UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Tuesday May 22, 2012 Volume 58 Number 34 www.upenn.edu/almanac Vet Medicine Teaching Awards $25 Million Gift to Create Basser Research Center for Inherited Cancers Carl J. Norden-Pfizer Distinguished A $25 million gift to the University of Penn- Teacher Award sylvania from alumni Mindy and Jon Gray will The Carl J. Nor- establish a center focused on the treatment and den-Pfizer Distin- prevention of cancers associated with hereditary guished Teacher BRCA mutations. Award is the most The Basser Research Center—BRC for prestigious teach- BRCA—will support research on the BRCA1 ing award in veteri- and BRCA2 genes, harmful forms of which are nary medicine. It is linked to greatly increased risks of developing presented annually to breast and ovarian cancer. The Center is named a faculty member at in honor of Mindy Gray’s sister, Faith Basser, each college of veter- who died of ovarian cancer at age 44. inary medicine in the “With their profoundly visionary and gener- United States. This ous donation, Jon and Mindy have set the stage year’s recipient at for scientific breakthroughs that will transform Penn is Dr. Di Terlizzi. the lives of women and their families for de- Roberta Di Terlizzi She is the clini- cades to come,” Penn President Amy Gutmann Mindy and Jon Gray cal pathology course said. “In creating this first-of-its-kind center, the director who has implemented new approach- Grays’ gift endows Penn researchers and clini- “We hope that the Basser Research Center es with the integration of team-based learning, cians with the crucial resources required to iden- will eliminate BRCA-related cancers and, in do- turning point clickers response and case-based tify innovative ways to prevent and treat inher- ing so, provide a road map for curing other ge- learning. At Penn Vet since 2009, she won the ited diseases. The possibilities for the future of netic diseases,” Mindy and Jon Gray said. “We Class of 2012 Award in 2010; she finds teaching women’s health and cancer research are vast.” also want to make sure that families have a cen- very rewarding; it makes her feel accomplished Emphasizing outreach, prevention, early de- ter dedicated to helping them with the complex in participating in those students’ lives and as tection, treatment and survivorship, the Basser issues arising from a BRCA diagnosis. As Penn they grow toward becoming great doctors. She Research Center will contribute to all stages of graduates, we are fortunate that our alma mater also enjoys working in the clinical lab, and in research and clinical care related to BRCA-re- has the world-class medical facilities and gifted this role as diagnostician she is also able to teach lated cancers. (continued on page 4) residents and fourth-year veterinary students. “Dr. Di Terlizzi revolutionized the clinical Penn Trustees to Extend President Gutmann’s Contract pathology course at Penn. She put a lot of time The Trustees of the University of Pennsyl- pioned greater interdisciplinary teaching and and energy into revamping the class syllabus vania will extend the contract of President Amy scholarship, enhancing Penn’s stellar faculty and ensuring that it was clinically relevant and Gutmann for five additional years beyond its by attracting world-renowned scholars, adding practical. She is easily approachable and always current expiration date. more than 100 new named professorships, in- (continued on page 5) The extension, announced recently by Trust- cluding 14 Penn Integrates Knowledge profes- ees Chair David L. Cohen, will be formally rati- sors jointly appointed between two schools, and Dental Medicine Teaching Awards fied at the board’s meeting on June 15 and will launching a new Action Plan for Faculty Diver- Penn Dental Medicine faculty members were extend Dr. Gutmann’s contract as president to sity and Excellence. honored for excellence in teaching at the School’s at least June 30, 2019. The extension would Penn’s students are the most academical- Senior Farewell, held make her the second-longest serving Presi- ly accomplished and diverse in its history. Dr. May 8 at the Ritz dent in Penn’s modern history. President Gay- Gutmann inaugurated Penn’s no-loan under- Carlton in Center City lord Harnwell served as Penn’s President for 17 graduate financial aid program, which has great- Philadelphia. Each ac- years, from 1953-1970; he died in 1982 (Alma- ly expanded access to a Penn education and be- ademic year, the grad- nac April 20, 1982). come a model for other universities. uating class recog- “The Trustees feel very strongly that Amy She has led one of the most successful fun- nizes members of the Gutmann is simply the best university president draising campaigns in higher education history, faculty with teaching in the country,” Mr. Cohen said. “Under her su- with Making History: The Campaign for Penn awards, presented at perb leadership, Penn is a stronger and more