Naomi biden penn university

Mark A. Turco: PCI’s Chief Innovation & Corporate Outreach Officer

Mark A. Turco, an experienced scientific and business development executive with industry expertise, has joined the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Center for Innovation (PCI) as Chief Innovation and Corporate Outreach Officer. A Penn graduate and Philadelphia native who practiced interventional cardiology before joining industry, Dr. Turco will be a resource for the University of Pennsylvania innovators leading PCI’s outreach and relationship-building efforts with external partners as part of the University’s efforts to expand commercialization opportunities regionally, nationally and globally.

“Mark’s prior accomplishments and background in both the medical field and the private and public sectors are of tremendous value to our organization, and he brings a unique perspective to PCI and our Executive Leadership Team. I’m really delighted to welcome Mark on board, and we’re all looking forward to working closely with him to build additional strategic relationships between the Penn community and industry to help better connect our faculty with corporate and other possible partners,” said John Swartley, assistant vice provost for research and managing director of PCI. 

Most recently, Dr. Turco served as the vice president and chief medical officer of the Aortic, Peripheral, Vascular, and endoVenous franchises of Medtronic Inc. In this role, he provided strategies to inform complex decisions that encompassed patient needs, clinical trial design, regulatory considerations and evolving healthcare systems and value-based models—both domestically and internationally. He also evaluated opportunities for growth and investment through medical, business, payer, provider and regulator lenses. 

“I’m looking forward to working with Penn’s expert faculty and other members of its innovation community as well as external partners to facilitate and extend new and ongoing collaborations to translate Penn ideas into products and services that benefit patients and society,” added Dr. Turco. “I’m truly excited to bring my skills and experience as a physician, scientist and business development leader to further support and extend the University’s innovation and commercialization goals.” 

Dr. Turco received his medical degree and internal medicine training at the George Washington University in Washington, DC and performed his cardiology training at Temple University Hospital and at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia. He practiced as an interventional cardiologist in the Washington, DC area for 11 years, serving as director of the Cardiovascular Research Center at Washington Adventist Hospital and maintaining an active patient care practice. As a practicing cardiologist, Dr. Turco also played a role in the development of several medical devices currently being utilized in the field of vascular medicine. 

After leaving Washington Adventist Hospital, Dr. Turco served as the chief medical officer for Covidien Vascular Therapies where he was responsible for Covidien’s clinical affairs, health economics and reimbursement, as well as professional affairs and clinical education for the vascular business unit.

While at Covidien, he led and collaborated with Medical Affairs staff and operations globally, orchestrated new business development, new technology evaluation and strategy, as well as regulatory and economic considerations. 

Dawn Bonnell, Penn’s vice provost for research added, “As we continue to expand PCI’s capacity to leverage the commercialization potential of faculty generated ideas and research, Mark’s experience and insight will be critical for fostering new partnerships with the private sector. We are looking forward to increasingly productive corporate interactions with our faculty as a direct result of his efforts.”

The Task Force on a Safe and Responsible Campus Community

University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann and Provost Vincent Price formally charged The Task Force on a Safe and Responsible Campus Community, asking the student, staff and faculty members to focus attention on and develop a collective understanding of, how best to promote a respectful and healthy campus environment.

This Task Force comes in response to public concerns over gender-based discrimination by students and groups, behavior which damages the campus community and creates a culture of sexism. The Task Force members will convene campus conversations and gather as a body to discuss and formulate recommendations for the President and Provost. The work will conclude in April 2017.

In addition to the information that will be gathered through in-person sessions with students, members of the campus community will be encouraged to submit recommendations and comment electronically via the Task Force website.

Task Force Tri-Chairs

• Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum, Vice Provost for University Life
• Maureen S. Rush, Vice President for Public Safety, Superintendent of Penn Police
• Beth Winkelstein, Vice Provost for Education

Each Tri-Chair will oversee a working group pursuing one of the three charges:

• Recommend ways to further strengthen the University’s efforts to foster a campus climate and culture that is free of sexual harassment and sexual violence, alcohol and other substance abuse and other forms of behavior that may violate Penn’s Code of Student Conduct. (Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum, Vice Provost for University Life)
• Ensure that we are holding students in unaffiliated and unsupervised groups accountable for violations of University policy to the maximum degree permitted. (Maureen Rush, Vice President for Public Safety, Superintendent of Penn Police)
• Review Penn policies and protocols to ensure that we are doing all we can to make students aware of their responsibilities under Penn’s Code of Student Conduct. (Beth Winkelstein, Vice Provost for Education)

