Lu Gan a member of the class of 2013 died July 30 after a long illness.

While at Penn Gan whom friends called Lucy danced in Penn Latin and Ballroom Dance and studied English literature and Japanese. Born in the Ganshu Province of China Gan lived in Beijing and was a member of the Chinese Student Association and the Wharton China Association.

College and Wharton sophomore Yucheng Xu met Gan on the first day of New Student Orientation last year. In an e-mail from China Xu described Gan as “polite nice outgoing and very elegant.”

Engineering and Wharton sophomore Jason Gui became acquainted with Gan “online months before coming to Penn because she was one of only 8 students admitted to Penn directly from China.”

He wrote in an e-mail that “she was a really sweet girl who was always smiling. Every time I think of her I recall her smile a smile so sweet that it really brightens up your day. She is always smiling a cheerful girl who brought joy to the people around her.”

According to friends Gan became sick in mid-March and was soon hospitalized. Gui wrote that Gan’s parents flew from China to Philadelphia and “stayed by her bedside for the entire four months she remained hospitalized.”

Gui added “We heard from her father that she did not cry once in front of her parents not even once over the four months she battled the disease. She always displayed courage strength and determination that truly inspired us.”

Xu said friends still do not know the exact cause of Gan’s death calling the news “very unexpected” because friends believed Gan’s condition was improving.

The Clarence Johnson Jr. Funeral Home in Yeadon Pa. where Gan’s memorial service was held was also not able to release a cause of death.

Gui who attended the funeral wrote in an e-mail that “her parents are terribly heartbroken at the loss as we all are. She has been cremated and will be taken back to China for burial.”

Xu explained that many of Gan’s friends live in China and were therefore unable to attend the funeral but the Wharton China Association will try to plan a memorial service when members return to campus. Gregory College House will be hosting a memorial in the fall.

Students seeking counseling can reach Counseling and Psychological Services at 215-898-7021.

Any person wishing to contribute comments or additional information should e-mail Daily Pennsylvanian Managing Editor Samantha Sharf at sharf@dailypennsylvanian.com.

Larry Jameson has been selected as executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania Health System and dean of the School of Medicine Penn President Amy Gutmann announced Thursday.

He will begin his term on July 1 2011. He will succeed Arthur Rubenstein who announced in March that he will step down in 2011.

Jameson is currently the vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.

Prior to joining Northwestern’s faculty in 1993 Jameson served as an associate professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Thyroid Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston

Jameson is an editor of Harrison’s Principle’s of Internal Medicine. He has authored hundreds of scientific articles studies and texts.

In addition to his academic accomplishments Jameson has built a “sterling track record” as a clinician — a characteristic which distinguishes him as an ideal match for Penn Med Gutmann said in a press release.

“He is across-the-board strong” Gutmann said. “He has a strong ethical compass and demonstrated leadership skills.”

Though records of the candidate search are not yet public Penn Provost Vince Price who chaired the search said the committee was charged with seeking national and international candidates and had “a large selection of outstanding nominees.”

In reviewing candidates Price added the committee looked for “someone who would give equal attention to the core missions of research education and clinical excellence as represented by Penn Med. Dr. Jameson comes to us with the kind of experience and track record that gave us the confidence that he would be able to do just that.”

Similarly Jameson said he was attracted to Penn Med for its focus on both research and clinical care.

“At Penn Med we can bring research to the bedside of patients in a very direct way” he said adding that Penn is unique in its opportunities for interdisciplinary research in particular.

“A lot of important discoveries sit between traditional disciplines” Jameson said. “I’m a strong proponent of trying to connect faculty in different domains because the opportunities to have breakthrough discoveries emerge from that.”

In his new role Jameson will be responsible for the oversight and management of Penn Med. University of Pennsylvania Health System CEO Ralph Muller will also report to Jameson.

“It is by far the biggest deanship at Penn” Gutmann said of the position.

Though Rubenstein is currently Penn’s highest-paid administrator Gutmann said Jameson will not inherit Rubenstein’s salary as each administrator’s pay is determine by a variety of factors including market value and experience.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees David Cohen said Jameson is an “outstanding hire for Penn Med and the University of Pennsylvania. I have no doubt that under his leadership the upward trajectory of Penn Med will continue and he will be an excellent successor to the outstanding leadership Arthur Rubenstein has provided over the last decade.”

Rubenstein said he was delighted about the decision: "Dr. Jameson is a wonderful choice. I couldn't have though of a better choice."

The Panhellenic Council is one step closer to adding an eighth sorority to campus next spring.

