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UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Tuesday May 12, 2020 Volume 66 Number 34 www.upenn.edu/almanac

Angela Duckworth: Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professorship Brigitte Weinsteiger: Associate Penn President Amy Gutmann, Wharton logical science to help children thrive. Her book Vice Provost for Collections and Dean Geoffrey Garrett and Penn Arts & Sciences Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance is Scholarly Communications at the Dean Steven J. Fluhar- a #1 New York Times University of Pennsylvania Libraries ty recently announced best seller, and her The University of the establishment of the TED talk on the top- Pennsylvania Librar- Rosa Lee and Egbert ic has reached nearly ies proudly announc- Chang Professorship at 20 million views. She es the appointment the University of Penn- earned a PhD in psy- of Brigitte Weinstei- sylvania, generously chology from Penn, ger as associate vice funded by Nancy Yang a master’s in neu- provost for collec- (W’92) in honor of her roscience from Ox- tions and scholarly parents. Angela Duck- ford University, and communications. In worth will be the inau- a bachelor’s in neu- this role, Ms. Wein- gural recipient, effec- robiology from Har- steiger directs the tive July 2020. vard University. strategy, advance- The endowed Rosa “Angela Duck- ment and growth of Lee and Egbert Chang Nancy Yang worth’s scholarship Angela Duckworth the Penn Libraries’ Professorship supports combines innovative preeminent collec- Brigitte Weinsteiger a dual appointment at the Wharton School and thinking and methodologies to examine how tions while promot- Penn Arts & Sciences’ department of psychology. people confront challenges and make good deci- ing academic engagement both on campus and A renowned expert on grit and self-control, sions,” said President Gutmann. “Nancy Yang’s with the Greater Philadelphia community. Ms. Dr. Duckworth is a SAS professor of psychology, thoughtful and generous support creating the Weinsteiger also collaborates both nationally faculty co-director of the Behavior Change for Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professorship will and internationally in the fields of collections Good Initiative, and faculty co-director of Whar- encourage ambitious, interdisciplinary research. and scholarly publishing. ton People Analytics. Dr. Duckworth joined the Advancing knowledge for the good of the world “We are extremely delighted that Brigitte has Penn faculty in 2006. Dr. Duckworth is a 2013 is a wonderful tribute to Nancy’s parents. We accepted the inaugural position of the associate MacArthur Fellow and Founder and CEO of are honored by her generosity and her heartfelt vice provost for collections and scholarly com- Character Lab, a non-profit that uses psycho- (continued on page 4) munications,” said Constantia Constantinou, H. Carton Rogers III Vice Provost and Director of Libraries. “Collections are a pillar of our strate- School of Arts & Sciences 2020 Teaching Awards gic plan, and under Brigitte’s leadership, we will The School of Arts and Sciences announces the following recipients of SAS 2020 teaching awards: make great strides in our goals to advance in- formation equity and ensure access to the schol- Ira H. Abrams Memorial Award for lously superficial or forbiddingly dense. That he arly and cultural record in all forms. Her exten- Distinguished Teaching has done it so successfully for so many years sive knowledge of scholarly publishing, coupled Created in 1983, the Ira H. Abrams Award shows how much thought and effort he puts into with her presence on national committees, recognizes teaching that is intellectually chal- teaching.” brings invaluable experience and expertise.” lenging and exceptionally coherent and honors The Charles and William L. Day Distin- In her new role Ms. Weinsteiger oversees the faculty who embody high standards of integri- guished Professor in the Natural Sciences in the Libraries’ $23 million budget for collections, its ty and fairness, have a strong commitment to department of biology, Mark Goulian’s teaching 8.5 million print and electronic volumes, and learning, and are open to new ideas. This year’s engages students in the complex interdisciplin- a rich array of digital resources. She leads the recipients of SAS’s highest teaching honor are: ary areas of his research, which, astonishingly, Collections and Scholarly Communications di- Paul Goldin, professor of East Asian lan- range from theoretical physics to experimental vision of the Penn Libraries and supervises the guages and civilizations, is known for his con- molecular biology and microbiology. His stu- collections-related functions of over 30 librar- tributions in shap- dents admire his en- ians across the system. Departments under her ing his department’s ergy and enthusiasm, purview include Collection Strategy; Preserva- undergraduate cur- his ability to engage tion; Acquisitions, Access, and Licensing; Schol- riculum and for his them and explain dif- arly Communications; Academic Engagement; skillful and creative ficult concepts, and and Community Outreach. She is responsible for approach to engaging his welcoming man- ensuring that the selection, acquisition, manage- students in Introduc- ner and approach- ment, and preservation of the Libraries’ collec- tion to Chinese Civ- ability. His depart- tions meet the diverse needs of the Penn commu- ilization. According ment chair reflects, nity; and for overseeing outreach to faculty and a faculty colleague, “it takes true teach- students at Penn, in Philadelphia, and beyond. “since his arrival at ing talent and depth (continued on page 4) Penn, the undergrad- of knowledge to uate education in bring it all together East Asian Languag- and have the students INSIDE es and Civilizations come to an apprecia- Mark Goulian 2 Deaths; Trustees; PPSA Meeting; Correction Paul Goldin tion of the common 3 Benefits Open Enrollment has been transformed 4 Pennovation Works by his vision and his stellar ability to deliver the thread of biological processes rather than see- 5 Honors & Other Things gateway course.” Dr. Goldin’s department chair ing biology as a complex collection of a mil- 6 COVID-19 Canine Scent Detection Study; agrees: “I can testify from personal experience lion facts. Clearly, Professor Goulian succeeds One Step Ahead Tip at this.” 7 Penn’s 2020 Virtual Commencement; how difficult it is to teach 3,000 years and more (continued on page 3) Update; CrimeStats of Chinese culture in a way that is not ridicu- 8 Fun Facts About Penn’s Previous Commencements ALMANAC May 12, 2020 www.upenn.edu/almanac 1 Deaths Open Meetings of the Howard Lesnick, Law a member of the board of directors of the Cen- Trustees of the Howard Lesnick, ter for Law and Human Values and Philadel- University of Pennsylvania Jefferson B. Fordham phia Community Legal Services, on the adviso- Professor of Law ry board for the Journal of Law and Religion, Thursday, May 14, 2020 Emeritus who built and as visiting fellow at the Center for Law and the foundation for the Social Policy. Among other awards, Mr. Lesnick There will be virtual meetings of the University of Penn- received a Rockefeller Foundation Humanities Budget & Finance Committee and the sylvania Carey Law Fellowship, the Society of American Law Teach- Executive Committee of the Trustees. School’s national- ers Distinguished Service Award, the Commu- Go to https://secretary.upenn.edu/ ly recognized public nity Legal Services Equal Justice Award, the trustees-governance/open-trustee-meeting service program and American Association of Law Schools Deborah Please contact the Office of the Uni- was part of Penn Law Rhode Award for contributions to public service, versity Secretary at (215) 898-7005 with for 50 years, died and the University of Pennsylvania