September 16, 2025 Volume 72 Issue 6

Three faculty members in the School of Arts & Sciences have been named Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professors.

Jeremy McInerney has been named the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Classical Studies. A faculty member for more than 30 years, Dr. McInerney has also served as the department of classical studies’ chair and undergraduate chair. He also currently serves as faculty co-director of the post-baccalaureate program in classical studies.

Dr. McInerney’s academic interests are centered upon the ancient Greek world and include landscape, religion, and social history. His past research has explored ethnicity in central Greece during the archaic and classical periods, the growth of sanctuaries at Delphi and Kalapodi, and the role of cattle in ancient Greece, both in myth and as sacrificial animals.

Author of Ancient Greece: A New History and The Cattle of the Sun: Cows and Culture in the World of the Ancient Greeks, Dr. McInerney has received recognition for his study of hybridity in the book Centaurs and Snake-Kings, which was named one of the best, new academic publications in 2024 by The New Stateman. His current project is as co-editor of The Oxford History of the Classical World, the first volume of which will be published in late 2025. Two other coedited volumes, Memory, Space and Mindscapes in Ancient Greece and Meanings and Values of the Sacred in Greco-Roman Antiquity, are also forthcoming.

Dr. McInerney’s service to Penn has included membership on several committees, including the School of Arts & Sciences Graduate Education Committee, the College Committee on Undergraduate Education, and the Faculty Senate Executive Committee. He has also served as chair of the graduate group in ancient history and the graduate group in the art and archaeology of the mediterranean world.

Robin Pemantle has been named the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Mathematics. Dr. Pemantle joined the department of mathematics in 2003 and has served as the Merriam Term Professor of Mathematics ever since. He also served as the department’s undergraduate chair from 2011 to 2014.

Dr. Pemantle’s research interests include modern discrete probability and combinatorics. For his expertise in these areas, he was honored with a 2024 election to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest accolades a scientist can receive.

Co-author of Analytic Combinatorics in Several Variables (2024), Dr. Pemantle has also focused on the topic of math pedagogy in his recent publications. There Is No One Way to Teach Math: Actionable Ideas for Grades 6–12 (2024) is the first of a two-volume series that offers practical, actionable approaches to teaching math in a classroom setting. The second volume, Beyond the Math Wars (in progress), will examine the current state of math education and how it developed.

Dr. Pemantle is also the author of the book I Wish They Had Taught Me That! (forthcoming), which focuses on topics within mathematics that are often omitted from coursework.

Petra Todd has been named the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Economics.  Dr. Todd joined Penn’s department of economics in 1996. She served as the Alfred L. Cass Term Chair Professor of Economics from 2010 to 2016 and as the Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term Professor of Economics from 2016 until being appointed to the Browne Professorship. She is the current chair of the department of economics and a research associate with Penn’s Population Studies Center.

Dr. Todd’s areas of research include social program evaluation, education economics, labor economics, and micro-econometrics. Her current projects include analyses of the effects of personality traits on gender market disparities and of minimum wage policies in the United States.

Co-author of Impact Evaluation in Developing Countries: Theory, Methods and Practice (2022), Dr. Todd has also published numerous papers on econometric methods for evaluating the effects of policy interventions, the determinants of cognitive achievement, testing for discrimination in motor vehicle searches, sources of racial and gender labor market disparities, conditional cash transfer programs, and pension program design.

Grant support for Dr. Todd’s research has come from the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Health, the Spencer Foundation, and University of Pennsylvania’s Population Aging Research Center. Her service at Penn has included membership on the Faculty Council on Access and Academic Support Committee, the Committee for Undergraduate Education, the Faculty Senate, and the Graduate Admissions Committee.

The late Christopher H. Browne, C’69, served as the former chair of the Board of Advisors of the School of Arts & Sciences and as a Penn Trustee. Browne Distinguished Professorships recognize faculty members who have achieved an extraordinary reputation for scholarly contributions, demonstrated great distinction in teaching, and demonstrated intellectual integrity and unquestioned commitment to free and open discussion of ideas.

Provost John L. Jackson, Jr. and Vice Provost for the Arts Timothy Rommen announce the appointment of Rachel Wenrick as Penn’s inaugural executive director of the arts, beginning September 22, 2025. 

Ms. Wenrick is currently the executive director of arts and civic innovation at Drexel University, where she partners with faculty, students, staff, and community leaders to advance the vital role of the arts on campus and in Philadelphia. She is the founding director of Writers Room at Drexel, launched in 2014 as a hub of community-engaged, intergenerational programs, research initiatives, open courses, and experiential learning initiatives that aims to bring together faculty, staff, students, and alumni with the West Philadelphia and Philadelphia communities. In this role, she also led the creation of the Second Story Collective, a collaborative venture of artists, scholars, and West Philadelphia residents that uses arts-centered processes and community-driven research to create a sustainable, transferable model for equitable development, particularly for historically marginalized communities.

“I am thrilled to welcome Rachel Wenrick to Penn,” said Vice Provost Rommen. “She is a widely respected arts leader with extensive experience in building sustainable programs and developing impactful initiatives. Rachel is uniquely prepared to step into this new role as a partner and resource for our arts community, motivated by her strong conviction that the arts are a vehicle for creating new knowledge and collaborative solutions.”

Ms. Wenrick has taught writing at Drexel since 2007 and served as an associate director of both the university writing program and the Drexel Writing Center. She is the co-author with Angélique Kidjo of Spirit Rising and previously taught writing at Ithaca College and the Bank Street College of Education, among others. She received an MFA in writing as a Felipe P. De Alba Fellow at the School of the Arts at Columbia University and a BA in English from Ithaca College. 

