2014
Penn Chemists Identify Important Intermediate Molecule in Production of 'Atmosphere's Detergent'
A University of Pennsylvania team has observed rapid atmospheric reactions in the lab and identified an important intermediate molecule in Earth’s atmosphere. By tracking the molecule’s transformation to hydroxyl radicals, they are better able to predict how the atmosphere will respond to environmental changes. Their research helps to explain how the atmosphere maintains its reserves of hydroxyl radicals, which break down greenhouse gases like methane.
United States Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus Gives Talk on ‘Seapower and the World Economy’
On September 25, U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus spoke at Penn on the role of America’s maritime presence in the global economy to an audience of over 100 students and faculty.
As a Citation Laureate, Penn Physicist Contender for Nobel Prize
Charles Kane, Class of 1965 Term Professor of Physics and Astronomy, is one of this year’s Thomson Reuters Citation Laureates. The honor is designed to recognize researchers whose body of work puts them in contention for a Nobel Prize. Kane, along with Laurens W. Molenkamp of the University of Würzburg and Shoucheng Zhang of Stanford University, are named in physics for their research on the quantum spin Hall effect and topological insulators.
Political Science Professor Will Lead GSWS and Alice Paul Center
The Penn Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies Program and Alice Paul Center for Research on Gender, Sexuality, and Women have appointed a new director, Professor of Political Science Nancy J. Hirschmann. She will succeed Professor Christine Poggi, who led the program from 2011 to 2014. Hirschmann, former holder of the R.
DeTurck Named Stephen A. Levin Dean of the College
Dennis DeTurck has been named the first Stephen A. Levin Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. A $5 million gift from Stephen, C’67, and Petra Levin will support the work of the College dean, and may be used to support programs, departments, and new initiatives in the College.
Feng Gai Named Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term Professor of Chemistry
Feng Gai has been appointed Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term Professor of Chemistry in the School of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Gai works at the intersection of physical chemistry and biology, investigating protein-folding problems, which are thought to be instrumental in understanding diseases associated with malfunctioning enzymes. Using novel methods of laser and infrared spectroscopy, Dr.
Arjun Yodh Helps Uncover Mechanism Behind Solid-Solid Phase Transitions
Working in collaboration with researchers from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Arjun Yodh, director of the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter and James M. Skinner Professor of Science, published an article in Nature Materials on solid-solid phase transitions.
Doctoral Student Takes Ascetic Retreat to Mountains of Japan
Frank Clements' dissertation, which focuses on the Shugendô religious tradition, recently led him to the mountains of Japan for hands-on research. Shugendô blends esoteric Buddhism, Daoism, and Shinto into a complex tradition of mountain austerities and other related practices. Clements, an East Asian Languages and Civilizations doctoral student, took part in a three-day retreat at a pilgrim lodge in Haguro in Northeastern Japan.
Marija Drndić Helms Interdisciplinary Nanocrystal Research Team
An interdisciplinary team of researchers led by Marija Drndić, professor of physics and astronomy, has applied a cutting-edge technique for rapid gene sequencing toward measuring other nanoscopic structures. By passing nanoscale spheres and rods through a tiny hole in a membrane, the team was able to measure the electrical properties of those structures’ surfaces.
Video profile of Chemistry Professor Chris Murray
In this video piece, Christopher B. Murray, Richard Perry University Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science and Engineering, talks about research and collaboration at the University of Pennsylvania. He is one of 15 Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professors, and holds dual appointments in Penn Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Struck Appointed to Thompson Term Chair for Excellence in Teaching
Associate Professor of Classical Studies Peter Struck has been appointed to the Evan C Thompson Term Chair for Excellence in Teaching, Provost Vincent Price and Vice Provost for Education Andrew Binns have announced. Struck is a prize-winning scholar and intellectual historian of ancient Greece. He is also the faculty director of the Benjamin Franklin Scholars Program.
Karen Beckman Interviewed About HAIKU Conference
Karen Beckman, Elliot and Roslyn Jaffe Professor of Cinema and Modern Media, was on WHYY's NewsWorks to discuss the place of humanities and the arts in the wider university, and what can be learned by engaging with the arts. These questions will be explored in the HAIKU (Humanities and the Arts in the Integrated Knowledge University) conference running September 12-13 at Penn.
