Search Results
Below are your search results. You can also try a Basic Search.
(10/09/90 9:00am)
Where do you go if you are standing in the Towne Building and all of a sudden, can't figure out why your hollandaise sauce failed? Try Room 107. New Engineering Dean Gregory Farrington may be able to help. Farrington, who assumed the seven-year deanship in July, is an expert in both culinary and material science. According to John Keenan, associate Engineering dean for undergraduate education, Farrington annually delivers a speech on the scientific basis for gourmet cooking. And others anticipate that the new dean will bring his creativity and enthusiasm from the kitchen to the boardroom. In an interview this summer, Farrington said his main focus as the new dean would be on supporting students and making their experience at the University more fun. He added that increased faculty interaction with students is essential for reducing the attrition in the school. "We have strayed too far from undergraduates and the undergraduate experience," he added. "The University can be big in opportunity but does not have to be big in feeling." Farrington said although his push for improving students' experience may be "Pollyanna-ish," he believes it is possible, adding that he wants to ensure that all departments -- including those in the College -- "take care" of Engineering students. The new dean, who has been at the University for 11 years, said a commitment to science education is crucial to keep the nation competitive with other powers in technological development. "Societally and economically, we're going to croak unless we have strong science and technology bases," Farrington said. He also said this summer that proposals to create a separate school for the Computer and Information Science Department "make no sense intellectually or administratively." He said the school should concentrate on unifying all its students and departments in order to provide a complete college experience. Former Engineering Dean Joseph Bordogna, now an Electrical Engineering professor in the school, said Farrington would bring his expertise and pride in the school to the position. "He was an excellent choice," he concluded. Fifth-year Chemical Engineering graduate student Greg Jones said yesterday that Farrington's appointment is "a great opportunity for him to make the school better." "My perception is he is a good leader," Jones said. "We all like him." And Jean Farrington, the new dean's wife of 20 years and head of Van Pelt Library's Serials Department, said yesterday that it was "attraction at first sight" when the two met almost 23 years ago. She added that living with the new dean is entertaining, saying that "he can see the humor in almost any situation." "He likes furry creatures," she said. "We have a collection of stuffed aminals that are supposedly my son's . . . He gives them names, backgrounds and histories." Farrington received his bachelor's degree from Clarkson University and pursued his doctorate at Harvard University. He served as a University professor of material science and chaired the department until his appointment as director of the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter in 1987.
(10/09/90 9:00am)
Myrna Buiser's reason for entering the Nursing School's new Hospital Nurse Scholars Program was simple. "I knew that once I graduated I'd have a job waiting for me with a good salary," she said. Buiser, a freshman, is a participant in a new program between her school and Graduate Hospital in Center City -- a program which guarantees her a job at the hospital after graduation, and guarantees the hospital a supply of much-needed nurses. Graduate Hospital has pledged to pay 60 percent tuition for each student in the program -- eight will be selected each year for the next four years -- on the condition that they work there for two years following graduation. The project involves a $1.4 million commitment from the Graduate Hospital, and a sizeable time commitment from the staff of the school to put it together. In fact, some Nursing School administrators said they were surprised that the project started as quickly as it did. "Our plan was not to start this year," said Claire Fagin, dean of the Nursing School. "But Graduate wanted it." Fagin was the architect of the program, which she began to develop after learning about a similar project at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. "I thought [the Case Western program] would wipe out our freshman class," she said. "I had to have the same program here. I had to." Fagin met with several local hospital presidents and began negotiations. Fagin said that the University's program will be more applicable to other nursing schools than Case Western's. Case Western did not have a nursing program until Cleveland hospitals, in desperate need of nurses, asked officials to start one. All students in that nursing program receive tuition supplements. "I think ours is actually a model," Fagin said. Students were selected for the program after they were admitted to the University, and through a separate application. "It was leadership, background in health care, and academic qualifications," said Elizabeth Roach, assistant director for admissions for the school. "A willingness to pursue the next six years in Philadelphia" was also critical. Officials and students said the program benefits participants on both sides. "It will provide financial aid for undergraduate students and it will increase our applicant pools," said Director of Development and Alumni Relations Bonnie Devlin. "It helps us deal with the high cost of tuition in a creative way," she said. But there are other benefits besides the obvious financial advantages. "The students will begin to feel very desired by the world and these institutions," Fagin said, referring to the hospitals in which they are placed. Elizabeth Montgomery, a freshman, said she was excited about both the program and the commitment after graduation. "Because Grad is a very good hospital, it seems like a very good thing not to pass up," she said. Carol Hutelmyer, Health System vice president for patient services at Graduate Hospital, said that the hospital will also benefit. "When we considered our recruitment needs and compared them to the supply of nurses that will be available in the future, we decided to lock in," she said.