“It is a profound honor to join the Provost’s team to support Penn’s vibrant ecosystem of arts centers and academic programs,” said Ms. Wenrick. “I am excited to partner with scholars and practitioners to imagine the future of the arts at Penn—and energized by the University’s commitment to innovative, experimental, and interdisciplinary work. I will bring my deep belief in the power of the arts to transform not only individual lives but also our institutions and communities.”

Provost John L. Jackson, Jr. announces the appointment of Diana Robertson, the Samuel A. Blank Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics in the Wharton School, as the Bozza Family Penn First Plus Faculty Co-Director, beginning September 8, 2025. She succeeds Russell Composto, who will continue to oversee the work of Penn First Plus in his new role as Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education.

“Diana Robertson is one of our most distinguished teachers and mentors,” said Provost Jackson. “I am deeply grateful to her for joining the leadership of Penn First Plus after her outstanding term as vice dean and director of the undergraduate division at Wharton. Her dedication to students at every level—combined with her scholarly engagement with sociology and ethics—make her an ideal leader for this essential work, which includes collaborating closely with P1P’s ongoing faculty co-director Fayyaz Vellani, with its founding executive director Marc Lo, and with the outstanding staff who advance P1P’s critical goals on our campus every day.”

Dr. Robertson has taught at Wharton since 2008, and served from 2019 to 2025 as vice dean and director of the undergraduate division. In this role, her key initiatives included creating an emergency and opportunity fund to support Wharton students, recognizing Wharton FGLI as an official division-sponsored organization, and establishing a task force to further belonging and community at Wharton. She has received eight Excellence in Teaching Awards from Wharton students; the 2020 Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching, Penn’s highest University-wide teaching honor; and a 2018 Poets and Quants ranking as one of the top 50 undergraduate business professors.

Dr. Robertson’s award-winning scholarship focuses on the contexts, cognitive processes, and organizational factors that lead to ethical decision-making and behavior. At Wharton, she has taught courses including Business Ethics, International Business Ethics, Corporate Responsibility and Ethics, and Business and You, the gateway course for all new undergraduate students. She has also taught at Emory University and London Business School. She received a PhD and MA in sociology from UCLA and a BA in comparative literature from Northwestern University.

Penn First Plus, founded in 2018, provides support, resources, and community-building for undergraduate students who are the first in their families to pursue the baccalaureate and/or come from limited or modest financial means. It includes the Shleifer Family Penn First Plus Center in College Hall; the Pre-First Year Program, an intensive four-week summer program for select incoming first-year students; and the College Achievement Program, which offers comprehensive support services that continue throughout students’ undergraduate experiences at Penn. 

The University of Pennsylvania’s newest LEED-certified building projects include the Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology (VLEST), which earned a LEED Platinum; Amy Gutmann Hall, which was awarded LEED Gold; and the Ott Center for Track and Field, which received LEED silver. Recognized as the international benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings, LEED certification, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council. The latest designations bring Penn’s total number of LEED-certified projects to 55, reflecting the University’s leadership in green building practices, which is aligned with Penn’s Climate & Sustainability Action Plan 4.0 and building green initiative.

“These LEED certifications reflect Penn’s commitment to sustainable building design,” said Mark Kocent, Penn’s University architect. “Each project is designed with energy efficiency, ecological integration, and occupant wellness at its core, a reflection of Penn’s In Principle and Practice directive to lead on the great challenges of our time, including climate.”

With LEED Platinum certification, VLEST represents the highest standard in sustainable building design. Penn’s hub for emerging energy research VLEST is a collaboration between the School of Arts & Sciences (SAS) and the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) and also houses the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER). Designed by Behnisch Architekten, the building’s distinctive high-performance façade uses solar geometric sunshades to reduce energy usage and maximize natural daylight. The shades are a key feature of this campus gateway building at 32nd and Walnut Streets.

Penn Engineering’s Amy Gutmann Hall serves as a hub for cross-disciplinary collaborations that harness research and data across Penn’s 12 Schools. Designed by executive architects Lake|Flato, with KSS Architects serving as associates, Amy Gutmann Hall at 34th and Chestnut Streets is one of the east coast’s largest mass timber structures, using a material that is significantly more sustainable compared to concrete or steel. The project’s other sustainable features including a 12,000 square-foot green roof, high-performance building envelope, windows, and skylights, as well as energy-efficient systems and low-flow plumbing, cut energy use by nearly 20% and water usage by 33%.

The state-of-the-art Ott Center for Track and Field indoor track completed last fall received high points for construction and demolition waste management, as well as heat island and light pollution reduction. During the construction process, 64 trees were planted on the site, in alignment with Penn’s Ecological Landscape Stewardship Plan and supporting the city of Philadelphia’s tree canopy goals.

Other significant LEED-certified projects at Penn in recent years include the Penn GSE building expansion and renovation (2023), Penn Medicine Pavillion (2021), the University Meeting and Guest House (2021), and Wharton’s Academic Research Building (2020) which garnered LEED Gold and Gutmann College House (2022) and Tangen Hall (2020)each earned LEED Silver.

Wharton Executive Education has announced the launch of the owner/president/CEO (OPC) Program, a new, immersive learning experience designed exclusively for leaders of established, often founder-led or family-owned enterprises who are ready to shape the future of their companies and their legacies

Founders, owners, and chief executives face a set of challenges unlike any other. In a climate where disruption is the new constant, even accomplished leaders must adapt. The task no longer just ecompasses running the business, but also rethinking strategy, planning for succession, and ensuring that the enterprise endures. The OPC program was created for this moment—offering the tools and peer community to step back from daily demands and plan for lasting impact.

