Authorities issued a warrant this afternoon for the arrest of Penn Economics professor Rafael Robb, and the Associated Press reports that he is currently being held in jail without bail. Robb, 56, has been charged with the first- and third-degree murder of his wife, Ellen Robb, and with possessing instruments of crime, according to a press release from the office of Montgomery County district attorney Bruce Castor.
Gutmann toward top of salary rise
University presidents' paychecks are getting larger each year. And though her counterparts' salaries have been catching up over the last few years, Gutmann remains one of the most highly paid administrators among university leaders. In the 2004-2005 academic year, more than 100 presidents of four-year institutions received compensation packages of at least $500,000, a 53 percent increase from the previous year, according to a recent Chronicle of Higher Education survey.
Strikes Bowling Lounge was robbed at gunpoint yesterday morning in what the owner believes may have been an inside job.
Philly's buzz word? Uwishunu
To the tech-savvy tourist planning on taking a trip to the States, Philadelphia has only one thing to say: uwishunu. That's the name of a new Web log unveiled Friday by Mayor John Street. Its mission is to make the City of Brotherly Love more marketable to potential tourists, who often rely on technology to find destination spots.
Gutmann toward top of salary rise
University presidents' paychecks are getting larger each year. And though her counterparts' salaries have been catching up over the last few years, Gutmann remains one of the most highly paid administrators among university leaders. In the 2004-2005 academic year, more than 100 presidents of four-year institutions received compensation packages of at least $500,000, a 53 percent increase from the previous year, according to a recent Chronicle of Higher Education survey.
Strikes Bowling Lounge was robbed at gunpoint yesterday morning in what the owner believes may have been an inside job.
Crime Log
THEFT Dec. 3 - A victim unaffiliated with the University reported that his driver's side door lock was damaged and various CDs and books were removed from the vehicle. The incident occurred before 11:30 a.m. at the University City Sheraton garage. Dec. 4 - A student reported that his wallet was stolen from Stiteler Hall at about 6:00 p.
Future of grad groups still hazy
The furor over last week's graduate-student-government proposal has died down slightly, but feedback continues to pour in as organizers decide what to do next. The Graduate and Professional Student Assembly and Graduate Student Association Council made a joint proposal that would dissolve GSAC and create a new organization to oversee all graduate schools.
If the Association of American Medical Colleges gets its way, more minorities will soon be applying to medical schools. The AAMC recently launched a campaign to encourage Latino, black and Native American undergraduates to apply to medical school in greater numbers.
Student feedback just isn't enough
After a week of filling in bubbles of teacher-evaluation forms, some students are finding that rating professors on a scale of one to four just doesn't cut it. The Center for Teaching and Learning - a University-run team of officials that helps professors improve their teaching - is currently working with student-government groups to enhance the feedback that instructors receive at the end of every semester.
'Screwdriver suspect' in custody, police say
The man allegedly responsible for a series of robberies by point of screwdriver around University City over the last month is in custody, Philadelphia and Penn police say. Police have positively identified the suspect in three of the incidents, and are awaiting for victims to verify his identity in five more robberies, police said at an afternoon press conference Friday.
For three weeks, smoking ban may evaporate
For a short time this winter, the Philadelphia smoking ban might be stubbed out. Philadelphia City Council recently passed an amendment to the original smoking ban that includes a provision changing the effective date to Jan. 8 And if Mayor John Street signs the bill on or before Dec.
UA tries to improve guards' rights
Penn's AlliedBarton security guards should expect better working conditions for next semester - if the Undergraduate Assembly has its way. The UA is currently working with Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli, Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush and Allied Security District Manager Sidney Toombs to discuss the implementation of the assembly's Workers' Rights Proposal, which offers suggestions to improve the treatment of AlliedBarton security guards.
LSAT change likely to aid potential applicants
Thanks to a change in LSAT policy, aspiring law students may be able to breathe easier on test day. After a shift in American Bar Association protocol last June, 74 percent of law schools currently or will soon evaluate applicants based on their highest LSAT scores, according to a recently released survey by Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions.
An alarming trend in Williams
Unlike more recent campaigns to reduce crime on campus, the Nuisance Alarm Reduction Team prefers to keep a low profile. Their goal: Stop falsely triggered alarms from disrupting the academic lives of students throughout campus. And with the recent increase in the sophistication and number of alarm systems across campus, University officials say NART's job is more necessary now than ever.
After the third Webmail crash in three days on Friday, School of Arts and Sciences technology officials say the problem may have finally been put to bed.
The wife of a Penn professor was found murdered in her Main Line home late last week. The victim, Ellen Robb, was the wife of Rafael Robb, who teaches in the Economics Department. Her body was found Friday afternoon, and authorities told The Philadelphia Inquirer that, according to the autopsy, her death resulted from being beaten with a long, cylindrical object.
News Brief: Alumni donate $15M to new cancer center
University alumnus Ralph Roberts and his son, alumnus Brian Roberts, have pledged $15 million towards a $144 million proton-therapy center scheduled to open in 2009. Other funds will come from the federal government, the Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
At Cornell, careful - moms are watching
For students at Cornell University, keeping in touch with Mom and Dad is becoming a whole lot easier.
Malinovskaya awaits word on 2nd retrial
After two mistrials in Wharton undergraduate Irina Malinovskaya's murder case, there is still no indication whether she will be retried for a second time. Mary Burnell, a Malinovskaya defense lawyer, said the prosecutors in the case have not contacted them about a third trial, although immediately after the trial they had announced their intention to retry.









