New & Notable on Campus
Search Committee Selected for Dean of SAS
Penn President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow have convened a search committee to identify candidates for the deanship of SAS. Douglas Massey, professor and chair of sociology, has agreed to chair the committee. Serving with him are Natalie I. Koether, Esq., CW'61, chair of the SAS Board of Overseers and Penn trustee, as well as four other SAS professors, three deans and professors from other schools, and two SAS students. The services of A.T. Kearney, Inc. have been retained to assist in the search process. "This search comes at a critical time in the school's history; its future progress will depend in large measure on the vision and leadership of the person selected as dean," said President Rodin and Provost Chodorow in a joint statement. "Thus, we are pleased that so many able people have consented to help us in this effort."
SAS Alumni Lecture Series kicks off with Diane McKinney-Whetstone
Diane McKinney-Whetstone, CW'75, author of the critically-acclaimed novel Tumbling, was the first speaker of the 1996-97 SAS Alumni Lecture Series. She conducted a writing workshop for students at the Writers House, followed by a public reading attended by former classmates, teachers, and current students.
The Alumni Association of Chicago recently hosted an evening at the theater to see The Dragon and the Pearl, a one-woman play starring Valerie Harper. The play is based on Pearl S. Buck: A Cultural Biography by Peter Conn, Andrea Mitchell Term Professor of English. More than 50 alumni and friends met with Professor Conn and the play's director, Susan Booth, at a reception prior to the performance. After the play, Ms. Harper met with the group to talk about the performance. The play is expected to tour the country next year.
Twenty-six enthusiastic College alumni discussed their careers and career paths with more than 200 students during the College Alumni Society's Seventh Annual Career Fair, held last fall. The Career Fair gives students the opportunity to learn from the experience and expertise of alumni. To volunteer for the next Career Fair, contact Anita Mastroieni at mastroie@ben.dev.upenn.edu or (215) 898-5262.
New Master's Program in Bioethics
The School of Arts and Sciences and the Medical School's Center for Bioethics are jointly sponsoring a new Master's degree in Bioethics. The program is designed to give medical professionals the tools and training they need to grapple with the ethical questions created by the practice of medicine in the '90's and the twenty-first century. The interdisciplinary program will consist of nine courses, including an internship, and will enroll its first students in September. For more information and application materials, call the College of General Studies at (215) 898-3524.
Coming Up:
Reading and Discussion by Paul Fussell
The College Alumni Society's Penn Authors and Autobiographies Series will begin with a program featuring Paul Fussell, the Donald T. Reagan Professor of English Emeritus. Dr. Fussell will discuss the challenges of writing an autobiography and will read from his new autobiography, Doing Battle: The Making of a Skeptic. The program will be held on Wednesday, March 19. For more information, contact Anita Mastroieni at mastroie@ben.dev.upenn.edu or (215) 898-5262.
Dr. Floyd Bloom to Speak at Dean's Forum
The 1997 Dean's Forum will feature Floyd E. Bloom, M.D., Chairman of the Department of Neuropharmacology at the Scripps Research Institute and editor of the journal Science, lecturing on "Knowing About Knowing About the Brain." Preceeding Dr. Bloom's presentation, the 1997 Dean's Scholars will be announced and honored in a short ceremony. Following the Forum, the Society of Arts and Sciences will hold its annual dinner and present the SAS Alumni Award of Merit to this year's recipients. The forum and the Society dinner will be held on Wednesday, April 9. For more information, contact Anita Mastroieni at mastroie@ben.dev.upenn.edu or (215) 898-5262.
Happy Birthday, BioPond!
During Alumni Weekend '97 the SAS Department of Biology is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the University Botanical Gardens (more commonly known as the BioPond) with a presentation by faculty and alumni and followed by a birthday party. At the exchange, three environmental biologists - Joseph Travis, C'75, professor and chair of biological sciences at Florida State University; Brenda Casper, SAS associate professor of biology; and Philip Rea, SAS associate professor of biology will explore some new and experimental approaches to the world's environmental problems.
The exchange will be followed by a birthday party for the BioPond, complete with birthday cake, balloons, souvenirs and tours of the garden. Alumni and friends are invited to attend one or both events to mark the centennial of one of Penn's most beloved institutions. For more information, contact Anita Mastroieni at mastroie@ben.dev.upenn. edu or (215) 898-5262 or consult the upcoming issue of the Penn Omnibus.