myHR: March 2, 2023

2023 Models of Excellence Honorees

For nearly a quarter century, Penn’s Models of Excellence program has recognized outstanding staff contributions to the University’s mission as a global leader in education, research, and public service. This year, four teams and 11 individuals were chosen from a pool of over 200 nominees from schools and centers across the University to receive 2023 Models of Excellence honors. These 85 staff members represent the best of Penn.

On April 26, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., the University will celebrate the Models of Excellence honorees at a live event open to the Penn community for the first time since 2019. At this celebration, President Liz Magill will join Senior Vice President of Human Resources Jack Heuer, Senior Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli, and Interim Provost Beth Winkelstein to present Models of Excellence Awards on the Irvine Auditorium stage. This program will be immediately followed by a reception in the Irvine lobby at 5 p.m.

Honors are presented in three award categories: Models of Excellence, Pillars of Excellence, and Model Supervisor.

Each Models of Excellence, Pillars of Excellence, and Model Supervisor award-winning staff member will receive $500 and a symbolic award. Staff members who have earned Honorable Mentions will receive $250 and a symbolic award.

The 2023 honorees are listed below. To learn about their amazing work, you can also download a complete list of honorees.

2023 Models of Excellence Honorees

Models of Excellence

The Models of Excellence Award recognizes staff member accomplishments that reflect initiative, leadership, increased efficiency, and a deep commitment to service.

2023 Models of Excellence Awards will go to:

The Admissions Visitor Center Team

Brian Bayes, Perelman School of Medicine

Krista L. Cortes, Student Services

Division of Finance Racial Justice and Inclusivity Working Group

Hoag Levins, Wharton School

Safiya Shabazz-Evans, Perelman School of Medicine

The Accommodated Testing Center Team and the Eating Concerns Team have earned Models of Excellence Honorable Mentions.

Learn more about their team and individual efforts at the Models of Excellence page.

Pillars of Excellence

The Pillars of Excellence Award recognizes the important support Penn’s weekly-paid staff members provide to promote the University’s mission.

2023 Pillars of Excellence Awards will go to:

Samantha Fromm, School of Veterinary Medicine

Rebecca Tamayo, Student Services

Pillars of Excellence Honorable Mentions go to Lauren Swain, Student Services and Shennell Tyana Tyndell, Residential and Hospitality Services.

Learn more about these honorees’ work at the Pillars of Excellence page.

Model Supervisors

The Model Supervisor Award honors supervisors who are effective and productive leaders for the University.

This year, Model Supervisor Awards will be presented to three staff members:

Sheila Pierson, Perelman School of Medicine

Charles Rejonis, Wharton School

Sage Rush-Goebel, Perelman School of Medicine

Learn more about these leaders at the Model Supervisor page.

Register for the April 26 Ceremony

Register today for the 2023 awards celebration and the following reception. More event details will be available at the Models of Excellence website.

A Focus on Fitness

In order to get fit you have to move. Whether you choose to take regular walks in the park, go for a run, or take a yoga class, participating in physical activities of your choice will help improve your health and fitness levels. Are you looking for ways to spring into shape and have some fun along the way? These Penn activities are sure to get you moving and feeling great.

European Expedition Penn Challenge

Be in the Know participants can embark on a virtual global journey to some of Europe’s most magnificent cities in this teams-based steps challenge that will move your feet and enhance your desire to travel. From Berlin to Bucharest, you will see the sights and discover local foods. In teams of up to five members, you add up steps. As you progress through the challenge, you unlock each exciting destination and learn what Europe has to offer. If you unlock all the stages before the challenge ends, keep walking because another team could still pass you on the Challenge Leaderboard.

This two-week challenge starts Monday, March 13 and runs through Sunday, March 26. Registration will open March 6. You must be enrolled on Penn’s Virgin Pulse platform to participate. Anyone who is enrolled on the platform will receive invitational emails with the challenge rules and a link to join. You can also join the challenge by visiting the Virgin Pulse platform.

For more information about the Be in the Know 2022-2023 campaign year, visit the Be in the Know website.

Monthly Wellness Walk

Join your colleagues for a two-mile walk inside the Palestra to increase your physical activity and steps. The walk will be held March 16 and participants will meet at 11 a.m. at the Palestra, 223 S. 33^rd Street. Staff from Penn Center for Public Health will lead the walk. Register today and join the fun. Be sure to wear your sneakers or comfortable shoes, bring water, and invite a coworker. We also invite you to wear green in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. 

