News Archives

Penn Police to Unveil New Backup Emergency Communications Center Tuesday

WHO: The Division of Public Safety at the University of Pennsylvania, in partnership with counterparts at the University City District, Drexel University, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Presbyterian Hospital, will unveil the new Multi-agency Emergency Radio Network.

Tele-Immersion System Is First 'Network Computer,' with Input, Processing and Output in Different Locations

PHILADELPHIA – When they make their first public demonstration of tele-immersion at this week's Super Computing 2002 conference in Baltimore, computer scientists will also attain another first: a "network computer" that processes data at a location far removed from either input or output.

Cell Transfer Restores Sperm Production in Infertile Mice, Offering New Insights into the Workings of Stem Cells

PHILADELPHIA – Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine have successfully transplanted specialized cells that are critical to sperm development in mice, restoring sperm production in once-infertile animals. The research, reported on the Web site of the journal Biology of Reproduction, may give scientists a better understanding of how Sertoli cells – which surround spermatogenic stem cells – nourish sperm production and the survival of stem cells.

Beyond the Big Bang

Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy Mark Devlin is having a BLAST. That stands for Balloon-borne Large Aperture Sub-millimeter Telescope, a NASA project designed to view some of the oldest galaxies in the universe. Penn heads up a four-school collaboration on the project, and Devlin is in charge of Penn’s portion. But before he could look for new star clusters, he had to find a place on campus to assemble the largest balloon-borne telescope ever built.

Prices are fairer than you think—no, really

Sticker shock—that’s the feeling you get when you go to make a purchase, flip over the tag and are blown away by the higher-than-expected asking price. For example, when you go to the movies for the first time in a long while and are shocked to find that an Alexander Hamilton covers only the price of one ticket (forget about the popcorn and soda). If you’re like most consumers, you suspect price gouging. Yet according to Lisa Bolton, assistant professor of marketing at Wharton, prices may be fairer than many of us think.

Ask Benny: Flexible work lets mom be with her son

Dear Benny, I’ve just given birth to a beautiful baby boy, and I feel strongly that my child will need my presence at home as he grows up. Is there any way I can be there for him once I have used up my paid time off and other leave options without having to give up my Penn job, which I love, completely?—Another Proud Penn Parent

New building keeps horses in form

Cramped quarters and outdated equipment made a quick exit with the summer debut of the New Bolton Center’s Scott Equine Sports Medicine Building—the University’s new hub for equine sports medicine research, teaching and service. With the facility’s opening, Penn’s veterinary cardiology practice finally got a space befitting its roster of patients, which includes horses who have gone on to win medals in international competitions like the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics.

Scholar Explores How Liberal Arts Colleges Reclaim Vision

PHILADELPHIA -- In the 1980s, liberal arts colleges in America found themselves facing both declining enrollments and resources. Many of these institutions responded by offering consumer-oriented programs largely designed to bring students in the door -- but along the way, they lost their sense of who they were.

People's Choice: Museum treasures

How do you pick a favorite when you have nearly 1 million to chose from? These University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology staff members had no problems telling us which artifact from the museum’s collection they prize the most. Read on to see if your sentiments match. GLORIA COLLINS Receptionist “The Sphinx is my favorite because he holds as a dominant figure; he sustains lower Egypt.”

At Work With...Margaret Mary Thomas and Barbara Woodford