September 30, 2025 Volume 72 Issue 8

The University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR) has received a $10 million anonymous gift to advance research, education, and policy solutions for the cities of today and tomorrow.

The endowed funds will support one of Penn IUR’s co-director positions and a postdoctoral fellowship, enhancing the institute’s ability to address timely urban opportunities and challenges. Among these issues are housing affordability, anchor institutions, regional and municipal fiscal stability, and financing urban climate resilience.

“This gift advances the University’s commitment to creating knowledge that benefits communities locally and around the world,” said Penn President J. Larry Jameson. “It also ensures that Penn IUR can continue developing urban leaders and practical solutions for rapidly growing cities worldwide. Providing support for leaders whose expertise connects finance, policy, and planning strengthens Penn IUR’s impact on a global scale.”

Since its founding in 2004, Penn IUR has shaped policies and strategies that impact cities locally and globally. Eugenie L. Birch, the Lawrence C. Nussdorf Professor of Urban Research and Education in the Weitzman School of Design, and Susan Wachter, Albert Sussman Professor of Real Estate and a professor of finance in the Wharton School, co-direct the institute, blending expertise in urban planning, finance, and governance.

The gift arrives at a pivotal moment for urban research. “How we plan, manage, and inhabit cities will shape the quality of life for billions of people,” said Dr. Birch. “Tomorrow’s leaders need both technical skills and social insight. They must understand the spatial and economic dimensions of cities and be prepared to manage complex urban systems—especially in the Global South, where professional capacity is critically needed.”

“With 2.5 billion more people projected to live in urban areas by 2050, the stakes have never been higher,” said Dr. Wachter. “This extraordinary gift underscores the urgency and global relevance of our work, enabling us to deepen research that informs practical, equitable, and sustainable urban development at multiple levels.”

The gift marks a milestone in Penn IUR’s mission to produce rigorous research and actionable insights for cities, reinforcing its role as a global hub for urban scholarship and leadership.

More than 23.5 million Americans are impacted by autoimmune diseases, such as celiac disease, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. On September 5, a new epicenter opened for pioneering Penn research aimed at “breaking the immunological code” of these diseases and bringing them to heel.

An eight-story “overbuild” atop the original building (completed in 2019) will co-locate researchers in immune health, the Colton Center for Autoimmunity, vaccinology, virology and viral immunity, fundamental immunology, and other related areas to stimulate multi-disciplinary scientific collaboration. The completed building will also house offices for faculty working in the areas of biostatistics, epidemiology and informatics; medical ethics and health policy; general internal medicine; emergency medicine; palliative care; and healthcare innovation.

“Today represents a commitment to bold, innovative experimentation that will lead us to a new generation of treatments and cures, as well as a commitment to the people who will drive that work,” said Jonathan A. Epstein, dean of the Perelman School of Medicine and Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System.

The construction consists of a 217,000-square-foot wet lab, office, and research facility, built on top of an active 250,000 square-foot office tower where the first seven floors have been newly refurbished. 

“While we can’t predict exactly what tomorrow will hold, our track record shows we have the creativity and courage to meet it head-on,” said University of Pennsylvania Health System CEO Kevin B. Mahoney. “The idea of building for a future we can’t fully see—a kind of faith in possibility—is a hallmark of Penn Medicine. This space embodies that adaptability and, through its connection to our research ecosystem, is designed to be a place where the next breakthroughs will be imagined and achieved.”

A $50 million gift from philanthropists Stewart and Judy Colton, made in 2022 to accelerate the existing Colton Center for Autoimmunity and matched by Penn, has been integral to the construction of the new Colton Center space.

“Autoimmunity affects so many people, and yet we still see gaps in knowledge and care options available to patients and families,” said philanthropists Judy and Stewart Colton, W’62. “Our goal is to improve that outlook. By investing in Penn and its scientific partners in the Colton Consortium, we hope to create an organized approach so we can work together to define the future of this important area of medicine.”

Scientists at Penn Medicine are conducting deep profiling of individual immune systems to capture each patient’s unique immune fingerprint, a living blueprint of personal health and disease, that offers new ways of thinking about healthcare. The effort’s leader is E. John Wherry, director of the Institute for Immunology and Immune Health (I3H) and chair of the department of systems pharmacology & translational therapeutics.