“Too often, we get stuck fighting fires,” said Nancy Rothbard, Wharton management professor, deputy dean and co-academic director. “We don’t stop to identify the opportunities that could shape our future. This program gives leaders that space to pause, think differently, and build a bold vision for their company and their legacy.”

Structured over 18 months across three immersive modules in Philadelphia and San Francisco, curated electives, and personalized executive coaching, the program blends Wharton’s academic rigor with practical insight. Participants will examine advanced finance, innovation, succession planning, and growth strategy while developing a five- and 10-year roadmap for their companies with the guidance of Wharton faculty, peers, and alumni.

“Many focus on predicting the future, some work on adapting to it,” added Jagmohan Raju, Wharton marketing professor and co-academic director. “OPC helps leaders create a future where they and their businesses can thrive. You learn not just to play the game but to influence the rules of the game.”

The program emphasizes not only strategic planning but also personal and organizational reinvention. Through lectures, case studies, workshops, and simulations, participants will explore new ways of thinking while trading insights with peers who share the experience of high-stakes decision making. This peer community, Dr. Raju noted, becomes “a pillar you can lean on for the rest of your life.”

Upon completion, participants will gain Wharton alumni status, joining a global network of more than 100,000 leaders. That enduring connection opens access to alumni events, introductions, and lifelong learning opportunities.

“We’re not just handing out frameworks,” Dr. Rothbard explained. “We’re helping leaders think critically and creatively about their specific business and the kind of company they want to lead into the future. This is about going from excellence to eminence, from what you’ve already achieved to the broader legacy you want to build.”

Enrollment for the Owner/President/CEO Program is now open. The inaugural cohort will begin with Module 1: Leadership and Finance, held from April 27–May 8, 2026, in Philadelphia. 

Module 2: Innovation follows from January 24–28, 2027, at Wharton’s San Francisco campus, giving participants direct exposure to the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The program concludes with Module 3: Legacy and Growth, from September 20–October 1, 2027, in Philadelphia.

The first meeting of the semester of the University Council was held on September 10, 2025, in Houston Hall’s Hall of Flags.

Penn President J. Larry Jameson welcomed those in attendance. He introduced the new University Council moderator, associate professor of neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine Michael McGarvey.

President Jameson emphasized his desire to receive input and ideas from members of council and the larger Penn community that will help the University of Pennsylvania become the best it can be. He discussed Penn Forward (Almanac September 9, 2025), which he called an important strategic planning initiative during a time of constant change. Working groups of students, faculty, and staff have begun meeting and will conclude their work around the end of the fall semester. The implementation stage is set to begin in the spring semester.

Kathleen Brown, the David Boies Professor of History, chair of the University Council Steering Committee and chair of the Faculty Senate, asked for feedback on the charges put forth for the University Council committees and on this year’s focus issues topics. The topics will be presented at future University Council meetings.

This year’s focus topic issues are:

• Penn Dining
• AI as a Disruptive Technology to Pedagogy and Student Learning
• Penn Washington
• Penn Libraries

Hearing no comments about the focus issue topics, Lizann Boyle Rode, associate vice president and associate University secretary, addressed the topics brought up by the six speakers during new business at the April University Council meeting.

During the new business portion of this meeting, speakers:

• Offered ideas about how to increase the representation of transfer student perspectives around campus.
• Described upcoming activities at La Casa Latina in September and October (additional information can be found at https://ulife.vpul.upenn.edu/calendar/host/La-Casa-Latina/20).
• Conveyed concern regarding the September 8 U.S. Supreme Court decision that lifted an order prohibiting government agents from making indiscriminate immigration-related stops in Los Angeles and how it might impact members of the Penn community.
• Noted concerns regarding transportation on and around campus as a result of budget cuts to SEPTA.

The next meeting of the University Council will be held on October 22, 2025.

The Penn Trustees’ Budget & Finance and Executive Committees will meet on Thursday, September 25, 2025.

The meeting schedule is as follows:

Thursday, September 25

11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Budget & Finance Committee

2:45-3 p.m.
Public Meeting of the Executive Committee to Approve Resolutions

Visit https://secretary.upenn.edu/trustees-governance/open-trustee-meeting for dial-in information and meeting agendas.

Joseph Francisco, the President’s Distinguished Professor of Earth & Environmental Science in the School of Arts & Sciences,  has been awarded the Pauling Medal in honor of his groundbreaking work into the chemistry of Earth’s atmosphere. Awarded by the American Chemical Society Puget Sound Section (ACSPSS), the annual medal recognizes major achievements in the field of chemistry broadly.

In a statement, ACSPSS praised Dr. Francisco’s “pioneering studies” that have reshaped “our fundamental understanding of atmospheric processes, including pioneering air-water/microdroplet chemistry.” The medal will be formally awarded at the Pauling Medal Award Symposium on October 18 at Seattle University.

Dr. Francisco, who also has an appointment in the chemistry department, served as ACS president from 2009 to 2010 and is a leading voice in the fields of atmospheric chemistry and chemical kinetics. He is co-author of the fundamental textbook in chemical kinetics and dynamics, Chemical Kinetics and Dynamics, published in 1998.

Every year on International Literacy Day, the Library of Congress honors organizations that make a real impact in advancing reading and literacy. Through its Literacy Awards, established in 2013, the library has awarded more than $3.8 million to over 200 programs in 40 countries. This year, two Penn GSE-related initiatives are being honored among the 24 awardees: one launched by an alumna whose vision now reaches far beyond campus, and another established at GSE and led by faculty. The Library of Congress will convene the award recipients for a symposium and recognition event in Washington, D.C., next month.