Student Members

• Christopher D’Urso, C’18, University Honor Council (Co-Chair), Penn Consumer Assistance, Support & Education (Founder and President), Sigma Iota Rho,  Journal of International Relations (Deputy Editor-in-Chief), Leadership Residential Program, Rodin College House (Programming Chair)
• Rosario Jaime-Lara, PhD candidate in Nursing, Graduate Associate in Ware College House, GAPSA Chair for Student Life
• Michelle Xu, C’18, Undergraduate Assembly (Treasurer), Student Activities Council (Executive Board Member)

Faculty & Staff Members:

• José Bauermeister, Presidential Associate Professor of Nursing 
• Kent Bream, Assistant Professor of Clinical Family Medicine and Community Health, Perelman School of Medicine
• Joann Mitchell, Vice President for Institutional Affairs 
• Wendy White, Senior Vice President and General Counsel

Task Force Administrative Staff:

• Kathleen Shields Anderson, Director of Operations & External Affairs, Division of Public Safety
• Monica Yant Kinney, Executive Director, Strategy, Communications and External Affairs, Division of the Vice Provost for University Life
• Rob Nelson, Executive Director for Education and Academic Planning, Office of the Provost

Classification of Individual Service Providers as Employees or Independent Contractors

Dear Colleagues:

A cross-functional team recently reviewed Penn’s policies to ensure the University’s compliance with federal laws and regulations on how individual service providers are classified, paid, and taxed. A pilot of the updated policies and procedures was conducted with the Perelman School of Medicine, School of Arts and Sciences, School of Design and Wharton.

Based on feedback from pilot participants, and following discussions with leadership and other stakeholders, these policies, procedures and processes have been finalized and are now available to the University community. More information, including the updated policies and documents, and background on the review process, may be found at www.hr.upenn.edu/isp

The most relevant points to be aware of include:

Classification of an individual service provider as either an employee or independent contractor must be completed prior to any agreement with the individual or performance of service.

The classification decisions will be made by the School/Center Human Resources Director and will be made based on information provided by the individual and an evaluation of the position and the services to be conducted. Beginning January 1, 2017 all individual service providers must go through the review process to determine their status. The tools located on the Individual Service Provider Classification website at http://www.hr.upenn.edu/isp will help you with this determination.

It is likely that under new guidelines issued by the US Department of Labor that individual service providers who have in the past been considered independent contractors will now be considered temporary, part-time, or full-time employees.

Guest speakers, artists, presenters, special lecturers and distinguished speakers at University functions who provide one-time or once-per-year services will use a special “limited engagement” process.

Agreements with independent contractors and limited engagement individuals must be documented in writing, via contract prior to the performance of services. 

Positions filled by individuals who are currently paid as independent contractors who have conducted work for the University on a regular or ongoing basis for one year or more are required to be evaluated for proper classification.

Training on these policy updates has been conducted for Business Administrators and others. BAs and School/Center HR Directors are aware of these changes and can be a resource if you have questions. Rollout of the changes is ongoing, with full implementation expected by July 1, 2017. This timeline allows Schools/Centers time to identify and resolve any issues while minimizing impact on work. 

We understand the role individual service providers can play in furthering research and enhancing the education of our students. At the same time, the University must be in compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The Internal Audit team will be performing reviews in the future to help ensure compliance. 

The financial consequences of non-compliance can be significant. More importantly, we must consider the reputational risk to the University. Penn is a responsible employer with a global reputation for excellence, and we each play a role in maintaining that reputation. 

We appreciate your attention to these matters and thank you for your support. 
 

—Jack Heuer, Vice President of Human Resources
—MaryFrances McCourt, Vice President for Finance and Treasurer

Genome Editing for Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis Pilot Grant Program: February 17

The Gene Therapy Program (GTP) of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania presents this request for applications (RFA) to support research on genome editing for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. All individuals holding a faculty-level appointment at the University of Pennsylvania, The Wistar Institute, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia or the University of Massachusetts (UMass) are eligible to respond to this RFA.

Up to two grants will be awarded at up to $50,000 direct costs per grant (plus 10% indirect costs) to be used over a one-year period based on your research plan. This application will use a two-step process: (1) one-page LOI, followed by (2) an “invitation only” submission of full application (five pages).

