2011
Claudia R. Valeggia Honored with Presidential Early Career Award
Claudia R. Valeggia, Associate Professor of Anthropology, has received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. The award, awarded by a panel involving officials from 16 different federal departments, is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers.Valeggia studies the interplay between human reproductive biology and culture.
Gift from Roy and Diana Vagelos to Create New Undergraduate Program in Energy Research
University of Pennsylvania trustee emeritus P.
Penn Receives $1.5 Milion Grant to Predict Sea-Level Rise and Flooding from Hurricanes
PHILADELPHIA — In an effort to better understand sea-level rise and flooding from hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded a three-year, $1.5 million grant to a research team led by the University of Pennsylvania’s Benjamin Horton.
SAS Welcomes New Faculty Members
This year’s new appointments are:
Julia Gray, Assistant Professor of Political Science. Gray focuses on international relations and international political economy, with special interests in developing countries’ access to credit and the role of international institutions in international economic relations. She comes to Penn from the University of Pittsburgh and received her Ph.D.
Donald and Judith Voet selected as recipients of the 2012 ASMBM Award for Exemplary Contributions to Education
Associate Professor Emeritus of Chemistry Donald Voet, and his wife, Judith, the James Hammons Professor Emerita in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Swarthmore College, have been selected as recipients of the 2012 ASBMB Award for Exemplary Contributions to Education.
Larry Sneddon honored by local ACS Section
Larry Sneddon has been selected to receive the 2011 American Chemical Society Philadelphia Section Award. First given in 1962, this Award recognizes an individual "who, by conspicuous scientific achievement through research, has made important contributions to man's knowledge and thereby aided the public appreciation of the profession." Larry will receive the award in the Department on Thursday, October 20.
Andrea J. Liu Named Hepburn Professor of Physics
Andrea J. Liu, a professor in the department of physics and astronomy, has been named the Hepburn Professor of Physics in the School of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Liu’s ongoing research concerns theoretical problems in soft matter physics, including jamming in glass-forming liquids, foams and granular materials, and biophysical self-assembly and motility in actin structures and other systems.The recipient of a CAREER Faculty Award from the National Science Foundation, Dr.
Adriana Petryna: Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term Professorship in Anthropology
Adriana Petryna has been named the
Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term Professor in Anthropology in the
School of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Petryna is a medical anthropologist,
specializing in the social and political dimensions of science and
medicine in the United States and Eastern Europe.
Dr.
Annette Y. Reed: M. Mark and Esther K. Watkins Assistant Professorship in the Humanities
Annette Y. Reed has been named the M. Mark and Esther K. Watkins Assistant Professor in the Humanities in the School of Arts and Sciences. She is a member of the department of religious studies, as well as the Jewish Studies Program and Graduate Group in Ancient History. Dr. Reed’s research spans Second Temple Judaism, early Christianity, and Jewish/Christian relations in Late Antiquity.
Penn Physicists Honored With 2010 Europhysics Prize
PHILADELPHIA -- Charles Kane and Eugene Mele of the
University of Pennsylvania are among five scientists awarded the 2010
Europhysics Prize of the European Physical Society Condensed Matter Division for
the theoretical prediction and experimental observation of the quantum spin Hall
effect and topological insulators.
Penn Professor Richard Beeman’s “Plain Honest Men” Wins 2010 George Washington Book Prize
PHILADELPHIA -- University of Pennsylvania History Professor Richard Beeman has
been awarded the 2010 George Washington Book Prize for “Plain, Honest Men: The
Making of the American Constitution.”
The award, which honors the most important new book about America’s founding
era, comes with a $50,000 prize, the nation’s largest literary award for
Teacher Scholar Award: Dr. So-Jung Park
Dr. So-Jung Park, assistant professor of chemistry, has been selected to
receive a 2011 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award. The Camille
Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards Program supports the research and
teaching careers of talented young faculty in the chemical sciences. Dr.
Park’s research involves synthesis and characterization of nanoscale
inorganic solids and their hybrids with functional bio/organic
materials.