(10/03/90 9:00am)
Three months into his term, Wharton Dean Thomas Gerrity has decided to develop a "new strategic plan" to determine the school's long-term direction, officials said yesterday. Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs Edward Bowman said that Gerrity will solicit advice from Wharton standing committees and may form a special task force to gather recommendations and help write the plan. Gerrity was unavailable for comment yesterday. Bowman said the report, in which Gerrity will take "a fresh look at the direction the school is going," is slated for completion by early next semester. The committees advising Gerrity for the report will examine many aspects of the school, including the school's international focus and graduate programs, and will give advice to the dean, Bowman said. The two "natural groups" which Gerrity will first look to are the school's 10 department chairpeople and the Dean's Advisory Council, a group of twelve senior faculty members, according to Bowman. He added that "I would think almost certainly that there will be students involved." The deputy dean predicted that there will be substantive changes in the MBA program but would not say which aspects will be altered. He did not specify other programs which stand to be changed significantly. The school is currently revamping its undergraduate curriculum for implementation next fall, but the process was started under former Dean Russell Palmer. Vice Dean for Doctoral Programs Franklin Allen said a large-scale evaluation of this type "usually happens when deans change," because it gives the new leaders "a chance to take stock of where they want to go." Allen said he believes that Palmer did the same thing. Most officials said they were not surprised by Gerrity's intentions to reevaluate the school's direction. "One would be surprised if that were not done," Bowman said. And Associate Dean for External Affairs Virginia Clark said "it's very collegial for a new dean to make a new plan." Bowman also said that while the specific issues to be examined have yet to be finalized, Gerrity is "spending a lot of time with the faculty, looking at the Wharton School and how the world is changing." He said that the report will probably address how the school might respond to problems and opportunities resulting from recent global changes. Bowman said the school has been and will continue to be "very interested in international issues," adding that it is unlikely that these issues will lose importance in the future. The University will release a five-year plan for the whole institution next Tuesday and the Wharton plan will try to incorporate similar time frames as the general plan, Bowman said. "I realize that the University likes five-year plans and we will try to work within specific time frames," Bowman said, but he added that the school may not be able to determine exact time frames for implementing the changes.
(09/27/90 9:00am)
Michael Milken, the 1979 Wharton graduate who pled guilty to six felony charges, including conspiracy, securities fraud and tax violations, will be sentenced Monday by federal judge in New York. Milken, who received his MBA from Wharton, faces up to 28 years in prison for the offenses. He was indicted by a grand jury on 98 securities violations in the spring of 1989 but reached a plea bargain in April convicting him of only six of the crimes. Prosecutors seeking a stiff prison term for the convicted financier yesterday urged the sentencing judge to concentrate on his ''sweeping and serious crimes.'' The defense has opposed the prosecution's effort to portray Milken as a conniving criminal mastermind who committed more crimes than he had admitted. In their recommendation to the judge, attorneys asked that Milken's transgressions be viewed as an aberration in an otherwise exemplary life. The former "junk bond king" of Drexel Burnham Lambert has donated millions of dollars to the University since his graduation, including a $2 million grant to help West Philadelphia community service projects. Milken's portrait, which hung in the Wharton "Hall of Fame," was removed last May, one month after Milken reached the plea bargain with prosecutors. Wharton officials declined to comment on the case yesterday. Milken abandoned his claims of innocence and agreed to a plea bargain that spared him from a much wider indictment and assumes his cooperation with prosecutors in other probes. In a 200-page memorandum to U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood, prosecutors asked her to pay scant attention to Milken's good deeds and consider evidence that he was a systematic crook. ''The court's sentence must demonstrate that persons who possess great wealth and prominence cannot expect that their privilege or their money will insulate them from certain and serious