News Archives

EDITOR'S PICK: She’ll take you there

Praise the Lord and purchase your tickets—Mavis Staples is coming to town! The legendary lead voice of the Staple Singers, the group that provided the gospel soundtrack for the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and achieved crossover fame in the 1970s with hits including “I’ll Take You There,” “Respect Yourself” and “Let’s Do It Again,” is the headliner for this year’s Greater Philadelphia Blues Fest.

Why is that plaque in 200 College Hall?

Illustration by Bo Brown Dear Benny, You recently mentioned “a tablet in 200 College Hall is dedicated to the ‘Sons of the University who died to uphold the laws of their country in the War of the Great Rebellion’” (a much better phrase than “the Civil War”) (“Ask Benny,” Current, Oct. 2).

Queen Noor speaks for the have-nots

Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, the author of a best-selling autobiography, “Leap of Faith” (Hyperion), told a full house in Irvine Auditorium on September 8 that “the United Nations is one of the most powerful engines for co-operation in the world.” Her 30-minute talk took as its text the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals, an ambitious agenda endorsed by every member nation that aims to increase world security by 2015. “Security,” she said, “rests on the well-being of the less fortunate.”

Penn to Develop First Head Start Curriculum

PHILADELPHIA -- Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education are developing a first-ever integrated curriculum for preschoolers in Head Start classrooms across the country.  It will encompass basic skills needed for reading and mathematics as well as both school- and social-readiness skills.The project will be the first effort by U.S. educators to help disadvantaged children overcome academic challenges that can plague them for their entire academic careers.

Dear Mr. Mayor...

A lot is riding on the outcome of the Nov. 4 mayoral election, and we’re not just talking about Mayor John Street’s job security. Will wage tax cuts continue? Can the streets be made safer? Will Center City’s recent success spread to the neighborhoods? For supporters of both Street and opponent Sam Katz, the answers depend on the person chosen as mayor. What should the next mayor—whoever he is—do to keep the city moving forward? We put that question to people in the Engineering School, where problem-solving is something they do in their sleep.

Peter Giovinco

Everyday genetics for the modern home

Whenever you lie in the sun, you reprogram your genes. Whenever you inhale smoke, you reprogram your genes. Now, thanks to the revolution ushered in by the Human Genome Project, you may be able to reprogram your genes by consulting a database. The flexibility and complexity of what Glenn McGee dubs “geneware,” combined with computing power that makes genetic information easier to analyze, has opened the door to a Brave New World in which people make life-altering decisions based on inaccurate information about their genetic makeup.

Penn Professor to Work on Math Education Strategies for Inner City Students as Part of New $10 Million Center

PHILADELPHIA- The Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania will be among three participants in a five-year, $10 million National Science Foundation grant to create a center for improving mathematics education in city schools.  The center will focus on discovering how urban children learn math, equipping teachers with effective instructional strategies and developing a research-based model for successful math education in America's cities.

Penn Dental Pediatric Clinic Mural to Be Dedicated Oct. 16

PHILADELPHIA -- Children waiting to see a dentist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine Pediatric Clinic can now enter an undersea world of imaginary adventures through a new hand-painted mural.

Richard Estes Visits Sweden to Discuss Social Development

WHO:  Richard Estes, professor of social work at the University of Pennsylvania and president of the International Society of Quality of Life Studies WHAT: Lecture and news conferenceWHEN:  Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2003, 10 a.m. WHERE:Statistics Sweden in Stockholm Richard Estes will deliver a major address at the annual Conference on Swedish Quality of Life sponsored by Statistics Sweden in Stockholm.