History prof appointed dean of College frosh
Adjunct assistant professor of history and sociology of science Janet Tighe has been appointed as the dean of freshmen and director of academic advising in the College.
Tighe will now be responsible for the task of helping freshmen ease into their lives at Penn.
Tighe said she is excited to work with Penn students on their journeys of academic discovery but acknowledges that a university like Penn can be intimidating, especially for new students.
"The newcomers, especially the freshmen, bring with them an energy and excitement that is awe-inspiring," she said in a press release. "I look forward to being a part of this dynamic collaboration."
Tighe plans on collaborating with Penn faculty, residences, and support systems in her quest to make each freshman's experience as positive as possible.
During her time at Penn, Tighe has garnered many awards that pay tribute to her teaching. She was chosen to recieve the 2004 Dean's Award for Distinguished Teaching by Affiliated Faculty and also honored with the Provost's Award in 1999. This award is given each year to Penn's top associate faculty member.
Tighe has a doctorate in American civilization from Penn, and she began her studies at Johns Hopkins, where she concentrated in history and literature.
-- Aleksandra Markovich
Construction on 37th to extend into March
Penn students looking to burn off those extra winter break pounds at Pottruck Gymnasium must deal with the eyesore of construction work.
The area of 37th Street between Walnut and Sansom is the site of construction to install a water main for the city.
Mike D'Angelo, the foreman of the construction crew, plans to work on the main for another one-and-a-half to two months.
Though visually unappealing to some, the site has not caused any problems for the surrounding businesses.
Businesses near the construction site, including the Asian fusion restaurant Pod -- located at 36th and Sansom streets -- have been largely unaffected.
Courtney Fifer, a manager at the restaurant, said that they had received a lot of notice pertaining to the construction ahead of time. The restaurant has not had its water supply shut off because of the construction. Fifer noted that many more customers have been using Pod's valet service since the water main installation began.
"Finding parking is difficult. I have to walk a lot farther to get to my car then I used to," Fifer said.
Pottruck has not experienced any complications due to the nearby construction either. Bryan Haunert, the associate director of Facilities Services, said that the gym received notice of the water main installation ahead of time and was assured that it would not affect the gym's water supply.
-- A. M.
