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(10/08/97 9:00am)
With resumes in hand, hundreds of Engineering students clad in business suits piled into the Towne Building yesterday in search of summer internships and permanent employment positions. In its 17th year, the Engineering Career Awareness Day -- co-sponsored by the Career Planning and Placement Service and the Engineering Student Activities Council -- drew a record 89 companies to the University. Three of Towne's floors were put to use for the event, making it a bit difficult for students attending classes in the building to maneuver their way through the crowds. Engineering Dean Gregory Farrington estimated that more than half of the students in the School of Engineering and Applied Science attended the day-long event. Tables lined both sides of the hallways as company representatives showcased their organizations, providing students with everything from company-logo mousepads to safety whistles. The longest lines centered around some of the nation's larger, better known corporations, such as Microsoft, Merrill Lynch and J.P. Morgan. Harris Romanoff, an Engineering senior and ECAD student chairperson, noted, however, that not all students are interested in working for such large corporations. "I've talked to a few students and, if anything, they don't want to work in the large companies," he said. "They see the opportunity to make a name for themselves in the smaller corporations." Many of the company representatives at yesterday's event were Engineering alumni, returning to recruit students from their alma mater. Bill Pehlert, a representative from AT&T; who obtained both his master's and doctorate from Penn, said he has come back to the University many times to attract prospective employees. "We have successfully recruited and retained Penn graduates," Pehlert said. "And they tend to be exceptionally successful candidates and employees." Many prospective employers are particularly interested in Engineering graduates because of the broad curriculum they receive. "Our students are unique in that they emerge technologically as well as communicatively adept -- they are in great demand," Farrington said. "My only disappointment is that I don't have enough students -- we could place twice as many." Michael Collins, a representative from the Lockheed Martin Corporation echoed this sentiment. "The type of person coming out of Penn is ideally suited for our kinds of challenges," he said. Praised by students and recruiters alike, the career day also received accolades from CPPS Director Pat Rose. "I think we're having a great day -- employers are thrilled with the quality of the students," she said.
(10/03/97 9:00am)
Mark Frazier Lloyd runs the University Archives, the official home of much Penn history. When College senior Steven Friedman lived in Hill House two years ago, he was always curious about whom the dorm was named after. "I had no clue where to go about my question -- unfortunately I think that's what happens with a lot of students," he said. Fortunately for Friedman, he discovered the University Archives and Records Center, where he found an answer to his question -- and much more. "It was so exciting to find out stuff that no one else knew," said Friedman, who has since volunteered several hours per week working for University Archives. The University Archives center, located in the north corner of Franklin Field, is the official repository for Penn's historical documents. Its mission, according to Director Mark Frazier Lloyd, is the preservation of historically significant documents and records that reflect the University's origins, developments, activities and achievements. The center has also been a key resource for undergraduate studies. "Undergrads have been learning how to do primary source research for years, so when University President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow initiated the 21st Century Project, it was a perfect match for what we've been doing at the Archives for years," Lloyd said. The Records Center, meanwhile, is housed at 40th and Walnut streets -- although it is closely involved with University Archives. While Archives focuses more on academic resources, the Records Center is document-centered, storing, for example, old applications. Though obscure to many students, University Archives has become an essential source for historians at Penn. Any document pertaining to University history and community life can be found there. "Unless you're a History major, you probably aren't familiar with the Archives," noted College senior Eric Wilensky, who is doing a senior honors thesis under Lloyd's direction. "I don't expect an Engineering student to know about this." The center houses massive quantities of information, from faculty minutes and administrative ledgers to records of student groups and clubs like Mask and Wig, whose records date back to 1889. Students can even see clips of Quakers football games, such as the the 1908 battle between Penn and the Harvard Crimson. Historians, or even just the curious, can also find at the center the origins of the Kite and Key Society and campus locations of Ivy Stones dating back to 1873. "It's amazing what's here," Wilensky