punishment,'' said the document, signed by acting U.S. Attorney Roger Hayes. ''His good works, however commendable, should not shield him from incarceration,'' the prosecution memorandum said. ''Milken is guilty of sweeping and serious crimes. He should be sentenced to a substantial term of imprisonment.'' The prosecution cannot recommend a specific prison term, and Wood has wide discretion in passing sentence. But many legal experts expect Milken to serve time. Hayes was unavailable for comment yesterday afternoon. The prosecution's report was released a day after Milken's high-powered legal team released their own recommendations to the judge. The defense lawyers have urged the judge to weigh Milken's generosity and philanthropy and spare him from prison. They suggest alternatively that Milken be ordered to work full-time with youths in the drug-plagued ghettos of Los Angeles. Lead defense attorney Arthur Liman wrote that hundreds of letters from Milken's relatives, friends and clients portrayed him as a benevolent capitalist, a hardworking family man, and a ''person of great conscience, compassion and charity who has always been generous with his time, money and spirit.'' Liman also asserted Milken already has been punished severely by relentless public scrutiny, payment of a record $600 million in fines and penalties, and a bleak future fighting civil lawsuits. ''Michael Milken is a changed person. He will be tormented for the remainder of his life by the realization that his family was devastated, his reputation destroyed and his life's work tainted by virtue of his having committed these acts,'' Liman wrote. Liman was unavailable for comment yesterday afternoon. Wood ordered the release of sentencing memorandums earlier this week because of the enormous public interest in the Milken case. But she instructed the two sides to edit the documents to delete incriminating references to Milken associates. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
(09/24/90 9:00am)
With $1.2 million in seed money from the national Centers for Disease Control, Associate Bioengineering Professor Lawrence Thibault is preparing to expand the University's new trauma research laboratory and make the program a "world-class facility." The Laboratories for Injury Research and Prevention will probe all aspects of trauma, including prevention, rehabilitation, insurance and legal aspects, and will draw from several schools in the University. Thibault received the $1.2 million grant this summer, and said he hopes to use the money as a financial base for the labs. Trauma research is a growing field, Thibault said, since physical injuries resulting from accidents cost the nation over $180 billion each year and are the biggest killer of people younger than 45. "Trauma is the national epidemic," he said. "The socioeconomic implications are incredible." Researchers will look at "questions like 'How do you prevent injury?' and 'How do you get people to change their ways?' ," Thibault said. He added that the laboratories will be the first in the world to tie together the broad range of trauma-related issues. Thibault said he expects participation from Wharton School faculty for risk assessment and decision processes, Annenberg School faculty for communication and behavior modification, School of Arts and Sciences faculty for psychology and sociology, in addition to Medical School faculty. Currently, the laboratories are located in Hayden Hall and involve only Engineering and Medical School faculty. The University's team, headed by Thibault, was one of two chosen to receive the Centers for Disease Control grant. It competed against approximately 100 other applications for the agency's Research Program Project Grants. A Wayne State University group claimed the other prize. "We know that people here think [this project] is a good idea and this proves that so do other people," Engineering School Dean Gregory Farrington said. But Thibault's laboratories will need more than the initial grant to support the new facility. Thibault said he hopes "to use a very innovative approach to fundraising" to secure funds for the new center. The facility will need support from the University, he said, but added that he expects much of the money to come from private industry. "The insurance industry, the auto industry, the sports and safety equipment industries and local, state and federal governments are all interested," Thibault said. And the Pennsylvania state legislature is currently considering a 25 cent increase on all automobile insurance -- $5 million which the state would channel into injury prevention research, he said. The judicial system may also be a target of fundraising efforts, after a Michigan judge recently awarded a small amount of punitive damages in a civil suit toward similar research, Thibault said.
