2012
James English named John Welsh Centennial Professor of English
James English has been appointed the John Welsh Centennial Professor of English in the School of Arts and Sciences. Professor English specializes in modern and contemporary British fiction and is the director of the Penn Humanities Forum, a center aimed at engaging and promoting an ongoing cultural conversation among artists, academics and the general public.
The Penn Program on Democracy, Citizenship and Constitutionalism Presents: Constitution Making
In Philadelphia in 1787, Americans pioneered the creation of written constitutions to empower, guide and limit national governments. Today most modern regimes have such constitutions. But some do not, and many depart sharply from the American model.
Penn Humanities Forum Goes Digital
Penn Humanities Forum (PHF) has
gone digital. Launching this September, The Digital
Humanities Forum (DHF) will work to educate both scholarly and lay audiences on
the ways in which computer technologies are reshaping the study and teaching of the humanities disciplines, a trend
that is allowing for unprecedented communication between experts in myriad
fields on a global scale.
Professor of Chemistry Marisa Kozlowski to Receive 2012 American Chemical Society Philadelphia Section Award
Professor of Chemistry Marisa Kozlowski has been selected to receive the 2012 American Chemical Society Philadelphia Section Award. Kozlowski’s research focuses on the discovery and optimization of new reagents and catalysts for organic synthesis, including both novel computational tools and traditional methods of screening and development.
Charles L. Kane Wins the Dirac Medal
Professor
of Physics Charles L. Kane is a recipient of the 2012 Dirac
Medal and Prize by the Abdus Salem International Centre for Theoretical
Physics, given annually to scientists who have made significant
contributions to theoretical physics. Though not awarded to Nobel Laureates, Fields Medalists, or Wolf
Foundation Prize winners, many winners of the Dirac Medal continue on to receive
these esteemed prizes.
Penn Welcomes Its Newest Department in SAS: Africana Studies
The
University of Pennsylvania has established the Department of Africana Studies
in the School of Arts and Sciences, making it the School’s 27th
department.
The new
department will be devoted to the study of the historical and contemporary
experiences of Africans and peoples of the African diaspora. Currently, the
department includes 11 professors from the School who now hold joint primary
appointments with their original home department.
Joseph Subotnik Wins Presidential Early Career Award
Assistant
Professor of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Joseph Subotnik has received a Presidential Early
Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. This award is the highest honor
bestowed by the United States government on science and engineering
professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers.
Heather Sharkey Selected as Foreign Visiting Chair
Heather Sharkey, Associate Professor in the Department of Near Eastern
Languages and Civilizations, has been chosen to be one of 12 foreign visiting
researchers for the 2012-2013 academic year by the Institut d'études de l'islam
et des sociétés du monde musulman (IISMM) of the École des Hautes Etudes en
Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris.
Professor of Chemistry Wins $115,000 to Pursue Solar Research Project
Andrew Rappe, Professor of Chemistry, has received an Energy
Commercialization Institute Award for Alternative Energy Translational Research
and Commercialization.
Professor Earns Appointment as a Distinguished Lecturer by the Organization of American Historians
Sarah
Barringer Gordon, Arlin M. Adams Professor of Constitutional
Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Professor of History, has
been appointed a Distinguished Lecturer by the Organization of American
Historians (OAH).
Recent College Graduates and Alumna are Awarded Scholarships
Several recent graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences have received prestigious
awards that provide funding for graduate studies on the other side of the
pond.
SAS Plan for Faculty Diversity and Excellence
As part of its Action Plan for Faculty Diversity and Excellence, the
University of Pennsylvania sets forth principles that must also shape
the future of the faculty of the School of Arts and Sciences.
Video Archive of 2012 College Graduation Ceremony
Class of 2012Sunday, May 13, 2012Student Speaker: Jennifer Dailey, C’12Guest Speaker: Paul Hendrickson: Author and Senior Lecturer, Department of English
Capturing Protein Folding in Real Time
Penn Arts
and Sciences Magazine: Spring/Summer 2012 issueby Mark Wolverton
Just the Facts
Penn Arts
and Sciences Magazine: Spring/Summer 2012 issueby Peter
Nicholsphoto courtesy of Ben Horton
Telling, but Perhaps not Believing
Penn Arts
and Sciences Magazine: Spring/Summer 2012 issueby David R.
Gibsonillustration by Matthew Leake
Making the Numbers Fit the Fossils
Penn Arts
and Sciences Magazine: Spring/Summer 2012 issueby Mark Wolverton
photo by Kai Schreiber
Tipping the Scales
ECONOMIC
INEQUALITY: ANCIENT ROMECampbell GreyAssistant Professor of
Classical Studies
Germany: United
Penn Arts
and Sciences Magazine: Spring/Summer 2012 issueby Greg JohnsonOtto von Bismarck is the man who created modern Germany. Although neither
king nor soldier, he was able to unite Germany in the late 19th century into the
European power that exists today.