The High-Throughput Institute for Discovery is overseen by Sara Cherry, the John W. Eckman Professor of Medical Science in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, whose research uses high-throughput screening to accelerate drug discovery and predict drug efficacy in individuals, matching patients with the right treatments. The building will also house a new BSL-3 (Biosafety Level 3) lab, which is specially equipped to handle infectious disease specimens, and was made possible by the philanthropy of Penn Trustee Wendy Holman, W’97, and Wayne Holman. The building presents new opportunities for using advanced treatments that will lead the way to developing innovative new treatments for autoimmune disease.

Adapted from a Penn Medicine article published on September 5, 2025.

The Penn Carey Law School announces the creation of the Sadie T.M. Alexander Post-Graduate Fellowship and new need-based, full-tuition scholarships.

Penn Carey Law is strengthening its commitment to access, both to its innovative and interdisciplinary legal education and, for its graduates, to impactful careers of their choosing.

To advance this commitment, the school announces two initiatives: the launch of the Sadie T.M. Alexander Post-Graduate Fellowship, providing two years of funding for graduates whose work advances civil rights, and new, full-tuition scholarships for incoming students with the greatest need.

Together, these initiatives affirm Penn Carey Law’s dedication to reducing barriers to entry and ensuring that students—regardless of financial circumstances—can embark on their legal education and carry it forward into their choice of meaningful careers. These initiatives also honor the legacy of Dr. Alexander by extending her vision of access and opportunity while the Sadie T.M. Alexander Scholarship remains paused for new applications.

The new Dr. Alexander Post-Graduate Fellowship honors the life and legacy of Sadie T.M. Alexander, Ed’1918, G’1921, L’1927, Hon’1974, the school’s first Black female graduate and also among the first Black women in the United States to earn a PhD in economics.

In recognition of Dr. Alexander’s 50-year career as an impactful lawyer, leader, and activist, the fellowship will prioritize projects focused on racial and economic justice—issues central to Dr. Alexander’s pioneering work—and projects that serve communities in Philadelphia or Washington, D.C., reflecting her deep ties to both cities.

The school has honored Dr. Alexander’s legacy in several ways, including the Raymond Pace and Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander Chair in Civil Rights, the Sadie T.M. Alexander Scholarship, a prominent portrait at the school’s main entrance, and a commemorative profile on the first floor of Tanenbaum Hall recognizing her historic achievements.

The Dr. Alexander Post-Graduate Fellowship builds on this tradition and on Penn Carey Law’s longstanding commitment to giving its students a meaningful choice between private and public sector careers, including through expanded post-graduate fellowship opportunities. Since 2009, the school has supported over 150 post-graduate fellows.

With the addition of the Dr. Alexander Post-Graduate Fellowship, Penn Carey Law further expands its graduates’ access to the full range of impactful careers.

The school’s commitment to access begins at the very start of a student’s journey, with access to a Penn Carey Law education itself. To lower financial barriers to entry, the school is introducing new full-tuition scholarships for incoming students with the greatest demonstrated financial need. These scholarships represent a significant expansion of Penn Carey Law’s commitment to need-based aid, helping to ensure more of the talented students it admits can afford to attend the school.

By strengthening support for its most financially vulnerable students, these full-tuition scholarships reinforce Penn Carey Law’s dedication to access and opportunity. Together with the Dr. Alexander Post-Graduate Fellowship, they also serve as an immediate first step as the school eyes ambitious goals to broaden access. Looking to the future, that includes raising funds to dramatically expand its full-tuition and need-based scholarships, expand the Eric J. Friedman & Skadden 1L Accelerate Program (1LAP), and strengthen resources for first generation-plus students.

These goals reflect a multi-layered approach to making the school’s world-class education accessible to talented students from all backgrounds, and to empower them to pursue their aspirations, serve their communities, and shape the future of the legal profession.

The University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees met on Thursday, September 25, 2025.

President J. Larry Jameson presented six resolutions, all of which were approved:

• To reappoint Sara Bachman as dean of the School of Social Policy & Practice 
• To appoint Mark F. Dingfield as Executive Vice President
• To appoint Thomas H. Murphy as Senior Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer 
• To appoint Leigh N. Whitaker as Vice President for Government and Community Affairs 
• To appoint Josh Beeman as Interim Vice President for Information Systems & Computing and University Chief Information Officer 
• To appoint Trevor C. Lewis as Interim Vice President for Finance and Treasurer 

During the academic report, Provost John L. Jackson, Jr., presented a resolution on faculty appointments and promotions, which was approved. 