Free Group Fitness Classes

Take advantage of these free group fitness class opportunities, provided by HR’s partners in Campus Recreation. No recreation membership is required, so take a mental and physical break to connect with your colleagues and get moving!

• Human Resources/Campus Recreation Fitness Classes (registration required): Learn a variety of movements that you can do right at your desk in a virtual Deskercize workshop. Want to enjoy an in-person class? Get a fantastic workout at an in-person Spin Class. Use Gentle Yoga to loosen tightened muscles and joints while you get a workout in the process. Register for any of these fitness activities sponsored by HR in partnership with Campus Recreation.
  
• Spring Break Fitness Classes (registration not required): Staff and faculty can stay active Spring Break week with these in-person fitness activities provided by Campus Recreation. All activities will be held at Pottruck Health and Fitness Center, 3701 Walnut Street in the rooms and studios noted below. All activities are first come, first serve so no registration is required. 

Campus Cup

The annual Penn Relays Campus Cup is a series of events where faculty and staff from different schools and centers form teams to compete for points by participating in games and sporting events. The team with the most points at the finish is crowned Campus Cup champion. Teams can also win prizes in each of the events including apparel, Penn Relays tickets, and more. Join the fun by cheering on teams in the Dodgeball tournament on March 9 at 5:15 p.m. at the Rockwell Gymnasium and Class of 78 & 79 Atrium. The Campus Cup Relay will be held on April 20 at 5 p.m. on Franklin Field, 233 South 33rd Street. Activities in the Relay include:

• 4 x 100 relay
• Softball throw
• Tug-of-war
• Potato sack race
• Three-legged race
  

Sign up today for the Campus Cup and exercise some healthy competition with your coworkers. For more information visit the Penn Campus Recreation website. 

Become an Indispensable Superstar

With new technology and constant changes in the workplace, getting things done on the job is more complex than ever. Yet there are many superstars employed at Penn. These workplace superheroes perform with a mindset that drives them to think and act differently, go above and beyond expectations, and deliver under pressure. The University depends on them to maintain its high standards. Learn how to become an outstanding staff member by attending the April 4 How to Make Yourself Indispensable virtual workshop from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

“When an employee is truly indispensable, it is perceived that their department’s productivity could suffer from that employee’s absence. Being indispensable can also your improve morale because you know that you’re valuable to your organization,” says Training and Development Consultant, Sam Sonet.

Sonet, the workshop’s facilitator, will lead participants through a series of activities that illustrate the following indispensable employee traits:

• Taking ownership of your responsibilities. Think of your current role and consider how you can use the characteristics and behaviors of an effective business owner to do your job well. For example, owners solve problems. Don’t wait for your manager to solve your problem. Address root causes, research solutions, assess the options, and then present the best choices to your manager.
• Going above and beyond. Expand your sphere of influence by working with new connections in other departments or looking for processes that can be improved even if they’re going well. Take initiative by taking on a project that stretches you and do it anyway. Come up with an out-of-the box idea that could bring value to the organization.
• Performing well under pressure. Keep calm by accepting and coping with your stress so that you can focus on a desired outcome. Also, perform triage to help determine the most critical issues and a plan of action, which may include delegating or requesting assistance.
• Adapting to changing circumstances. Change is hard but flexing your intellectual muscle can make it easier. Increase your adaptability by doing at least one new or different thing each week or talking with people with opinions different from yours.
• Being a team player. Be someone others want to work with. Be pleasant, positive and reliable. Help others perform better by using “power messages” that include words of encouragement, questions to prompt thinking, and calls to action.
• Sharing knowledge. We usually think of being irreplaceable as a positive quality, but irreplaceable employees are locked into a role because they hoard their knowledge, becoming the only ones who can do their job. “As an indispensable employee, empower and show others how you do certain things so that one day they can do those duties and you can work on growing a new skill or focus on work-life balance,” says Sonet.

Register today for the How to Make Yourself Indispensable workshop and set yourself up for success in whatever role you take on.

For more professional development programs, visit the Learn & Grow section of the Human Resources website.