Start Lighthouse, a New York-based nonprofit launched by Rina Madhani, GED’19, was recognized as an Emerging Strategies Honoree and awarded $5,000 for demonstrating creativity and promise in its approach to literacy within its first five years of development.

“This recognition from the Library of Congress affirms Start Lighthouse’s belief that literacy is a fundamental right and a pathway to joy, belonging, and opportunity,” said Ms. Madhani. “In the South Bronx, we’ve transformed under-used library spaces into vibrant literacy hubs that place children and families at the center of joyful reading experiences. This honor strengthens our broader vision to advance literacy equity within New York City and beyond, and it motivates us to continue growing our model in the years ahead.”

In addition, the Philadelphia Writing Project (PhilWP) at Penn GSE, a site of the National Writing Project (NWP), was recognized as a Successful Practice Honoree and awarded $10,000 for its innovative implementation of literacy promotion practices. 

“Because PhilWP has demonstrated a deep commitment to teaching writing and amplifying the voices of teachers, children, and youth since 1986, it is momentous to be recognized by the Library of Congress for our collaborative efforts to advance literacy,” said PhilWP director and Penn GSE literacy studies faculty member Jen McLaughlin Cahill. “Writing and storytelling have profoundly shaped my identity and relationships within the communities I serve. The PhilWP network reaches 800+ educators who comprise a passionate and dynamic teacher inquiry community, and being part of that, while receiving this recognition from the Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program, is a tremendous honor. We’re excited about the projects this prize will help us fund, especially for the brilliant teachers and youth of Philadelphia.” 

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has named Cynthia Otto, professor of working dog sciences and sports medicine at Penn Vet and founding executive director of the Penn Vet Working Dog Center, as the winner of the 2025 AVMA Career Achievement in Canine Research Award.

This award honors an AVMA member’s long-term contribution to the field of canine research. The AVMA Council on Research selects the recipient.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to receive this award,” said Dr. Otto. “Throughout my veterinary career, it has been a true privilege to advance canine knowledge and care—especially the extraordinary working dogs—to support their human partners, and to educate and inspire those whose lives are touched by these remarkable dogs.”

A dual board-certified specialist in veterinary emergency and critical care canine sports medicine and rehabilitation, Dr. Otto has authored or co-authored over 150 publications and received more than $6.9 million in research support. Her contributions span a wide range of canine-focused research areas, including scent detection, occupational hazards and working dog health and welfare.

Dr. Otto first came to national attention following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, when she deployed with FEMA’s Pennsylvania Task Force 1 to care for search-and-rescue dogs at Ground Zero. That experience inspired a two-decade-long research program to study the long-term health of these canine heroes, which continues to produce valuable scientific insights.

Dr. Otto if the founding director of the Penn Vet Working Dog Center, a national model for interdisciplinary canine research, training, and education. The Center’s dogs are trained in life-saving roles, from urban search-and-rescue and narcotics detection to public health applications such as identifying diseases like cancer, COVID-19, and chronic wasting disease through scent detection. Of the nearly 200 dogs raised and trained through the center, 93% have gone on to successful working careers in detection and service.

Under Dr. Otto’s leadership, the Working Dog Center has become a world-renowned hub of canine science, advancing knowledge in exercise physiology, behavior, training, health monitoring, and One Health applications. She has also helped develop standards for detection dog training and care through her work with the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

From her first clinical trial for dogs with parvovirus to her current collaborative NIH-funded study examining a heparin-like molecule for treatment of canine septic peritonitis, she has been committed to changing the trajectory of care available to critically ill canine patients and translating these findings to advance human healthcare. Her commitment to a One Health approach was crucial to the development of the Veterinary Clinical Investigation Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

She has been recognized with numerous awards, including the AVMA Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award (2018), the Asa Mays Excellence in Canine Health Research Award from the AKC Canine Health Foundation (2021) and the Kennel Club Charitable Trust’s International Canine Health Special Award (2024).

“Dr. Otto’s career reflects an extraordinary dedication to advancing the health, performance, and welfare of working dogs,” said Dr. Sandra Faeh, president of the AVMA. “Her pioneering research in canine scent detection, trauma care, and sports medicine has had a profound impact on veterinary medicine and public safety alike.”

Provost John L. Jackson, Jr. and Vice Provost for Faculty Laura W. Perna have announced the appointment of the seventeenth cohort of Penn Fellows.

The Penn Fellows Program provides leadership development to select Penn faculty in mid-career. 

Begun in 2009, it includes opportunities to build alliances across the University, meet distinguished academic leaders, think strategically about university governance, and consult with Penn’s senior administrators.

Marlyse Baptista, the President’s Distinguished Professor of Linguistics in the School of Arts & Sciences, is a contact linguist and morphosyntactician who specializes in Pidgin and Creole languages (and their source languages), and in theories of language emergence, language contact and change.

Joel Boerckel, an associate professor of orthopaedic surgery in the Perelman School of Medicine, studies how mechanical cues influence morphogenesis, growth, adaptation, and repair, and how these physical stimuli can be used to induce regeneration.

Ken Cadwell, the T. Grier Miller Professor of Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine, investigates how the human immune system has adapted to the diverse microbial agents we encounter in our lifetime, focusing on the gastrointestinal tract.

Bodong Chen, an associate professor of learning sciences and technologies in the Graduate School of Education, aims to generate justice-oriented pedagogical designs, technological innovations, and empirical understanding of learning in authentic settings.

Modupe Coker, an associate professor of basic and translational sciences in the School of Dental Medicine, focuses on the study of the microbiome and its relationship with early-life infections, behavioral factors, and environmental influences on oral and dental health.

