October 2008—Volume Four, Issue Two    |    Penn Matters Archive

Dean's Welcome

Last year, members of the entering class of the School received a gift as part of new student orientation: a navy-blue, SP2 t-shirt with the words “Social Change Agent” emblazoned across the back. The shirts, which were given out again this year, have become a uniform of sorts, worn proudly by our students as they engage in social change work in Philadelphia, Mississippi, and around the world.

On September 25, our Centennial Convocation marked the beginning of our celebration honoring 100 years of social work education. The event included a keynote address by Ralph Nader and an alumni panel moderated by Dr. Carol Wilson Spigner. (Complete coverage of the Convocation is included in the Feature Story below.) It is no coincidence that an event honoring social work education also spoke to the importance of the work being done by social change agents.

With the presidential election just three weeks away, the call for change is at the forefront of campaign messaging. But the call for change is nothing new for the SP2 community; for 100 years, our students and graduates have been working for social change and as ambassadors of the social work profession.

The Convocation was only the beginning of a fantastic schedule of events that honors our beginnings and our accomplishments. In conjunction with the Centennial, we have published two books: A Centennial History of the School of Social Policy & Practice by Mark Frazier Lloyd (available for download soon), and A Century of Social Work and Social Welfare at Penn, by Ram Cnaan, Melissa Dichter, and Jeffrey Draine. At the annual lecture of the Ortner-Unity Center on Family Violence last Thursday, panelists examined recent rulings that are reshaping domestic violence laws. Next month, on November 6, we will hold the Louis H. Carter Endowed Lecture, which features Dr. Howard Stevenson speaking on the topic of Race Relations in the Post-Bush Era.

As we celebrate 100 years of social work education, I invite you to participate in our Centennial events and celebrate this great milestone in the School’s history.

Sincerely,
Richard J. Gelles, PhD
Dean

Feature Article

Ralph Nader Delivers Centennial Convocation Keynote Address
The School of Social Policy & Practice officially kicked off its Centennial Celebration honoring 100 years of social work education on Thursday, September 25. The Convocation, which drew a crowd of almost 500, featured a keynote address by Ralph Nader on the topic of Social Justice in the Post-Bush Era. Following his address, Dr. Carol Wilson Spigner moderated an alumni panel. The four alumni panelists, David Gil, MSW’58, DSW’63; Jenna Mehnert, MSW’95; William Johnston-Walsh, MSW’89; and Darlene Marshall-Lee, MSW’05 discussed Achieving Social Justice. Afterwards, members of the Penn community enjoyed a reception in the Annenberg lobby while Mr. Nader signed copies of his newest book, The Good Fight.
Click here for complete article

School News

Caster Basement Gets a Facelift
Thanks to the generosity of the supporters of the 2008 Class Gift Campaign, the Caster basement is brand new! Fresh, bold paint covers the walls, a sparkling new floor replaces the previous decades-old tiling, and colorful canvas paintings add visual appeal. The canvases each depict a different county, highlighting the international aspect of SP2’s programs. In addition, the old lockers were removed, and new, aesthetically-pleasing day lockers have been installed outside of the student lounge on the second floor of Caster.
Click here for the complete article and photos

SP2 Announces 2008 Louis S. Carter Endowed Lectureship
Thursday, November 6 at 6:00 p.m.
Dr. Howard Stevenson, Associate Professor and Chair of the Applied Psychology and Human Development Division at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, will deliver the 2008 Louis S. Carter Lecture. This year’s lecture, on the topic of race relations in the post-Bush era, honors the intellectual contributions of the functional approach. The lecture will be held in the Hall of Flags in Houston Hall on Penn’s campus (3417 Spruce Street). The event is free and open to the public. A reception will follow at 7:00.

