, African American Vernacular English, and Standardized American English; Rachel Weissler, University of Oregon; 10:30 a.m.; suite 300, C wing, 3401 Walnut Street (Linguistics).

Chemistry

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

28        Structural Biophysics for Drug Delivery and Development; Yongchao Su, Merck & Co.; noon.

This is an update to the May AT PENN calendar, which is available online now. The Summer AT PENN calendar also appears elsewhere in this issue. To submit events for future AT PENN calendars and weekly updates, email almanac@upenn.edu.

An open session of the WXPN Policy Board will meet Wednesday, June 3 at noon at WXPN. For more information, email abby@xpn.org or call (215) 898-0628 during business hours. 

Division of Public Safety
University of Pennsylvania Police Department Crime Report

About the Crime Report: Below are the Crimes Against Persons and/or Crimes Against Property from the campus report for May 11-17, 2026. 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 May 11-17, 2026. 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: 12 incidents with 2 arrests were reported for May 11-17, 2026 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.

Penn is committed to complying with federal and state laws concerning employment eligibility verification of individuals hired to work in the United States. As part of that ongoing commitment, the University of Pennsylvania has revised the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) Policy 207, effective immediately.

This policy is available in the online Human Resources Policy Manual at https://www.hr.upenn.edu/policies-and-procedures/policy-manual/recruitment-and-staffing/form-i-9.

Form I-9 Due Dates 

All new employees of Penn must complete Section 1 of the Form I-9 no earlier than when the employee has accepted a job offer and no later than their first day of employment/hire date, which is the first day the employee begins performing work in exchange for pay.

No later than the third business day following their first day of employment/hire date, employees must present original, unexpired documents from the Lists of Acceptable Documents to verify identity and employment eligibility.

Policy Summary

The purpose of Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) Policy is to comply with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) and provide guidance regarding Penn’s Form I-9 procedures and protocols for verifying the identity and employment authorization of all employees hired in the United States.  

This policy applies to all individuals who are hired to work for Penn in the United States, regardless of school or center, U. S. location, or employee type, including student workers.

In order to comply with IRCA, Penn is required to verify the identity and employment authorization of all employees by completing the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification document. Penn completes a Form I-9 for every employee hired to work in the United States, regardless of citizenship or national origin.

Employment is contingent upon individuals’ timely completion of Section 1 of the Form I-9 and providing required documentation to Penn verifying their identity and work authorization so that Penn can complete Section 2 in a timely manner.

If you have questions, please contact the Penn Employee Solution Center at https://www.solutioncenter.upenn.edu, (215) 898-7372, or SolutionCenter@upenn.edu. 

The annual change period for Penn Parking permits is now open through June 15, giving permit holders an opportunity to update their permit type, if desired.

FY27 parking permits are effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. Everyday parking permits will increase by $12 per month; 12 Parks Per Month permits will increase by $10 per month. Click here or see below for the FY27 permit rate chart.

Permit Options

Penn Parking offers benefits-eligible employees flexible permit options, paid pretax through monthly payroll deduction.

• Everyday Permits allow daily access with guaranteed parking at an assigned location.
• 12 Parks Per Month Permits allow parking up to 12 times per calendar month at a selected garage. All 12 days must be used within the month and do not carry over.

A pay-as-you-go Occasional Parking program is also available, offering employees a discount over public rates at select locations, subject to daily availability. One-time preregistration and designation of a preferred payment method are required to participate in this post-tax program. 

New customers can register for all three programs at Park@Penn.

Action Items for Current Permit-Holders

To adjust your permit type during the change period, log into Park@Penn and click “2026-27 Parking Options.”

You may also request a parking location change at this time. Note that requests to change locations without modifying the permit type can be submitted throughout the year via Park@Penn and are granted based on availability.

To cancel a permit effective June 30, log into Park@Penn, select “My Parking,” then “View/Manage Permit” to see cancellation options.

Permits not updated by June 15 will automatically renew to the existing type and location through June 30, 2027.

Please note: If you have an outstanding parking violation, it must be paid in full by June 1 at Park@Penn. Unpaid balances will prevent renewal, and the permit will not be active as of July 1, 2026.

