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Running Wild

For Slate, Stephen Lurie covers what’s known as Dawn to Dusk to Dawn, an ultramarathon in which participants run as many laps as they can around a 400 meter track in 24 hours. “D3,” as it’s known, takes place in Pennsylvania and is one of the oldest 24-hour races in the world. This past May, it attracted 36 participants aged 16-82.

Most people do not run. Most people who run do not run long distances. Most people who run long distances do not run extremely long distances. And most people who run extremely long distances do not decide to do so on a 400-meter track for 24 hours straight. But this year, at least 36 people did, enough to fill the high school track field in Sharon Hills where D3 was held in mid-May.

When Parliament-Funkadelic took a wrong turn and ended up on 'Night of the Living Dead' set

This is a wild story! So, in the late sixties, George Clinton and his Parliament-Funkadelic crew were tripping balls on LSD on their way to a gig in Pittsburgh. Billy Bates, one of the founders, thought he'd be clever and take a shortcut, driving right past a barricade. — Read the rest

Real estate listing glosses over cemetery in the backyard

They say it's all about "location, location, location" when it comes to real estate.

In this dead quiet Philadelphia home, a viral video tour briefly revealed a surprising twist in its location: a cemetery in the backyard.

Back deck view wild as shit 😂 pic.twitter.com/jHAxek8iDG

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In Memoriam: Randall Robinson, 1941-2023

By: Editor

Randall Robinson, a lawyer, civil rights activist, and educator died from aspiration pneumonia on March 23 in Basseterre, St. Kitts, where he had lived for the past two decades. Robinson was 81 years old.

A native of Richmond, Virginia, Robinson attended what is now Norfolk State University but left to join the U.S. Army. After military service, Robinson earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology at Virginia Union University. He held a juris doctorate from Harvard Law School. At Harvard, it was the first time Robinson had ever sat in a classroom with White students.

After law school, Robinson worked as a legislative aide on Capitol Hill. In 1977, he established the TransAfrica Forum. According to the group’s website, TransAfrica is a “research, educational and organizing institution for the African-American community, offering constructive analysis concerning U.S. policy as it affects Africa and the African Diaspora in the Caribbean and Latin America.” While leading TransAfrica, Robinson became one of the strongest voices in the United States against South African apartheid. In 1994, Robinson went on a 27-day hunger strike to protest U.S. policy toward Haiti.

Robinson worked at Penn State jointly as a professor of law at the University Park campus and as a professor at the Penn State School of International Affairs from 2008 to 2016. He was the author of seven books including Defending the Spirit: A Black Life in America (Dutton, 1998). In the book, Robinson stated “I am obsessively Black. Race is an overarching aspect of my identity. America has made me that way.”

“Randall Robinson was an intellectual giant,” said Victor Romero, a professor of law at Penn State. “His pathbreaking work in the area of international human rights and social justice, especially regarding the history and condition of Africans and African-Americans, was particularly influential and still resonates today.”

Colleges Have Been a Small-Town Lifeline. What Happens as They Shrink?

Declining student enrollment is hitting the rural areas that rely on universities. They’re trying to adapt to survive.

Colleges Have Been a Small-Town Lifeline. What Happens as They Shrink?

Declining student enrollment is hitting the rural areas that rely on universities. They’re trying to adapt to survive.

Clarion University in Pennsylvania, now part of PennWest. Its student body has dwindled by nearly half since 2009.

UPenn Accuses a Professor of Racist Statements. Should She Be Fired?

Amy Wax and free speech groups say the university is trampling on her academic freedom. Students ask whether her speech deserves to be protected.

The University of Pennsylvania law school has been roiled by the statements of a law professor.

Penn State’s Denise Okafor Wins the Mason Award for Women in the Chemical Sciences

By: Editor

C. Denise Okafor, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and of chemistry at Pennsylvania State University has been selected as a recipient of the 2023 Marion Milligan Mason Award for Women in the Chemical Sciences from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The Mason Award commemorates the late chemist Marion Tuttle Milligan Mason, who wanted to support the advancement of women in the chemical sciences. The Mason Award is a highly competitive award that attracts applications from the very best early-career female chemists across the country. First awarded in 2015, the Mason Award has funded the research of 18 scientists who represent a diverse range of specialties within the chemical sciences.

Dr. Okafor’s research combines computational and experimental investigations to develop a fundamental understanding of how protein function is regulated. She investigates the structural mechanisms of signaling and regulation in protein complexes and uses simulations to determine how conformational dynamics of proteins are altered in different functional states.

Prior to joining the faculty at Penn State in 2020, Dr. Okafor was a postdoctoral researcher at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta from 2015 to 2019.

Dr. Okafor earned a bachelor’s degree in biomedical chemistry at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She holds a master’s degree in chemistry and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Paul Watson II Is the Seventh President of Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, Michigan

By: Editor

Paul Watson II has been named the seventh president of Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, Michigan. He has been serving as interim president since last April. Before being named interim president, Dr. Watson had been vice president for instruction at the community college since 2019.

Kellogg Community College enrolls nearly 3,500 students, according to the most recent statistics available from the U.S. Department of Education. African Americans are 7 percent of the student body and women are 72 percent of all students.

Before coming to Kellogg Community College, Dr. Watson served as director, assistant dean, and dean at the Pennsylvania College of Technology from 2011-2018. Earlier in his career, he was an assistant professor of mathematics at Houghton College in Houghton, New York.