Ortner-Unity Center on Family Violence Holds Annual Lecture
The Ortner-Unity Family Violence Center of the School of Social Policy and Practice co-hosted its annual lecture on domestic violence with the University of Pennsylvania Law School on October 2, 2008.  The event marked October as Domestic Violence Awareness month and the beginning of another year of case review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Click here for complete article

Alumni Council on Admissions
The Alumni Council on Admissions (ACA) is a resource for advice and guidance for alumni families who have children or grandchildren going through the undergraduate college search and application process. At Penn, an undergraduate applicant can access the resources of the Alumni Council on Admissions if their parent or grandparent received a graduate or undergraduate degree from Penn. In other words, these services are available to the children and grandchildren of Social Work and Social Policy & Practice graduates. 
Click here for complete article

Meet Frank Barr, SP2 Liaison in the Office of Gift Planning
Each month, Frank Barr, the SP2 liaison in the Office of Gift Planning answers a question about gift planning.

Question: Due to the faltering economy, I see my retirement portfolio dwindling right before my eyes. I rely heavily on my portfolio for my needs, and am concerned about my retirement income. Is there a way that I can still give a planned gift that might leverage my future income?
Click here for the answer

Faculty News

Damon Freeman will chair a panel he organized on "Critical Race Theory and Social Work Education" at this month's Council on Social Work Education Annual Meeting. The panel includes three second-year MSW students, Saida Agostini, Amy Bastianelli, and Lauren Willner, and Professor TJ Ghose will offer comments. The panel is scheduled for Friday, October 31, 10:30am – 12:00 pm in Room 302 at the Philadelphia Marriott. All members of the SP2 community are welcome to come support the work of these students.

Alumni News

Geoffrey Greif, MSW’74, recently published Buddy System: Understanding Male Friendships with Oxford University Press (September 2008). In this book, Greif dispels the myth that men don’t have friends and in fact shows that male friendships lead to men leading longer and happier lives. For the full press release, click here.

Jed Johnson, MSW’85, recently was named the Director of the National Center on Senior Transportation (NCST). The Center is funded by the Federal Transit Administration and is a partnership between Easter Seals and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. As a technical assistance and training center, NCST’s mission is to increase transportation options for older adults and enhance their ability to live more independently within their communities throughout the United States. Penn alumni involved in either the aging network or transportation services arena are encouraged to contact the Center with questions: ncst@easterseals.com, 866-528-NCST (voice), or 202-347-7385 (TDD). Visit www.seniortransportation.net to learn more.

Henrika McCoy, MSW’93, completed her PhD at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis in August of 2008. She has joined the faculty at the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work as an Assistant Professor.

John Wenger, MSW’08, is the winner of the Pennsylvania Clinical Social Work Society's (PSCSW) Mary Montague Award for the clinical paper he wrote on the application of Cognitive Therapy with Homeless Veterans.  He will be recognized for the award at the PSCSW's annual dinner in November of 2008.

Upcoming Events

Homecoming 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
QuakerFest on the Green (College Green; rain location: Hutchinson Gymnamsium)
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Free
Join alumni from across the University at this annual Homecoming party on college green. This year’s party features a special address by President Amy Gutmann. Look for the Social Policy & Practice banner and table, and connect with fellow SP2 graduates. SP2 alumni are invited to a host of other activities on campus, including the Homecoming Football Game (Penn vs. Brown), Taste of Penn Celebration, the Gallery Hop, a discussion of Penn’s Eastward Expansion, and much more.

View the full Homecoming schedule and register for events.

Louis S. Carter Lecture
"Race Relations In the Post-Bush Era"  
Dr. Howard Stevenson
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Hall of Flags, Houston Hall (3417 Spruce Street)
6:00 p.m.
Dr. Howard Stevenson isan Associate Professor and Chair of the Applied Psychology and Human Development Division at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. This lecture honors the intellectual contributions of the functionalist School.
There will be a reception at 7:00 pm, following the conclusion of the lecture.

SP2 Chicago Cocktail Reception
The Standard Club
320 South Plymouth Court, Chicago, IL
Friday, November 14, 2008
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Network with fellow Chicago-area Social Work and Social Policy & Practice alumni, learn more about the School’s Centennial Celebration, and explore Penn’s exciting Clinical Doctorate in Social Work (DSW), an innovative new program offering MSW-level practitioners the opportunity to complete their course work and dissertation in three years, without career interruption.