Executive Vice President Mark Dingfield presented the financial report. For the consolidated University for the 12 months ending on June 30, 2025, total net assets were $33.9 billion, an increase of $2.9 billion, or 9.5% over June 30, 2024. For the academic component, the change in net assets from operations reflected a $518 million increase versus a $306 million increase in the last year. Total revenue of $5.3 billion was $423 million, or 8.8%, above last year. For the health system, the change in net assets from operations reflected an increase of $163 million. Operating revenue increased $1.1 billion, or 10.1%, from $10.9 billion as of June 30, 2024, to $12.0 billion as of June 30, 2025.

Jonathan A. Epstein, Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine and Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System, reported a strong year-end performance during the Penn Medicine report. 

A resolution presented by the audit & compliance committee to approve the University’s audited financial statements for fiscal year 2025 was approved.

Four resolutions presented by the budget & finance committee were approved:

• To authorize up to $25 million to design and construct an ambulatory facility, Penn Medicine Wilmington, at 3505 Silverside Road, Wilmington, Delaware, in University of Pennsylvania Health System fiscal years 2025 and 2026
• To authorize Pennovation Infrastructure phase one and electrical substation for an additional $7,104,000 
• To authorize Towne Lab 116 air handling unit replacement & interior renovations in the amount of $16,450,000 
• To authorize 3600 Civic Center Boulevard lobby renovation & auditorium in the amount of $15 million

Trustees Chair Ramanan Raghavendran presented three resolutions, which were approved:

• To appoint Allison Weiss Brady to the WXPN Policy Board
• To appoint David Krupnick to the Board of Trustees of the Wistar Institute 
• To appoint Elliot Menschik to the Board of Trustees of the Wistar Institute

Donita Brady, the Harrison McCrea Dickson and Clifford C. Baker Presidential Professor in the Perelman School of Medicine and a faculty member of the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, has received the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Ruth Kirschstein Award for Maximizing Access in Science. 

The award, named for the first woman to be appointed director of an institute at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), honors an outstanding scientist who has shown sustained commitment to breaking down local and/or systemic barriers against scientists and students from historically marginalized or excluded groups.

In the ten years since she joined Penn’s faculty, Dr. Brady has not only successfully run her own research lab, where she leads a team studying what fuels cancer cells as part of the Abramson Cancer Center, but she has also established the Office of Research Trainee Affairs, as well as multiple training programs for all levels, and has spearheaded efforts to make research recruitment more equitable.

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

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

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

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

Four leaders in education will be celebrated as the 2025 recipients of the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education. Presented by the McGraw Family Foundation in collaboration with the Penn Graduate School of Education (GSE), this distinguished award recognizes Rapelang Rabana, Joe Wolf, Cathy N. Davidson, and Frederic Bertley for their pioneering contributions, which have advanced learning opportunities and impacted countless lives.

For more than 40 years, the McGraw Prize has championed leaders who have had a profound impact on our world, so that others might follow their example and extend that impact. Prizes are awarded in three categories: pre-K–12 learning, higher education, and lifelong learning. This year’s winners will receive an award of $50,000 and a commemorative sculpture at a ceremony on November 13.

“This year’s class of McGraw Prize winners combines highly innovative approaches to learning with results that transform lives,” said Harold McGraw III, former chairman and CEO of the McGraw-Hill Companies. “They meet the highest standards of educational excellence and are a tribute to my father’s dedication to literacy and educational opportunity.”

“The McGraw Prize honors those who push the boundaries of what’s possible in education,” said L. Michael Golden, Vice Dean of Innovative Programs & Partnerships at Penn GSE. “This year’s winners are true innovators—leaders who are rethinking how learning happens, redefining who gets to learn, and creating solutions that will shape the future for generations to come.”

