Penn's biomedical research is about to get a booster shot, in the form of a multi-million dollar, 10-story research facility. University officials plan to construct a $370 million biomedical tower that will focus on providing resources for research into human diseases next to the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine on Civic Center Boulevard.

Next time you make a search for the musician "Dylan" on iTunes, don't be surprised to find some Dylan Thomas alongside Bob Dylan. And if English professor Al Filreis gets his wish, what you'll be listening to is a poetry podcast straight from the Kelly Writers House's Pennsound Project.

Books and bikes? While it may seem like an unlikely combination, two activists in a '70s style mini-bus are taking their cause national. The multi-colored bus that houses Books on Wheels was on Penn's campus last Sunday at Saint Mary's Episcopal Church for a community event called Bike Church.

The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties has threatened to go on strike starting Monday if negotiations with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education fail to result in a new contract. The association represents 5,500 professors at 14 state-owned universities excluding those at the Penn State University system.

Don't fret about missing Jack Johnson's performance in Australia at the LiveEarth concert this summer - Penn is providing live feed of the international event. The Mid-Atlantic Gigapop in Philadelphia for Internet2, a high-speed Internet2 network based at Penn, will provide a live DVD-quality multicast of the climate change-focused Live Earth concerts on July 7 for computers on networks with Internet2 capabilities, which include those at many research and educational institutions.

The School Reform Commission decided yesterday what action to take with dozens of privately run Philadelphia schools by retaining private managers but giving them less funding. The six private managers, which include Penn, will now receive $500 from the district per student, a cut in $250 for the private companies, but an increase of $50 for Penn and Temple University.

The administration announced on Tuesday that current Wharton Deputy Dean and Marketing professor David Schmittlein will serve as interim dean of the Wharton School for July. Tom Robertson will assume the top position at Wharton on Aug. 1. A Wharton faculty member since 1980, Schmittlein has served as deputy dean since 2000 and has been heavily involved in Wharton administration, having previously held the positions of chairman of the Marketing Department and vice dean and director of Wharton doctoral programs.

In a decision last Friday by a Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas jury, Penn was ordered to pay Mark Helpin, a former Penn faculty member, more than $4 million in a workplace dispute centering around a dental clinic he helped start up. Helpin, a dentist, was employed at the University from 1989 to 2003, during which time he helped to found a dental clinic that specialized in treating special-needs children.

Thomas Robertson will lead the Wharton School as its new dean, Penn President Amy Gutmann and Provost Ron Daniels announced last week. As Wharton's 13th dean, Robertson will be responsible for increasing the school's global presence, diversity and interdisciplinary efforts.

President Amy Gutmann issued a statement on Tuesday voicing her opposition to a proposed boycott of Israeli academics. The boycott was discussed and voted on at the annual congressional meeting of the British University and Colleges Union and urges institutes of higher education to bar exchanges with Israeli researchers.

So you think you can dance? With the recent surge in popularity of shows such as Dancing with the Stars and So you think you can dance?, Penn Latin and Ballroom Dance is catering to student interest this summer and is heating up Houston Hall with its own repertoire of moves.

Assault June 23 - Gary Carson, 45, of the 5700 block of Spruce Street, allegedly assaulted a 61-year-old man unaffiliated with the University at around midnight on the 3900 block of Ludlow Street. Burglary June 25 - A 23-year-old student reported that at approximatley 1:40 p.

What's in a number? Too much, apparently, for the presidents of some of the country's best liberal arts colleges. These presidents met as part of the Annapolis Group in Annapolis, Md., on June 19 to discuss dropping their respective colleges' names from the list of rankings in U.

Remember telling your friends that in 10 years we'd all be driving solar powered cars? Well, you might have been right. Armed with part of a $22.7 million grant from the Department of Energy, Penn Chemistry professor Andrew Rappe and a team of researchers from the Penn Energy Research Group are looking to change the way we use our sunlight.

For many students the only exposure they have to Japanese culture is sushi and anime, but this summer rising College junior Aya Nakanishi is immersing herself deep into that nation's customs. Nakanishi, along with rising College senior Gurpreet Kalra, is about to embark on a month-long journey to Japan to participate in the 59th Japan-America Student Conference.

The Board of Trustees, Penn's highest governing body, met last week in Houston Hall to discuss issues ranging from globalization to renovating the University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. In a series of meetings, the trustees mainly approved plans by University President Amy Gutmann and her administration as well as received updates on projects that are under way.

Study abroad programs across the United States may soon be expanding their horizons. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act on June 5, and if approved by the Senate, the bill would authorize $80 million to aid U.