Out of 18 National Panhellenic Conference sororities not already at Penn 12 submitted packets to the Panhel extension committee and are currently under review according to Stacy Kraus Panhel advisor and associate director of programming at the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs. The committee will evaluate the packets and choose which sororities will be invited to make presentations on campus.

The number of 18 sororities not already on campus does not include Phi Sigma Sigma which closed its Penn chapter at the end of last academic year.

Kraus was unable to provide the list of sororities that submitted packets but explained that each member of the extension committee — made up of presidents and representatives from each Penn sorority — looks through all of the packets. Each committee member is also assigned one or two prospective sororities on which she must become an “expert” Kraus said.

At the committee’s meeting each member will lead the discussion on her assigned applicant.

“There is of course a lot of interest from groups to come to Penn” Kraus wrote adding that the level of enthusiasm is from Penn’s reputation of having an “outstanding” Greek community.

“Twelve groups submitting packets is great and offers the fraternal community a chance to make the best possible choice” she wrote.

According to Kraus the deadline for prospective groups to submit packets was Aug. 20. Presentations for selected groups will be held between Oct. 4-15 and will be open to both sorority-affiliated and -unaffiliated members of the community. Kraus said between three and five groups will be invited to campus to present.

The question of adding another sorority to campus was originally brought to Panhel’s attention in April 2009 following an increase in recruitment. Last September however the majority of sorority presidents voted against an extension.

The idea of extension was revived after sororities experienced a record eight-percent increase in rush registration this spring. Sororities saw an average increase of five women per new pledge class last semester.

The extension committee was formed in March with the aim of researching and evaluating relevant statistics regarding recruitment and voted to add the new sorority in April. In May the committee voted to add the new sorority to campus in 2011 rather than in 2012. The decision followed the announcement that Phi Sigma Sigma would close.

In May Kraus told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the new sorority will recruit women from all four classes. She said she anticipates that the sorority will seek an “even mix of freshmen sophomores and juniors.”

About 28 percent of undergraduates at Penn are involved in Greek life. As of this year OFSA advises 50 student groups encompassing the Interfraternity Council the Multicultural Greek Council and Panhel.

For the first time since 1995 the Penn field hockey team = will have new blood leading it on the sidelines after Val Cloud stepped down from the program at the conclusion of last season.

Philadelphia area native Colleen Quinn Fink will take over after a four-year stint at Haverford. Coach Fink sat down with The Daily Pennsylvanian to discuss her new position.

Daily Pennsylvanian: So tell us a little about yourself.

Colleen Quinn Fink: I’m from the area. I grew up in a suburb right outside of Philadelphia called Bala Cynwyd. [I] grew up in a coaching household. My father is the head track and field coach at St. Joe’s University in Philadelphia and he coached the men and women’s team — I think for over 40 years.

I kind of grew up in that environment of coaching and athletics. I was introduced to field hockey in middle school and then went on to play for four years at Merion Mercy Academy. And then I went on and played for four years at St. Joe’s University.

I’m pretty familiar with the local college field hockey scene Big 5 basketball obviously and all that kind of stuff.

DP: And how does Philly rate in the world of field hockey?

CQF: We’re pretty lucky. Pennsylvania — and obviously the East Coast in general — is such a hot bed for field hockey. So we’re in a really strong area for field hockey.

DP: What do you think of your newly inherited program?

CQF: In terms of pleasant surprises the girls are pretty much in the right mindset. They came in pretty fit ready to go [and] determined to try to chase down some of the goals they set out in the spring.

In terms of just specific players the two senior captains Laurel McGarvey and Annie Matthews [have] really stepped into a leadership role very nicely.

DP: And what were some of the players’ goals?

CQF: In the spring last year [the players] decided they wanted to either win in regulation or feel prepared enough that they can win in an overtime period.

I think that they’re serious about trying to transform some of those close or near losses into some wins and contending for an Ivy League championship. I think they are realistic about the fact that Princeton is a pretty powerful force in our conference but I think that they are open to trying to make a run at it.

And then the last goal of the three was to try to come out strong. They really would like to win their first three games. I guess historically in the last couple of years they haven’t been that successful in the beginning of the season and they had felt that kind of put them at a disadvantage.

DP: Speaking of disadvantages the team lost a strong senior class. How are you reacting to that?

CQF: I know they were probably leaders on the field but they were probably some of the biggest statistical leaders we’ve had. Now we’re faced with trying to foster experience in a practice setting for some of these kids stepping into roles.