LOI document is to be submitted via email no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, February 17, to limberis@upenn.edu

Applicants will be notified via email by Friday, February 24, with a decision regarding their LOI. If successful, they will be invited to submit a full application by Friday, March 24.

Questions regarding the scientific content of potential projects can be directed to Maria Limberis at limberis@upenn.edu

Cyril Evian, Periodontics

Cyril I. Evian, GD ’79, D’81, a periodontist specializing in dental implants and a former professor at the University of Pennsylvania, died on January 26 at the age of 68.

Dr. Evian was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and earned a bachelor of dental surgery from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He earned a doctor of dental medicine degree from Penn in 1981 and joined Penn’s faculty that year. 

He established his private practice in King Of Prussia in 1986 and became a clinical professor of periodontics in the School of Dental Medicine in 1997. He became director of the department of graduate periodontics and implant dentistry, and was interim chairman of the department of periodontics from 2001-2005.

Dr. Evian joined Penn’s 25-Year Club in 2003 (Almanac November 4, 2003).

He received Penn’s Coslet Award of Excellence in Teaching in 1989 and Penn Dental’s J. George Coslet Distinguished Teaching Award in 2003.

Throughout his career he was also a clinical professor at the University of Maryland, a faculty member at New York University and a clinical professor at Temple University.

He is survived by his former wife, Andrea; children, Allon Hellmann, Samantha E. Zemble, Tracy Waasdorp, Debra Chesbrough and Michael; nine grandchildren; and two brothers.

Dr. Evian’s children established an education fund to benefit dental students who share his passion for higher education but lack the funds to pursue it. Information on the fund is available at http://cyrilevian.org 

Memorial donations may be made to the Colon Cancer Alliance, www.ccalliance.org

John Parkes, Biochemistry & Biophysics

Robert Schattner, Dental Overseer

Robert I. Schattner, D’48, a member of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine’s Board of Overseers and major supporter of Penn Dental Medicine, died on January 29 at the age of 91.

Dr. Schattner, who was born Isaac Schattner, grew up in the Bronx. He received a bachelor of arts in chemistry from the City University of New York and a doctor of dental medicine from Penn’s School of Dental Medicine.

While at Penn, he legally changed his first name to Robert, according to the Washington Post.

Dr. Schattner invented the sore throat anesthetic Chloraseptic and the disinfectant Sporicidin, and held 70 other patents and trademarks. He ran the Chloraseptic Company until 1964, when he sold it to Norwich Pharmacal Co. and ran Sporicidin International for about 30 years before selling it in 2008.

He had a private dental practice in both New York and in Washington, DC. In 1984, he was selected “Dentist of the Year” by the Association of Entrepreneurial Dentists (Almanac November 12, 2002).

In 1997, Dr. Schattner and his late wife, Kay Ferrell Schattner, made their first major gift to Penn Dental Medicine (Almanac March 30, 1999). They donated $5.5 million to construct the Robert Schattner Center and surrounding gardens. The 70,000 square-foot Robert Schattner Center opened in 2002.

In 2015, Dr. Schattner donated $10 million to Penn Dental Medicine, its largest gift from a living alumnus (Almanac October 6, 2015). The gift supported the planned renovation of the main clinic—to be named the Robert I. Schattner Clinic upon its completion—as well as the construction of a two-story addition to the Schattner Center.

When he retired from active dentistry practice, he founded the R. Schattner Company and continued researching antimicrobial products for hospital use.

He was appointed to the Board of Overseers of the School of Dental Medicine in 2002.

He is survived by two sons from his first marriage to Henrietta Hilden, Ronald and Richard; two stepdaughters, Kay Mikula and Deborah Fedynak; and five grandchildren.

To share condolences, please visit www.alumni.upenn.edu/schattner

James Strazzella, Penn Law

James A. (Strazz)Strazzella, GRL’64, a former assistant professor of law at University of Pennsylvania, died on January 28. He was 77.

Professor Strazzella grew up in Hanover, Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University and a law degree from Penn. After law school, he clerked for Justice Samuel J. Roberts of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and was an Assistant US Attorney in Washington, DC. 

In 1970, he joined the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania as an assistant professor of law. He served as vice dean at Penn Law School before leaving Penn Law in 1973. He was appointed to the first faculty chair at Penn Law.