• Click here for information on parking options, policies, and enrollment details.
• Click here for FAQs.

If you have further questions, email parking@upenn.edu or visit our office on the 1st floor of the Penn Bookstore (3601 Walnut Street, near the Sansom Street entrance).

Nominations for the 2026-2027 PPSA Chair Elect and Board have been received, and voting is officially open through 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday, June 12, 2026. Cast your vote today and help shape the future of PPSA.

All full-time, monthly-paid University staff members can vote for the 2026-2027 Chair Elect as well as the PPSA Executive Board Member positions via this 2026 PPSA Elections Survey Link.

You are encouraged to attend PPSA’s Annual Members and Elections Meeting on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, from 1-2 p.m. in ARCH 208 with guest speaker John Mulhern III, Principal Technology Advisor at Penn Information Systems & Computing, who will speak on Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Penn and his leadership journey. The event will be hybrid, with in-person snacks and networking starting at 12:30 p.m. before the formal meeting. We welcome you to save the date and stay tuned for the official invitation and registration link forthcoming from our PPSA Tri-Chairs.

The election process is governed by the PPSA Bylaws, available on the PPSA website at http://ppsa.upenn.edu. For more information or questions, please contact ppsa@lists.upenn.edu. 

The PPSA Nominations Committee 2026

—Lamesha C. Brown, Director
College Achievement Program, Penn First Plus  

—Chris Klaniecki, Associate Director
Office of the Vice Provost for Global Initiatives 

—Valerie Wrenn, Associate Director
Weingarten Center, University Life  

The PPSA Tri-Chairs 2025-2026

—Dawn Maglicco Deitch, PPSA Chair, Executive Director,
Office of Government and Community Affairs

—Justin D. Purohit, PPSA Chair-Elect, Manager,
Accounting Operations, Comptroller’s Office

—Tonya Bennett , PPSA Past-Chair,
Director of Educational Technology, Penn Vet

Are you a Penn postdoctoral fellow or advanced graduate student with a deep scholarly interest in climate change? 

Penn Climate invites emerging climate leaders to apply to be Penn Climate Scholars for the 2026-2027 academic year. This interdisciplinary community of practice will meet monthly to present and discuss research, participate in workshops, and plan events, enhancing participants’ networks, professional skills, and career development. Participants will also be eligible to apply for funding opportunities to support research or conference travel needs. 

Learn more on the Penn Climate website. Applications due July 1, 2026. 

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) are tax-advantaged accounts that let you use pre-tax dollars to pay for eligible healthcare and dependent care expenses. Using FSAs can save money, however the amount of unused dollars that will roll over—or stay in your account from one plan year to the next—is limited. If you have a Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA), you are encouraged to spend down your balance before June 30, 2026 to avoid losing unused funds. Here are some important details about HCFSAs and DCFSAs to help you plan accordingly. 

Health Care FSA

If you have a HCFSA, you will be able to roll over up to $660 of all unused funds from the 2025-2026 plan year to the 2026-2027 plan year. You will forfeit all unused funds over the $660 limit. Effective July 1, 2026, the amount you can roll over to the next plan year will increase from $660 to $680 and the maximum amount you can contribute will remain $3,400. 

You must incur all expenses for the current plan year by June 30, 2026. Claims must be submitted to Penn’s HealthEquity portal by September 30, 2026. 

Dependent Care FSA 

You must use all available funds by the end of the plan year deadline or you will forfeit any remaining balance. For the 2025-2026 plan year, you have until September 15, 2026 to incur expenses, and until September 30 to submit eligible claims to Penn’s HealthEquity portal. 

Visit the Flexible Spending Accounts webpage for more FSA details.

—Division of Human Resources 

Penn Climate has announced an open call for proposals for the Climate Solutions Hub Innovation Seed Grants, which will fund up to two $400,000, multidisciplinary, research-focused projects to create climate solutions by leveraging Penn’s existing strengths. These seed grants will engender creativity and collaboration across Penn and support initiatives that are poised to launch into longer-term, sustainable efforts. The deadline to apply is June 30, 2026. To learn more and apply, click here.