Law School questions regarding Trustee meetings or April 19 after a brief Beacon Award. your attendance plans. illness. He was 88. Howard Lesnick “Howard never forgot the true meaning of le- Mr. Lesnick was gal practice,” said Ted Ruger, Dean and Bernard born in New York City and raised in the Bronx G. Segal Professor of Law. “He intuitively un- and Bangor, Pennsylvania. He graduated from derstood that lawyers had a professional respon- PPSA Election Meeting and New York University with a BA in history in sibility to help the less fortunate gain access to Nominations Deadline: May 13 1952. He went on to earn a master’s in Amer- justice and made a point of instilling those val- Nominations are open for positions on the ican history in 1953 and a law degree in 1958 ues into the culture of the Law School.” Penn Professional Staff Assembly (PPSA) Execu- from Columbia University. He also served in the Dean Ruger continued, “He had an immea- tive Board and University Council Committees. US Army, 1953-1955. surable impact on Penn Law. Hundreds and All monthly-paid, full-time University staff mem- After law school, he practiced law and hundreds of students are working in the public bers are eligible to participate and are encouraged clerked for US Supreme Court Justice J.M. Har- interest due to his influence. He brought glory to self-nominate or nominate colleagues for con- lan before joining the Penn Law faculty in 1960 to our institution and everyone who knew him sideration by no later than Wednesday, May 13. as an assistant professor. He became a full pro- was better for it.” For more information and for nomination forms, fessor in 1965. Mr. Lesnick helped establish Mr. Lesnick is survived by his wife, Carolyn visit https://ppsa.upenn.edu/2020-call-for-board- Penn Law’s original Center on Professionalism, Schodt; his children, Alice (Robert Goldberg), and-committee-nominations/ which became a national model for similar pro- Caleb Schodt (Carolyn Ingram) and Abigail The 2020-2021 election for officers will grams all over the country, and he served as a (Jonathan Marvinny); brothers, Irving (Sheila) occur following PPSA’s annual meeting on participating faculty member 1982-1996. During and Alan (Molly); and grandchildren, Lillian Wednesday, May 20, at noon. The meeting will that time, 1982-1988, he left his full-time posi- Goldberg, Lowell Nottage, June Goldberg and be held online. PPSA will be joined by Penn tion at Penn to become a distinguished professor Dylan Schodt. Museum’s Williams Director Julian Siggers and of law and the founding academic dean at City Penn Law will remember and memorialize Deputy Director Steve Tinney. To register, vis- University of New York Law School. At CUNY, Mr. Lesnick in a variety of ways, including with it https://ppsa.upenn.edu/events/ppsa-annual- he created new a model of legal education pred- an in-person memorial service in the future; in- election-meeting/ icated on the service of human needs through formation to come. law. During this time he also held positions as a member, on the staff, and on the board of direc- Emma Weigley, Nursing Almanac Publication Schedule Emma Weigley, adjunct associate professor In response to COVID-19, Almanac tors for the Center for Law and Human Values. emerita of nursing at the University of Pennsyl- Mr. Lesnick returned to Penn full time in has extended Volume 66 in order to pro- vania, died April 18 at the Saint Monica Center vide the Penn community with the latest 1988 to become the Jefferson B. Fordham Pro- for Rehabilitation & Healthcare in South Phila- fessor of Law. He remained in this position un- University information. There will now delphia from complications due to COVID-19. be an issue published next week, on Tues- til his retirement in 2016, earning emeritus sta- She was 87. tus at that time. As supervising director of Penn day, May 19, as well as issues throughout Dr. Weigley was born in Reading, Pennsyl- the month of June. Law’s clinic, he expanded its work to encom- vania. She earned a PhD in nutrition from New pass the emerging field of prisoners’ rights. For the revised publication sched- York University. For decades, she taught nutri- ule and corresponding deadlines, visit Mr. Lesnick was a rigorous scholar, pub- tion at Drexel University and the University of lishing on labor law and other subjects. He https://almanac.upenn.edu/publication- Pennsylvania. She worked at Penn from 1980 schedule-deadlines published five books on moral education, pro- until 1986 as a lecturer, with stints as an ad- fessional responsibility and religious conscious- junct associate and adjunct professor. She was ness in the law. But it was his intense advocacy part of the ad hoc committee that developed a Correction: In of public service, and the subsequent creation joint Nursing-SAS minor in nutrition (Almanac last week’s issue, the of a mandatory pro bono program (aka the Pub- November 7, 1995). During her academic ca- list of new members lic Service Program) at Penn Law, for which he reer, Dr. Weigley published numerous articles in of the Academy of is most remembered. He insisted that pro bono scholarly journals, and she also authored a well- Arts & Sciences was work was central to the practice of law. Because regarded book-length biography of Sarah Tyson missing one Penn of his efforts, law schools now commonly re- Rorer, who is often considered to be America’s person. In addi- quire students to perform pro bono work before first dietician. tion to the four fac- graduation. Penn Law established the annual Dr. Weigley is survived by her daughter, ulty members listed Howard Lesnick Pro Bono Award, presented to Catherine; and son, Jared. A memorial service in the May 5 issue, an alumnus who has demonstrated a sustained will be held at a date to be determined. Vincent Price should commitment to pro bono or public service work have been among throughout a career in the private sector. To Report A Death them, as he too was Mr. Lesnick also served as the founding di- Almanac appreciates being informed recently elected. He rector of the Reginald Heber Smith Community is the president of of the deaths of current and former fac- Vincent Price Lawyer Fellowship program, which trained the ulty and staff members, students and oth- Duke University and first generation of American legal services attor- er members of the University community. and Walter Hines Page Distinguished Professor neys. In 1972, he helped found the Society of Call (215) 898-5274 or email almanac@ of Public Policy and Political Science, Professor American Law Teachers. In 1975, he designed upenn.edu Emeritus of Penn’s Annenberg School for Com- a curriculum for the Bryn Mawr School of So- However, notices of alumni deaths should munication, and Provost Emeritus of the Uni- cial Work training social service professionals to be directed to the Alumni Records Office versity of Pennsylvania (Almanac December 6, work with legal systems. Beginning in 1978, he at Suite 300, 2929 Walnut St., (215) 898- 2016). Dr. Price served as Penn’s provost from served as an Impartial Umpire under the AFL- [email protected] 2009 to 2017. CIO Internal Disputes Plan. He also served as 8136 or email 2 www.upenn.edu/almanac ALMANAC May 12, 2020 School of Arts & Sciences 2020 Teaching Awards (continued from page 1) Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching by College of Liberal and Professional Studies Dennis M. DeTurck Award for Innovation Affiliated Faculty Award for Distinguished Teaching in in Teaching Deborah Burnham, lecturer and associate Professional Graduate Programs This award, undergraduate chair of English, and Andi John- The recipient of this award, which recog- which is named af- son, senior lecturer nizes teaching excellence in LPS graduate pro- ter Robert A. Fox of history and soci- grams, is Dana Ka- Leadership Profes- ology of science, are