News Archives

“The Man Who Made Wall Street: Anthony J. Drexel and the Rise of Modern Finance”

248 pages, 26 black-and-white illustrations, $29.95 cloth It was the height of the Gilded Age and J. Pierpont Morgan controlled the fate of railroads, corporations and governments. The wealthy and influential were said to tremble before him, yet he deferred to one man: Anthony J. Drexel. Drexel — whose name is familiar today only through the university he founded and his recently canonized niece, Katharine — was the most influential financier of the 19th century.

Genghis Khan, father of democracy

New source

Users of temporary staff will see a change in how Penn fills their needs come January. That’s when Unique Advantage takes over as Penn’s official temporary staff provider. The minority- and women-owned firm will also run the Job Application Center at 3550 Market Street and screen candidates for full-time positions. According to Job Application Center Manager Donna Showell-Brown, recent changes in technology and the temporary help industry led the University to review its options. “We wanted to see what was out there that we didn’t have,” she said.

Protect yourself and prepare yourself

Worried about rape, nutrition or health care? Several programs and lectures from the University of Pennsylvania address these concerns. Rape defense The Penn Police Department is offering the Rape Aggresion Defense (RAD) program this fall. It provides women with practical defense techniques and realistic, hands-on training. These multi-session courses are open to women only and are free to faculty, staff and students of Penn.

Fall TV shows

The tube is once again buzzing with activity. With the onset of fall, we have a whole new range of shows to choose from. Some of these will soon rocket to popularity and some will simply nosedive into oblivion. Curious? Then read on and take your pick. After all, this is a time for discovery.

“Yell-oh Girls!” break the silence

Growing up, Olivia Chung (C’03) felt unattractive because her eyes lacked the fold which many Caucasians have. At school, kids teased her, calling her names like “ching-chong” while pulling their eyes upward. Reflecting back, Chung said she felt alone in dealing with these issues. She didn’t know that other Asian-American girls, like Alaina Wong (C’02), also shared her insecurities.

A day for family fun

Whether or not you’re a football fan, there’s plenty of fun for you and your family guaranteed at the ninth annual Penn Family Day, Saturday, Oct. 20, rain or shine. The event begins with a tailgate party at 11 a.m. in the Franklin Field north parking lot. The party includes a box lunch and features entertainment and activities for the entire family. Then, at noon, the Quaker football squad takes the field against Yale in Franklin Field. Faculty and staff can see the game for free, and their families and friends can get tickets for $2 each.

Dodson talks dinos

Peter Dodson can make scorpion bites, a desert of nothingness and a strict diet of rice and beans sound appealing. The first speaker in this year’s Provost’s Lecture Series, Dodson highlighted aspects of his career in a Sept. 24 talk titled “Pursuing Dinosaurs on Four Continents.” Created last year by Provost Robert L. Barchi, the lecture series showcases the work of Penn’s most senior faculty. Dodson, who announced to his parents at age 11 that he wanted to be a paleontologist, has conducted fieldwork in extreme circumstances.

Jim Dandy brings science to the rescue

In the eyes of society, the 14- to 17-year-old youth James R. Dandy works with are delinquents. But in the eyes of this science teacher, they are “mostly bright but just a little sidetracked.” But thanks to his experience assisting a Penn professor with research, Dandy is putting his students back on track. Dandy works at the Youth Study Center Detention School, a school that aims at reintroducing into mainstream society minors who have served time for past crimes. Over the years, he has strived to make science more interesting and appealing for his students.

Length of leave and benefits procedure change

Two changes in the military leave policy of the University, effective Sept. 24, reflect recent changes in the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. Human Resources tells us that some minor changes may be forthcoming as the Office of General Counsel continues its review of the policy. Longer leave The University grants five, not four as previously stated, years of leave without pay for faculty and regular staff members who are called to or volunteer for active military duty.