We will probably have a handful of freshman starting this year and then even some of the upperclassmen — because we lost such a big talented class — they might not be as experienced as they could be. So in that way I definitely think it was a big loss.

I’m a big proponent of trying to avoid any excuse making. The minute we start using that as an excuse for why we can’t or why we shouldn’t I think the team will probably embrace that attitude as well. So we’re just looking forward we’re living in the moment and staying focused on the task that’s lying ahead of us.

The Penn women’s golf team added some new hardware last season — two pieces to be exact — but it doesn’t seem to be enough.

“We won two tournaments last year and I think we’re capable of winning more than that this year” said Penn coach Mark Anderson.

The Quakers — the reigning Ivy League and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) champions — had their best season ever in 2009-2010 (314-308-307 — 929 65) and are looking to build on this success going into the 2010 fall season.

“I’d love to leave the team with a good practice regimen and instill hard work as a good foundation” said sophomore Isabel Han. “Our overall goal is to practice hard work hard and win the Ivy League Championship again.”

It seems as though high achievement has become synonymous with women’s golf at Penn. In early August Han freshman Michelle Lee and recent graduate Meredith Kotowski participated in the U.S. Women’s Amateur the United States Golf Association’s (USGA) most prestigious event for women amateurs — quite an accomplishment for a small but expanding golf program.

“That was amazing” said Anderson. “It was so exciting to watch that tournament and to have three of our players in the field.”

Particularly of note was first team All-Ivy selection Han who was the only Quaker to advance to match play making her the first in Penn history to do so. In match play Han was partnered with the top seed Ohio State sophomore Rachel Rohanna and nearly caused an upset although she ultimately dropped the match 1-up in a hard-fought round.

“I had so much fun it was a huge confidence booster and definitely one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had” said Han. “I can’t wait to go again next year and actually win it.”

The team also has much to be excited about with its other players particularly the three freshmen recruits — ­Olivia Chang Michelle Lee and Rui Li — who all have had significant Junior Golf experience and may have the chance to “start right away.”

“I think they can make a huge impact” said Anderson. “I think we’re going to pick up right where we left off.”

Thus with continued high level of play the young Quakers squad — half of the team consists of sophomores and there are no seniors currently on the roster — hopes to continue its recent string of success.

“We’re a young team but that doesn’t mean we’re at a disadvantage” said Han. “I think that will be an advantage for us being such a young team and so good. We can only get better.”

If Han is correct it looks like there the grass will soon be much greener.

Last fall the volleyball team made quite a splash around the Penn community winning the Ivy League title and reaching the second round of the NCAA tournament for the first time in the program’s history.

One year later the Quakers are ready to capture the attention of the entire Philadelphia region — and fans won’t have to leave their couch to see the team in action.

The Quakers’ season opener on Sept. 3 against Temple will be broadcast around the Philadelphia region by the Comcast Network.

While cameras are a familiar presence — the team’s games are frequently webcast — being on television adds a whole new level of intensity.

“I think it heightens the excitement of our first home game for everyone involved” said head coach Kerry Carr.

The contest is billed as a major showcase game for the Big 5 Tournament which in its second year is already drawing attention to the area’s volleyball talent.

“Four of the five [member] schools have top Division I volleyball teams … they’re not just basketball schools” Carr said.

After beating Temple 3-2 last season en route to a perfect 3-0 record at the tournament the Red and Blue should have the upper hand if their attack performs up to its ability. According to Carr the team boosts “some great hitters that will absolutely put the ball on the floor.”

But having lost six seniors to graduation this season’s Quakers are a very different team from last year.

The team returns All-Ivy selections Megan Tryon Madison Wojciechowski and Lauren Martin and Carr will be adding several new faces to the mix.

Freshmen recruits Dani Shepherd Kristin Schoonover Kristen Etterbeek Brie Trotter Taylor Permenter and Susan Stuecheli all may see playing time early on in the season.

The team is still trying to find its stride and the players have dedicated extra time in the gym to be in peak physical condition as their slate gets under way.

“I think the girls are just most excited that it’s our first game and that it’s against Temple and that it’s on our home court and that we’ve been training so hard for it during preseason” Carr said.

Each incoming class at Penn is said to be better and brighter than its predecessors — this is once again true for the class of 2014.

Dean of Admissions Eric Furda confirmed the freshman class is “by objective measures the best class we’ve ever seen.” The acceptance rate for this class was an all-time low of 14.3 percent.

The average SAT score for the class of 2014 is 2152 — up slightly from 2147 last year — according to Furda.

