WHO HE IS: Instrumentation specialist, Physics and Astronomy
YEARS AT PENN: 29.5. “Not that I’m counting.”
WHAT HE DOES: Borders designs, builds, modifies and repairs instruments for scientific research. “It’s essentially a job shop,” he says. “People come in and say, ‘I need this part or assembly… I need something that does this.’” The machine shop veteran provides the tools necessary for “a lot of cutting edge research with nanotechnology, biomedical research, astrophysical research ...” Borders designs, builds, modifies and repairs instruments for scientific research. “It’s essentially a job shop,” he says. “People come in and say, ‘I need this part or assembly… I need something that does this.’” The machine shop veteran provides the tools necessary for “a lot of cutting edge research with nanotechnology, biomedical research, astrophysical research ...”
THINGS CHANGE: With computerization, “we’re getting away from pencils and paper” in the design phase. Though he’s using the same cutting tools—lathes and milling machines—computers help him move those machines faster and more accurately.
LOVING IT: “I not only do this for a living, but also for a hobby. It’s like coming in to work and playing.”
Novel plant-based approach to a better, cheaper GLP-1 delivery system
Research led by Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell investigates the use of a lettuce-based, plant-encapsulated delivery platform as a new oral delivery of two GLP-1 drugs previously approved by the FDA in injectable form.
No brain, no gain: Neuronal activity enhances benefits of exercise
Research led by Penn neuroscientist J. Nicholas Betley and collaborators finds that hypothalamic neurons are essential for translating physical exertion into endurance, potentially opening the door to exercise-mimicking therapies.
In honor of Valentine's Day, and as a way of fostering community in her Shakespeare in Love course, Becky Friedman took her students to the University Club for lunch one class period. They talked about the movie "Shakespeare in Love," as part of a broader conversation on how Shakespeare's works are adapted.
In Becky Friedman’s English course Shakespeare in Love, undergraduate students analyze language, genre, and adaptation in the Bard’s plays through the lens of love.
Beating the heat: Designing cooling for bodies in motion
Dorit Aviv, director of Weitzman’s Thermal Architecture Lab, studies how humans, technology, and design intersect, paving the way for the development of novel approaches to cooling people efficiently.
