Message from the Dean
Welcome to the first issue of Sociolog online! Dr. Amy Gutmann, President, challenged the Penn community; through access, integration, and engagement, to move itself from “excellence to eminence.” In keeping with this charge, our School has launched its own, ongoing pilgrimage.
The MSW is our flagship degree and we still offer exceptional social work education. In order to provide more options for career opportunities inthe social service and social policy arenas, we have also expanded the depth and breadth of our programs. Last September we welcomed the first cohort of a one-year, Masters Program in Nonprofit/ Non-governmental Leadership. In September 2006, we will launch a two-year, Master in Social Policy degree.
With every new development, our alumni, faculty, and staff have had to stretch and grow. Though change is never easy, we optimistically look forward to a future ripe in potential that will catapult the School from excellence to eminence.
You can be a part of this wonderful journey. By now you should have received a super packet of information about upcoming alumni relations activities. I encourage you to participate in as many of them as you can. We are committed to enhancing alumni relations and to further engaging and reconnecting you with the School.
Additionally, in 2008 we will celebrate 100 years of Social Work education at Penn! Our distinguished alumni are leaders in fields such as child welfare, mental health, juvenile justice, school social work, health, domestic violence, community development, urban social policy, and advocacy for the disadvantaged. You administer agencies and departments, deliver expert clinical services, and help forge local, state, national, and international social policies, serving as our ambassadors across the globe. Thank you for the positive role that you have played in shaping our School.
Richard J. Gelles
Dean
Feature
Benjamin Franklin Leadership Symposium
On October 19, 2005, the School of Social Policy & Practice hosted the first annual Benjamin Franklin Leadership Symposium. Held at the Annenberg Center at the University of Pennsylvania, the Symposium brought together presidents, CEOs, and leaders of non-profits to discuss issues of leadership in these organizations.
Morning and afternoon panels explored the “challenges of leadership in uncertain times” and “educating the leaders of tomorrow,” moderated by Donald Deutsch, W’79, Chairman of Deutsch Inc., and SP² Dean Richard Gelles, respectively. Ronald Marks, Ph.D., Dean of Tulane School of Social Work, gave a first-hand account of the destruction of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans during the luncheon address.
[read more about the symposium]
Alumni in the Field
Eunice Miller, MSW
You might have known her as Eunice Miller when she was your classmate in the social work program or when she was on the Alumni Curriculum Committee with you, but now she is known as the “Plain Wrapper”- the host of a national radio show that is on the VoiceAmerica network.
The show is about Seduction and Function. It is about pioneering solutions for today’s sexual issues: the interplay of intimacy, sexuality, commitment and love. With her expert and celebrity guests, psychologists, social workers, authors, audience call ins, and emails, Eunice explores what is new and what works. Her guests say, “being on the show with Eunice is always fun.” Her listeners, who are multiplying as the word gets out, say, “I learn something every time and bring it back for dinner table discussion. Some of the topics are HOT so people pay attention to what I am reporting.”
[read more about Eunice Miller]
School News
The School of Social Policy & Practice is a vibrant community on Penn’s campus. On a daily basis, our faculty, staff, students, and alumni engage in research, discussions, social activities, mentoring, and professional development. Below are some of the most recent pieces of news from the SP² community.
Second Annual Adopt-A-Classroom Campaign
is Underway at SP²
Last year marked the beginning of a new tradition at the School of Social Policy & Practice: the Adopt-A-Classroom Campaign. Born out of recognition of the need to update the classrooms in the Caster Building, Adopt-A-Classroom gives reunion-year alumni the opportunity to come together in support of a special project at the School.
[read more about the campaign ]
The Center for Research on Youth & Social Policy
(CRYSP)
Completes Evaluation Pertaining to Child
Protective
Investigations
The Center for Research on Youth and Social Policy (CRYSP), one of the research centers at the School of Social Policy & Practice, seeks to have a major impact on the issues and systems facing vulnerable populations, particularly children. Within the last year, CRYSP completed an Evaluation of the Transfer of Responsibility for Child Protective Investigations to Law Enforcement Agencies in Florida, through Initial and Supplemental Studies. A background, in May 1998, the Florida legislature mandated the transfer of responsibility for child protective investigations in Manatee, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties from the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to the Sheriff’s Offices (SO) in those counties.