“As good as every other class was this incoming class is even better” Penn President Amy Gutmann explained.

Furda highlighted the students’ multiculturalism and diversity.

According to Gutmann approximately 40 percent of the incoming class is of minority background and 11 percent of the class is international.

The class includes residents of all 50 states unlike the class of 2013 which did not have anyone from Alaska. The most represented state is Pennsylvania with 375 students in the class of 2014. Just over 300 come from New York 255 from New Jersey 214 from California and 115 from Massachusetts.

The class breakdown by school is consistent with previous years. Of the 2420 freshman 1460 are in the College 390 in Wharton 360 in the School of Engineering and Applied Science 90 in Nursing and 120 in coordinated programs Furda said.

Just over half — 51 percent — of the class is female.

Approximately 200 will be varsity athletes at Penn — a figure in line with previous classes.

According to Furda 316 of the freshman are descendants of Penn alumni.

But Furda explained no one of these figures can capture the essence of the class of 2014. The Admissions Office aims to combine accomplishment and promise not to choose the most selective or the most diverse class.

“The beauty of this is going to be the chemistry when they’re all together” he said.

“Don’t Let Me Go” could easily have been written as a plea from Penn to former student Josh Bennett who graduated from the University this spring.

At Penn Bennett performed with the spoken-word poetry project Excelano and had a substantial fan following. But this summer he transformed verse to lyric and performance to production writing and recording 14 hip-hop tracks in three months.

Bennett’s single “Don’t Let Me Go” was released online August 26 and quickly gained popularity. The track features fellow poet and musician AmJay Jimenez who met Bennett two years ago at New York City’s Urban Word summer program.

“We both found our voices there” Bennett explained. AmJay contributed vocals keyboard acoustic guitar electric guitar and bass single-handedly creating the instrumental foundation of the song.

“Don’t Let Me Go” will constitute the first track of the larger album the Cain Marko Mixtape. After many Gchat deliberations AmJay and Bennett decided on the name when they realized Marvel Comic’s Juggernaut was named Cain Marko. The literary connotations of the word were deciding factors for the two poets. A “juggernaut” technically is a force regarded as unstoppable.

“Once the Juggernaut starts moving it can’t be stopped just like I hope my music will be!” Bennett said. And placing first on Twitter charts is certainly a start.

But how does a poet find his way to hip hop? For Bennett the progression was natural.

“I was always a freestyling machine at Penn” Bennett said crediting his musical inspiration to B.o.B Electronica Drake and Kirk Franklin. He also cites Mos Def and Lupe Fiasco saying “those two made me unafraid to be lyrical.”

However the poetry-to-rap transformation was not entirely smooth. As Bennett pointed out “In hip hop what is considered your weakness is your strength in poetry: vulnerability.”

But when 2008 Penn graduate Nana Kwabena offered studio time and 2010 classmate RJ Ferguson signed on as producer Bennett rose to the challenge.

This fall Bennett will matriculate at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom on a Marshall Scholarship where he plans to earn a Masters degree in Theater Study. He will then pursue a PhD in English at Princeton University.

With the Cain Marko Mixtape scheduled to drop mid-September Bennett aims to reach more people: “I want to tell a beautiful story that people who may have never seen themselves in music before can see themselves in.”

The TD Bank branch at 3735 Walnut St. was robbed shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday according to the Division of Public Safety.

DPS spokeswoman Stef Cella said the suspect approached a teller with a note demanding money but did not display a weapon.

After receiving cash and coins from the teller the suspect then exited the bank heading east on Walnut Street.

According to Cella no Penn students were present and no one was injured.

Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said she could not say what was on the demand note or how much money was stolen but she emphasized that there was no threat made to the bank teller.

She described the suspect in the robbery as a six-foot-two-inch 230-pound black male in his late 20s to early 30s. The suspect was also described as having a “scraggly beard” and wearing a black shirt dark pants and a tan bucket hat with a Penn State University logo.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Bank Robbery Task Force has taken over the investigation according to Rush who added that the FBI cross-checks crimes nationwide to see if any previous cases match the description of Wednesday’s suspect.

Rush said that though Penn Police is always vigilantly patrolling the area its presence in and around campus banks will be enhanced in response to Wednesday’s incident.

“We are always at a heightened state of patrol. However we will do a little more for [TD Bank] and all other banks on campus” she said.

The bank reopened Wednesday afternoon. TD Bank spokesman James Hernandez confirmed that the bank was robbed but declined to give any additional information.

All banks in the U.S. must be insured by the FDIC meaning deposits in most types of accounts are insured up to $250000.