In 1970, Professor Strazzella was named chief counsel to the Presidential Commission’s investigation of the Kent State shootings. He also served on a statewide task force on how law enforcement could improve its response to violence against children, elders and spouses. He also chaired the Pennsylvania Supreme Court criminal rules committee under five Chief Justices.

He left to teach at Temple Law, where he was recognized with the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1983 and the George Williams Award for Outstanding Professor in 2010. 

He served as head of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s criminal law section and head of the Federal Bar Association’s criminal law committee. He also chaired the Federal District Court magistrate judges’ appointment committee and the mayor’s public safety transition task force and was a member of the American Law Institute.

He is survived by his wife, Jean; brother, Henry; daughters, Jill Dixon (James) and Tracy A. Grazianio (Jerold); sons, Steven (Christina) and Michael (Kara); grandchildren, Sonoma, Sawyer, Slone, Mia, Mason, Sophie, Allie, Meri and Anna; and former wife Judy (Cappolla).

Professor Strazzella directed that there be no service and that the funeral be private. Donations in his memory may be made to the Smith Memorial Playground, Fireman’s Hall Museum Philadelphia or to Temple Law Faculty Scholarship.

University Council Meeting Agenda

University Council Meeting Agenda
Wednesday, February 22, 2017 
4 p.m.
Bodek Lounge, Houston Hall

I.          Approval of the minutes of the meeting of February 1, 2017. 1 minute

II.         Follow up questions on Status Reports. 5  minutes

III.        A discussion of online learning initiatives. 40 minutes

IV.        Open Forum. 70 minutes  

V.         New Business. 5 minutes

VI.        Adjournment.

OF RECORD: Information Security and Privacy Program Charter

The University of Pennsylvania is committed to the protection and responsible use of information collected from and about its many constituents.  The Information Security and Privacy Program Charter was created to establish principles regarding the responsible use and protection of information by the Penn community. This Charter also serves to outline the roles and responsibilities of those University officials tasked with overseeing University programs designed to protect individual privacy as well as the confidentiality, integrity and availability of Penn’s information resources and data. Questions about the Charter can be directed to the University’s Information Security Officer (Joshua Beeman, jbeeman@isc.upenn.edu) and/or the University’s Privacy Officer (Scott Schafer, sschafer@upenn.edu)

—Vincent Price, Provost
—Craig Carnaroli, Executive Vice President
—Scott Schafer, University Privacy Officer
—Joshua Beeman, University Information Security Officer

Information Security and Privacy Program Charter

Preamble

The University of Pennsylvania (the “University” or “Penn”) is committed to the protection and responsible use of information collected from and about its students, faculty, staff, business partners and others who have provided such information to the University. The responsible use and protection of such information requires that Penn and members of the Penn community respect individual privacy, ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of Penn’s information resources and comply fully with all laws and government regulations.

The purpose of this Charter is to set forth certain principles regarding the responsible use of information by the Penn community. This Charter also serves to outline the roles and responsibilities of those University officials tasked with overseeing University programs designed to protect individual privacy as well as the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of Penn’s information resources and data.

Business Need

Penn is committed to preeminence in research, teaching and service.  As a result, Penn owns significant assets in the form of information. Penn’s informational assets include, but are not limited to, student education records, employment records, financial information, research data, protected health information, alumni and donor information, Penn operational data, Penn intellectual property, and other data relating to Penn’s infrastructure, technology resources and information security. The improper use of such information, the unauthorized or inadvertent disclosure, alteration or destruction of information assets, or a significant interruption in their availability, can disrupt Penn’s ability to fulfill its mission. Such actions can also result in regulatory, legal, financial and/or reputational risk to Penn and to the individuals whose data Penn maintains.

Scope

This Charter applies to all members of the Penn community including students, staff, faculty members, officers and employees of the University as well as other individuals authorized to use and/or access University technology resources and data.

Statement of Principles

Information security and privacy protection serve as the cornerstones by which members of the Penn community (defined in Scope, above) can demonstrate that they are good stewards of the data entrusted to them.

The Information Security and Privacy programs strive to ensure that information security and privacy efforts consistently demonstrate a commitment to the core mission and principles of the University while protecting the overall security and privacy of information at Penn. 

It is understood that successful information security and privacy programs at Penn will involve not only the protection of University data and systems, but also the appropriate preservation of personal privacy.  
This Charter and Penn’s information security and data privacy policies (identified in Policies below) define the principles and terms of the Penn’s Information Security and Privacy programs as well as the responsibilities of the members of the Penn community in carrying out and adhering to the respective program requirements.