(09/18/90 9:00am)
Charged with engineering major changes in Wharton's undergraduate curriculum, the school's undergraduate curriculum committee will update the faculty on progress today. Last semester, the group proposed changes to the curriculum which would reduce the number of required business courses and increase the curriculum's flexibility. Students would be required to take courses in "the environment of business," which combine business topics and current societal issues. While the new curriculum's structure was officially approved by Wharton faculty at the end of last semester, the committee is still deciding upon specific course requirements and the faculty must accept the curriculum as a whole before its implementation. The curriculum committee will meet next week for the first time this semester to continue the revision process which it began two years ago. The committee's primary responsibility this year will be "to have the new curriculum operational for the class of 1994," said Janice Bellace, vice dean for the Wharton Undergraduate Division and a committee member. The committee this year is also considering a possible language or culture requirement. Committee Chairperson Jerry Rosenbloom said the requirement "has received wide initial support in principle" from faculty members. Several faculty members said that such a requirement is an important part of the new curriculum. "I am in favor of our students being more sensitive to operating in different cultural contexts," Bellace said. "The challenge is to devise a specific requirement that will provide students sufficient knowledge in light of their backgrounds." Insurance Professor Rosenbloom said he hopes to see the requirement implemented with the rest of the curriculum for the Class of 1994, but emphasized that no final decisions have been made on it and the plan may not be implemented until the following year. Wharton senior Becky Ozoa, a member of the committee, said the requirement needs to be implemented "if Wharton claims to be a well-rounded business school . . . but not necessarily at the expense of electives." Committee members said the new curriculum will broaden students' experience at Wharton. "It is designed to diversify the students' academic experience, particularly by having them fulfill requirements in the environment of business and its international dimension," Bellace said. Rosenbloom said the changes will make the curriculum more flexible. "It will keep up with what's happening in the future and will allow our students to adapt to the new [global] environment," he said. Rosenbloom said that Wharton is taking the lead with an innovative approach to undergraduate business education and said he "imagines that it will be watched by other schools."
(09/17/90 9:00am)
In a dark, wood-paneled courtroom, a judge sits behind his bench, observing grave proceedings. Lawyers speak in hushed tones, preparing their questions for the witness. In the midst of this somber atmosphere, a young girl approaches the bench preparing to testify, clutching her stuffed dog. This scene opens What Jennifer Knew, a one-hour documentary produced by Nursing graduate student Margaret Slusser, which addresses the controversial issue of children testifying in court. Slusser began the project as "a study in children's rights," but quickly found that this "was far too broad a topic" and decided to concentrate on children in courtrooms. "Court is an arena with adult actors, and when children have to participate in court there is minimal attention provided to this fact," said Nursing Professor Ann Burgess, Slusser's adviser. "People don't understand how to deal with children in the courtroom." Early on, Slusser realized that children are confused by the legal process. This confusion often means that "every child who goes into court faces trauma." Slusser interviewed a young boy who, when asked what a jury was, replied that "he thought his mother had some gold jewelry." She did not interview any children who had testified in court, since she did not want to "revictimize" the children. One of the difficulties with the issue of children testifying is what Slusser calls "the two-sided dilemna." Since children are often attuned to details that adults may miss, they can be extremely important witnesses. But in the intimidating environment of the courtroom, children can become confused and stumble over facts. Some child advocates have tried to combat this confusion by taping the young witnesses immediately after the incident, in a less threatening environment. Sometimes this testimony is admissable in court. But this method impinges on defendants' sixth ammendment right to face their accusers. Slusser had problems speaking to mental health researchers about their work, since many researchers had previously been approached by television programs like 20/20 and 60 Minutes and are wary of having their results misinterpreted. Slusser, a practicing nurse who is pursuing a graduate degree in mental nursing, regularly produces television shows in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Slusser is currently working on a half-hour instructional video about interviewing children in court, targeted at judges and lawyers. She plans to use what she learned from making What Jennifer Knew to teach legal professionals how to deal with young witnesses in their own courtrooms.