Penn Researchers Build on Theory of How Brain Learns from Mistakes
Penn researchers in psychology and biology have made another advance in understanding how the brain learns from its mistakes, a critical element of fine motor control. The study, published in the journal eLife, was led by Assistant Professor of Psychology Javier Medina and Farzaneh Najafi, then a graduate student in the Department of Biology.
Michael Katz: An Appreciation
We regret to announce the death of Walter H. Annenberg Professor of History Michael B. Katz, a pioneering scholar in the history of American education, urban social structure and family organization, and social welfare and poverty. His many books include Reconstructing American Education, One Nation Divisible: What America Was and What It Is Becoming (with Mark J. Stern), and The Undeserving Poor: From the War on Poverty to the War on Welfare.
Penn Arts and Sciences Welcomes New Faculty for 2014-2015
Penn Arts and Sciences has appointed 22 new members to its standing faculty for the 2014-2015 academic year. The School is pleased to welcome:Jessica Anna, Assistant Professor of Chemistry: Physical chemistry and energy science, with a focus on methods to reveal time scales for dynamical motions in biological and chemical systems using multi-pulse laser and two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy; quantum coherences. Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
Senior Researches Plato’s Dramatic Technique
For many undergraduates at the University of Pennsylvania, summer research means conducting field work in an exotic locale or running experiments in a laboratory. However, for classics major and University Scholar Donald Antenen it means methodically seeking answers to questions outside the norm of Plato scholarship, a pursuit that requires him to go no further than his well-stocked bookshelf.
Physics Professors Win Kaufman Foundation Initiative Award for Evolution Cluster Project
A pair of Penn professors in the Department of Physics and Astronomy will receive one of the nine grants being awarded this year by the Charles E. Kaufman Foundation, part of The Pittsburgh Foundation, which supports cutting-edge scientific research in chemistry, biology, and physics at institutions across Pennsylvania.
Physics and Astronomy Professors to Use New Telescope in Hunt for Dark Energy
After more than a decade of development and planning, the National Science Foundation has approved federal construction of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, of which the University of Pennsylvania is a member, will manage the $473 million construction project.
Amos Smith Wins Award from American Chemical Society
Amos B. Smith III has received the 2014 Paul G. Gassman Distinguished Service Award, sponsored by the Division of Organic Chemistry of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The award was established in 1994 to recognize outstanding service to the organic chemistry community.
Matthew Lane Appointed Vice Dean for Finance and Administration in Penn Arts and Sciences
Steven Fluharty, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, has announced the appointment of Matthew Lane as Vice Dean for Finance and Administration, effective immediately. Lane oversees the School's financial and administrative infrastructure, including the areas of finance, budget, facilities, human resources, and information technology.
O'Leary Receives First Linz Prize from International Political Science Association
Lauder Professor of Political Science Brendan O’Leary has been awarded the first Juan Linz Prize by the International Political Science Association (IPSA). The prize was created to honor a prominent scholar engaged in the comparative research on decentralization, multinational and multiethnic integration, and federalism that Linz demonstrated.
Physics Professors Study Graphene's Electrical Properties on an Atomic Level
Graphene is widely thought to be the most electrically conductive material ever to be investigated. Researchers at Penn Arts and Sciences just published a study in the journal Nano Letters on their use of a cutting-edge microscope to study the relationship between the atomic geometry of a graphene nanoribbon and its electrical properties.
Penn Student Examines Human Bones for Clues to Evolution
This summer Jordi Rivera Prince, C’16, is an assistant to the curator of physical anthropology at the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. She is educating visitors and learning about how our species evolved while conducting her own independent research on a collection of human skulls.Read the full story here.
Penn Team Awarded $22.5 Million to Develop Treatment for Memory Loss
A team of scientists and physicians at the University of Pennsylvania will lead a four-year effort worth as much as $22.5 million to develop next-generation technologies to restore memory function in people who suffer from memory loss due to disease or traumatic injury.