minstein, lecturer in sor and former Col- the recipients of this organizational dy- lege dean Dennis award, which recog- namics. As a stal- DeTurck, recognizes nizes the contribu- wart faculty member exceptional creativ- tions to undergradu- of the Organizational ity and innovation in ate education made Dynamics Program instruction. The 2020 by the School’s non- since 1997, Dr. Ka- recipient is Philip standing faculty. minstein has a reputa- Gressman, profes- Dr. Burnham’s tion for being chal- sor of mathematics. students and faculty lenging, yet always Students and faculty colleagues laud her encouraging and sup- colleagues alike ap- Philip Gressman gifts as an advisor, portive as an instruc- plaud Dr. Gressman her “genius” course Deborah Burnham tor. One student de- for bringing a distinctive and innovative com- design, and her use scribed the impact of Dana Kaminstein bination of active learning pedagogy (largely of of the classroom as “a vital space of learning his approach: “He of- his own design) and inclusive teaching method- and discovery, with a core sense of the wonder fered firm guidance while expecting the very ologies to the teaching of calculus at Penn. A of literary expression.” According to the depart- best work. He also valued and required that I student in Math 104 called his active learning ment chair, “[Dr. Burnham’s] courses form the consider what I learned about myself in the pro- approach “the springboard for my success in the backbone of our offerings in English, and the cess.” class.” sheer number of ways in which she has served Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching by Dean’s Award for Mentorship of our undergraduate program is incalculable.” Graduate Students Undergraduate Research Dr. Johnson’s This award recognizes graduate students for This award, students and facul- teaching that is intellectually rigorous and has a which recogniz- ty colleagues praise considerable impact on undergraduate students. es faculty members her courses for their This year’s awardees are: who have excelled intellectual rigor, Todd Baker, Philosophy in nurturing under- exceptional lucidity Micah Del Rosario, English graduate students’ and highly interac- Taylor Dysart, History & Sociology of desires and abilities tive nature. A facul- Science to conduct meaning- ty member declares, Stephen Hackler, Physics & Astronomy ful research, goes to “she has strong and Theodora Naqvi, Classical Studies Megan Kassabaum, creative instincts Gino Pauselli, Political Science assistant professor about how under- Makiki Reuvers, History of anthropology, for graduates learn best. Mario Sassi, Romance Languages “her commitment to She is very prag- Ellen Urheim, Mathematics carving out a place matic about engag- Andi Johnson Zachary Zimmerman, Chemistry for mentorship at a Meghan Kassabaum ing students in class big research school discussions, tailoring and grading assignments, Benefits Open Enrollment: like Penn.” One colleague explained: “In the and shaping syllabi so that they are interesting Ending on Friday, May 15 field, she shows the students how to communi- and challenging...quite simply, Dr. Johnson is a Penn Benefits Open Enrollment will end this cate with the professional community and with master teacher.” Friday. Don’t miss your opportunity to make chang- the interested public, funds their participation in College of Liberal and Professional Studies es to your medical, dental, vision, prescription and conferences and meetings, and models respect- Award for Distinguished Teaching in Under- life insurance benefits for the 2020-2021 plan year. ful and ethical behavior to the descendent com- graduate and Post-Baccalaureate Programs For full details about this year’s Open Enroll- munities, local professionals and each other.” Philip Gehrman, ment and benefits changes, visit www.hr.upenn. Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching lecturer in psycholo- edu/openenrollment There, you can access the by an Assistant Professor gy in LPS and associ- Benefits 2020-2021 Open Enrollment Guide, 2020- This award rec- 2021 rates and plan summaries. You can also ate professor of clini- What’s Changing ognizes a member cal psychology in the watch the video (Text PENN864 of the junior facul- to 61759 to view on your smartphone) for more Perelman School of information. ty who demonstrates Medicine, is the re- We urge you to review your benefit choices unusual promise as cipient of this award, each year. If you are satisfied with your selections, an educator. The which recognizes you don’t need to make a change, and you will re- 2020 recipient is Jen- outstanding teaching ceive the same coverage you had last year. After nifer Ponce de León, in LPS’s undergrad- May 15 you will only be able to make a change if assistant professor uate and post-bacca- you experience a qualifying life event. of English, who has laureate programs. You can enroll or update your current elec- established Latinx In their letters and tions in Workday. Visit www.workday.upenn.edu studies on a secure course evaluations, Philip Gehrman and log in using your PennKey and password. You basis in her depart- Dr. Gehrman’s stu- can access step-by-step instructions for enrolling in ment, covering the dents show a deep appreciation for the clarity Workday using the Self Service: Open Enrollment field of Latinx stud- Jennifer and goals of his classroom instruction. They Elections tip sheet and the Self Service: Open En- ies across the spec- Ponce de León recognize his genuine concern for student prog- rollment video. trum of literary and visual culture. Despite—or ress, frequently commenting on how “caring, If you prefer to enroll by phone, call the Benefits because of—the high expectations Dr. Ponce de understanding and engaging” he is an instructor, Solution Center at 1-866-799-2329, Monday-Friday León sets, Penn students find her classes rivet- and on his high level of engagement: “He really 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Changes made during Open Enroll- ing, innovative, and life-altering. An undergrad- ment will be effective as of July 1, 2020. For more makes a three-hour long class fly by with his an- information, call the Benefits Solution Center or uate writes: “I personally think that everyone ecdotes...and makes science approachable even contact Human Resources at [email protected] who finished the course came out a changed stu- for people like me who generally do not do well dent and thinker.” in science classes.” —Division of Human Resources ALMANAC May 12, 2020 www.upenn.edu/almanac 3 Anish Kumar: Pennovation Works Managing Director Pennovation Works now has a managing di- vation Center (the community’s business, tech- work together in the most inclusive and envi- rector, Anish Kumar, in a new role designed to nology and laboratory incubator) in collabora- ronmentally sustainable ways. Now, as manag- manage overall direc- tion with the operating partner, 1776. Mr. Kumar ing director, he will focus on advancing Penn’s tion and oversight of will also work collaboratively with Penn Center growing community of researchers and entre- the 23-acre innova- for Innovation (PCI), PCIVentures, and the Of- preneurs at Pennovation Works. tion community ad- fice of the Vice Provost for Research on compa- A Penn graduate and long-time Philadelphia jacent to Penn’s West ny curation and programming. In addition, Mr. resident, Mr. Kumar has multi-faceted expertise Philadelphia aca- Kumar monitors development, design, construc- in real estate business management, planning demic campus. The tion and operations of the property as well as the and architecture. Prior to joining Penn, Mr. Ku- creation of this po- operation of the JPod @ Philadelphia (Almanac mar most recently served as senior director for sition represents the November 6, 2018). real estate development at Amtrak. In that role, University’s