WHO HE IS: Director for Instructional Technology, SAS Computing
YEARS AT PENN: 18, on and off.
WHAT HE DOES: MacDermott oversees computing support for several humanities departments, but his specialty is “instructional uses of technology.” That means supervising the computer labs, helping with online instruction and overseeing support for users of Blackboard, an online course management system.
IN THE CLASSROOM: MacDermott and his team provide end-user support in the 100-plus classrooms with installed technology systems, such as those in the recently revamped Fisher Bennett Hall. Recently he’s been busy getting all the high-tech stuff ready to go in Van Pelt’s new Weigle Information Commons.
WHY HE LIKES PENN: “It’s great to work in an environment where you’re surrounded by smart people. It’s something not to be taken for granted.”
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.
