Police get governor’s award for car safety campaign

A Silver Buckle Governor’s Highway Safety Award from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation goes to the Penn Police Department for its dedication to reducing traffic crashes and its promotion of the use of seat belts and child safety seats. Last year the department became the first university police force in the commonwealth to be accepted into PennDOT’s Buckle-Up PA grant program. By posting buckle-up reminder signs in University parking lots, conducting waves of seatbelt enforcement stops, and issuing buckle-up messages on Penn employee pay stubs, the department was able to increase seatbelt use.

The International Downtown Association has awarded the University City District Board of Directors a 2002 Downtown Achievement Award for Downtown Leadership. Through 100 percent voluntary funding from Penn, Drexel, and other sources, the district has improved streetscapes and parks, removed trash and graffiti, provided technical assistance to home and business owners and increased public safety.

Penn’s Rena Rowan Breast Cancer Center is a recipient of CIGNA’s Pink Ribbon Award, which recognizes community groups that make a difference in the lives of Philadelphia-area women. A full-service outpatient breast health facility, the center focuses on all aspects of breast health, from cancer prevention to the diagnosis and treatment of all stages of breast cancer.

Einstein Award to Janzen

Daniel Janzen, a pioneer in tropical biology, is being honored with the World Cultural Council’s 2002 Albert Einstein World Award of Science for his contributions in the biological and environmental sciences. The professor of biology is known especially for his conservation work in the tropical rain forests of Costa Rica and is a world-recognized expert in animal-plant interactions, restoration ecology and biodiversity management.

Academy honors

Stuart W. Churchill, Carl V. S. Patterson Professor Emeritus of Chemical Engineering, has received the 2002 Founders Award from the National Academy of Engineering. Churchill is being honored for his lifelong contributions in combustion, heat transfer and fluid dynamics. His work has led to improvements in nuclear safety and the safe handling of liquefied natural gas. Among Churchill’s many inventions is a heat exchanger/catalytic reactor that incinerates cigarette smoke, toxic compounds and microorganisms lurking in homes and workplaces.

Susan H. Furhrman, dean of the Graduate School of Education, has been elected to the National Academy of Education for her outstanding contributions to the field of education. Membership in the academy is limited to 150 regular members. Fuhrman, who came to Penn as dean in 1995, is the founder and director of the Consortium for Policy Research in Education, a collaboration involving five universities. Her research interests include state policy design, accountability, deregulation and intergovernmental relationships.