Policies

• Applicant Data Policy 
• Closed Circuit Television Monitoring and Recording of Public Areas for Safety and Security Purposes 
• Confidentiality of Health Records under HIPAA 
• Confidentiality of Faculty & Staff Records–HR Policy 201 
• Confiscation of Publications on Campus
• Confidentiality of Student Records 
• Computer Security Policy 
• Guidelines on Open Expression 
• Information Systems Security Incident Responses 
• Photocopying for Educational Use 
• Policy on Acceptable Use of Electronic Resources 
• Policy on Computer Disconnection from PennNet 
• Policy on Requirements for Authenticated Access to PennNet 
• Policy on Security of Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI)
• Policy on Unauthorized Copying of Copyrighted Media
• Privacy in the Electronic Environment 
• Privacy of Alumni Data 
• Protocols for the University Archives and Records Center 
• Red Flag Rule
• Relationships Between Members of the University Community and Intelligence Organizations 
• Social Security Numbers 

Roles & Responsibilities

All members of the Penn community have a responsibility to help ensure that Penn’s information assets are used only in the proper pursuit of the University’s mission and that the confidentiality, integrity and availability of Penn’s information is maintained, regardless of where it is processed or stored.

All members of the Penn community have an obligation to appropriately use and protect information in a manner that is respectful of personal privacy. Members of the Penn community also must use and protect information in compliance with applicable laws. 

The Information Security program and Privacy program described below are charged with assisting and supporting members of the Penn community in meeting these responsibilities and strengthening accountability.

The Information Systems and Computing (ISC) Information Security program is charged with overseeing University efforts to preserve the confidentiality, integrity and availability of Penn’s digital assets, the University network, systems and data. This includes coordinating  School and Center security-related activities, developing and implementing proactive technical and non-technical measures to help detect and prevent security risks, establishing policy, standards and guidance, and providing effective incident response when necessary.

The University Information Security Officer is responsible for overseeing the ISC Information Security program. 

The Vice President of Information Technology (IT) and University Chief Information Officer (CIO) is responsible for identifying and delegating the responsibility for information security, for approving security policies, standards and guidelines, overseeing incident response as necessary, and reporting periodically to senior University administration and the Board of Trustees on matters of Information Security.

The Office of Audit, Compliance and Privacy (OACP) University Privacy Program is responsible for developing an overall privacy framework to: 1) establish governance, implementation and accountability structures across the University with respect to privacy; 2) ensure compliance with federal and state privacy laws as well as Penn’s privacy-related policies and procedures; 3) raise awareness about privacy risks and how to mitigate those risks; 4) and provide effective incident response when necessary.

The University Privacy Officer is responsible for overseeing the OACP University Privacy program.

The Associate Vice President for Audit Compliance and Privacy is responsible for identifying and delegating the responsibility for implementation of the University Privacy program, providing senior-level review of privacy-related policies and key privacy initiatives, overseeing incident response as necessary and reporting periodically to senior University administration and the Board of Trustees on matters involving University Privacy.

Schools and Centers are responsible for establishing local Security and Privacy mechanisms in order to ensure compliance with University policies and guidelines, protect data, systems and networks, implement security- and privacy-related controls, and to cooperate with the Office of Information Security and the Office of Privacy in responding to incidents.

The Information Security program and the Privacy program maintain strong relationships with the Office of General Counsel, Division of Public Safety, Information Systems and Computing, the Office of Audit, Compliance and Privacy, the Provost and EVP offices, the Office of Student Conduct and many other offices handling confidential University data. These partners are essential to the provision of information security services and privacy protections to the Penn community.

Security & Privacy Steering and Governance

The following have been established to provide input, support and steering to the Information Security program and the Privacy program:

• Privacy & Security Executive Committee (PSEC)–Broad-based membership of senior Penn leaders providing input to ensure that the implementation of security and privacy controls and policy requirements remain strong, appropriate and in alignment with the University mission.

• IT Roundtable (ITR) and the IT Security Council (IT-SEC)–The role of ITR is to share knowledge across Penn IT organizations and provide input to IT decisions and policies that have University-wide implications. IT-SEC, a sub-group of ITR, is responsible for providing feedback to ISC Information Security on matters relating to the execution and operation of their respective local information security programs.