dedica- One of Mr. Kumar’s immediate responsibili- he led an 18-person team and oversaw all real es- tion to Pennovation ties is the completion and leasing of the Pennova- tate activities in support of Amtrak’s operations Works, open to en- tion Lab Building, a 65,000-square-foot, scientifi- nationwide, including planning and portfolio trepreneurs in all dis- cally advanced, multi-tenant laboratory and office strategy, acquisition disposition and lease trans- ciplines across the building. As the latest addition to the Pennovation actions, administration of property agreements, Greater Philadelphia Anish Kumar Works community, tenants of the Pennovation development and fit-out of facilities, space man- area. Lab will benefit from the amenities and program- agement, budgeting and real estate financial Mr. Kumar is charged with implementation ming already available on the site. Leasing is on- operations. Before Amtrak, Mr. Kumar held of the long-range strategic master plan. Mr. Ku- going at the Lab, which is anticipated to open in leadership positions at major planning and archi- mar leads business development of the site, in- the third quarter of 2020. tectural firms, including tvsdesign, Hillier and cluding marketing, communications and leasing. “In adding this managing director role to WRT. He has also served as an adjunct profes- He manages the strategic direction of the Penno- our team at Pennovation, and in particular with sor in Drexel University’s architecture program. bringing on Anish Kumar in this position, Penn “Pennovation Works adds tremendous val- can fulfill the promise of this exceptional inno- ue to the two communities that are a significant Angela Duckworth: Rosa Lee and vation space that draws talent from the entire part of my life, the University of Pennsylvania Egbert Chang Professorship greater Philadelphia region, with the full weight and the City of Philadelphia, and I am excited (continued from page 1) of Penn behind it,” explained Ed Datz, execu- for the opportunity to collaborate with mem- tive director of real estate at Penn. bers of the Pennovation community to expand support of this important work at Penn.” Mr. Kumar has built his career around im- the City’s innovation ecosystem and increase “Professor Angela Duckworth is fundamen- proving urban life, enabling people to live and Penn’s impact,” said Mr. Kumar. tally changing the way we think about the sci- ence and practice of behavior change, empow- ering people to grow through evidence-based decision-making,” said Dean Garrett. “I am Brigitte Weinsteiger: Associate Vice Provost for Collections and Scholarly deeply grateful for Nancy Yang’s commitment Communications at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries to establish this professorship. Her critical sup- (continued from page 1) port will amplify the power of Professor Duck- master’s degree in liberal arts, focusing in me- worth’s work to transform the lives of so many “I am tremendously honored to take on this dieval studies, from the University of Pennsyl- around the world.” expanded role within the Penn Libraries,” said vania, a master’s degree in library and informa- Dean Fluharty, who is also the Thomas S. Ms. Weinsteiger. “The skills and expertise of li- tion science from Drexel University, and two Gates, Jr. Professor of Psychology, Pharmacol- brarians are more important than ever as we ad- bachelor’s degrees from The Pennsylvania State ogy and Neuroscience, said, “Angela’s abili- dress immediate information needs in response University, where she concentrated in medieval ty to connect public audiences with rigorously to the COVID-19 crisis. At the same time, we studies, the history of art and German literature. researched knowledge is unparalleled. Nancy continue to build and provide long-term access Ms. Weinsteiger continues to contribute as a Yang’s generous gift in support of interdisci- to collections that contribute to global scholar- leader to the scholarly community. She is outgo- plinary work will have an impact on all of us ship and that fuel Penn’s academic and research ing Chair of the Ivy Plus Libraries Confedera- who stand to benefit from Angela’s ground- enterprise.” tion Collections group, a group charged with the breaking research.” Ms. Weinsteiger has been instrumental in development of collaborative collections and This professorship supports faculty who shaping the Penn Libraries’ response to CO- web archiving programs. She is on the executive have demonstrated exceptional achievements VID-19. When the University announced in committee of the Northeast Research Libraries across disciplines. Ms. Yang’s generous funding March that classes would go online for the re- (NERL) Consortium Program Council and the will support travel, research and other academic mainder of the semester, the Libraries swift- collections advisory council of the Pennsylva- activities by the faculty recipient. ly invested in additional digital resources and nia Academic Library Consortium, Inc. (PAL- “I am delighted to support Penn’s distin- shifted major services online. Between March CI). Ms. Weinsteiger also serves on the adviso- guished faculty. Professor Duckworth is inno- 12 and April 2, Ms. Weinsteiger led teams of li- ry boards for a number of prominent publishing vating the collaborative scholarship needed to brarians working nearly around the clock to pro- and distribution vendors, including most recent- solve pressing challenges, and I look forward to vide virtual support to students and faculty re- ly her appointment to the advisory boards of seeing the impact she continues to make at the turning from spring break, including licensing Project MUSE and JSTOR. intersection of business and psychology,” said 36,000 additional e-books, doubling the number Ms. Weinsteiger’s collaborations with col- Ms. Yang. of streaming films offered, and fielding more leagues at Penn and beyond, and her leadership Ms. Yang is the founder of Asian Charity than twice as many virtual reference contacts as in collections, are motivated by a commitment Services, a Hong Kong NGO dedicated to pro- the same period last year. to enabling innovative research and scholar- viding NGO leaders with pro bono consulting Ms. Weinsteiger’s prior leadership roles at ly communications, and building, preserving and training to grow their organizations. She is the Penn Libraries include associate University and sharing distinctive cultural heritage collec- an undergraduate alumna of the Wharton School librarian for collections and assistant Universi- tions. “Libraries are central to, even insepara- and earned her MBA in marketing from the Kel- ty librarian for collections and liaison services. ble from, academic research and pedagogy and logg School of Management at Northwestern She began her career in libraries, working in ar- continue to serve a critical mission to preserve University. chival processing at the Eberly Family Special and steward extraordinary research collections,” Among her additional leadership and contri- Collections Library at The Pennsylvania State Ms. Weinsteiger said. “At the same time, they butions to the Wharton School and the Universi- University. Ms. Weinsteiger then joined the staff also have an opportunity to advance societal ef- ty of Pennsylvania, Ms. Yang is a member of the of Penn’s Biddle Law Library. Before moving forts to support diversity, equity and social jus- Wharton Executive Board for Asia and a sup- into Penn Libraries’ administration in 2016, she tice causes through collections and engagement porter of the Penn Wharton China Center. She served as a collections analyst and a subject spe- with the community, contributing to our local, recently responded to the COVID-19 health cri- cialist for medieval studies and Germanic lan- national and global good.” sis by donating medical supplies to the Univer- guages and literatures. Ms. Weinsteiger holds a sity of Pennsylvania Health System. 4 www.upenn.edu/almanac ALMANAC May 12, 2020 Honors & Other Things