Dr. Watson is a graduate of Houghton College, where he majored in mathematics. He holds a master’s degree in mathematics from Syracuse University and a master’s degree in teaching and curriculum from the University of Rochester in New York. Dr. Watson holds a doctorate in educational leadership and management from Drexel University in Philadelphia.

University of Pennsylvania-Led Study Finds Racism in Emergency Room Care

By: Editor

A new study led by fellows at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania used text messaged-based surveys to assess patient emergency department experience, including the impact of race. The surveys found that one of every 10 Black patients at emergency rooms believed that their race impacted the quality of care that they received.

Black patients reported that race most heavily affected the quality of care, respect, and communication. More than a quarter of Black patients reported race highly impacting being treated with respect and 22.4 percent reported a high impact on quality of service.

Anish Agarwal, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the lead author of the study notes that “Inequity — specifically across race — has led to significant disparities in patient care and outcomes that persist in health care. We need to find ways to measure experiences of racism and address it. Dismantling structural racism across society, and within health care, requires specific attention. We currently do not have ways to directly address or even investigate this critical aspect of health care. Our study shines light on the nuanced challenges of asking necessary, direct questions related to racism using patient-experience surveys.”

The full study, “Assessing Experiences of Racism among Black and White Patients in the Emergency Department,” was published on the website of the Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians. It may be accessed here.

Democrats flipped the Pennsylvania House this week — here's why that matters

A Democratic majority in Harrisburg is about more than one party in one state — it's a sign of real progress

John L. Jackson Jr. to Be the 31st Provost at the University of Pennsylvania

By: Editor

John L. Jackson Jr. has been chosen to be the next provost at the University of Pennsylvania, effective June 1. He will be the 31st individual to serve as provost at the university.

“I could not be more honored and genuinely humbled to be asked to serve in this important post,” Dr. Jackson said. “I look forward to working closely with President Magill and the entire Penn community as we navigate the challenges and opportunities of today and prepare, together, for the ones that will emerge tomorrow.”

Dr. Jackson is currently the Walter H. Annenberg Dean of the Annenberg School for Communication and the Richard Perry University Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He was previously dean of the School of Social Policy & Practice and senior advisor to the provost on diversity at the university. Professor Jackson joined the faculty at the university in 2006 after erving as an assistant professor of cultural anthropology at Duke University.

An urban researcher, media ethnographer, anthropologist of religion, and theorist of race/ethnicity, Dr. Jackson’s work explores how film and other nontraditional formats can be effectively used in scholarly research projects. He is the author or co-author of several books including Thin Description: Ethnography and the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem (Harvard University Press, 2013), Racial Paranoia: The Unintended Consequences of Political Correctness (Basic Civitas, 2008), and Real Black: Adventures in Racial Sincerity (University of Chicago Press, 2005).

Dr. Jackson is a summa cum laude graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he majored in communication He holds two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in anthropology from Columbia University in New York City.

Georj Lewis Is the New President of Clayton State University in Georgia

By: Editor

The board of regents of the University System of Georgia has appointed Georj Lewis as president of Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia. Since 2019, Dr. Clayton has been president of Atlanta Metropolitan State College (AMSC).

“Clayton State University helps metro Atlanta thrive with top-ranked programs including nursing and by being the best support for students as they improve social mobility and advance their dreams and careers,” Dr. Lewis said. “It’s an honor to join with Laker Nation’s faculty and staff to help cement its reputation as one of the best state universities in Georgia. I’m also incredibly grateful for the students, faculty, and staff of AMSC. It’s been an honor to be a part of their journey toward success.”

Clayton State University enrolls just over 6,000 undergraduate students and nearly 700 graduate students, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education. Women are 72 percent and Blacks are 64 percent of the undergraduate student body.

Prior to being named president of Atlanta Metropolitan State College, Dr. Lewis was vice president of student affairs at Georgia Southern University. Earlier, he was vice chancellor for student affairs at Indiana University Northwest and vice president for student affairs at Armstrong State University which was merged into Georgia Southern University.

Dr. Lewis holds a bachelor’s degree in business and accounting and a master’s degree in counseling/student personnel, both from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. He earned a doctorate in educational leadership from Georgia Southern University.

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Names Corey King as Its Next Chancellor

By: Editor

Corey A. King has been named the eighteenth chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, which has campus locations in Whitewater and Rock County. He will begin his new duties on March 1.

“I am excited to join the faculty, staff, students, and broader community as we continue to advance UW-Whitewater’s mission of being a ‘preeminent academic institution driven by the pursuit of knowledge, powered by a spirit of innovation, and focused on transforming lives,’” Dr. King said. “The university’s demonstrated commitment to student success and excellent educational experiences will continue to be our driving force.”

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater enrolls nearly 10,000 undergraduate students and about 1,700 graduate students, according to the most recent U.S. Department of Education statistics. African Americans make up just 4 percent of the student body.

Dr. King has been serving as vice chancellor for inclusivity and student affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Prior to his role in Green Bay, he was vice president for enrollment management and student financial services at Bethune- Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Earlier, he was vice president for student affairs and enrollment management at Florida Atlantic University.

Dr. King earned a bachelor’s degree in curriculum and instruction and a master’s degree in higher education administration/student affairs from Florida State University. He holds a doctorate in educational administration and leadership from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

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