• Network Policy Committee (NPC)-The NPC’s charge is to develop, review and recommend IT- or data-related policies for approval to IT Roundtable, and ultimately to the Vice President for IT and University CIO.

• Senior Incident Response Team (SIRT)–SIRT is made up of senior Penn leaders who provide input on the approach to handling significant privacy or security incidents.  

Enforcement

Violations of any Information Security and/or Privacy policies identified above may result in corrective actions as set forth in the applicable policy. 

Program Review & Renewal

The Information Security program, the Privacy program and this Charter are evaluated on an ongoing basis by the Provost and the Executive Vice President of the University.  

2017 Models of Excellence Honors Outstanding Staff Members

28th Annual Celebration of African Cultures at Penn Museum: February 25

Traditional African music and contemporary African dance, storytelling, a drumming workshop, arts, crafts, an African marketplace, games, family gallery tours, films and more all come alive at the Penn Museum’s 28th Annual Celebration of African Cultures on Saturday, February 25, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The celebration, presented in the Museum’s African galleries and around the Museum, is free with Museum admission ($15, general admission; $13, seniors [65+]; $10, children [6-17] and full-time students [with ID]; $2 ACCESS and Museums for All cardholders; free to children under 5, members, active United States Military, STAMP and PennCard holders).

100.3 WRNB’s Lady B and the promo crew join in the festivities, with lots of fun, prizes and surprises in store, from noon to 2 p.m.

West African Vibe (WAVe) is a modern West African dance group that performs to a variety of contemporary Afrobeat artists from across the region. At 2:30 p.m., about 15 of the group’s 20 members offer a short dance “mash up” of some of their best performances, followed by a short workshop, as the audience is invited to learn a few of the group’s dance moves!

Culture Shock is a multicultural dance group affiliated with the University of the Sciences’ International Society, a student organization responsible for representing students from all over the world. The group applies elements of traditional music to modern dance performances. For this year’s event, Culture Shock’s performance will reflect traditional dances from areas of both East and West Africa, with hints of Caribbean influence—and some African belly dance. They take the stage at 1:30 p.m.

The Women’s Sekere Ensemble infuses the Museum galleries with the rhythms and tones of the sekere, a traditional Nigerian percussion instrument made from intricately beaded gourds and an agogô, a bell with origins in traditional Yoruba music. Dedicated to the preservation of African music, the percussionists, led by Omomola Iyabumni, perform at noon and again at 2:15 p.m.

Guests are encouraged to bring a drum or instrument to the Celebration, to join master percussionist Abba Paul Lucas, who invites guests to experience the rhythm within, at an African Drum Workshop at 3 p.m. (A limited number of percussion instruments will be available to borrow.)

The Liberian Women’s Chorus for Change concludes the day’s rich line up of performances with a concert at 3:30 p.m. The Chorus, partnering with the Philadelphia Folklore Project, brings the power of Liberian traditional song to the forefront of efforts to make communities safe and strong. Composed of renowned singers and dancers from Liberia—Fatu Gayflor, Marie Nyenabo, Zaye Tete and Tokay Tomah—the Chorus inspires awareness and dialogue about domestic violence and other concerns of the approximately 15,000 Philadelphia-area Liberian immigrants.

Stories, Tours, Films and Games

The Watoto of Joy youth group, part of Philadelphia’s Keepers of the Culture Afrocentric storytelling group, perform African stories at 12:30 p.m. The youth group recently performed at the 34th “In the Tradition” annual national Black Storytelling Festival and Conference held in Philadelphia in the fall.
Families can join in on an African object-focused gallery tour, led by members of the Penn Museum’s new Teen Ambassadors program, at 11 a.m. and again at 2 p.m.

Penn Museum’s Archives joins in the day, presenting an award-winning short film for children and families, Mwansa the Great (2011), directed by Rungano Nyoni, and introduced by Film Archivist Kate Pourshariati, at 11:30 a.m. and again at 1 p.m.

The Teen Ambassadors are on hand to teach and guide guests who want to learn to play African games. Visitors can learn to play the traditional “board” game mancala, which originated in West Africa, playing on traditional mancala boards in the Learning Programs Department’s teaching collection. Today, the game is known as poo in some parts of Liberia, warri in Barbados and congklak in Indonesia; and Swahili-speaking cultures along the east coast of Africa play a complex variation called bao. Mancala and other African games will be taught at an African games drop-in workshop throughout the day.