(09/13/90 9:00am)
Engineering project: He ain't heavy, he's my canoe Picture a tight pack of canoes sprinting across the Schuylkill River at breakneck speed. Now picture these same boats, constructed solely from concrete and steel. Sounds crazy, no? But for the past 15 years, such vessels, designed by students and faculty in the Engineering School, have been able to do more than just float. Last year, at the national race in Buffalo, New York, the team placed 10th out of 20 teams. "The nationals were very competitive there was a lot of school spirit," said Engineering senior Rowena Mohammed, a competitor in both the women's and mixed racing divisions. Last year the University team spent just $100 to build their 198-pound vessel, but competed against schools like the University of California at Berkeley which spent over $1500. Students will design a new craft for the upcoming spring races but expect to stick to the same budget. While their boats have propelled them into the last two national competitions, team members fear that without high tech materials and designs, their efforts in the intense national competition will not be sufficient to win. "You can't compete in the nationals anymore with this kind of canoe," Mohammed said. "Innovative design and new concrete mixes are becoming more crucial." Designed and built in the Structural Testing Lab in the Towne Building, the canoes and their molds lie alongside of high tech prototypes of Kevlar cables and Fiberglass beams, bound for use on spacestations and in Antarctica. While students are involved in all phases of design and production, guidance is given by civil engineering faculty and staff. Students use the expertise of staff advisor Frank Brown, who has over 15 years of experience with the boats. Brown said he helps students understand that "the point of the game is to build a lightweight canoe." The project, which takes about five months to complete, begins with the construction of a concrete mold. This year's model took the shape of a lightweight Sawyer racing shell, made from Kevlar, the material used in bullet-proof vests. The mold, which is made in two sections, is then lined with steel mesh to give the canoe rigidity and strength. Then a lightweight concrete mixture is applied over the wire and allowed to dry. After the sheet hardens, the two halves of the mold are pulled apart and the canoe slides out. "It's like a cake," said Engineering senior Ed Kellie, the leading student member of the canoe-designing team. Building a waterborne vessel that is up to 18 and a half feet long, 34 inches wide and 15 inches deep from concrete may seem like an impossible task. Of course, most people would expect a boat made from concrete to sink. "The reason it floats is displacement," Brown explained. "That's when a volume or weight of a fluid is replaced by a floating solid body of the same weight." While light weight is crucial for speed, the students found last year that a heavier vessel can have advantages as well. Once, the students reported, the Penn canoe struck an opposing vessel from Villanova in a tight corner. "We sunk their boat," recalled Engineering senior Matt Malozi, adding that the Penn craft withstood the collision because, "ours was a better boat." He concluded that if a boat is too light, it may not be able to withstand the eventual "crash and bash." The regional and national competitions, sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers, are aimed to encourage students nationwide to design and build boats and compete both for the glory of victory and for some more practical reasons. The project teaches "concrete structure, project planning, structural reinforcement, and teamwork," Malozi said. "Our education is very theoretical," Mohammed added. "This provides practical experience and complements what we learn in the classroom." But the students are quick to admit that "basically, it's a fun activity."
(09/11/90 9:00am)
The search committee to replace outgoing Nursing Dean Claire Fagin will be in place later this week, Nursing officials said yesterday. Nursing School officials are expected to announce the names of the two students - one graudate and undergraduate student - who were elected by student government leaders to fill the last positions of the 11-member committee, according to Kristin Davidson, associate dean for administration at Nursing. Named committee members said yesterday that "a substantial number" of candidates have already applied for the position, and more are expected to apply for the position to head the highly respected nursing school. And while the committee has not officially met, members said that they have certain characteristics that they expect the new dean to possess. "We're looking for someone who can continue and accelerate the momentum that Dean Fagin established," said search committee member Joan Lynaugh. Fagin, a 14-year veteran at the school, announced her resignation three months ago. "Someone with an appreciation of research and an understanding of undergraduate and graduate education will be sought," said Lynaugh, who stressed the importance of experience in "nursing practice" for a candidate. Lynaugh, an associate Nursing professor, also said the committee is hoping to find "someone who is a five-star candidate in as many areas as possible." Currently the committee includes both faculty of the nursing school and faculty and administrators from other schools within the University. Outgoing Dean Fagin has been credited for the school's recent meteoric rise in prestige, making the position a highly valued one in the Nursing field. Lynaugh added that despite the school's growing popularity, the committee is strongly publicizing the position to national health centers and has asked for the Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing and other health organizations for suggestions. "The committee is keeping an open mind about the candidate's background," Lynaugh said. She added that leaders with backgrounds from both academia and the private sector will be considered. Committee members said they hope to keep a tight schedule and have a candidate selected by next January. Fagin will officially step down August 31, 1991. Fagin, after resigning her position as dean will continue to teach at the University. She will assume the presidency of the National League of Nursing in July 1991.
