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Kristen de Groot
News Officer
krisde@upenn.edu
History
Seeing clearly through the fog of war
Seeing clearly through the fog of war
In a new book, science historian M. Susan Lindee of the School of Arts & Sciences explores the interplay between scientific progress and violence in modern war.
Exacerbating the health care divide
Exacerbating the health care divide
With rates of diagnoses and death disproportionately affecting racial minorities and low-income workers, experts from the School of Arts & Sciences address how COVID-19 has further exposed already dire health outcome inequalities.
Place-making and mythmaking: A virtual lecture
Place-making and mythmaking: A virtual lecture
In American history, one place can be the site of multiple—and sometimes conflicting— attachments. Jared Farmer and Bethany Wiggin of the School of Arts & Sciences discuss place-making and myth-making.
Latino voters and lessons from the 2020 election
Latino voters and lessons from the 2020 election
Political scientist Michael Jones-Correa, historian Ann Farnsworth-Alvear, and demographer Emilio Parrado share their thoughts on the election results and what both parties might take away from looking at how Latinos voted.
Penn Band celebrates 50 years of women on the field
Penn Band celebrates 50 years of women on the field
After decades of superstition and pushback, the first group of women stepped onto Franklin Field with the Penn Band 50 years ago.
‘You Voted. But Did it Really Matter?’
‘You Voted. But Did it Really Matter?’
On Nov. 7, Pennsylvania’s electoral votes secured Joseph Biden the presidency. Anticipating news of a Biden win, Mary Frances Berry, Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and professor of history and Africana studies, called it a time to push forward for change with renewed force.
Law expert Kermit Roosevelt on the Electoral College and why America uses it
Law expert Kermit Roosevelt on the Electoral College and why America uses it
As Americans await final vote tallies, who declares victory comes down to how many electoral votes each candidate receives. Roosevelt explains the Electoral College, and discusses Trump’s claim that he might take the election to the Supreme Court before all votes are counted.
The sociology and science of genomes and biomes
The sociology and science of genomes and biomes
Rebecca Mueller studies how infectious microbes like the coronavirus can affect communities of people with genetic vulnerabilities.
Iran-China partnership: A reported new deal for a relationship going back to antiquity
Iran-China partnership: A reported new deal for a relationship going back to antiquity
William Figueroa, who recently earned his doctoral degree in history, shares his take on the past relations and what the new partnership could mean.
Is American democracy at a breaking point?
Is American democracy at a breaking point?
Amidst a backdrop of protests, the pandemic, and presidential politics, historian Anne Berg shares her thoughts on whether American democracy is at risk, historical parallels to the current situation, and what ordinary people can do.
Media Contact
In the News
NBC News
As law enforcement braces for more violence, state Capitols come into focus
Anne Berg of the School of Arts & Sciences said images of violence at the U.S. Capitol may result in fewer rallies and public events organized by extremists. However, she said, “I'm personally less worried about the next two weeks than I am about the next several years.”
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CBS Philadelphia
‘No white guilt’ signs causing big uproar in Montgomery County community
Anne Berg of the School of Arts & Sciences weighed in on “No white guilt” signs spotted in Pennsylvania’s Montgomery County. The phrase may be a response to the Black Lives Matter movement. “It is time they step aside and recognize that this movement isn’t about white men. It’s not about white women either. It’s about the advancement of Black lives,” she said.
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The New York Times
Confederate battle flag an unnerving sight in Capitol
Mary Frances Berry of the School of Arts & Sciences commented on the use of the Confederate flag during the breach of the U.S. Capitol. “To see it flaunted right in front of your face, in the United States Capitol, the heart of the government, was simply outrageous,” she said.
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The Economist
Economists are rediscovering a lost heroine
Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, the first African-American to earn a Ph.D. in economics, attended Penn as an undergrad in 1916 before returning to the school twice more: once to get her doctorate and again for a law degree, which she used to help desegregate Philadelphia.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Thanksgiving 1918 took place during a deadly pandemic. What can it teach us for Thanksgiving 2020?
David Barnes of the School of Arts & Sciences spoke about the parallels between the flu pandemic of 1918 and the present pandemic. “It’s pretty clear [the Spanish flu] wouldn’t have lasted as long as it did or been as deadly if people had been keeping to themselves,” he said.
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The New York Times
What it’s like to be a teacher in 2020 America
Richard Ingersoll of the Graduate School of Education and School of Arts & Sciences explained how it was decided that women would teach in public schools 150 years ago. “The argument was, ‘Look, women will learn to be better mothers by practicing on other people’s children,’” he said. “Proponents made the case it was a win-win.”
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