Kids and families are invited to design an African mask memento at a make-and-take crafts station.

An African Marketplace and African Foods

Throughout the celebration, visitors have the chance to browse and shop at an African mini-marketplace featuring wooden, leather, and bronze accessories, as well as colorful prints, art, jewelry and apparel available for purchase, from special vendors, including Rashida Watson of The Silk Tent, Puyâ Yohannes of Bole Lig, Chakir Bouchaib of Little Marrakesh Bazaar, and Desiree Langford of Nayaz Boutique. Guests can also stop by the Museum Shop, which features a collection of African-inspired and fair trade, African-made items.

The Pepper Mill Café also gets into the spirit, offering an African-inspired lunch menu and snacks for purchase.

Signature Galleries

The Africa Gallery features objects from cultures throughout the continent. Highlights include Akan goldweights, and musical instruments made from wood, skins, gourds, and plant fibers. The Museum was among the first American museums to begin collecting art and artifacts from Africa; most items in the collection were obtained between 1891 and 1930.

The Museum’s renowned Egypt Galleries feature a massive red granite Sphinx (the largest Egyptian Sphinx in the Western hemisphere), and monumental architecture from the Palace of Merenptah. Special exhibitions include Amarna: Ancient Egypt’s Place in the Sun, about the meteoric rise and fall of the boyhood home of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, and The Egyptian Mummy: Secrets and Science.

Partners at the Event

Philadelphia has a strong and diverse African and Caribbean community, and several organizations have partnered with the event, providing more information about their organizations and the people they serve: the Ethiopian Community Association of Greater Philadelphia is a community-based mutual aid assistance association serving the city’s Ethiopian community and preserving and promoting Ethiopian culture. The African Family Health Organization addresses the need among members of the African and Caribbean immigrant and refugee communities who experience difficulties accessing health services due to cultural, geographic, and linguistic barriers.  AFRICOM, the Coalition of African and Caribbean Communities in Philadelphia, empowers African and Caribbean Communities by facilitating access to health and social services, promoting economic development and facilitating conflict resolution. The University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Africana Studies is dedicated to fostering a deeper understanding of the peoples of Africa, their diaspora and the impact of this diaspora on humanity through its research, academic initiatives and public programming.

Culture Shock (above), a multicultural dance group from the University of the Sciences, is among many performers at the event, along with Mancala and Traditional African Games Drop-in Workshop, African Marketplace, Mask-making Make-and-Take Craft and African menu in the Pepper Mill Café.

Second Life at Slought

Second Life, a series of previously unfinalized works about social and institutional boundaries and thresholds will be exhibited at Slought through March 23. (above) Adrian Paci, Centro di Permanenza Temporanea, (2007). Courtesy the artist and kaufmann repetto. For more information on the exhibit, visit: https://slought.org/resources/second_life

Update: February AT PENN

SPECIAL EVENT

21 Fractured Lands: How the Arab World Came Apart; Scott Anderson, Pulitzer Center journalist and author; 6 p.m., Perry World House (Middle East Center and South Asia Center).

___________

AT PENN Deadlines:

The February AT PENN calendar is here. The deadline for the March AT PENN calendar is February 14.

Info. is on the sponsoring department’s website; sponsors are in parentheses. For locations, call (215) 898-5000 or seewww.facilities.upenn.edu

Related:

Quaker Career Wardrobe: Professional Clothing Drive

28th Annual Celebration of African Cultures at Penn Museum: February 25

Weekly Crime Reports

The University of Pennsylvania Police Department Community Crime Report

About the Crime Report: Below are all Crimes Against Persons, Property and Crimes Against Society from the campus report for January 30-February 5, 2017. View prior weeks' reports. —Ed.

This summary is prepared by the Division of Public Safety and includes all criminal incidents reported and made known to the University Police Department between the dates of January 30-February 5, 2017. The University Police actively patrol from Market Street to Baltimore Avenue and from the Schuylkill River to 43rd Street in conjunction with the Philadelphia Police. In this effort to provide you with a thorough and accurate report on public safety concerns, we hope that your increased awareness will lessen the opportunity for crime. For any concerns or suggestions regarding this report, please call the Division of Public Safety at (215) 898-4482.