Pre-K-12 Education Prize: Rapelang Rabana and Joe Wolf are redefining what is possible for children who are furthest from educational opportunity. As co-CEOs of Imagine Worldwide, they are delivering a massively scalable, evidence-based education technology solution to the global foundational learning crisis. Imagine’s solar-powered, offline tablets deliver personalized learning to Africa’s most marginalized children—because literacy and numeracy are the keys to unlocking a child’s potential. Under their visionary leadership, Imagine Worldwide has become a global leader in self-guided, tablet-based literacy and numeracy programs that are rigorously tested, grounded in evidence, and delivered in partnership with local communities and national governments. The results are transformational: nine randomized controlled trials across different countries, languages and contexts have shown substantial gains in learning outcomes, even in the absence of trained teachers, internet, or electricity. Together, these co-winners exemplify the bold innovation and impact that define the McGraw Prize.

Higher Education Prize: Cathy N. Davidson has spent her career reimagining higher education for a rapidly changing world. A leading voice in digital literacy, learning science, and interdisciplinary innovation, she is known for translating research into action—and for helping institutions evolve to meet the needs of all students. At the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), where she is a distinguished professor, she founded the Futures Initiative to promote equity, social mobility, and student-centered learning at every level of the university. She also serves as a senior advisor on transformation to the CUNY chancellor, focusing on student success and inclusive, career-connected learning across CUNY’s 26 campuses. Her work reflects ideals that the McGraw Prize was created to honor: bold thinking, equity-driven practice, and a lifelong commitment to transforming education for the public good.

Lifelong Learning Prize: By re-envisioning how science is shared, taught, and experienced, Frederic Bertley has ignited a lifelong love of STEM learning in millions. As president and CEO of the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio, he has transformed a regional science museum into a globally recognized leader in STEM education. COSI now reaches more than one million learners annually through immersive exhibits, hands-on outreach, and Emmy Award–winning media programs that extend science education far beyond museum walls. Dr. Bertley exemplifies Harold W. McGraw Jr.’s belief that education is a lifelong pursuit—and a catalyst for individual and societal progress.

The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Family Foundation selected Penn GSE as the home for the McGraw Prize in 2020. Penn GSE is recognized internationally for its cutting-edge initiatives, distinguished faculty and as a training ground for top educators and leaders. The partnership includes administering the annual prize in November and creating ongoing programming with more than 100 past winners, including symposia and a webinar series.

Through a public nomination process, McGraw Prize awardees were submitted for consideration by their peers, with winners then selected during three rounds of judging, including a final round by an independent panel of esteemed leaders in the field. Past winners have included teachers, professors, superintendents, university presidents, non-profit leaders, entrepreneurs and public officials. Many continue to play major roles across the education landscape.

Seven finalists pitched their ventures live at the HolonIQ Back to School Summit in New York City.

Rézme captured the $40,000 Michael & Lori Milken Family Foundation Grand Prize and earned the most live votes to also win the Audience Choice Prize presented by EdSales Elevation Experience at the 16th annual Milken–Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition (EBPC) in New York City. The venture, a compliance software that dismantles systemic barriers keeping justice-impacted individuals from jobs, housing, and higher education, entered the competition last year but went home empty-handed before returning this year to win two prizes.

Other winners include College Contact, which won the $25,000 Flexion Prize, and Enlightapp, which received the Institute for Education Innovation Prize. Before advancing to the finals, EBPC semifinalists took part in the Penn GSE Catapult virtual accelerator, where they scaled their ventures through self-paced learning and mentorship from industry experts. Seven finalists pitched their ventures to a live judging panel as well as to an audience of investors, researchers, and practitioners. The final competition was a keystone event of the HolonIQ’s 2025 Back to School Summit. The EBPC has awarded more than $2 million in cash and prizes since its founding. Past winners and finalists have gone on to raise more than $200 million in funding to scale their ventures and deepen their impact.

“At its core, the EBPC is about hope,” said John Gamba, entrepreneur-in-residence at Penn GSE, who directs the competition. “Through bold ideas and a belief in what is possible, these innovators are showing us how education can unlock opportunity for every learner.”

The 2025 EBPC prize winners are as follows:

• Rézme won the $40,000 Michael & Lori Milken Family Foundation Grand Prize.
• College Contact won the $25,000 Flexion Prize.
• Enlightapp won the $10,000 Institute for Education Innovation Prize.
• Rézme won the $5,000 Audience Choice Prize presented by EdSales Elevation Experience.

The finalists also received a $10,000 cash prize from Catalyst @ Penn GSE.