Professor's Work Suggests Beginning with the Anticrystal
Physicists at Penn Arts and Sciences and the University of Chicago have evidence that a new concept should undergird our understanding of most materials: the anticrystal, a theoretical solid that is completely disordered.
Penn Researchers Receive $10 Million Grant to Study Asbestos
Researchers at Penn's Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) have been awarded a $10 million grant from the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences. Faculty from Penn Arts and Sciences and the Perelman School of Medicine will conduct the research, which will study asbestos exposure pathways that lead to mesothelioma, the bioremediation of this hazardous material, and mechanisms that lead to asbestos-related diseases.
Penn Anthropologist's Singular Approach to Identifying Indigenous Objects
Assistant Professor of Anthropology Margaret Bruchac uses multiple lines of evidence—including oral traditions, material analysis, university archives, and craft techonolgies—to better identify Native American cultural materials in museum collections. Her goal is to restore an unbiased understanding of indigenous peoples, objects, and communities, and to help with repatriation of materials.
Penn Biologist to Receive Blue Planet Prize
Penn biologist Daniel Janzen has been chosen to receive a 2014 Blue Planet Prize, an international environmental award sponsored by the Asahi Glass Foundation. The award announcement recognizes Janzen and Costa Rica’s Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad for work on sustainable development, environmental education, and conservation of biodiversity.
Psychology, Biology Professors Receive Honorary Degrees
Professor of Biology Dorothy Cheney and Professor of Psychology Robert Seyfarth have received honorary doctorates from the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland, while Professor Emeritus of Psychology Jacob Nachmias has received an honorary doctorate from the SUNY College of Optometry.
Penn Team Creates Stable Vesicles for Time-Released Drug Delivery
One of the defining features of cells is their membranes. Each cell’s repository of DNA and protein-making machinery must be kept stable and secure from invaders and toxins. Scientists have attempted to replicate these properties, but despite decades of research even the most basic membrane structures—known as vesicles—still face many problems when made in the lab. They are difficult to make at consistent sizes and lack the stability of their biological counterparts.
Art Historian Davis Elected President of International Forum
Associate Professor of the History of Art Julie Nelson Davis has been elected president of the Japan Art History Forum, an international organization for professionals engaged in the study of Japanese arts and cultures. Davis has been a member of the Forum since its founding in 1996, when she was part of its steering committee and served as the graduate student representative.
Muller Chosen as Next Moorman-Simon Fellow by the Netter Center
The Director and Faculty Advisory Board Co-Chairs of the Barbara and Edward Netter Center for Community Partnerships have unanimously selected Professor of Music Carol Muller to serve as the next Moorman-Simon Faculty Fellow for a two-year term, beginning on July 1, 2014.
Ruth Schwartz Cowan Elected to American Philosophical Society
Ruth Schwartz Cowan, Professor Emerita in the Department of History and Sociology of Science in Penn Arts and Sciences, has been elected a member of the American Philosophical Society (APS). The APS was founded in 1743 as the country’s first learned society, and past members include Benjamin Franklin, Marie Curie, and Albert Einstein.
Penn Junior Wins 2014 Cultural Vistas Fellowship
Courtney Bliler, a rising College junior from Horseheads, N.Y., is among 10 students from universities across the United States selected to receive 2014 Cultural Vistas Fellowships to intern abroad in Asia, Europe and South America this summer.
Three Appointed to Named Chairs in Arts and Sciences
Dean Steven J. Fluharty is pleased to announce the appointments of three faculty members to named chairs in the School of Arts and Sciences.
Twenty-One College Students Receive Penn Student Awards
Congratulations to the College students who received awards during Alumni Weekend and Commencement! Senior Honor AwardsGaylord P. Harnwell Award: Urja R. Mittal, C’14, W’14Spoon Award: Marcus M. Mundy, C’14 Leadership Awards Association of Alumnae Fathers’ Trophy: Alyssa F. Baron, C’14Class of 1915 Award: John R. Worster, C’14
Penn Researchers Create Artificial Chemical Sensor Using Graphene
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have led an effort to create an artificial chemical sensor based on one of the human body’s most important receptors, the mu-opioid, which is critical in the action of painkillers and anesthetics.