Jorge Henao-Mejia, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine, studies the interactions between the immune system and whole body and cellular metabolism in the context of health and obesity.

Allison Hoffman, the William Maul Measey Professor of Law and Health Sciences in the Penn Carey Law School, is an expert on healthcare law and policy who examines legal and social issues, including health insurance regulation, the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and retiree healthcare expenses, and long-term care.

Monisha Kumar, a professor of neurology in the Perelman School of Medicine, is a neurointensivist and clinical researcher whose area of expertise is in coagulation derangements associated with severe brain injury.

Emily Largent, the Emanuel & Robert Hart Associate Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy in the Perelman School of Medicine, explores ethical and regulatory aspects of human subjects research as well the social, legal, and ethical considerations that arise when research findings are translated into care. 

Jessa Lingel, an associate professor of communication in the Annenberg School for Communication, focuses on digital culture and technological distributions of power. She uses qualitative and interpretive methods to understand relationships between people and technologies.

Damaris Lorenzo, an associate professor of cell and developmental biology in the Perelman School of Medicine, focuses on understanding how membrane and cytoskeleton adaptors modulate cellular processes to maintain homeostasis and how their dysregulation leads to disease.

Adriana Perez, an associate professor of nursing in the School of Nursing, studies the influence of multi-level factors on physical activity, cardiovascular health, cognitive health, and sleep among Spanish-speaking older Latinos with Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD).

Jordan Raney, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and applied mechanics in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, studies experimental mechanics and additive manufacturing of novel composites and material architectures—including hierarchical, heterogeneous, fibrous, and soft systems.

Megan Ryerson, the UPS Foundation Chair of Transportation and a professor of city and regional planning in the Stuart Weitzman School of Design, researches transportation engineering and planning, with special attention to intercity transportation planning and urban transportation safety. 

Carlos Santana, an associate professor of philosophy in the School of Arts & Sciences, specializes in the philosophy of science, applied ethics, and the philosophy of language and aims to better equip communities to deal with environmental change.

William Sturkey, an associate professor of history in the School of Arts & Sciences, is a historian of the United States who specializes in the history of race in the American South since 1865. He is an innovative narrative historian who employs a variety of methodologies in social, economic, diplomatic, and narrative history.

Alexis Topjian, a professor of anesthesiology and critical care in the Perelman School of Medicine, is a pediatric critical care medicine physician whose research area is cardiac arrest, specifically post cardiac arrest care and pediatric neurocritical care.

Dirk Trauner, the George A. Weiss University Professor in the School of Arts & Sciences, studies the power of chemical synthesis with challenging target molecules and how to use it toward the establishment of synthetic biological pathways.

Whitney Trettien, an associate professor of English in the School of Arts & Sciences, researches the history of the book and other print and digital text texhnologies. She is invested in exploring the past to better understand our present media environment.

Andrew Vaughan, an associate professor of biomedical sciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine, focuses his research on defining and understanding the relevant cell types and molecular mechanisms by which the mammalian lung is able to regenerate after severe injury.

Allison Willis, an associate professor of neurology and of epidemiology in the Perelman School of Medicine, researches drug-disease interactions in Parkinson’s Disease, and health disparities as experienced by individuals with neurological conditions across the lifespan.

The federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), as amended, requires colleges and universities to provide information related to security policies and procedures and specific statistics for criminal incidents, arrests, and disciplinary referrals to students and employees, and to make the information and statistics available to prospective students and employees upon request. Federal law also requires institutions with on-campus housing to share an annual fire report with the campus community. The Stop Campus Hazing Act (SCHA), enacted on December 23, 2024, amends the Clery Act to prioritize the prevention of and transparency about hazing incidents at colleges and universities. In compliance with the SCHA, Penn will begin including these additional statistics in its 2026 Annual Security Report.

In addition, the Uniform Crime Reporting Act requires Pennsylvania colleges and universities to provide information related to security policies and procedures to students, employees and applicants; to provide certain crime statistics to students and employees; and to make those statistics available to applicants and prospective employees upon request. 

To review Penn’s most recent annual report containing this information, please visit: https://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/ASR/2025_ASR_PENN.pdf.  

You may request a paper copy of the report by calling the Office of the Vice President for Public Safety at (215) 898-7515 or by emailing vp@publicsafety.upenn.edu.

—Division of Public Safety

Exhibits

19        Migrating Lives: Celebrating Communities Through Participatory Murals; launch of a participatory community mural project that emphasizes the critical role of immigration in the Greater Philadelphia area, depicting and celebrating the history and culture of diverse communities; 5 p.m.; room 403, McNeil Building, and Zoom webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/asam-clals-murals (Asian American Studies, Center for Latinx and Latin American Studies).

Films

17        Slippages in Time: Oil, Sovereignty and Media; the first feature-length film by artist-scholar Sanaz Sohrabi, unfurls the remarkable history behind the production of the Rhymes and Songs for OPEC musical vinyl, recorded in 1980 by Petróleos de Venezuela; 6 p.m.; Public Trust, 4017 Walnut Street (Center for Advanced Research in Global Communication).

22        Hafu; follows the lives of five “hafus”–the Japanese term for people who are half-Japanese–as they explore what it means to be multiracial and multicultural in a nation that once proudly proclaimed itself as the mono-ethnic nation; 6 p.m.; room 401, Fisher-Bennett Hall (Center for East Asian Studies).

Fitness & Learning

16        Grad Fest Ice Cream Social; connect with students from across all 12 Penn schools who are committed to creating welcoming and affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ graduate & professional students; 5-7 p.m.; LGBT Center (Lambda Grads).