University of Pennsylvanian Announces $7.5 Million Korean Studies Gift
SEOUL, KOREA –- The University of Pennsylvania
(Penn) announced today two gifts totaling $7.5 million that will
greatly enhance its Korean Studies Program, one of the oldest of its
kind in North America. Alumnus James Joo-Jin Kim (W'59, G'61,
GR'63) has given $6 million to strengthen the Korean Studies program, to
be renamed the James Joo-Jin Kim Program in Korean Studies.
Susan Lindee Appointed Associate Dean for the Social Sciences
SAS Dean Rebecca Bushnell has announced that Susan Lindee, Professor
and Chair of History and Sociology of Science, will become Associate
Dean for the Social Sciences, effective July 1, 2011. In this capacity
she will oversee the Departments of Anthropology, Criminology,
Economics, History and Sociology of Science, Political Science, and
Sociology, as well as several research centers in the social sciences.
School of Arts and Sciences Faculty Members Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
C. Brian Rose and Thomas Sugrue have been named Fellows of the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences. Rose is Professor of Classical Studies,
James B. Pritchard Professor of Archaeology, and Curator-in-Charge of
the Mediterranean section at the University Museum of Archaeology and
Anthropology. Sugrue is David Boies Professor of History and Sociology.
Doctoral Student Margaret Marshall Andrews Awarded 2011-2012 Rome Prize
Margaret Marshall Andrews, a student in the Art and
Archaeology of the Mediterranean World graduate group, has been awarded a
2011-2012 Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome. The prize
recognizes excellence in the arts and humanities and provides students
the opportunity to live in Rome for six months to two years and utilize
the Academy's vast resources to immerse themselves in scholarly studies.
School of Arts and Sciences Teaching Awards
Dr. Rebecca W. Bushnell, dean of the School of Arts and
Sciences, and Dr. Dennis DeTurck, dean of the College, announced the
following recipients of the School’s 2011 teaching awards, to be
presented on Thursday, April 28 at an awards reception that is open to
the University community. The reception will take place from 4 to 6 p.m.
in the Upper Egyptian Gallery of the University Museum.
Ira H. Abrams Memorial Award for Distinguished Teaching
Penn Professor Kaja Silverman Receives Mellon Foundation Distinguished Achievement Award
PHILADELPHIA – University of Pennsylvania professor Kaja Silverman
has received the Andrew W. Mellon, Foundation Distinguished Achievement
Award in recognition of her exemplary contributions to humanistic
scholarship. Silverman, who is the Katherine Stein Sachs CW’69 and
Keith L.
College Announces 2011 Graduation Speakers
Edward G. Rendell, C'65, Hon'00, the 45th governor of Pennsylvania, will
be the guest speaker at this year's graduation ceremony for the
University of Pennsylvania College of Arts and Sciences. The event,
which takes place on Sunday, May 15, at 6:30 p.m. at Franklin Field,
will also feature Joseph Yellin, C'11, as the student speaker.
Rendell served as governor of Pennsylvania from 2003 until 2011.
Historian Stephanie McCurry Honored with Merle Curti and Avery O. Craven Book Awards
Stephanie McCurry, Professor of History, has been selected by the
Organization of American Historians (OAH) to receive the 2011 Merle
Curti Award, which is given annually for the best book published in
American social or American intellectual history, and the Avery O.
Craven Award, which is given annually for the most original book on the
coming of the Civil War, the Civil War years, or the era of
Reconstruction, with the exception of works of purely military history.
Music Building Recognized with LEED Gold Certification
The recently renovated and expanded Music Building of the School of Arts
and Sciences has become the first LEED Gold building on the Penn
campus.
Hans-Peter Kohler Named Frederick J. Warren Professor of Demography
Hans-Peter Kohler has been named the Frederick J. Warren Professor of
Demography in the School of Arts and Sciences. He is also a Research
Associate in the Population Studies Center at Penn and Chair of the
Graduate Group in Demography.
Dr. Kohler's primary research focuses on fertility and health-related
behaviors in developing and developed countries.
Tom Lubensky Named Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Physics
Tom Lubensky has been appointed the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Physics.
Wishing Well
According to the World Health Organization, one in eight people in the
world lack safe drinking water. From their estimates, almost 5,000
children die each day from water-related illness.