The Speed of Sound
Penn Arts
and Sciences Magazine: Spring/Summer 2012 issueby Blake
Colephoto by Lisa Godfrey
Vowing to Learn
Penn Arts
and Sciences Magazine: Spring/Summer 2012 issueby Tracey Quinlan
Dougherty
Prestigious Prizes Garnered by Fourteen College Students, Recent Graduates
Five graduating seniors, two juniors, and seven recent alumni
of the College of Arts and Sciences have won prestigious awards including
Fulbright scholarships and National Science Foundation fellowships.The Fulbright Scholars include:Monica Amoo-Achampong, C’12Michael Drake, C’12Kristen Martin, C’11Scott Williams, C’12The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship prize winners
include:
Nancy Bonini Elected to the National Academy of Sciences
Nancy Bonini, Lucille B. Williams Professor of Biology, was elected as a
member of the National Academy of Sciences, an honor considered to be one of the
highest a United States scientist or engineer can receive. Members were chosen
for their achievements in original research.
Two SAS Professors Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Robert M. Seyfarth,
Professor of Psychology and George J.
Mailath, the Walter H. Annenberg Professor in the Social Sciences in the
Department of Economics, have been elected to the 2012 class of members of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Dorothy Roberts Named PIK Professor
Dorothy Roberts, an acclaimed scholar of race, has been appointed the George
A. Weiss University Professor of Law and Sociology, effective July 1.
Three SAS Professors Receive 2012 Guggenheim Fellowships
Jamal J. Elias, Class of 1965 Term Professor, Justin McDaniel, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, and Benjamin Nathans, Ronald S.
College Announces 2012 Graduation Speakers
Paul
Hendrickson will be the guest speaker at this year’s graduation ceremony for
the University of Pennsylvania College of Arts and Sciences. Hendrickson, a
critically acclaimed, best-selling author, is a senior lecturer in the
Department of English and affiliated with the Center for Programs in
Contemporary Writing. The event, scheduled for Sunday, May 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Penn Bioethicist Jonathan Moreno Appointed to UNESCO International Bioethics Committee
Jonathan Moreno, the David and Lyn Silfen University Professor of Ethics, Professor of Medical
Ethics and of History and Sociology of Science and Professor of Philosophy, has been invited to join the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s International Bioethics Committee.
Kenneth Burdett Appointed the James Joo-Jin Kim Professor of Economics
Kenneth Burdett has been appointed the James Joo-Jin Kim Professor of
Economics in the School of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Burdett has been a professor
in the Department of Economics at Penn since 2002 and is an associate editor of
the International Economic Review and a fellow of the Econometric
Society.
Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet Appointed the Robert I. Williams Term Professor of History
Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet has been appointed to the Robert I. Williams Term
Chair in History in the School of Arts and Sciences.
Heather Love Appointed the R. Jean Brownlee Term Professor in the School of Arts and Sciences
Heather Love has been appointed to the R. Jean Brownlee Term Chair in the
School of Arts and Sciences. She had previously served as the M. Mark and Esther
K. Watkins Assistant Professor in the Humanities.
Bhuvnesh Jain Appointed Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term Professor in the Natural Sciences
Bhuvnesh Jain has been appointed the Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term
Professor in the Natural Sciences in the School of Arts and Sciences. Jain
joined Penn’s Department of Physics and Astronomy in 2001. He is the recipient
of numerous awards and honors including a Cottrell Scholars award and a Keck
Science and Engineering Grant.
Jain co-directs the School of Arts and Sciences’ Center for Particle
Cosmology.
Ponzy Lu Named the Roy and Diana Vagelos Director of the Vagelos Scholars Program in the Molecular Life Sciences
Ponzy Lu has been appointed the Roy and Diana Vagelos Director of the
Vagelos Scholars Program in the Molecular Life Sciences in the School
of Arts and Sciences. This directorship was established with a gift from
the Marianthi Foundation. The program, which offers an enhanced
biochemistry curriculum combined with summer research participation at
Penn, was established in 1997.
Mark Liberman Named the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Linguistics
Mark Liberman has been appointed the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished
Professor of Linguistics in the School of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Liberman is the
director of the Linguistic Data Consortium (LDC), an open consortium of
universities, companies and government research laboratories that is housed at
Penn and supports language-related education, research and technology
development by creating and sharing linguistic resources.