“Education innovation is about more than solving immediate challenges,” said Michael Golden, Vice Dean of Innovative Programs and Partnerships at Penn GSE. “It is about envisioning a future where every learner has the opportunity and support to thrive. The Milken–Penn GSE EBPC celebrates the visionaries who are working to turn that future into reality.” 

The EBPC is made possible through the support of the Michael and Lori Milken Family Foundation, Flexion, Institute for Education Innovation, and EdSales Elevation Experience. 

In its four decades of philanthropic activities, the Milken family has made innovation in education—as exemplified by the Milken Educator Awards and National Institute for Excellence in Teaching—a cornerstone of its work.

Provost John L. Jackson, Jr. and Vice Provost for Faculty Laura W. Perna announce this year’s Ivy Plus Provost Leadership Fellows of the Faculty Advancement Network, a consortium of 13 research universities collaborating to advance excellence at scale through a thriving professoriate. They will participate in the 2025-2026 Institute on Faculty Voice & Collaborative Leadership, which will aim to cultivate a shared sense of how universities work and collaborative communication and leadership strategies to protect and advance the excellence of the American research university. Joann Mitchell, Senior Vice President for Institutional Affairs, and Laura W. Perna, Vice Provost for Faculty, serve as Penn’s Steering Committee members for the Faculty Advancement Network.

This year’s Ivy Plus Provost Leadership Fellows are: 

• Ericka Beckman, associate professor and chair of Spanish and Portuguese in the School of Arts & Sciences, who focuses on narratives of capitalist modernity and modernization in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Latin America.   
• Angela Gibney, Presidential Professor of Mathematics in the School of Arts & Sciences, who researches moduli spaces of complex curves and, more recently, vertex operator algebras, core topics that arise in algebraic geometry, algebraic topology, and mathematical physics.
• David Kirk, professor and chair of criminology in the School of Arts & Sciences, who focuses on the causes and consequences of cynicism and distrust of the police and the law, solutions to criminal recidivism, and the causes and consequences of gun violence.
• Davesh Soneji, associate professor and chair of South Asia studies in the School of Arts & Studies, who studies social and cultural history, religion, and anthropology, focusing primarily on religion and the performing arts in South India.
• Leigh Stearns, professor of Earth & environmental science in the School of Arts & Sciences, who focuses on ice sheet dynamics and sea level rise, shifts in iceberg and sea ice distributions in Arctic shipping lanes, and glacier loss and water availability at low latitudes.  

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

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 15-21, 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 15-21, 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 15-21, 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.

Penn’s Be in the Know on-campus biometric screenings and a mini-wellness fair for all employees will be offered with a kick-off screening on Tuesday, September 30. 

The Penn Healthy You team is pleased to offer free biometric screenings at convenient University locations September 30 through November 25. Complete a screening to earn a $50 cash reward for Be in the Know 2025-2026.

Sign up for your appointment online at the Health Advocate website using your PennKey and password. Click the Health tab at the top, then Get a Health Screening. Look for Health Screening Event–click Schedule Now. Select your preferred location and follow the steps to schedule your appointment. You will receive an email from Health Advocate confirming your appointment.

What You’ll Learn at the Biometric Screening

Quick, convenient, and confidential biometric screenings provide key indicators about your health status. Your privacy is strictly protected. Penn will never know your individual screening results, health assessment answers, or personal health goals.

At these non-fasting, on-campus biometric screenings, Health Advocate personnel will measure your:

• Blood pressure
• Lipids, including total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides
• Blood sugar/glucose

Screenings Kick-Off and Mini-Wellness Fair, September 30

Stop by Houston Hall, Bodek Lounge, on Tuesday, September 30, 10 a.m–2 p.m., for a special biometric screenings kick-off event and mini-wellness fair. Visit with wellness partners and vendors to enter a prize drawing—plus, pick up health and well-being information and resources along the way. Stop by to meet representatives from WebMD, Penn’s new wellness platform partner, and learn about their research-based programs and resources to support your well-being, as well as Be in the Know 2025-2026. Register in advance to get your screening at the kick-off event—or simply enjoy the wellness fair and sign up for a later date! 

Be in the Know for Your Health and Rewards

A biometric screening is the perfect way to “be in the know” regarding your health status, plus earn 1,000 points and a $50 cash incentive for the 2025-2026 campaign year. Once you complete an on-campus screening, Health Advocate will automatically send credit to the new WebMD wellness platform on your behalf. (Please allow a few weeks for biometric screening credit to appear on WebMD).