18        Penn Student Workshop: Yoruba Indigo Dye; students will see stitch-resist adire cloth from the Museum’s collection, learn the wax-resist technique with Philadelphia artist Yemisi Ajayi, and create their own indigo-dyed cloth to take home; 6 p.m.; Penn Musuem; free for Penn students (Penn Museum).

            Documenting Your Work; Brent Wahl, fine arts, will demonstrate how to set up the camera and lights to document your art; he will also cover how to shoot 2-D and 3-D work and give advice about installation documentation techniques; 7:30 p.m.; room 001, basement level, Addams Hall (Fine Arts).

19        PAACH Undergraduate Open House 2025; meet the Pan-Asian Community House and its students groups, plus enjoy free food, games, giveaways, performances, and more; 3-5 p.m.; main lobby, ARCH (PAACH).

20        BIPOC Picnic; annual event to gather in community with Black, indigenous, and POC students to enjoy food, and play some lawn games; noon-2 p.m.; LGBT Center (LGBT Center).

22        Truman Scholarship Information Session; learn about a program that awards merit-based $30,000 scholarships to college juniors who are U.S. citizens/nationals, who plan to pursue careers in government or in public service (broadly defined), and who wish to attend graduate or professional school to help prepare for their careers; 4 p.m.; room G08/09, College Hall (Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships).

Penn Libraries

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

17        Documentation Methods for Successful Research; learn how and when to appropriately implement a documentation method to improve the usability of your research; 11 a.m.; online webinar.

            History of Letterpress Printing and Typography: A Tour and Demonstration; a guided tour and demonstration of letterpress printing and typography, including the history of letterpress printing, type and books from 1000 CE to now, as well as demonstrations of how movable type is used and the mechanical history of all the different presses at Common Press; noon; Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library.

19        Bookbinding Workshop: Letterlocking with Jess Ortegon; an introduction to letterlocking, a technique used for hundreds of years before the envelope came into commercial use around the 1830s; 4-6 p.m.; B level seminar room, Fisher Fine Arts Library.

22        AI Essentials; engage in hands-on activities to explore the core functions of popular generative AI tools, including those available at Penn; 10:30 a.m.; room 223, Van Pelt Library.

            What's New in Canvas for Fall 2025?; will introduce and explore the notable changes in Canvas for fall 2025; noon; online webinar.

23        Studio Use Training: Letterpress Printing; learn and practice the basics of letterpress printing and typesetting; this orientation is required as a prerequisite for working on independent projects at Common Press; 2 p.m.; Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library.

Music

19        XPoNential Music Festival; annual music festival hosted by WXPN that features an expansive array of artists spanning genres, including Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory, Courtney Barnett, WAR, and more; 4:30 p.m.; Wiggins Park, Camden, NJ; tickets: www.xpnfest.org (WXPN). Through September 21.

On Stage

20        iNtuitons Presents: Alternative Theater Festival; a collection of student written shows, each with a funky experimental twist; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; lobby, Platt Performing Arts House; tickets: $5 (Platt Performing Arts House).

Readings & Signings

22        Feminism in Times of Fascism Reading Group; reading group discussion of Trans Femme Futures by Nat Raha and Mijke van der Drift; noon; room 212, Annenberg School, or Zoom webinar; RSVP: lingel@upenn.edu (Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies).

            Social Media and Ordinary Life: Affect, Ethics, and Aspiration in Contemporary China; Cara Wallis, University of Michigan; 12:15 p.m.; room 500, Annenberg School; register: https://tinyurl.com/wallis-talk-sep-22 (Center for Advanced Research in Global Communication; Center on Digital Culture and Society).

Talks

17        Animals and Antimicrobial Resistance; Maho Okumura, clinical infectious diseases; Owen Raboloko, Botswana University; noon; online webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/okumura-raboloko-sep-17 (Environmental Innovations Initiative).

            Bridging Timescales Between Simulations and Catalytic and Biological Processes; Surl-Hee (Shirley) Ahn, University of California, Davis; noon; Carolyn Hoff Lynch Lecture Hall, 1973 Chemistry Building (Chemistry).

            Losing Trust in Vaccines: The Measles Story; Paul Offit, CHOP; noon; Zoom webinar; join: https://tinyurl.com/offit-talk-sep-17 (Penn Medicine Global Health).

            Powering the Future: South Korea, Semiconductors, and the Geopolitics of Technology; Young-Sun Park, former Minister of SMEs and Startups of Republic of Korea; noon; World Forum, Perry World House; register: https://tinyurl.com/park-talk-sep-17 (Perry World House, Korean Studies).

            Symbolic Reasoning in the Age of Large Language Models; Guy Van den Broeck, UCLA; noon; room 414, Amy Gutmann Hall, and Zoom webinar; join: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/94114381525 (ASSET Center).

            A Touch of Noir: The Rise of Parasitic Media in Contemporary China; Shiqi Lin, Cornell University; noon; room 330, Fisher-Bennett Hall (Cinema & Media Studies).

            Virus-Host Interactions Regulating Orthoflavivirus Infection; Holly Ramage, Temple University; noon; Austrian Auditorium, CRB (Microbiology).

            Fractional Quantum Anomalous Hall Effects and Unconventional Superconductivity in Rhombohedral Graphene; Zhengguang Lu, Florida State University; 3 p.m.; room A8, DRL (Physics & Astronomy).

            Natural Product Research for Human Health and Biocatalysis; Wenjun Zhang, UC Berkeley; 3:30 p.m.; room 101, Levine Hall (Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering).

            Spectral Distortions and Intensity Mapping: Measurement Challenges and Future Opportunities; Jeffrey McMahon, University of Chicago; 3:30 p.m.; room 4E19, DRL (Physics & Astronomy).