(09/06/90 9:00am)
Wharton Undergraduate Vice Dean Marion Oliver, one of the top academic officials in the school, resigned this summer to pursue a career in the private sector with the Mobil Oil Company. Associate Legal Studies and Management Professor Janice Bellace replaced Oliver September 1. Oliver's resignation came just after Wharton Dean Russell Palmer's departure June 30. Several officials said the two resignations were unrelated. "It was truly coincidental," said Associate Dean for External Affairs Virginia Clark. Assistant to the President William Epstein said that Oliver's departure apparently was also unrelated to the arrival of new Wharton Dean Thomas Gerrity. "Oliver's departure was something he had intended to do for a while and when the opportunity presented itself, he took it," Epstein said. "I don't think it had anything to do with the new dean." Bellace declined to comment on her appointment last night. Gerrity was unavailable for comment yesterday. Despite Oliver and Palmer's recent resignations, Assistant Management Professor Diana Day said that she did not expect any gap in administrative leadership in the school, noting that Undergraduate Deputy Dean Edward Bowman will provide continuity. Associate Legal Studies Professor Arnold Rosoff said last night that he cannot speculate on what policies Bellace will implement, but added that the new vice dean has been associated with the University for many years and that he does not expect any "sharp corners to be turned." He also said that because Bellace is a University graduate, he expects her "to have a real feel for the students." "From what I've heard, one of her big plusses when they were looking for a new vice dean is that she would be sympathetic to student concerns," Rosoff said. Rosoff said that he was not surprised by Oliver's resignation because "it is not uncommon when a new dean is appointed for people close to the old dean to submit resignations which gives the new dean the opportunity to appoint his own people." Statistics Professor John De Cani said Oliver was a "super teacher and a bright guy," adding that "he deserves better than vice dean of the Wharton School."
(04/17/90 9:00am)
For years, graduating seniors have spent their last days at the University reveling in their last few moments of freedom before they go into the "real world." From the last day of exams until graduation, tradition has dictated that seniors indulge themselves in everything from an inebriated walk -- or sometimes crawl -- up Walnut Street to a night cruise up the Delaware River. This year will be no exception according to Senior Class Board members who are organizing this year's Senior Week. The week features a wide array of events scheduled to begin on May 4. They added that because the University will be celebrating its 250th anniversary, they are expecting a large turnout for this year's events. "I think especially because of Peak Week a lot of people will stay for it," said Senior class Treasurer Wendy LaRossa. Some of the most popular events from the past are scheduled for this year as well. The Senior Formal, held at the Warwick Hotel on May 10, the Booze Cruise, a boat ride down the Delaware River on May 6, and the annual Walnut Walk are all planned. In the Walnut Walk, which will take place this year on May 8, seniors, starting on Front Street, will visit over 20 bars with drink specials before ending up at Murphy's Tavern near campus. The Board has also scheduled two new events for the Class of 1990. Included for the first time are Performing Arts Night on May 5 in Irvine Auditorium and a Phillies game on May 6, according to Wharton representative Alan Axelrod. One traditional event is Ivy Day, which this year will take place on Saturday May 12 at 4 p.m. in Irvine Auditorium in which basketball star Julius Erving will speak. "Ivy Day is when the Senior honor awards are presented," explained Deborah Glassman, College senior and class secretary. "Also the Ivy Stone is revealed and the traditional sprig of ivy is planted." This year's Senior Week will also feature seven Senior Screamers -- another time-honored Senior Week activity -- including one at Smokey Joe's restaurant on May 12, the night before Baccalaureate. Described as a "one-day mini-Fling," the Senior Sun-In on May 10 from noon to 4:00 p.m. will be "a chance for seniors to hang out on College Green," according to Glassman. The senior class picture will also be taken and the General Alumni Society will be on hand to provide information to its newest member class throughout the afternoon. "[The events] bring everyone together and give friends a last chance to have some good times," explained Axelrod. "We expect the impact of the events to generate a lot of excitement." Tickets sales for the events, which went on sale yesterday, are "meeting expectations," and will continue to be on sale on Locust Walk until April 19 and during Reading Days from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.