To earn rewards, you need to be enrolled on the new WebMD platform. Get started by visiting WebMD or downloading their “Wellness At Your Side” app (connection code: Penn). For 2025-2026, complete your choice of qualifying wellness activities to earn up to $300 in cash rewards. All cash incentives will be added to your paychecks (less applicable payroll taxes) and paid on a monthly basis starting in October 2025. 

Penn’s annual Be in the Know wellness campaign is available for all benefits-eligible faculty, staff, and postdocs. Alongside a new WebMD platform partner, Be in the Know provides an array of wellness tools, programs, resources, and rewards to support your health and feel your best—including a biometric screening. The campaign year runs from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. 

For complete details about the 2025-2026 Be in the Know wellness campaign and new WebMD platform, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/beintheknow.

—Division of Human Resources

Penn’s annual Models of Excellence Awards Program celebrates the outstanding achievements of individual full- and part-time staff members and teams throughout the University’s schools and centers. Now in its 27th year, the program advances the University’s principles and practices by honoring the people who are the foundation of all we do.

Join this long-standing tradition by nominating individual staff members or teams for a 2026 Models of Excellence honor. The 2026 call for nominations is open now through November 7, 2025.

Anyone in the Penn community may nominate individual Penn staff members and teams for an award in three categories: Models of Innovation (previously named the Models of Excellence Award), Pillars of Excellence, and Model Supervisor. Visit www.hr.upenn.edu/models to learn more about the practices recognized for each category.

In all Models of Excellence categories, award recipients each receive an engraved keepsake and a $500 cash prize. Awards will be announced in the spring term. The next Models of Excellence Award Ceremony will take place in Harrison Auditorium at the Penn Museum on June 1, 2026.

The Models of Excellence Selection Committee rates each submission based on the content of your nominations. That means your submissions are crucial to make sure all worthy staff have the opportunity for recognition.

Nomination Information Sessions

Learn how to submit a nomination that conveys the exceptional work of your colleagues by attending a virtual Writing a Compelling Models of Excellence Nomination information session on Wednesday, October 1 from noon to 12:30 p.m. or Thursday, October 16 from noon to 12:30 p.m.  Register at www.hr.upenn.edu/models-infosession.

Visit the Models of Excellence Program webpage or email models@hr.upenn.edu for more information.

—Division of Human Resources

Ivan J. Dmochowski

Graduate Mentoring Challenges. The University of Pennsylvania attracts graduate students from all 50 states, and from many countries around the world. The students who matriculate bring exceptional talent and motivation. We also know that many students arrive at Penn with personal challenges. Sometimes this involves chronic illness, depression, economic hardship, prior experiences of religious persecution, sexism, racism, or unfamiliarity with urban living. Graduate students are also confronting the realization that becoming an independent researcher is a long, arduous and indefinite process.

One of our goals as mentors is to help students to navigate these challenges to reach their full potential. In the United States, attrition rates for Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities range from 36 to 51%. Research shows that the student-advisor relationship and the quality of mentoring are major contributing factors to attrition rates. 

Recognizing Opportunities. It is worth asking, can we adopt practices to help students to thrive in graduate school, and obtain the skills they need to contribute meaningfully to their chosen profession? The PhD degree is a valuable credential for many careers, especially when graduates excel with independent critical thinking, and they have a full complement of academic and life skills.

Penn’s Guidelines for Responsible Conduct of Research for Principal Investigators remind us to “be honest, fair, and set clear expectations and help develop interpersonal professional skills.” Can we meet these directives and then aim higher as mentors? In my experience, small tweaks in mentoring style to fit individual student needs can pay huge dividends. 

Building Rapport. First, I try to understand what motivates students. Why are they in graduate school? What do they hope to accomplish after they graduate? These conversations are facilitated by students completing an annual individual development plan (IDP), as recommended by the National Institutes of Health. I try to understand with students, what are their strengths and weaknesses? Have they enjoyed certain types of research projects in the past? Do they have skills that they are keen to build upon? Are there personal struggles that make graduate school especially difficult? (As mentors, we don’t probe for the details of these struggles, but being able to mention their existence can be extremely helpful in navigating the student-advisor relationship). Graduate students sometimes need services, ranging from therapists, divorce lawyers, loan managers, visa and immigration specialists, to automobile mechanics, police and healthcare. Although most students find these auxiliary services on their own, they appreciate awareness and caring. I check in with students about the stresses they are managing. 