            Sound Film and What it Says; Kama Maclean, South Asia Institute; 4:30 p.m.; room 402, Cohen Hall (South Asia Center).

            Negotiating Place; Dorte Mandrup, architect; 6:30 p.m.; Plaza Gallery, Meyerson Hall (Architecture).

18        The Effect of Getting a DUI and Disparities in DUI Case Outcomes; Emily Leslie, Brigham Young University; noon; room 403, McNeil Building; RSVP: breyanam@sas.upenn.edu (Criminology).

            Heaviside Composite Optimization: A New Paradigm of Optimization; Jong-Shi Pang, University of Southern California; noon; room 414, Amy Gutmann Hall, and Zoom webinar; join: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/98220304722 (IDEAS Center Statistics and Data Science, PennAI).

            The Monster in Your Path: The Private Life of Caste in India; Sharika Thiranagama, Stanford University; noon; Blank Forum, PCPSE (Center for the Advanced Study of India).

            Towards a Unified Theory for Semiparametric Data Fusion Using Individual-Level Data; Andrea Rotnitzky, University of Washington; 1 p.m.; room 701, Blockley Hall, and Zoom webinar; join: https://tinyurl.com/rotnitzky-talk-sep-18 (Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics).

            Linear Stability of FIK's Shrinking Soliton; Keaton Naff, Lehigh University; 3:30 p.m.; room 4C8, DRL (Mathematics).

            Civil Society and Well-Being; Ram A. Cnaan, SP2; Femida Handy, SP2; Katherina M. Rosqueta, Center for High-Impact Philanthropy; Carleigh Douglas, Wharton School; 4:30 p.m.; room 250, PCPSE; register: https://tinyurl.com/mitchell-center-talk-sep-18 (Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy).

19        On the Role of Uncertainty in Automating the Scientific Process with AI; Max Welling, University of Amsterdam & CuspAI; 10:30 a.m.; room 101, Levine Hall, and Zoom webinar; join: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/91040554740 (GRASP Lab).

            Decoding China's Industrial Policies; Hanming Fang, economics; 12:15 p.m.; room 418, PCPSE (Center for the Study of Contemporary China).

            Enabling Computationally Efficient First-Principles Kinetic Simulations in Nanoporous Catalysts Using Machine Learning and Data Science; Brandon Bukowski, Johns Hopkins University; 2 p.m.; room 534, 3401 Walnut Street (Penn Institute of Computational Science).

            Congress Broadcasting Before "Congress Radio"; Kama Maclean, South Asia Institute; 4:30 p.m.; room 402, Cohen Hall (South Asia Center).

22        Ripples on the Cosmic Ocean: Towards an Environmental History of the Universe; Dagomar Degroot, Georgetown University; 3:30 p.m.; room 392, Cohen Hall (History & Sociology of Science).

            The Genetics of Adaptation to Antimicrobial Peptides; Ben Galeota-Sprung, psychiatry; 4 p.m.; room 209, Johnson Pavilion (Microbiology).

            Between Libraries: The Maintenance of Early Modernity; Megan Heffernan, DePaul University; 5:15 p.m.; Class of 1978 Orrery Pavilion, Van Pelt Library (Workshop in the History of Material Texts).

            Body Doubles: Gender, Sexuality, and the Premodern 1001 Nights; Zayde Antrim, Trinity College; 5:30 p.m.; room 241, Van Pelt Library (Middle East Center).

23        Nature in Motion: Unraveling Locomotion Across Mediums and Scales; Aimy Wissa, Princeton University; 10:15 a.m.; room 101, Levine Hall (Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics).

            First Row Transition Metal Photocatalysts for CO₂ Reduction: Exploitation of a Long-Lived Excited State for Self-Sensitized Catalysis; Elizabeth T. Papish, University of Alabama; noon; Carolyn Hoff Lynch Lecture Hall, 1973 Chemistry Building (Chemistry).

            Detecting Super-Spreaders in Network Cascades; Ani Sridhar, New Jersey Institute of Technology; 3:30 p.m.; room 4C8, DRL (Mathematics).

Economics

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

17        Housing and Migration in a Spatial Economy; Yang Tang, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; noon; room 101, PCPSE.

            Financing and Competition: Evidence from Small Business Loans; Chinmay Lohani, economics; 3:30 p.m.; room 100, PCPSE.

            International Currency Competition; Christopher Clayton, Yale University; 4 p.m.; room 200, PCPSE.

18        Urban Highway Removal: Evidence from Rochester's Inner Loop; Sherrie Cheng, economics; 3:30 p.m.; room 101, PCPSE.

This is an update to the September AT PENN calendar, which is available online now. The deadline to submit events for Almanac’s October AT PENN calendar is Monday, September 16. Submit events for AT PENN calendars or weekly updates at almanac@upenn.edu.

The 20th annual international ITMAT Symposium will again enlist outstanding speakers from the U.S. and abroad to address topics of direct relevance to translational science. The theme this year will be “Translational Science; 20 Years A-Growing.”

The symposium will be held Monday and Tuesday, October 13 and 14, 2025. The event will be held in person and virtually and is free to attend. To register, visit this link. 

If you are a postdoc or student, please refer to the message on the right side once you log into your IRIS account regarding a dinner at the College of Physicians.

Division of Public Safety

University of Pennsylvania Police Department Crime Report

About the Crime Report: Below are the Crimes Against Persons and/or Crimes Against Property from the campus report for September 1-7, 2025. The Crime Reports are available at: https://almanac.upenn.edu/sections/crimes. Prior weeks’ reports are also online. –Eds.