2020 Sachs Program Grants 2020 Ben Art Bucks Grants: Penn political and science The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation is Undergraduate and Graduate Students communication, she awarding upwards of $270,000 in funding to 34 Q-INE: Q-INE, SAS founded APPC in successful applicants this year. Machine Readable: Roopa Vasudevan, 1993 to educate the Echando Ganas: Aaron Levy, SAS Annenberg School public and policy- 30 Americans: Aaron Levy, SAS Iliad and Its Afterlife: Sheila Murnaghan, makers about the role Using Novel Materials for Adaptable SAS of communication in Acoustics: Abhinav Ramkumar and William GENET (working title): Sosena Solomon, advancing public un- Deo, SAS, SEAS, VIPER Weitzman derstanding of politi- Performing Environmental Feminisms: A Space to Appear, A Space to Tarry: Tamir cal, health, and sci- Alice Paul Center for Research on Gender, Williams, SAS ence issues at the Sexuality, and Women; Gender, Sexuality and European Pantomime and the Films of state, local and feder- Women’s Studies Program; NAIS; Department Charlie Chaplin: Toni Bowers, SAS al levels. She has au- of Music, SAS Bet / Salt Room: Viola Bordon, Weitzman thored or co-authored Annenberg Center Remounts Toni Wolf Humanities Center Year of Choice 16 books, including Kathleen Hall Morrison’s Dreaming Emmett with Artist-in- Presents PHILADANCO: Participatory Cyberwar: How Rus- Jamieson Residence DNAWORKS: Annenberg Center for Workshop, Wolf Humanities Center sian Hackers and Trolls Helped Elect a Presi- the Performing Arts, SAS dent, which won the 2019 R.R. Hawkins Award The Asian American Experience and the Danielle Bassett: AIMBE Fellow from the Association of American Publishers. Craft of Writing with Jenny Zhang: Asian Danielle Bassett, J. Peter Skirkanich Pro- Her paper “Implications of the Demise of ‘Fact’ American Studies, SAS fessor of Bioengineering, has been named an in Political Discourse” received the American First-Gen Stories: A Web Series: Bethany American Institute for Medical and Biological Philosophical Society’s 2016 Henry Allen Moe Monea, GSE Engineering (AIMBE) Fellow. Prize. The NAS recently awarded Dr. Jamieson Arts and Well-being: Carol Muller, SAS Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows its most prestigious award, the Public Welfare langa dan ruop: David Chavannes, SAS is among the highest professional distinctions Medal (Almanac February 4, 2020). She is a fel- Politics of Reproduction: Dawn Teele, SAS accorded to a medical and biological engineer. low of the American Academy of Arts and Sci- Philadelphia Student Composers Project: College membership honors those who have ences, American Philosophical Society, Amer- Department of Music, SAS made outstanding contributions to “engineering ican Academy of Political and Social Science, Audible Metropolis: Elizabeth Bynum, SAS and medicine research, practice or education” and International Communication Association Stages of Learning: Emilio Martínez Poppe and to “the pioneering of new and developing and a past president of the American Academy and Emmanuela Soria Ruiz, Weitzman fields of technology, making major advance- of Political and Social Science. Gendered Exile: A Narrative of Chinese ments in traditional fields of medical and bio- In addition to his (Trans)national Adoption: Erin O’Malley, SAS logical engineering, or developing/implement- roles listed above, Groundwater: Flannery Cunningham, SAS ing innovative approaches to bioengineering Dr. June is also the Robotics Art Residency: GRASP Laboratory education.” director of the Parker and Fine Arts and Design, GRASP at PERCH, Dr. Bassett was nominated, reviewed and Institute for Cancer SEAS, Weitzman elected by peers and members of the College Immunotherapy at Annual MFA Satellite Show: Graduate Fine of Fellows for “significant contributions to the Penn. He is a pioneer Arts, Weitzman application of neural network theory for under- in developing CAR Cool Kid Rules (working title): Harold standing both physio and patho-physiological T therapy, which be- Milton-Gorive, Shalom Obiago and Evan brain function.” came the nation’s Thomas, SAS, Wharton As a result of health concerns, AIMBE’s an- first FDA-approved Incubation Series 2020-2021: Incubation nual meeting and induction ceremony scheduled personalized cellular Series, SAS, Weitzman for March 29-30, 2020, was cancelled. Under therapy for cancer in Back and Forth: The Distance In Between special procedures, Dr. Bassett was remotely in- August 2017, and it (working title): Ivanco Talevski, Weitzman ducted along with 156 colleagues who make up was approved for ad- Carl June ComicsLab: Jean-Christophe Cloutier, SAS the AIMBE College of Fellows Class of 2020. ditional indications in Why College?: Jonathan Zimmerman, SAS 2018. Clinical trials of CAR T therapy began at The ” Rights of Nature” in Times of Conflict Penn in 2010, and two of the first three patients and Transition: Kristina Lyons, SAS Kathleen Hall Jamieson, to receive the therapy, for chronic lymphocytic dreaming of a beyond: Philadelphia: Carl June: National Academy of leukemia, remain in remission. Dr. June also led Levester Williams, Penn Arts and Sciences Sciences Members the first US trial involving CRISPR gene-edit- Online Learning, SAS The newest class of US National Academy of ed immune cells to treat human cancer patients. Living Room: Living Room, SP2, Weitzman Sciences members includes two from the Uni- Dr. June has published more than 450 man- #VoteThatJawn: Lorene Cary, Center for versity of Pennsylvania: Kathleen Hall Jamie- uscripts and has received numerous prizes and Programs in Contemporary Writing, SAS son, Walter and Leonore Annenberg Director honors, including being named to Time maga- Race, Class & Punishment: Marie of the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) zine’s list of the 100 most influential people Gottschalk, SAS and Elizabeth Ware Packard Professor of Com- in the world and by election to the Institute of Futures II: Mike Crane, Weitzman munication at the Annenberg School for Com- Medicine. He has been honored with the Paul Taste of the Sanctioned: Ministry of Culture munication, and Carl June, Richard W. Vague Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize, Wil- in Exile, SAS, Weitzman Professor in Immunotherapy in the Department liam B. Coley Award, Karl Landsteiner Me- Building Ghosts: Molly Lester, PennPraxis, of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and di- morial Award, Richard V. Smalley Memorial Weitzman rector of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapy Award from the Society for Immunotherapy of Music in Urban Spaces: Molly McGlone, in the Abramson Cancer Center at the Perelman Cancer, Philadelphia Award, the Hamdan Award SAS School of Medicine. for Medical Research Excellence, Novartis Im- On remembering, ceasing to be: Nathan They join 120 members and 26 interna- munology Award for Cancer Cell Therapy De- Courtright, SAS tional members elected by their peers to NAS, velopment and Albany Prize. He was elected Currents (working title): Office of the recognized for “distinguished and continuing to the American Academy of Arts and Scienc- Curator, Arthur Ross Gallery achievements in original research.” To date, es in 2014. In 2017, he was named a fellow of Of Horses, Bows, & Fermented Milk: The there are 2,403 US members of NAS and 501 the American Association for Cancer Research Turkish Empires In 15 Objects: Oscar Aguirre international members. Academy and received the David A. Karnofsky Mandujano, SAS In addition to her roles listed above, Dr. Ja- Memorial Award from the American Society of A Contemporary Queen in the Penn mieson is also the program director of the An- Clinical Oncology. Museum: Penn Museum nenberg Retreat at Sunnylands. A scholar of ALMANAC May 12, 2020 www.upenn.edu/almanac 5 Penn Vet Launches COVID-19 Canine Scent Detection Study