18th District Report

Below are the Crimes Against Persons from the 18th District: 9 incidents with 1 arrest (6 robberies, 2 assaults and 1 domestic assault) were reported between January 30-February 5, 2017 by the 18th District covering the Schuylkill River to 49th Street & Market Street to Woodland Avenue.

Quaker Career Wardrobe: Professional Clothing Drive

Start your spring cleaning now, and help Penn students dress for career success!

Career Services is creating the Quaker Career Wardrobe, where students in need of attire for interviews and other career-related events will be invited to “shop” for a free professional outfit. They need help to stock the shelves!

Drop off donations of clean, new or gently used professional attire (men’s suits, dress shirts, belts, shoes, and ties; and women’s suits, separates, blouses, and shoes) at locations around campus through Thursday, February 16:

Penn Career Services–McNeil Building, Suite 20

Franklin Building (First Floor Lobby)

Fagin Hall lobby

Correction: 2017 Summer Camps and Programs at Penn

The cost of the Penn Tennis Camp (separate from Penn/Wilson Tennis Camp) is $420/week. The cost was listed incorrectly in the 2017 Summer Camps and Programs at Penn supplement (Almanac January 31, 2017).

More information is available at www.penntenniscamp.com/

Almanac regrets the error. —Eds.

Related: Additional 2017 Summer Camps at Penn

Additional 2017 Summer Camps at Penn

Below are two more options for children to enjoy summer 2017 at Penn—Penn/Wilson Tennis Camp and Penn Vet’s Canine Handler Academy (below). See the recent Almanac Supplement with a collection of numerous 2017 Summer Camps and Programs at Penn.

Canine Handler Academy: Beginner Session I: July 10-14; BeginnerSession II: July 17-21; Advanced Session I: July 24-28; Advanced Session II: July 31-August 4. Open to students entering seventh, eighth and ninth grades. Students will gain hands-on training experience, learn from guest presentations and enjoy various working dog demonstrations. Cost: $650/week. Scholarships available for qualified students. Contact: caninehandleracademy@gmail.com

Penn/Wilson Tennis Camp: June 12-August 11. A day camp open to players of all skill levels, ages 3-17. Each camper receives personal attention, advanced teaching techniques, intensive drill work and game/match play, all in a fun and competitive environment. The camp runs Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Extended day available 3-6 p.m. Cost: $405/week; $360/week for three weeks or more. Register: www.wilsontenniscamps.com/penn/

Related: Correction

One Step Ahead: Protecting Against Phishing

Another tip in a series provided by the 
Offices of Information Systems & Computing 
and Audit, Compliance & Privacy.

According to Verizon’s 2016 Breach Report, “phishing” — the attempt to obtain sensitive information or gain access to a system through deceitful email— continues to be a major source of fraud, resulting in the theft of personal identities, sensitive information and even property or funds.          

Phishing is characterized by urgent language stating that immediate action must be taken in order to prevent serious negative consequences (e.g., termination of an account). These attack messages press you to provide sensitive or personal information, either via email or on a linked website. These demands frequently contain telltale flaws; generic salutations, grammatical errors and spelling mistakes can be a tip-off that something is amiss.    

A more targeted version of this type of attack is known as “spear phishing.” Spear phishers misappropriate specific language and images from legitimate institutional communications (e.g., Penn logos, names of Penn organizations, or Penn-specific terms like “PennKey”) in order to lure users to malicious websites.

Spear phishing can target specific individuals as well as groups. Phishers may closely examine organizational charts and public website information for details that allow them to impersonate a supervisor, business administrator, or other trusted source via email. These emails often urge recipients to act quickly while also discouraging further follow-up. Comments like “Please do this ASAP; I will be away and can’t be reached by phone,” are a clue that a message may be fraudulent.

To further protect yourself against phishing:  

• Try to confirm offline any electronic communications that expect you to initiate financial transactions with unfamiliar partners, or in undue haste.            

• Speak with your Local Service Provider (LSP) about using Penn’s SafeDNS service, which blocks connections to known malicious web addresses. 

• Report email that JDLR (Just Doesn’t Look Right) to security@upenn.edu The sooner possible phishing threats are identified, the quicker they can be stopped from ensnaring others at Penn.  

To learn more, visit:

• http://www.upenn.edu/computing/security/phish/

• http://www.upenn.edu/computing/security/advisories/phishing.php

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For additional tips, see the One Step Ahead link on the Information Security website: www.upenn.edu/computing/security/