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Nature-inspired designs give rise to stronger, lighter systems
Wing of a dragonfly close up.

Masoud Akbarzadeh of the Weitzman School of Design leads a multidisciplinary group of architectural designers, structural engineers, computer scientists, and more in his Polyhedral Structures Laboratory. He explores ways in which polyhedral geometries that frequently occur in nature can be used to make stronger and lighter structures, all while using fewer materials. Akbarzadeh discusses a recent study drawing inspiration from dragonfly wings.

(Image: iStock / yanikap)

Nature-inspired designs give rise to stronger, lighter systems

Weitzman’s Masoud Akbarzadeh discusses a recent multidisciplinary study that draws inspiration from dragonfly wings to redesign a Boeing 777 to be lighter, stronger, and more sustainable.
Simon Richter on animating climate change
Simon Richter on stage with a video screen with an animation behind him addressing an audience.

Simon Richter, Class of 1942 Endowed Term Professor of Germanic Studies, in front of his most recent animated video, “How do the Climate Futures of Jakarta and the Netherlands Compare?” which premiered in March 2023 in Amsterdam.

(Image: Tracy Metz)

Simon Richter on animating climate change

The professor of Germanic studies works with colleagues and students to create animated videos to explain the risks of climate change in the Netherlands and Jakarta.

From Omnia

Young voters and online civic education
A man in a facemask uses a marker to ink the finger of a facemasked woman, as ballot containers and the Moroccan flag are seen behind them.

A voter’s finger is inked after casting a ballot inside a polling station, in Casablanca, Morocco, during general elections on Sept. 8, 2021.

(Image: AP Photo/Abdeljalil Bounhar)

Young voters and online civic education

A collaborative new study by Guy Grossman of the School of Arts & Sciences and co-authors looks at the effects of low-cost online interventions in encouraging young Moroccans to turn out and cast an informed vote in the 2021 elections. 

Kristen de Groot

Hospital understaffing and poor work conditions associated with burnout
Two masked medical professionals seated on the floor looking burned out.

Image: iStock/Ivan-balvan

Hospital understaffing and poor work conditions associated with burnout

A new study from Penn’s School of Nursing finds that physicians and nurses experienced adverse outcomes during the pandemic and want significant improvements in their work environments and in patient safety.

From Penn Nursing News

Weitzman’s Amber Wiley: Illuminating the Black freedom struggle in the built environment
Amber Wiley.

Amber Wiley, Matt and Erika Nord director of Weitzman’s Center for the Preservation of Civil Rights Sites.

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Weitzman’s Amber Wiley: Illuminating the Black freedom struggle in the built environment

The inaugural Matt and Erika Nord Director of Weitzman’s Center for the Preservation of Civil Rights Sites discusses her new role.

From the Weitzman School of Design

Unpacking the NATO summit
U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are seated next to each other, separated by a side table with flowers and in front to the American and Ukrainian flags on each side of them. Behind them is a sign reading NATO/OTAN Vilnius Summit/Sommet.

U.S. President Joe Biden (right) and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 12, 2023.

(Image: AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

  • Q&A

    • Unpacking the NATO summit

    Alexander Vershbow, the former deputy secretary-general of NATO and current Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Perry World House, offers his takeaways from the two-day gathering.

    Kristen de Groot

    Holman Biotech Commons meets the evolving needs of campus
    close up image of the laser cutter at the biotech commons

    A laser cutter is one of the newer services at the Judith & William Bollinger Digital Fabrication Lab in the Holman Biotech Commons, complementing the existing 3D printing service available to anyone at Penn.

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    Holman Biotech Commons meets the evolving needs of campus

    Resources at the Penn Libraries’ Holman Biotech Commons are available to the entire Penn community to support research, collaboration, and innovation.

    Katherine Unger Baillie

    Balancing dentistry and engineering to bring new innovations to the clinic
    Kyle Vining

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    Balancing dentistry and engineering to bring new innovations to the clinic

    Kyle Vining of the School of Dental Medicine and the School of Engineering and Applied Science discusses his unique dual career path and why we need more crosstalk between clinicians and researchers.

    Liana F. Wait