A pilot training program utilizing scent detection dogs to discriminate be- tween samples from Another tip in a series provided by the COVID-19 posi- Offices of Information Systems & Computing tive and COVID-19 and Audit, Compliance & Privacy negative patients is Use Zoom More Securely the focus of a new During the COVID-19 crisis, the research initiative Zoom video conferencing platform be- at the University came the application of choice for meet- of Pennsylvania’s ings and teaching for several Universi- School of Veteri- ty Schools and Centers due to its ease nary Medicine (Penn of use and availability on multiple plat- Vet). forms. However, the sudden growth in With up to 300 Zoom traffic exposed security and pri- million smell recep- vacy vulnerabilities which have the po- tors—compared to tential to be exploited. One problem is six million in hu- “Zoombombing,” when uninvited at- mans—dogs are uniquely positioned to aid in children screened at that facility. Richard Berk tendees can join and disrupt meetings. disease detection. This pioneering study—which from Penn Arts & Sciences, will assist in re- Though Zoom has been actively will explore the sensitivity and specificity of search study design and analysis of canine per- working to mitigate and fix these vulner- scent—sets the stage for dogs to be a force mul- formance data. abilities with updates to the application tiplier in the mission to detect COVID-19, partic- “Dogs and humans, perfect together as and usage recommendations, you should ularly among asymptomatic patients, or hospital man’s best friend, through Penn Vet in partner- also take steps to protect the privacy and or business environments where testing is most ship with the Perelman School of Medicine and security of your meetings: challenging. Preliminary screening of live hu- the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, pro- • Use randomly generated meeting mans by trained dogs could begin as early as July. vide a new solution to COVID-19,” said Vernon IDs,* rather than the personal meeting The study is backed in part by the new Penn Hill. “Shirley and I, and Sir Duffield, our be- ID uniquely associated with your indi- Vet COVID-19 Research Innovation Fund. The loved Yorkshire Terrier, are again proud to sup- vidual Zoom account, for public meet- fund, provided with critical start-up support port Penn Vet.” ings. This helps to ensure only invited at- through a generous gift from Vernon and Shir- “This pilot study could not be more emblem- tendees will know the meeting ID. ley Hill, will bolster Penn Vet’s rapidly expand- atic of Penn Vet’s unparalleled contributions to • Require a password to join.* En- ing research and response program to fight the public health,” said Andrew M. Hoffman, Gil- abling the option “Require a password novel coronavirus. bert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine. when scheduling new meetings” and Penn Vet will initially begin the study with “What we do, and how we do it is relevant now “Require a password for instant meet- eight dogs to perform this precise detection more than ever before. The collaboration be- ings” allows only attendees with the work. Over the course of three weeks through a tween Penn Vet, the School of Medicine, the meeting password to join the meeting. process called odor imprinting, the dogs will be School of Arts & Sciences, and the Children’s Avoid sharing the meeting password in a exposed to COVID-19 positive saliva and urine Hospital of Philadelphia, are critical to success. public forum. samples in a laboratory setting. Once the dogs I’m grateful for Vernon and Shirley Hill’s long- • Manage participants. learn the odor, the investigators will document standing generosity that will allow us to swiftly 1. Use waiting rooms.* The host can that the dogs can discriminate between COV- accelerate our diagnostic, detection and surveil- screen everyone entering the meeting ID-19 positive and COVID-19 negative samples lance capabilities to fight COVID-19.” in the waiting rooms to restrict only in a laboratory setting, establishing the platform Penn Vet’s COVID-19 Research Innovation those invited to enter the meeting. for testing to determine if the dogs can identi- Fund is raising funds to support Penn Vet’s re- 2. Disable “Allow Removed Partici- fy COVID-19 infected people. The US Army search laboratories that are already tackling pants to Rejoin”* so that removed in- Combat Capabilities Development Command problems associated with COVID. Ronald Har- dividuals can’t rejoin. Chemical Biological Center will be lending ty, professor of pathobiology and microbiology, 3. Lock your meeting. After attendees their expertise during the study as well. is using his lifetime expertise investigating Ebo- join the meeting, lock your meeting “Scent detection dogs can accurately detect la, Marburg and Lassa Fever to understand how from the security menu to prevent un- low concentrations of volatile organic com- the SARS-CoV-2 virus leaves cells and spreads wanted attendees from joining. pounds, otherwise known as VOCs, associat- to other cells. Andrew Vaughan, assistant pro- • Set screen sharing to “Host only” ed with various diseases such as ovarian can- fessor of biomedical sciences, is leveraging his and disable “File Transfer”. File transfer cer, bacterial infections and nasal tumors. These work examining virally-induced lung injury to is disabled by default. Unless you need VOCs are present in human blood, saliva, urine understand how the SARS-CoV-2 promotes dis- the feature, leave it disabled to avoid par- or breath,” said Cynthia Otto, professor of ease, and in collaboration with Montserrat An- ticipants passing viruses or other mali- Working Dog Sciences and Sports Medicine guera, associate professor of biomedical scienc- cious content to others. and director of Penn Vet’s Working Dog Center. es, is investigating the factors that contribute • Keep the Zoom application and “The potential impact of these dogs and their to sex bias in the development of more severe your computing device up-to-date with capacity to detect COVID-19 could be substan- COVID disease. Importantly, Penn Vet’s COV- the latest security patches. tial. This study will harness the dog’s extraordi- ID-19 Research Innovation Fund will not only *This is the current default setting in nary ability to support the nation’s COVID-19 help these projects but will also promote an ex- Zoom for newly scheduled meetings. surveillance systems, with the goal of reducing pansion of the number of Penn Vet scientists fo- For additional security and how-to community spread.” cusing on new ways to conquer SARS-CoV2. tips, visit https://www.isc.upenn.edu/ Dr. Otto will lead a group of multi-disci- “Penn Vet is a key part of the biomedical security/news/zoombombing or https:// plinary researchers from across the University community here at the University of Pennsylva- www.isc.upenn.edu/security/privacy-us- of Pennsylvania. Susan Weiss (Almanac April nia. We are leveraging our unique and collective ing-zoom 7, 2020) and Ian Frank, both from the Penn expertise in pathogen-related research, infec- Center for Research on Coronavirus and Other tious disease and translational medicine to fight Emerging Pathogens and the Perelman School this pandemic,” said Phillip Scott, vice dean for For additional tips, see the of Medicine, will lead the protocols to collect Research and Academic Resources. “Penn Vet’s One Step Ahead link on the samples from adult patients being screened at COVID-19 Research Innovation Fund is afford- Information Security website: the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. ing us the agility to make immediate and sig- https://www.isc.upenn.edu/security/ Audrey Odom John from the Children’s Hos- nificant strides toward solving this public health news-alerts#One-Step-Ahead pital of Philadelphia will collect samples from emergency.” 