Penn Psychology Study Shows Learning Altered by Electrical Stimulation of Dopamine Neurons
Stimulation of a certain population of neurons within the brain can alter the learning process, according to a team of Penn neuroscientists and neurosurgeons including co-senior author and Professor of Psychology Michael Kahana.
Penn Researchers Find Yeast May Hold Clue to Aging
The single-celled microbes known as yeasts have long served as model systems for the puzzle that is the aging process, and in this week’s issue of Cell Metabolism, they fill in yet another piece.
Penn Psychologist Finds Correlation Between Working Memory and Socioeconomic Status in Children
Working memory—the ability to hold information in your mind, think about it, and use it to guide behavior—develops through childhood and adolescence and is key for successful performance at school and work. Previous research with young children has documented socioeconomic disparities in performance on tasks of working memory.
Sobti Family Fellowship Allows New Penn Grad to Do Research in India
Penn's Center for the Advanced Study of India (CASI) has awarded its inaugural 2014-15 Sobti Family Fellowship to Vignesh Selvakumaran, E'14.Established through a gift from alumnus Rajiv Sobti, Gr’84, and Slomi Sobti, Penn parents, the fellowship is the first program at Penn to provide funding for a recent Penn graduate to conduct independent research in India.
Biology Researchers Find Plant Hormone Has Dual Role in Flower Formation
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have revealed that a plant hormone once believed to promote flower formation in annual plants also plays a role in inhibiting flowers from forming. The dual role of this hormone, gibberellin, could be exploited to produce higher-yielding crop plants. The findings were published in the journal Science.
Brian Rose Receives Archaeological Institute of America’s Gold Medal
James B. Pritchard Professor of Archeology C. Brian Rose has been awarded the Gold Medal for Distinguished Archaeological Achievement by the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA). Rose, who holds joint appointments in the Departments of Classical Studies and History of Art, will receive the award at the AIA’s annual meeting in New Orleans on January 9, 2015.
Arts and Sciences Students Win Boren, CLS Scholarships to Study Languages
Five Penn Arts and Sciences students have received scholarships that will send them abroad to study foreign languages in the next year. Benjamin Filreis, C’14, has been awarded a National Security Education Program (NSEP) Boren Scholarship for the 2014-15 academic year. A political science major, he will study Persian Farsi and Tajik with American Councils for International Education (ACIE) in Tajikistan.
Penn Earth and Environmental Science Professor Finds Indications of Climate Change in Southern Ocean
To investigate the interplay between climate change and the ocean, Irina Marinov, an assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science, has found it necessary to straddle disciplines.
Math Professor Receives Humboldt Award
Florian Pop, Samuel D. Schack Professor of Algebra in the Department of Mathematics, has received a Humboldt Research Award to fund a year-long collaboration with colleagues in Germany.
Penn Ph.D. Candidate Wins Rare Book School Mellon Fellowship
Jeannie Kenmotsu, a doctoral candidate in history of art, has been awarded a Rare Book School Mellon Fellowship in Critical Bibliography. She is among 20 early-career academics receiving fellowships to attend the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia.
Earth and Environmental Science Researchers' Project Renewed by NSF for Five Years
A team of researchers from Penn's Department of Earth and Environmental Science have spent the last five years studying the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico, its waterways, air and terrain.Recently, the Penn team and colleagues from the University of New Hampshire, University of California, Berkeley and other institutions got word that their project, part of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Critical Zone Observatory program, has been renewed for another five years.
Biology’s Bonini Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Nancy Bonini, Florence R.C. Murray Professor of Biology, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation's most prestigious honorary societies and a leading center for independent policy research. The American Academy describes the 204 individuals in its 2014 class of members as prominent men and women in the sciences, the humanities, and the arts, as well as philanthropists and business leaders.
Mary Frances Berry Receives 2014 Roy Rosenzweig Distinguished Service Award
For her lifetime effort to bring her training as a historian to public service, Professor of History Mary Frances Berry has received the 2014 Roy Rosenzweig Distinguished Service Award. The award is given annually by the Organization of American Historians to an individual or individuals whose contributions have significantly enriched our understanding and appreciation of American history. The award was presented at the OAH annual meeting last month in Atlanta.