The 2012 Dean's Scholars
The School of Arts and Sciences named 20 students from the College of Arts
& Sciences, the College of Liberal and Professional Studies, and the
Graduate Division as 2012 Dean’s Scholars. This honor is presented annually to
SAS students who exhibit exceptional academic performance and intellectual
promise.
SAS to Adopt Google for Student Email
In response to student feedback, the School of Arts and Sciences is preparing
to launch Google Apps for Education as its new student email solution. The new
service, branded Google@SAS, will provide a student email option based on the
popular Gmail platform. The service will also include Google Docs, Google
Calendar, and other tools for productivity and collaboration.
Cristina Bicchieri Appointed Sascha Jane Patterson Harvie Professor of Social Thought and Comparative Ethics
Cristina Bicchieri has been appointed the Sascha Jane Patterson Harvie
Professor of Social Thought and Comparative Ethics in the School of Arts and
Sciences.
Dr. Bicchieri is a member of the Department of Philosophy and previously held
the title of the Carol and Michael Lowenstein Professor of Philosophy and Legal
Studies. She has been the director of the Philosophy, Politics and Economics
Program since 2004.
Daniel H. Janzen Wins 2011 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award
Daniel H. Janzen, DiMaura Professor of Conservation Biology, has been awarded
the 2011 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Ecology and
Conservation Biology category for his contributions to the study of tropical
ecology and the conservation of tropical ecosystems.
Timothy Corrigan Wins the 2012 SCMS Kovács Book Award
Professor
of English and Cinema Studies Timothy Corrigan
won the Society for Cinema and Media Studies 2012 Kovács
Book Award.
Paul Hendrickson Nominated by National Book Critics Circle
Paul Hendrickson, senior lecturer in the Department of English, has been
nominated for a National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) book award for the 2011
publishing year. His work, Hemingway’s Boat: Everything He Loved in Life,
and Lost, 1934-1961, was announced this past weekend as a finalist in the
biography category and follows Hemingway’s life through his one constant—his
boat, Pilar.
Eugene Narmour Honored With Society of Music Perception and Cognition Achievement Award
Professor of Music Eugene Narmour was honored with the Society of Music
Perception and Cognition Achievement (SMPC) Award this past summer. The award
acknowledges outstanding contributions to the field of music perception and
cognition and is accompanied by lifetime membership in the SMPC.
Narmour, a founding member of SMPC, has developed theories of music
cognition, perception of stylistic form and content, and the structural
similarities between painting and music.
Penn Launches Center for the Study of Contemporary China
PHILADELPHIA -- University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann, Provost Vincent Price and Dean of the
School of Arts and Sciences Rebecca Bushnell are pleased
to announce the launch of the Center for the Study of Contemporary China.
Housed in the School of Arts and
Sciences and serving the entire Universit
Jewish Book Council Honors Talya Fishman with the Nahum M. Sarna Memorial Award
Talya Fishman, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, has been awarded the Nahum M. Sarna Memorial Award by the Jewish Book Council for her work Becoming the People of the Talmud: Oral Torah as Written Tradition in Medieval Jewish Cultures.The book, which Fishman spent 11 years researching and writing, examines the circumstances that have shaped the cultural meaning of Jewish traditions.
College Dean, Professor and Former Students Win Chauvenet Prize
College Dean Dennis DeTurck, mathematics professor Herman Gluck, and alumni Daniel Pomerleano, C’06, and Shea Vela-Vick, GR’09, have been selected by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) as the winners of the 2012 Chauvenet Prize for their article, “The Four Vertex Theorem and Its Converse.” The prize is given to the author or authors of an outstanding expository article on a mathematical topic. In addition to being dean of the College, DeTurck also serves as the Robert A.
Eight College Students Named All-Ivy Honors for Fall 2011
Eight students from the College of Arts and Sciences were named among the
Ivy League’s list of athletes selected for academic All-Ivy performers for the
fall of 2011. The chosen students were starters or key reserves on a recognized
varsity team and maintained a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average.
Todd Busler, C’12, is an urban studies major, a two-time team captain for
the sprint football team and was named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area team as a junior.
2011
Joseph Subotnik Awarded Outstanding Junior Faculty Award
The Computers in Chemistry (COMP) program division of the American Chemical Society has named Joseph Subotnik as an HP Outstanding Junior Faculty member for spring 2012.
Michael Horowitz Honored with Best Book Award by ISSS
The International Security Studies Section (ISSS) of the International Studies Association (ISA) has selected Michael C. Horowitz, Associate Professor of Political Science, as the recipient of the section’s Best Book Award for 2010 for his book The Diffusion of Military Power: Causes and Consequences for International Politics.