6 www.upenn.edu/almanac ALMANAC May 12, 2020 Penn’s 2020 Virtual Commencement: May 18 Update Plan to join Penn on Monday, May 18 at 11 a.m. for the University-wide celebration. May AT PENN This special tribute to the graduating class will include remarks from the President, Provost and other special guests, student performances, and the conferral of degrees. For more information, FITNESS AND LEARNING visit Penn’s commencement site: commencement.upenn.edu, and links (below) to individual 13 Native Plants: The Basis of a Healthy Ecosys- School ceremony information. tem; 1:30-2:30 p.m.; $8/members, $10/non mem- School Online Ceremonies bers; register: morrisarb.org/learn (Morris Arbore- tum). School of Engineering & Applied Science MEETINGS Doctoral Thursday, May 14, 10 a.m. 20 WXPN Policy Board Meeting; noon; open https://events.seas.upenn.edu/commencement/ session; for more information, please contact Undergraduate & Master’s [email protected] (WXPN). Friday, May 15, 10 a.m. Annenberg School https://events.seas.upenn.edu/commencement/ TALKS Undergraduate Penn Law School 13 Response to the COVID-19 Crisis; panel dis- Sunday, May 17, 11 a.m. Monday, May 18, 3 p.m. cussion with Penn leadership; 1 p.m.; virtual event; www.asc.upenn.edu/undergraduate- www.law.upenn.edu/newsevents/calendar. register: https://tinyurl.com/COVID19CrisisPenn graduation-ceremony php#!event_id/61542/view/event (PennAlumni). Speaker: Filmmaker Katie Koeblitz (C’09) Perelman School of Medicine School of Arts & Sciences MD Program AT PENN Deadlines College of Arts & Sciences Sunday, May 17, 9 a.m. Today is the deadline for the Summer AT PENN www.med.upenn.edu/student/graduation- and the deadline to submit your virtual events to be Sunday, May 17, 7 p.m. featured in the next May AT Penn Update. www.college.upenn.edu/graduation-ceremony details.html Speaker: Katrina Armstrong, Harvard Speakers: Emily Wilson, classical studies, Sign Up for Express Almanac and Lucy Hu (C’20), political science Masters Programs Contact individual programs for details Express Almanac (E-Almanac) is a weekly College of Liberal & Professional Studies email that notifies you when there is a new issue Sunday, May 17, 4 p.m. Biomedical Graduate Studies Monday, May 18, 1:30 p.m. of Almanac. The email will include links to the www.sas.upenn.edu/lps/students/current/ newly posted material. graduation www.med.upenn.edu/bgs/bgs-virtual- graduation-2020.html Subscribe now to the Express Almanac Speaker: Al Filreis, English mailing list; visit https://almanac.upenn.edu Graduate Division, School of Arts & Sciences School of Nursing /express-almanac Monday, May 18, 1 p.m. Monday, May 18, 3 p.m. www.sas.upenn.edu/graduate-division/ www.nursing.upenn.edu/virtualcommencement Please Share Almanac graduation/2020-graduation Speaker: Suzanne Miyamoto, American This edition of Almanac, like the last several Speaker: Bhuvnesh Jain, natural sciences Academy of Nursing weeks’ issues, is digital-only. Please distribute School of Dental Medicine Social Policy & Practice to your colleagues and encourage them to sub- Monday, May 18, 2 p.m. Saturday, May 16, 6:30 p.m. scribe to receive the E-Almanac. No issues were www.dental.upenn.edu/about-us/ www.sp2.upenn.edu/student-life/services- printed to distribute across campus because of commencement/ support/commencement/ COVID-19. Almanac is distributed electronical- ly each Tuesday. Speaker: Steven Perlman, Boston University School of Veterinary Medicine Stuart Weitzman School of Design Monday, May 18, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16, 6:30 p.m. www.vet.upenn.edu/about/penn-vet-events- www.design.upenn.edu/events-exhibitions-0/ calendar/commencement-2020 events/weitzman-commencement-webcast Speaker: Elizabeth B. Strand, University of 3910 Chestnut Street, 2nd floor Philadelphia, PA 19104-3111 Speakers: James Corner (MLA’86) and Tennessee, Knoxville Phone: (215) 898-5274 or 5275 Kellie Jones, Columbia University Wharton School FAX: (215) 898-9137 Email: [email protected] Graduate School of Education Undergraduate, MBA, WEMBA and URL: www.upenn.edu/almanac Monday, May 18, 9 a.m. Doctoral https://onepenn.gse.upenn.edu/student- The University of Pennsylvania’s journal of record, opinion Sunday, May 17, 1 p.m. and news is published Tuesdays during the academic year, and services/commencement https://graduation.wharton.upenn.edu/ as needed during summer and holiday breaks. Its electronic edi- tions on the Internet (accessible through the Penn website) include HTML, Acrobat and mobile versions of the print edition, and interim information may be posted in electronic-only form. Guidelines for The University of Pennsylvania Police Department readers and contributors are available on request and online. EDITOR Marguerite F. Miller Community Crime Report ASSOCIATE EDITOR Louise Emerick ASSISTANT EDITOR Alisha George About the Crime Report: Below are the Crimes Against Persons or Crimes Against Society from EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Jackson Betz the campus report for April 27-May 3, 2020. Also reported were 14 crimes against property (6 bike thefts, STUDENT ASSISTANTS Justin Greenman 2 burglaries, 2 thefts from vehicles, 1 auto theft, 1 retail theft, 1 theft other, and 1 other offense) with 1 ar- Emily Liu rest. Full reports are available at: https://almanac.upenn.edu/sections/crimes Prior weeks’ reports are also online. –Eds. ALMANAC ADVISORY BOARD: For the Faculty Senate: This summary is prepared by the Division of Public Safety and includes all criminal incidents reported Martin Pring (chair), Sunday Akintoye, Christine Bradway, Daniel and made known to the University Police Department between the dates of April 27-May 3, 2020. The Uni- Cohen, Al Filreis, Cary Mazer. For the Administration: Stephen versity Police actively patrol from Market St to Baltimore Avenue and from the Schuylkill River to 43rd St in MacCarthy. For the Staff Assemblies: Jon Shaw, PPSA; Marcia conjunction with the Philadelphia Police. In this effort to provide you with a thorough and accurate report on Dotson, WPPSA; Rachelle R. Nelson, Librarians Assembly. 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 the Division of Public Safety at (215) 898-4482. The University of Pennsylvania values diversity and seeks tal- ented students, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds. The 05/03/20 4:32 AM 4018 Market St Strong-arm robbery of cell phone inside residence University of Pennsylvania does not discriminate on the basis 05/03/20 9:26 PM 4000 Spruce St Complainant assaulted by unknown offender of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected class status in the 18th District administration of its admissions, financial aid, educational or ath- Below are the Crimes Against Persons from the 18th District: 3 incidents (1 assault, 1 aggravated letic programs, or other University-administered programs or in its employment practices. Questions or complaints regarding this assault and 1 robbery) were reported for April 27-May 3, 2020 by the 18th District covering the Schuylkill policy should be directed to Sam River to 49th Street & Market Street to Woodland Avenue. Starks, Executive Director of the 05/02/20 9:06 PM 4403 Sansom St Assault Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs, 421 05/03/20 4:22 AM 4018 Market St Robbery Franklin Building, 3451 Walnut 05/03/20 9:52 PM 4000 Spruce St Aggravated Assault Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104- 6205; or (215) 898-6993 (Voice). ALMANAC May 12, 2020 www.upenn.edu/almanac 7 As Penn prepares for its first-ever virtual commencement, Almanac takes a look at 20 fun facts and stats from nearly three centuries of Penn commencements.