Emeritus Fellowships Awarded to Three Penn Faculty in One Year
Thomas Callaghy, Professor Emeritus of Political Science; Bruce
Kuklick, Professor Emeritus of American History; and John Richetti,
Professor Emeritus of English, were all awarded Emeritus Fellowships
last year from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Department of History Faculty Honored with Back-to-Back Awards
Four Department of History faculty members were recently recognized
for their distinguished scholarship. Spanning a myriad of
specializations, they received awards acknowledging their numerous
contributions to the field, in both publication and education.
Rebecca Bushnell’s Term as Dean of Arts and Sciences at University of Pennsylvania Is Extended
PHILADELPHIA –- University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann and Provost Vincent Price announced today that Rebecca Bushnell has agreed to extend her term as dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Penn u
University of Pennsylvania Names Two New PIK Professors: Barbara Mellers and Philip Tetlock
PHILADELPHIA -- Barbara Mellers and Philip Tetlock have been appointed Penn Integrates Knowledge professors at the University of Pennsylvania. The
announcement was made today by Penn President Amy Gutmann and Provost
Vincent Price. Both PIK appointments are effective January 1.
Sociology Professor Jerry A. Jacobs to Be Awarded 2011 Merit Award from the Eastern Sociological Society
Sociology Professor Jerry A. Jacobs is the 2011 recipient of the Merit
Award from the Eastern Sociological Society. This career achievement
award is given in recognition of outstanding contributions to the
discipline, the profession, and the Eastern Sociological Society.
Jacobs has been a member of the faculty in sociology at Penn since 1983.
He has served as Editor of the American Sociological Review and
President of the Eastern Sociological Society.
2010
Mark Trodden Named Fay R. and Eugene L. Langberg Professor of Physics
Mark Trodden has been appointed the Fay R. and Eugene L. Langberg Professor of Physics in the School of Arts and Sciences. Trodden
is also Co-Director of the Center for Particle Cosmology.
Richard R. Beeman Named John Welsh Centennial Professor of History
Richard R. Beeman has been appointed the John Welsh Centennial
Professor of History in the School of Arts and Sciences. As a historian
of the American Revolutionary Era, Dr. Beeman's research focuses on
aspects of America's political and constitutional history in the 18th
and 19th centuries. He has written seven books and is currently working
on his eighth, which is focused on the Continental Congress.
Penn Arts and Sciences Senior Wins Marshall Scholarship
School of Arts and Sciences senior Kristen Hall has been awarded a
Marshall Scholarship. She is among 31 winners of the scholarship.
Penn Professor Christine Poggi’s “Inventing Futurism” Wins MLA’s Howard R. Marraro Prize
PHILADELPHIA -- The Modern Language
Association has awarded University of Pennsylvania History of Art Professor Christine Poggi its
Howard R. Marraro Prize for “Inventing Futurism: The Art and Politics of
Artificial Optimism.”
University of Pennsylvania Names Two New PIK Professors: Barbara Mellers and Philip Tetlock
PHILADELPHIA -- Barbara
Mellers and Philip
Tetlock have been appointed Penn Integrates Knowledge professors at the University of Pennsylvania.
The announcement was made today by Penn President Amy Gutmann and Provost
Vincent Price. Both PIK appointments are effective Jan. 1.
Political Science Professor Marie Gottschalk Wins 2009-10 Fulbright Scholarship
Marie Gottschalk, Professor of Political Science, has been awarded a 2009-2010 Fulbright Scholarship.Gottschalk researches the welfare state and mass incarceration in America. She received a short-term grant to travel to Japan to lecture at the Nagoya American Studies Seminar for two weeks this past summer.
Inaugural Bok Family Professor in the Humanities: Holly Pittman
Holly Pittman has been appointed the inaugural Bok Family
Professor in the Humanities in the School of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Pittman is
also chair of the department of the history of art and curator of the Near
Eastern Section of the Penn Museum. Her research interests focus on ancient Near
Eastern art and architecture with a current focus on the excavations of the
sites of Konar Sandal South and North in the region of Jiroft, south-central
Iran.
Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term Professor of Music: Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr.
Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr. has been appointed the Edmund J. and Louise
W. Kahn Term Professor of Music in the School of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Ramsey
specializes in African-American and American music, jazz, cultural studies,
popular music, film studies and historiography and lectures internationally on
these topics.
