UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Tuesday February 11, 2020 Volume 66 Number 22 www.upenn.edu/almanac Penn’s 2020 Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipients Commencement Speaker Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the widely- acclaimed Nigerian author of several award- winning novels and collections of short stories, will be Penn’s Commencement Speaker at the 2020 Commencement on Monday, May 18. She and seven other individuals will each receive an honorary degree from Penn. Penn’s Vice President and University Secre- tary Medha Narvekar has announced the 2020 honorary degree recipients and the Commence- ment Speaker for the University of Pennsylva- nia. The Office of the University Secretary man- ages the honorary degree selection process and University Commencement. Chimamanda Ngozi Anthony Kennedy Jhumpa Lahiri Jill Lepore The 264th Commencement begins at 10:15 Adichie a.m. on May 18 and will be preceded by student and academic processions through campus. The ceremony will feature the conferral of degrees, the awarding of honorary degrees, greetings by University officials and remarks by the Com- mencement Speaker. It will be streamed live on the Penn website. For University of Penn- sylvania Commencement information, includ- ing historical information about the ceremony, academic regalia, and prior speakers and hon- orary degree recipients, see www.upenn.edu/ commencement See pages 4-5 of this issue for the biogra- phies of this year’s honorary degree recipients. Stanley Plotkin Sister Mary Scullion Gregg Semenza Henry Threadgill University City Station to Become Penn Medicine Station SEPTA and Penn Medicine have an- just in time for the home stretch of construction ing agency, Intersection, a smart cities technol- nounced a partnership following a multimillion- on Penn Medicine’s newest hospital, The Pavil- ogy and media company, on an innovative cam- dollar naming rights contract that will result in ion. The facility, which will house inpatient care paign to bring in additional advertising dollars. the regional rail station known as University for the Abramson Cancer Center, heart and vas- “We are thrilled to join Penn Medicine and SEP- City Station becoming Penn Medicine Station. cular medicine and surgery, neurology and neu- TA to improve the experience of everyone who The 6,400 passengers that use the station every rosurgery and a new emergency department, is passes through Penn Medicine Station,” said day will see new signage, maps and interactive expected to be completed in 2021. Jon Roche, Intersection’s vice president and screens, with full implementation coming in “As the gateway to the Pavilion and our West general manager for the Philadelphia region. two months. The station is served by SEPTA’s Philadelphia medical campus, thousands of peo- “Intersection’s digital upgrades at Penn Medi- Airport, Warminster, Wilmington/Newark, West ple each day pass through this SEPTA station en cine Station will give riders important, real-time Trenton and Media/Elwyn Lines. route to work, visit and receive care in our fa- transit information and provide Penn Medicine Penn Medicine will pay $3.3 million over cilities, and we’re so thrilled for the opportunity with new ways to reach customers as they pass the five-year contract to keep the naming rights. for the station to bear the Penn Medicine name,” through the station.” This is the fourth significant rebrand of a SEP- said Kevin Mahoney, CEO of the University of An official ribbon-cutting ceremony is ex- TA station since 2010. Pattison Station became Pennsylvania Health System. “We are proud to pected to be held Tuesday, February 25. AT&T Station for $5.44 million in 2010 before partner with SEPTA to enhance the rider expe- changing to NRG Station in 2018 for $5.25 mil- rience for our public transit system, which is a lion. The former Market East Station was re- crucial part of what keeps our great city running INSIDE 2 Council Agenda and Coverage; Provost-Netter named Jefferson Station in 2014 for $4 million. each day.” Center Faculty-Community Partnership Award; “This agreement with Penn Medicine will This partnership is consistent with SEPTA’s Chair of Bioengineering; Fine Arts Library Director deliver major benefits to our customers and oth- mandate to seek alternative sources of revenue. 