20 Fun Facts about Penn’s Previous Commencements 1. A November 1767 article in the Pennsylvania Chronicle docu- ments one of Penn’s earliest commencements, held before a “numerous and splendid assembly of the inhabitants” of Philadelphia. Eleven men re- ceived degrees and early Philadelphia luminary (and honorary degree re- cipient) David Rittenhouse addressed the graduates. 2. By 1789, Penn’s commencement had moved indoors, to the Ger- man Reformed Church on Race Street. A joyful two-day celebration, it included several musical interludes and speeches from local civic leaders. Archives 3. A surviving 1852 program shows that when Penn moved from its original Old City location to its second site, on Ninth Street, the size of the school expanded. That year, 76 men received bachelor of arts, master University of arts, doctor of medicine, bachelor of laws, and master of laws degrees. of Prominent Philadelphia doctor William Lehman Wells delivered the grad- uation speech. 4. In 1856, Penn’s junior class satirized the triviality of a classical edu- courtesy cation in a mock commencement handbill. Among the “festivities”: “Tur- tle shell band and infant drummer”; “heads of the public institutions on

poles”; and speaker C.E. Shackly philosophizing “on the eggs-pea-diency Photos of having no intellect at all!” Commencement in 1948 in the lower quad courtyard. 5. In 1874, Penn moved to West Philadelphia. Emboldened by its greater presence in the city, Penn began a yearly tradition of holding its 11. During World War I, Penn began holding its Commencement on commencement at the Academy of Music in Center City Philadelphia, campus. At first, the administration chose the Quadrangle courtyard, and complete with a grand parade down Broad Street and popular athletic in the 1920s, a couple ceremonies were held in Weightman Gymnasium. competitions, including rowing in the Schuylkill River. After the Palestra opened in 1927, commencement moved there. Howev- er, in 1932, the ceremony moved again, this time to the larger Philadelphia 6. In 1881, President James Garfield spoke at a February Convention Hall, located adjacent to campus. Aside from the odd ceremo- commencement ceremony and received an honorary doctorate. nies at Irvine Auditorium (1944-1945) and the Quad (1948, 1953), com- 7. US President Theodore Roosevelt received an honorary degree in mencement occurred at Convention Hall every year until 1986, when it 1905 and gave the commencement address, the first of four sitting presi- moved to Franklin Field, its current home. dents to speak at Penn commencements. 12. In June of 1947, famous anthropologist Margaret Mead delivered 8. In 1902, William Howard Taft, then governor of the Philippines, the commencement address. Later, she took on a significant cultural role spoke at Penn and received an honorary degree. In 1909, as president, he as one of the leading proponents of women’s rights. returned to speak at that year’s commencement. 13. Before 1954, separate commencements were held for students 9. In September 1939, Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed Penn’s graduating after summer, fall and spring terms. That year, these separate graduates, saying, “the survival and the growth of the University through events were first condensed into a single ceremony. these two centuries are particularly symbolic of the eternal strength that 14. Among the well-known politicians who have spoken at Penn com- is inherent in the American concept of the freedom of human thought and mencements over the years are UN representative Henry Cabot Lodge action. Here is living proof of the validity and force of single-minded ser- (1956), Pennsylvania governors William Scranton (1964) and Raymond vice to the cause of truth.” Schafer (1967), senator Hubert Humphrey (1977), former president Jim- 10. The most recent sitting US president to deliver a commencement my Carter (1998), senator John McCain (2001), NYC mayor Michael speech was Gerald Ford in May 1975. Bloomberg (2008) and vice-president Joe Biden (2013). 15. Penn had two consecutive First Ladies as commencement speak- ers, three years apart: Barbara Bush in 1990 and Hillary Clinton in 1993. 16. Four Nobel laureates have spoken at Penn commencements over the years: Michael Brown (1986; Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1985); Seamus Heaney (2000; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1995); Arch- bishop Desmond Tutu (2003; Nobel Peace Prize, 1984); and Kofi Annan (2005; Nobel Peace Prize, 2001). 17. Before the 1970s, the Penn administration favored political and bu- reaucratic speakers. However, since then, many notable names in the arts have spoken at Penn commencements. These include Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau (1979), Philadelphia orchestra conductor Riccardo Muti (1987), U2 singer Bono (2004), actor Denzel Washington (2011), sing- er and 1999 Penn graduate John Legend (2014), Hamilton creator Lin- Manuel Miranda (2016), and singer Jon Bon Jovi (2019). 18. Penn has awarded one honorary degree in absentia. In 1984, Soviet scientist Andrei Sakharov could not attend Penn’s commencement due to a state-enforced exile for participating in anti-Soviet protests. At Penn’s ceremony, his absence was symbolized by an empty chair. 19. Penn has rescinded four honorary degrees: German Kaiser Fried- rich Wilhelm and German US ambassador Heinrich von Bernstoff, both in 1918, and entertainer Bill Cosby and former trustee Steve Wynn. The revocation of the latter two degrees was a response to student activism. 20. Penn’s 2003 commencement was the first to be simultaneous- ly live-streamed, courtesy of the Penn Video Network (PVN) service. Though technology has advanced since, live broadcast technology will Commencement procession down Broad Street in 1901. be used this year to stream Penn’s first-ever all-virtual commencement ceremony. 8 www.upenn.edu/almanac ALMANAC May 12, 2020