said. "There's an immense amount of wealth." University Archives also houses collections not pertaining directly to Penn history -- such as materials about alumni, faculty, benefactors and other prominent people associated with the University. The center, according to Lloyd, strives to make historical materials available not only to members of the Penn community, but also to scholars from other universities and Philadelphia residents. Its World Wide Web site, located at http://www.upenn.edu/AR/, has also simplified the research process, allowing students and scholars to peruse the index of collections over the Internet. Though individuals currently must go to the Archives center to read the entire document, Lloyd said he hopes to eventually digitalize the collections, putting the documents themselves onto the Web. Terry Snyder, assistant director of University Archives, noted, however, "We feel that community life is one area in which we can grow. We'd like to see more student groups leave their records with us." Since 1989, University Archives has also worked with the Senior Honors program for History majors, providing primary source materials and advising for participants. Friedman, for one, has taken advantage of the center for his studies. Now a History major working on his senior thesis, he uses University Archives as the main source for his research. "I enjoyed working at the Archives, and so I wanted to do a senior thesis that would let me do research here," he explained. For his thesis, Friedman designed a Web site showing what the University looked like in the 1830s. The site was featured on Penn's main page in early September. Snyder noted that Penn's archival system is highly regarded throughout the intellectual community. "Penn is a leading institution -- we're considered a model," said Snyder, who also emphasized that although the center works hard to support the research of scholars, it is also more than willing to accommodate the general public. "We're a very democratic place -- our resources are open to everyone."
(09/17/97 9:00am)
April will mark the 10th anniversary of Emergency Medicine Professor Steven Larson's first painting exhibition at the Faculty Club's Burrison Art Gallery. Larson was completing his last year as a student at the University's Medical School when his artwork was first shown in 1988. And he did not give up his artistic passions as his medical career advanced. His second exhibit, "Steve Larson: Paintings & Drawings," -- which includes figurative and landscape oil paintings as well as sketches -- is on display at the Burrison Art Gallery through September 26. Although he had no previous formal artistic training, Larson studied traditional painting at Haverford College, where he majored in art. While he knew he had talent, Larson said he was hesitant to commit to the life of a professional artist, which he likened to that of a researcher "isolated in a lab all day." Chris Cairns, a Sculpture professor at Haverford and Larson's mentor, echoed those sentiments. "He has the capacity to be a full-time painter," Cairns said. "But he's a broadly humanistic individual and likes to deal with people." To fulfill his artistic desires, Larson established a studio in Havertown, Pa., with a few other artist friends in 1993. But he noted that he now has a family to consider and -- per an agreement with his wife -- does not work in the studio on weekends, but instead spends the time with his two young children. Larson said his wife has a unique understanding of his "marriage to art" and she has been "incredibly supportive." She is a professional photographer who was also involved in the health care profession as a head trauma nurse. While some professionals in high-stress careers might look to art as a means of relaxation and release, Larson emphasized that this is not exactly the case for him. "I don't go to the studio to unwind," he said. "It's more of a distraction than a relaxation. "It's not even about whether I like it or not," he added. "Art is very important to me -- I can't get it out of my system." Larson said the medical field has had a tremendous impact on his art, adding that he strives to communicate what he sees as a physician through his paintings. "There isn't a day that goes by that I don't see a homeless person, a young gunshot victim or some other tragedy in the ER," he explained. "People look at a painting for about three seconds and then move on. There must be some way to put something in front of them that will make them stop to look -- that's what I try to do." Among Larson's favorite works at the exhibit is "The Trinity," a painting from the 1988 show. Most of Larson's earlier works were from the abstract, minimalist genre, while his works currently on display tend to be more traditional. Whether minimalist or traditional, his works have generally met with positive reviews. While walking through the exhibit, Joyce McGregory, a long-time friend of Larson's, said, "I've known Steve for years, and since I missed the opening, I'm here to check it out now. I wanted to see what he included in the show -- it looks good." And Cairns noted that Larson is "a very special person." "Penn is lucky to have him both as a painter and as a physician," he said.
