Sandy Smith

Peter Nowell, the Gaylord Harnwell Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, doesn't take himself too seriously. That casual attitude perhaps explains how he was able to do the research that last September won him the Lasker Award, American medicine's most prestigious honor.

So you've got this treasure trove of over 15,000 artifacts from the ancient lands of the Bible, the collected fruits of nearly 80 years of archaeological research. What to do with them?

The beauty of human bones is that when broken, they fix themselves. But sometimes bones deteriorate in such a way that they can't repair themselves effectively. Bone grafts are currently the preferred solution, but they pose problems of their own. A team of Penn researchers has come up with a better cure: artificial bone with a heart of glass.

How are Penn and other area institutions and businesses going to get the trained workers they need for the future? Anthony Blalock and Nicole Dilday are working on that matter.

Tom Henry (right) with one of his "commitments," Winford Hayes, a lab animal technician at Penn. Photo by Dwight Luckey

Way back when, a stream flowed through West Philadelphia, bisecting the growing middle- and upper-middle-class community.

Robert L. Barchi, M.D., Ph.D. (Gr'72, M'73), the David Mahoney Professor of Neurological Sciences, was named Penn's 27th Provost by President Judith Rodin on Dec. 4, effective Feb. 1. Robert L. Barchi

Of all the professions, none has been more strongly identified with women or stigmatized among men than nursing. And yet, there was a time and a place where male nurses were the rule, and nobody thought much of it.

The scholars and journalists who met at Penn Nov. 20 to discuss "African News Coverage in the U.S. Mass Media" all emphasized the need for reporters to dispel misconceptions by getting to know the countries and peoples of Africa on a personal level. But there was some difference of opinion on whether Africa's image would improve as a result.

Rich Wallace practices his moves for Bill McIntyre's Shooting Stars' 1999 Mummers Parade production. Photo by Mark Garvin