Robert DeRubeis: Samuel H. Preston Term Professor in the Social Sciences
Professor of Psychology Robert DeRubeis has been named the Samuel H. Preston Term Professor in the Social Sciences in the School of Arts and Sciences. Dr. DeRubeis specializes in the study of abnormal behavior. His research focuses on the processes that cause and maintain mood disorders, as well as the treatments that reduce and prevent the return of mood symptoms.
Nora Lewis Appointed Vice Dean and Executive Director of the College of Liberal and Professional Studies
Nora Lewis has been appointed Vice Dean and Executive Director of the
College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS) effective July 1,
2010. In this role, she will be responsible for overseeing the portfolio
of LPS programs including the BA for adult students; the Master of
Liberal Arts and several professional master's programs; summer programs
for undergraduate and high school students; and the English Language
Programs.
Nora Lewis Appointed Vice Dean and Executive Director of the College of Liberal and Professional Studies
Nora Lewis has been appointed Vice Dean and Executive Director of the College
of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS) effective July 1, 2010. In this role,
she will be responsible for overseeing the portfolio of LPS programs including
the BA for adult students; the Master of Liberal Arts and several professional
master's programs; summer programs for undergraduate and high school students;
and the English Language Programs.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry Awarded to Ei-ichi Negishi, Gr'63
Ei-ichi Negishi, the Herbert C. Brown Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at
Purdue University and a Penn Chemistry Ph.D., has won the 2010 Nobel Prize in
Chemistry, along with Richard Heck (University of Delaware) and Akira Suzuki
(Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan).
Nobel Prize in Chemistry Awarded to Ei-ichi Negishi, Gr'63
Ei-ichi Negishi, the Herbert C. Brown Distinguished Professor of
Chemistry at Purdue University and a Penn Chemistry Ph.D., has won the
2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, along with Richard Heck (University of
Delaware) and Akira Suzuki (Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan).
Machine Language
How does one go about teaching a machine a human language? This was the question DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) had in mind when it issued a call for the creation of an organization to support human language technology research and development—a call answered with the establishment of the Linguistic Data Consortium (LDC) at Penn.
SAS Welcomes 16 New Faculty Members
The School of Arts and Sciences has appointed 16 new members to its
standing faculty for the 2010-11 academic year. The new hires join the
faculty at the junior and senior levels across the natural sciences,
social sciences and humanities.
This year's new senior appointments are:
Federal Funding Renewed for National Resource Centers in Area Studies
Funding for all four of the area-studies National Resource Centers in the
School of Arts and Sciences has been renewed this year. The School's centers
receiving federal support under Title VI of the National Defense Education Act
are the Africa Studies Center, the Center for East Asian Studies, the Middle
East Center and the South Asia Center. The U.S.
Life out of Context
By Loraine TerrellThe story of immigration in America is a complicated one. Nostalgic, sepia-tinted images of a welcoming Ellis Island symbolize an era long past. Today, concerns about security and the economy are asserted by the wire-and-steel wall along the United States-Mexico border, a stark emblem of immigration in the 21st century.
Robert DeRubeis: Samuel H. Preston Term Professor in the Social Sciences
Professor of Psychology Robert DeRubeis has been named the Samuel
H. Preston Term Professor in the Social Sciences in the School of Arts and
Sciences. Dr. DeRubeis specializes in the study of abnormal behavior. His
research focuses on the processes that cause and maintain mood disorders, as
well as the treatments that reduce and prevent the return of mood symptoms.
Mathematicians Solve 140-Year-Old Boltzmann Equation
PHILADELPHIA –- Two University of Pennsylvania mathematicians have found
solutions to a 140-year-old, 7-dimensional equation that were not known to exist
for more than a century despite its widespread use in modeling the behavior of
gases.
Eugene Park Named Korea Foundation Associate Professor in History
Eugene Y. Park has been named the Korea Foundation Associate
Professor in History in the School of Arts and Sciences. He has also
assumed leadership of the Center for Korean Studies at Penn.
Renata Holod appointed the College for Women Class of 1963 Term Professor in the Humanities
Renata Holod has been named the College for Women Class of 1963 Term
Professor in the Humanities in the School of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Holod is a
member of the history of art department and Curator in the Near East Section at
the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.