New Family Backup Care on the Horizon

This spring, Penn entered a new a partnership with Bright Horizons to offer enhanced family support services and resources to help manage your many work, life, and family responsibilities. The University continues to offer backup care benefits to eligible faculty and staff in need of caregiving support for children, elders, and other adults. Care services are also available in the event you need self-care assistance.

By partnering with Bright Horizons, Penn has enhanced these backup care benefits and now offers additional services with more flexibility. Penn’s new Bright Horizons services replace the Care.com services which will expire on March 31.

To register with Bright Horizons, call 877-BH-CARES (242-2737) or go to Penn’s easy-to-use Bright Horizons Portal and enter your PennKey number, first, and last name to create your Penn Bright Horizons account.  Reservations can be made up to 60 days in advance.

Here are the key features of this new partnership:

• Preferential enrollment and waived registration fees at Bright Horizons Childcare Centers and discounted tuition at network centers including Kindercare Centers.
• Portability of backup care bank (10 days per fiscal year) to use for tutoring for the whole family and virtual camp activities for dependents ages 3-12, and for adults and elder loved ones.
• Convenient back-up childcare at home and in centers including Bright Horizons centers.
• Waived membership fees ($150 value) for Sittercity’s database of sitters, nannies, pet sitters, and housekeepers.
• Discount on personalized nanny placement service, plus before- and after-school programs.
• Access to Years Ahead, which provides an online needs assessment for elder family members, access to elder care resources, and guidance in finding senior care providers.
• Ongoing, personalized guidance from an experienced Care Coach for adults (typically age 60 and over).

Learn more at the Caring for Your Family and Self webpage on the HR website. For details about Bright Horizons and other Penn caregiving resources, register for one of these upcoming virtual Overview of New Childcare and Adult Care Benefit seminars at the links below.

March 21, 12 p.m.

March 29, 9 a.m.

April 11, 5 p.m.

More Bright Horizons seminars will be held throughout the spring, along with other workshops for faculty and staff caregivers.

Take the Penn Commuter Survey

Penn Faculty and Staff are invited to share their thoughts and opinions on commuting to the University through a new  Penn Commuter Survey. Your input will help inform future University programs and policies for biking, driving, long-distance travel, and public transit. The survey takes around 10 minutes to complete.

The Penn Commuter Survey is being conducted by PennPraxis on behalf of the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee (ESAC) Transportation Subcommittee, with support from Facilities and Real Estate Services, Business Services, and Human Resources. Information obtained in this study will be used only for research purposes and in ways that will not reveal your identity.

If you have questions about the survey, contact Penn Sustainability at sustainability@upenn.edu.

For general transit information and commuter services, visit the Penn Transit and Parking website. 

Healthy Meals: Muffin-Tin Omelets with Feta & Peppers

This recipe from Eating Well provides a quick and savory breakfast inspired by Greek delicacies. Mix the batter the night before and have it ready to make in the morning. These egg bites are gluten-free, soy-free, and hearty in omega-3 to keep your body happy and healthy.

Click here to send us your healthy recipes and tips.

Ingredients:

• cooking spray 
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
• ¾ cup diced onion 
• ¼ teaspoon salt (or less), divided
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
• 8 large eggs 
• ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ½ cup low-fat milk
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
• ¼ cup sliced Kalamata olives 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Liberally coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and 1/8 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and oregano; cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender and starting to brown, 4 to 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
3. Whisk eggs, feta, milk, pepper and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Stir in spinach, olives and the vegetable mixture. Divide among the prepared muffin cups.
4. Bake until firm to the touch, about 25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before removing from the tin.

Meet With a Registered Dietitian Today!

• One-on-One, virtual sessions you can schedule at any time that works for you 
• 100% covered under many insurance plans
• Available to spouses and dependents 
• Fill out the Nutrition Counseling Sign Up Form or call 800-484-7720.

Did You Know: Free Campus Recreation Spring Break Classes

This Spring Break, Penn Campus Recreation is offering 16 different classes just for faculty and staff members to try March 6 through March 10. No membership or registration is required. You can take Pilates, Circuit, Spin, Aqua Fitness, Vinyasa Yoga, Gentle Yoga, Mat Pilates Core, or Zumba. Space in each class is available first come, first serve. Present your valid PennCard when you check in at Pottruck Health and Fitness Center. See the online schedule for times and room locations.