This summary is prepared by the Division of Public Safety (DPS) and contains all criminal incidents reported and made known to the Penn Police, including those reported to the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) that occurred within our patrol zone, for the dates of September 1-7, 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: 15 incidents were reported for September 1-7, 2025 by the 18^th District, covering the Schuylkill River to 49th Street & Market Street to Woodland Avenue.

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

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

The Penn Institute for RNA Innovation at the University of Pennsylvania, CHOP, and Wistar seeks to support RNA-related basic, translational, and clinical research. Towards that goal, the institute requests applications for its pilot grants program for fall 2025. Pilot funding will provide initial support to establish proof of concept or extend findings to enable extramural funding and publications in the future. Due to changes in funding priorities at NIH, this pilot award will also be available for existing RNA-related projects that are being modified to bridge to new scientific areas that align with priority areas of the RNA Institute. These priority areas are indicated below, along with deadlines and application guidelines. 

The fall 2025 Pilot Grant Program research priority areas are: 

1. Cross-disciplinary research that will lead to extramurally funded research in either basic or translational science in the arena of RNA biology. Of note, applications related to vaccine research involving RNA continue to be welcomed.
2. Supplements to existing projects involving RNA basic or translational science in which a change in direction is planned to align with emerging NIH priorities.
3. Early-stage investigators undertaking new projects involving basic or translational RNA technology will be a priority for this RFA.  

Prior recipients of pilot awards from the RNA Institute are eligible to apply for new awards in different areas. Prior awardees may also apply for funds to extend research from a previous pilot award and will be judged based on progress made during the first funding period.

Use of the institute’s shared resource cores (the mRNA Core, LNP Core, Targeting Core, and High-Throughput Screening Core) is encouraged.

Applicants are encouraged to consult with core directors or any members of the institute’s leadership early in the preparation of their application. Allocation of core effort to assist in grant preparation will be available on a first-come first-served basis. 

Scientific areas for applications to address:

• RNA Basic Science: RNA processing, RNA binding proteins, noncoding RNAs, and nucleoside-modifications are encouraged along with the development of tools to further the use of RNA technology in the treatment of disease.
• Translational Science: RNA-based science relevant to prevention, diagnostics, and therapeutics for human diseases. Projects and teams that bridge laboratory-based research and pre-clinical studies or models and/or that extend clinical observations to the laboratory (addressing mechanisms, identifying therapeutic targets, and developing novel interventions) are strongly encouraged to apply.

We hope you will consider this opportunity to creatively apply RNA-based approaches to new and exciting questions in your research.

Program Timeline

• Application Due: October 27, 2025 
• Decisions/Results Communicated to Applicant: December 2025
• Funding of Successful Applicants Begins: January 1, 2026

Eligibility

Principal investigators (PIs) for awards must have a faculty appointment at the University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, or the Wistar Institute and hold the rank of assistant, associate, or full professor, research professor, or instructor. Postdoctoral trainees are also encouraged to apply, provided that a faculty sponsor includes a letter of support for the trainee in the application. 

Proposals may not describe the same specific research that is funded by other sources during the grant period.

Budget and Duration

Individual applicants may request budgets up to $50,000 in direct costs and may propose projects lasting up to 12 months. The total equipment budget must not exceed $10,000.

Application requirements and procedures, review criteria, requirements, and other pertinent information can be found here.

Get ready for a smoother, more streamlined Workday self-service experience. On September 20, Workday will unveil an updated Benefits, Comp and Pay Hub, allowing faculty, staff, postdocs, temporary, and student workers to access information and manage self-service transactions more easily. The update includes the following:

1. You can use the hub’s Pay tab now to access the same information and tasks as the standalone, legacy Pay App. Workday will eliminate its standalone, legacy Pay App during its second major release of 2025 on September 20. (Additional details regarding the hub’s features are below).
2. On September 20, the hub’s Pay tab will display any arrears balances that occur if a pay period’s net pay is insufficient to cover a deduction, such as benefits, commuter and parking, and union dues.
3. Also on September 20, the Compensation tab will provide an improved view of a worker’s total rewards.

The Benefits, Comp and Pay Hub is under the personal category in Workday’s global apps menu. Faculty, staff, postdocs, temporary, and student workers have quick access to current and former payslips, tax records, and eligible benefits information and documentation. Workers can make updates to tax withholding elections, payment elections (direct deposit), benefits, and beneficiaries.

In the hub, Workday automatically hides financial values to provide data privacy for sensitive information. You can simply select the eye icon to reveal the information.

The hub consists of tabs you can find in the left navigation panel.

• The Overview tab provides access to tasks and reports such as withholding elections, payment elections, change benefits, and tax documents. It displays the most recent pay, deductions, and current benefits costs.
• The Benefits tab provides details on benefits such as the pay period’s cost of benefits, details on healthcare and accounts, other insurance coverages, as well as any additional benefits. Workers can find benefits by date, dependent and beneficiary information, and make changes, as necessary.
• The Pay tab provides worker payment information, including payslips, access to compare periods, pay history, and earnings/deductions history. The “Model My Pay” helps workers see how making changes to deductions and tax elections may impact their “take-home” pay.
• The Compensation tab provides access to staff merit letters, total rewards, and compensation summaries.
• The Suggested Links tab consolidates access to important resources such as enrollment guides and key service providers who help manage worker benefits, compensation, and pay.

Step-by-step instructions for self-service access and transactions are available in the self-service category of Workday tip sheets. For additional assistance, please contact the Penn Employee Solution Center online or by calling (215) 898-7372.

—Division of Business Services, Division of Finance, Division of Human Resources, and Workday Operations