Growing and Progressing. Having established rapport with my mentees, I try to help them to develop research projects that are well-suited to their interests and abilities. Typically, this involves a new student being co-mentored by a senior student who has had success in publishing their work. By the time their student mentor graduates, mentees start to take ownership of their research project and they may extend it in new directions. One of our tasks as mentors is to help students to assess risks, and to navigate the competitive landscape that comes from other scholars in the field. Students benefit from face-to-face meetings at regular intervals, where we both do work in preparation. Progress is sometimes slow, more observable on month timescales. To make progress feel more tangible, students can generate an outline of their manuscript-in-progress, and present updates weekly using color codes for completed tasks (green), in-progress (yellow), and upcoming (red). We work together to turn the page green! Eventually, these mentees, too, become student mentors.

Group Ethos. In early conversations with students, I establish my own expectations. Students need to make strong efforts to be productive, which usually requires structuring work activities at least one to two weeks ahead and frequent literature reading. I point out when I think students should be “working smarter.” I do not keep track of student hours, and this only becomes a subject for discussion when productivity is lagging. Occasionally, greater interventions are needed when someone is exhibiting antisocial behavior, or my team feels sluggish and in need of a pep-talk. Some students require formal one-on-one conversations involving behavior modification, but this is rare in my experience. Much more enjoyable are the several fun group activities each year, which give me opportunities to show students that I value their contributions. We have fun together, and it is rewarding to see students forming life-long friendships.

Celebrating Individuals. As mentors we have the power over several years to help students to personalize their graduate educational experience. In many of our fields, there are career opportunities in vastly different domains. In my own field of chemistry, these options range from law, policy, education, and journalism to research careers across academia, industry, and government. Penn has centers of excellence where students can burnish their skills in writing, teaching, service, intellectual property law, entrepreneurship, and also internships to professionalize their experience. I make sure that mentees are aware of these resources, while letting them pursue their own path. I have referred students to trusted friends who have relevant experiences to share. I intervene as a mentor when I feel that students are losing motivation or starting to wander unproductively (some wandering is valuable!). I strongly espouse the value of a growth mindset so students are comfortable to share and receive constructive feedback. This is helped by sharing with students some of my own challenges, failures, and examples of resiliency. If asked for advice, I try to help students to consider the pros and cons of the paths they are considering, and offer heartfelt encouragement (never judgement).

Value in Self-Reflection. I have learned from my own exemplars that we can be stellar mentors without being expert in all facets of mentoring. Knowing as mentors that we have deficits (and also blind spots!), we should be cognizant of the tasks that come naturally to us and use these skills to students’ best advantage. Here are some questions that I challenge myself to consider:

• Can I share my love of writing with students and edit their work in a timely fashion?
• Am I introducing students to key scholars in their field?
• Do I impart quantitative and technical skills to students? Are there additional skills that mentees require?
• Do I have “difficult conversations” with students when warranted?
• Do I engage mentees in writing proposals?
• Do I mediate conflicts and create positive group dynamics?
• Do my relationships and hobbies demonstrate work-life balance?
• Am I sharing with students a compelling vision of the future?
• Do I engage students in reviewing manuscripts?
• Do I help mentees to attend conferences and gain speaking opportunities?
• Am I raising funds so students can access necessary equipment and research materials?

Concluding Thoughts. I have enjoyed mentoring graduate students at Penn for more than two decades. The world has clearly changed, as have the graduate students at Penn. But, I believe that many aspects of successful graduate mentoring, as considered above, have remained the same. Twenty-six mentees have graduated with PhDs, a nearly 100% completion rate. More importantly, they have figured out for themselves what path they want to pursue and are succeeding in many different domains. As we advance in our careers, I think we can continue to improve in helping students pursue research and professional development opportunities that are aligned with their abilities and aspirations. I have learned much from my Penn colleagues in this area, and there is endless opportunity for collaboration and co-mentoring.

Ivan J. Dmochowski is the Alan MacDiarmid Term Professor of Chemistry in the School of Arts & Sciences.

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

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