Save the Date
Alumni Weekend and Reunion 2009
May 14 – 15, 2009

Upcoming Events at the University and in the Community

Penn Museum: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
Below are select upcoming events at the Penn Museum. For more information on the Museum’s lectures and other events, visit www.museum.upenn.edu.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008
5:00 p.m.
Penn Humanities Forum Lecture:
Language Change in America: A Modern Reflex of Yankee Cultural Imperialism
William Labov, Professor of Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania, and author. Free. Pre-registration is required.

Thursday, October 16, 2008
6:00 p.m.
Young Friend Event: CSI: Museum
What better way to celebrate Halloween than with tales of mysterious murders and creepy crime scenes? Join the Young Friends of Penn Museum to learn about how forensic anthropology is used to solve spine-chilling criminal cases. Dr. Janet Monge, Co-Curator of Surviving: The Body of Evidence and Curator-in-Charge of the Museum’s Physical Anthropology Section, joins with other professionals in the field to discuss everything from facial reconstruction to bone analysis. Mingle with other young friends after the program. Cash bar. $10 general admission; $5 Penn Museum members.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008
5:00 p.m.
Penn Humanities Forum Lecture:
Deep Ancestry: The Genographic Project
Dr. Spencer Wells, Director of National Geographic’s Genographic Project, recently named a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, shares his latest discoveries, and outlines the next steps for the ambitious Genographic Project, an initiative to collect and analyze over 100,000  DNA samples from indigenous populations worldwide.

Penn Alumni Diversity Alliance Speakers Series
The Penn Alumni Diversity Alliance Speaker Series is designed to expose the Penn community to the rich and varied accomplishments of our graduates. Alumni representing one or more of the Diversity Alliance member organizations will return to campus to speak about their areas of professional expertise and their personal experiences. Alumni, students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend. For more information about this speakers series or to RSVP for these events, go to the Penn Alumni Diversity Alliance Speakers Series.

Friday, September 19, 2008
6:00-7:00 p.m.
Annenberg School for Communication
From Spike TV To P&G: Marketing And Communications In The 21st Century
David Gleason Ph.D., W’90, ASC’95, GR’99
Senior Vice President, Strategy Director, Publicis New York
With so much competition for the public's attention, how can any company break through the noise to communicate a meaningful, memorable message?

Wednesday, October 22, 2008
6:00-7:00 p.m.
University of Pennsylvania, location TBA
Fighting Crime Together: Government and Community Partnerships
Christopher B. Sample, WEV’03
Director of Community and Governmental Relations, Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office
What is the role of government in crime prevention? To what extent can — and should — leaders in the criminal justice system balance their roles as investigators and prosecutors with their opportunities to intervene with at-risk community members.

Friday, November 14, 2008
5:30-6:30pm
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Fine Art and the City: Educating New Audiences
Esperanza Altamar, GRA’00
Manager of Community Programs, Division of Education, Philadelphia Museum of Art
When was your last visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art? Take advantage of this opportunity to get an insider's view of one of the city's true treasures.

Social Work Conference: Spirituality in Working with Families and Children: Promoting a Strengths-Based Research Agenda
Brigham Young University
Provo, Utah
November 6 – 7, 2008
More information: www.spirituality.byu.edu

Editor's Note

We are always seeking to better serve our alumni and offer a more convenient way to share news with the Social Policy & Practice community. Penn Matters Online offers a way to highlight happenings and information in a timely manner. It acts as a supplement to the printed Penn Matters , which will still be mailed to you every September. We welcome your feedback and suggestions about Penn Matters and Penn Matters Online. Please email Alumni Relations with questions, comments, feedback, and suggestions. 

Penn Matters Online is created using Cascading Style Sheets according to W3C web standards for compliance and accessibility. It is accessible for Braille, aural, and handheld readers, and the layout is fully resizable through your Internet browser preferences. For your convenience when printing, all images will be omitted and the text will be set to a 12 point Arial font. Please contact Lizza Robb with any questions or suggestions.

Emily M. Brueckner, MSW’05
Editor, Penn Matters

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