vi- attaining its $3.5 billion goal 16 months ahead this annual event that brant institution than at any time in its storied of schedule and securing the largest single gift celebrates the passage history. She has done a fantastic job. in Penn history—$225 million from philanthro- of students to profes- “Penn is an incredible resource for our com- (continued on page 2) sional dentistry. The munity, our state, our nation and indeed the IN THIS ISSUE event is sponsored by world,” Mr. Cohen said. “As trustees, we feel 2 Senate: SEC Actions; Trustees’ Meeting Coverage Scott Odell the Penn Dental Med- a special obligation to ensure its continued suc- 3 Deaths icine Alumni Society. cess. We made a great choice in 2004 when we 4 PPSA’s Annual Meeting; Dental Medicine’s Awards The awards and recipients included the following: selected Amy Gutmann as Penn’s president and 5 Vet Medicine Teaching Awards 6 Honors & Other Things The Senior Outstanding Teaching Award and being able to keep her at the helm for another 7 Postdoctoral Fellowships for Academic Diversity; The Joseph L. T. Appleton Award—The Senior seven years is a huge win for our University. We Provost Interdisciplinary Seminar Fund Outstanding Teacher Award is presented to a fac- are confident that she has the vision and the en- 9 HR: Tax Offset, Flexible Spending Accounts, New Benefits Deductions in June, Nursing Mothers; ulty member who has gone beyond the scope of ergy to keep Penn’s momentum going. If there New eLearning System; PennMOVES; Parking his/her responsibilities to significantly impact is one thing on which our faculty, donors, alum- 10 CCTV Locations the class’s educational experience while at Penn ni, students, overseers and trustees all agree, it is 11 Adirondack Chairs Re-Interpreted; Expresions of Dental Medicine. The Appleton Award recog- that Amy Gutmann is the right person to lead us the Moment; CrimeStats; Classifieds; Schedule 12 Penn Commencement nizes a part-time faculty member for excellence in into what we know will be a very bright future.” Pullouts: Summer AT PENN (continued on page 4) As Penn’s President, Dr. Gutmann has cham- Commencement 2012 ALMANAC May 22, 2012 www.upenn.edu/almanac 1 Trustees’ May Coverage SENATE From the Senate Office At the Trustees’ meeting of the Executive Com- mittee on May 10, President Amy Gutmann an- nounced the transformative gift from Mindy Basser The following is published in accordance with the Faculty Senate Rules. Among other purposes, Gray and her husband Jon Gray (see page 1). the publication of SEC actions is intended to stimulate discussion among the constituencies and Penn offered admission to 12.3 percent of their representatives. Please communicate your comments to Sue White, executive assistant to the more than 31,000 applicants for the Class of 2016. Senate Office, either by telephone at (215) 898-6943, or by email at [email protected] The largest number of African-American students in Penn’s history have accepted admission. Dr. Gutmann also noted some highlights of this semester: Dorothy Roberts has been named Faculty Senate Executive Committee Actions the 14th PIK Professor (Almanac April 17, Wednesday May 9, 2012 2012); a milestone for the Action Plan for Fac- Chair’s Report: Faculty Senate Chair Camille Charles reported that the Senate Ad Hoc Faculty ulty Diversity and Excellence with Ben Garcia Climate Survey Review Committee had their first meeting and will continue to meet this summer. named the 1st Presidential Term Professor (Al- She noted that President Amy Gutmann accepted a 5-year extension to her contract. She thanked manac March 27, 2012); Supreme Court Asso- each outgoing SEC member for their service. Dr. Charles asked SEC members to vote for the four ciate Justice Sonia Sotomoyer spoke at the Law faculty members who will serve on the 2012-2013 University Council Steering Committee. School’s Golkin Hall dedication (Almanac April Past Chair’s Report: Faculty Senate Past Chair Bob Hornik reported that Academic Planning 10, 2012); First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. and Budget discussed the new Coursera education platform and approved the formation of the De- Jill Biden came to Penn to announce their Join- partment of Africana Studies. ing Forces initiative (Almanac April 17, 2012). Dr. Gutmann said that the recent partnership Discussion and vote on the proposal to add an Academic Clinician Part-time Faculty with USC’s Shoah Foundation Institute brings an Track in the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM): Dr. Lisa Bellini, Vice Dean for Faculty and invaluable resource “that transcends traditional Resident Affairs, and Vicki Mulhern, Executive Director of Faculty Affairs and Professional Devel- scholarly boundaries,” (Almanac April 24, 2012). opment, represented the Dean in the Perelman School of Medicine and gave a brief review of the In honor of Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of in- proposal.