[read more about the evaluation]
Inaugural Lecture
of The Ortner – Unity Program on Family Violence
On Thursday, December 12, 2005, Evelyn Jacobs Ortner delivered the inaugural lecture of The Ortner-Unity Program on Family Violence. The lecture, which took place in Houston Hall at the University of Pennsylvania, is one of the five components on which the Ortner-Unity Program was founded.
[read more about the lecture ]
The Institute on American Racism and Social Justice
Hosts Luncheon
On November 14, 2005, The Institute on American Racism and Social Justice hosted a luncheon at the School of Social Policy & Practice’s research building at 3815 Walnut Street. Luncheon guests learned about the Institute’s founding, mission, and vision, while hearing from speakers about the Native American, Asian American, and African American perspectives. The Institute’s founders, SP2 professor Walter Palmer and Black Men at Penn president Chad Lassiter, MSW’01, see the day when it will be a worldwide resource on issues of racism.
[read more about the luncheon ]
Faculty Notes
Our full- and part-time faculty are leaders in research and practice. They are experts in fields such as gerontology, child welfare, family violence, international social work, homelessness, mental health and health. This section of our newsletter will keep you up to date on the most recent research accomplishments of the School of Social Policy & Practice faculty.
Joan K. Davitt, Ph.D., was chosen by The Gerontological Society of America as a 2005 John A. Hartford Foundation Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar. As one of the ten geriatric social work faculty members selected, Dr. Davitt will receive $100,000 in funding over the next two years.
[read more about Dr. Davitt ]
Richard J. Estes, DSW, was honored in New York City by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) for his several decades of work in helping to advance international social work and international social work education worldwide. The “Partner in International Social Work Education Award” was only the second time the CSWE made such an award.
[read more about Dr. Estes]
Gloria Gay, MSW, LSW, received the Chisolm Award in May 2005, from the Philadelphia Congress of the National Congress of Black Women. The award is presented in honor of the Late Honorable Shirley Chisholm, “a woman with the courage of her conviction, who was unbought and unbossed.
[read more about Ms. Gay ]
Femida Handy, Ph.D., presented a paper, “Nonprofit entrepreneurship: To profit or not to profit?” at the 4th International Conference on Entrepreneurship – “Exploring the Dynamics of Entrepreneurship” – September 8-9, 2005, in Stockholm, Sweden. Earlier this summer, in August, while carrying out research activities in India, she was invited to give a key note speech at a conference held by iVolunteer Forum in Pune, India, on the Role of Volunteers in NGOs.
[read more about Dr. Handy ]
Andrew Lamas, JD, was presented the CGS Distinguished Teaching Award by the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Arts and Sciences in May 2005. Professor Lamas is a part-time lecturer at the School of Social Policy & Practice, and his primary appointment is through the Urban Studies Department in the School of Arts and Sciences.
Walter Palmer, JD, received the MLK Community Education Award In Honor of Dr. Judith Rodin, for outstanding contributions to the advancement of education and educational opportunities in West Philadelphia. He received the award on January 18, 2006, at the eleventh annual Interfaith Commemoration of the Life of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The event took place in the University of Pennsylvania’s Bodek Lounge, in Houston Hall.
Phyllis Solomon, Ph.D., was presented the 2005 Knee/Wittman Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award on Saturday, October 22, by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Foundation. This award program was “established to recognize those who represent the values, ethics, and approaches exemplified by two dedicated Social Work Pioneers, Ruth Knee and Milton Wittman.”
[read more about Dr. Solomon ]
Irene Wong, Ph.D., was appointed External Examiner for the higher Diploma in Social Security Program, School of Professional and Continuing Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China (2005-2007). In May, 2005, she presented at a workshop on “Residential Alternatives for Adults with Mental Illness” at the System Integration for the Care of Adults with a Mental Illness Conference hosted by the Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research, University of Pennsylvania.
[read more about Dr. Wong ]
Alumni in the News
Wendy Mann Hornick, CW’73, SW’75, received the Alumni Award of Merit at the 71st Alumni Award of Merit Gala at World Cafe Live on November 4, 2005. The Alumni Award of Merit, the highest award presented by Penn Alumni, is given in recognition of outstanding service to the University of Pennsylvania. Read the remarks from the Gala.