3 University Research Foundation; er taxpayers who help fund the Authority’s oper- Act 44, a measure passed by state lawmakers in Update on Coronavirus 4 Honorary Degree Recipient Bios ations,” said SEPTA Board Chairman Pasquale 2007 to provide funding for transportation in 6 2020 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community T. Deon. “The revenue this generates will go di- Pennsylvania, called on SEPTA and other tran- Involvement Recognition Awardees; African rectly toward the everyday costs of running the sit agencies to bolster efforts to generate non- Cultures Celebration at Penn Museum 7 Update; CrimeStats; One Step Ahead Tip; transit system.” fare box revenues. Another Summer Program The station updates and renaming will arrive SEPTA has worked closely with its advertis- 8 GLASSFEST ALMANAC February 11, 2020 www.upenn.edu/almanac 1 Provost-Netter Center Faculty-Community Partnership Award: April 1 From the Office of the Secretary Provost-Netter Center —Terri H. Lipman, Assistant Dean for Faculty-Community Partnership Award Community Engagement; Miriam Stirl Endowed We are pleased to announce the Provost- Term Professor of Nutrition; University Council Netter Center Faculty-Community Partnership Professor of Nursing of Children, SON; Meeting Agenda Award. This annual award recognizes Faculty- Wednesday, February 19, 2020 Community Partnership projects. The amount Netter Center Faculty Advisory Board Co- of the award is $10,000 ($5,000 to the faculty Chair; Chair of the Provost-Netter Center 4 p.m. member and $5,000 to the community partner). Faculty-Community Partnership Award Hall of Flags, Houston Hall The purpose of the award is to recognize sus- Nomination Process I. Approval of the minutes of the January 29, tained and productive University/Community 2020 University Council meeting. (1 minute) partnerships and to develop or enhance ongo- —Dennis DeTurck, Robert A. Fox Leadership II. Follow-up comments or questions on Status ing work. Junior and senior faculty along with Professor; Professor and Undergraduate Chair Reports. (5 minutes) senior lecturers and associated faculty from any of Mathematics, SAS; Netter Center Faculty III. Presentation: The Power of Penn campaign. of Penn’s 12 schools are eligible for nomination, Advisory Board Co-Chair; Provost's Senior (30 minutes) together with their community partners. Please Faculty Fellow at the Netter Center IV. Open Forum. (70 minutes) see below for the complete description and pro- cess of nomination. If you have any questions V. New Business. (5 minutes) or concerns regarding this award, please direct —John Gearhart, James W. Effron University VI. Adjournment. them to the ABCS coordinator, Faustine Sun, Professor and Emeritus Director, Institute for at [email protected] Regenerative Medicine; Professor of Cell and Council Coverage Developmental Biology and Biomedical At the January 29 Council meeting, Presi- Award Nomination Process Sciences, PSOM and School of Veterinary Deadline: April 1 dent Amy Gutmann urged everyone to read the Medicine; Netter Center Faculty Advisory University’s response to Climate Change, which The award recognizes Faculty-Community Board Co-Chair Partnership Projects. One award will be made an- outlines the latest steps that Penn is taking on nually for $5,000 to a faculty member and anoth- this “very high priority.” She said that these new er $5,000 to the community partner to recognize, —John Jackson Jr., Walter H. Annenberg Dean initiatives and ongoing actions are consistent develop and advance an existing partnership. of the Annenberg School for Communication; with the University’s mission. They involve in- vestments, renewable purchase power, air travel Criteria for Selection Richard Perry University Professor; offsets and an environmental innovations initia- (1) The community partnership project must Netter Center Faculty Advisory Board Co-Chair tive (Almanac February 4, 2020). be affiliated with the Netter Center for Commu- There was also an update by Benoit Dubé, nity Partnerships i.e., engaged with Academical- associate provost and chief wellness officer, on ly Based Community Service (ABCS), Problem —Loretta Flanagan-Cato, Associate Professor Solving Learning (PSL) or Participatory Action of Psychology, SAS; Co-director, Biological the coronavirus, which originated in China (see Research (PAR) style pedagogy and/or research. Basis of Behavior Program; Provost's Faculty page 3 for the latest update). (2) The partnership project must demonstrate Fellow at the Netter Center Lizann Rode, secretary of University Coun- record of sustainable engagement. cil, described the disposition of the topics raised at the last Open Forum. (3) The faculty member can be an assistant, as- —Vernoca Michael, Director, Paul Robeson sociate, or full professor, senior lecturer,or associ- Beth A. Winkelstein, vice provost for edu- ated faculty. House and Museum, West Philadelphia Cultural cation, and Dawn Bonnell, vice provost for re- Alliance; Member, Netter Center Community search, spoke about how Penn supports student Process of Nomination Advisory Board (1) Nominations may come from members of research through the University Research Foun- the University and the wider community, though dation (URF) and Penn’s