[read more about Wendy Mann Hornick ]
Chad Lassiter, MSW’01, was recently quoted in the Philadelphia Tribune regarding his work and research on violence prevention in young black males. The article explored youth violence, and looked at the Blueprint for a Safer Philadelphia, a plan to end violence, which was introduced in 2004 by State Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Philadelphia.
[link to Philadelphia Tribune article]
Santo Daniel Marabella, DSW’91, was appointed chairman of the Department of Economics and Business at Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA.
[Read the full September 12, 2005 news release]
Future Leaders
MSW Students Paint Murals
for Penn Community Day
The students at the School of Social Policy & Practice are tomorrow’s leaders in the fields of social work, social welfare, and Nonprofit/NGO leadership. Outside of classes and field study, students are working for social change in a variety of ways. Each month, we showcase how they are already making significant contributions to the field.
On Saturday, October 29, 2005, MSW students from Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice helped paint two murals as part of Penn Community Day. The murals were designed to represent aspects of boththe community and nature. Rotating teams ofvolunteers took turns 
painting the murals that were located on the sides of two adjacentbuildings. Additionally, there was music, food, face painting, and books for community members and volunteers. Although the murals are part of a semester-long project, the MSW students were able to join in the effort for a day and make significant contributions through their painting and interactions with some of the community’s youngest members.
The project, which is ongoing, is run by the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program (MAP), and was started in 1984 as a component of the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network (PAGN). PAGN is a city-wide initiative to eradicate destructive graffiti and address neighborhood blight. As part of this effort, PAGN hired mural artist Jane Golden to reach out to graffiti writers and redirect their energies to mural-making. Currently, Jane Golden is a lecturer in the Fine Arts Department at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Design.
~ article by Jillian Jacobs, MSW candidate ’06 at Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice
Upcoming Events
Field Center Breakfast Meeting
Tuesday, February 21, 2006, 8:30 – 10:30am
Playing with Anger: Making Meaning of Aggression and Bonding with African American Boys
Join the Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice, and Research for their upcoming Breakfast Meeting, featuring Howard C. Stevenson, PhD, Director of the School, Community, and Clinical Child Psychology Program, at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.
Breakfast Meeting Details and Registration Information
Penn Connections
Thursday, March 16, 2006 5:30 – 8:30pm
Penn Connections brings alumni and students together for an evening of informal networking and mentoring. Join us for a light dinner, panel presentation, and a small group mentoring sessions. At the beginning of the evening, alumni will have the opportunity to network with each other and interact with other SP² graduates. The mentoring session will group alumni by broad areas of social work practice, and give first and second year students the opportunity to connect with alumni in those areas of practice.
Penn Connections online registration and event details
Alumni Weekend
Friday, May 12 – Sunday, May 14, 2006
Welcome back! Penn SP² and the University of Pennsylvania have planned an exciting Alumni Weekend and Reunion! Whether it has been five years or fifty years since you graduated, we hope you will join us for this important weekend. With a full schedule of events, there’s something for everyone:
Friday, May 12
8:30am-12:30pm: The Impact of Social Work Through the Decades
2:00pm-3:30pm: Improving Young Lives (Welcome by President Gutmann)
5:30-7pm: Reunion Reception at the Union League of Philadelphia
Saturday, May 13
Noon – 4pm: Alumni Weekend Picnic and Parade
In addition, there are many University events that are open to all alumni.
Alumni Weekend 2006 Details and Registration
Continuing Education
There is still time to register for the following Winter Continuing Education Seminars. For more information on each session, or to register, please visit our Continuing Education website.
February 21: Social Work Practice With Immigrants and Refugees
February 24: Do Well While Doing Good – How to Raise Funds for Your Nonprofit, Social Service Organization
March 3: Facing the Challenge of American Racism in the New Millennium
March 15: The Essentials of Supervision
March 17: Diverse Family Structures – Implications for Culturally Sensitive Practice
March 22 – 23: The Current Understanding of Addictive Diseases
March 24: Using Mindfulness Meditation to do Psychological Work
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. The Sociolog Online offers a way to highlight happenings and information in a timely manner. It acts as a supplement to the printed Sociolog, which will still be mailed to you every September. We welcome your feedback and suggestions about the Sociolog and Sociolog Online. Please email Alumni Relations with questions, comments, feedback, and suggestions.
The Sociolog 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, Sociolog and Sociolog Online