News Archives

Penn's Afro-American Studies Program Names Film Maker Louis Massiah Artist-in-Residence

PHILADELPHIA-- Independent documentary film maker Louis Massiah will visit the University of Pennsylvania Feb. 6-7 as artist-in-residence in the Afro-American Studies Program. "Louis Massiah has distinguished himself as a producer of films that document major issues and concerns facing urban communities," said Tukufu Zuberi, director of the Afro-American Studies Program. Massiah's award-winning documentaries have been seen widely on public television and at international film festivals. He is the founder and executive director of Scribe Video Center in Philadelphia.

Penn Historian Explores Early Native Americans

Jan. 31, 2002 -- "Facing East from Indian Country: A Native History of Early America," a newbook by University of Pennsylvania history professor Daniel K. Richter, rediscovers early America as Indian Country, one in which Native American experiences were at the core of the nation's birth and identity.For three centuries after Columbus, native people controlled most of eastern North America and shaped its destiny. Richter keeps native people center-stage throughout the story of the origins of the United States.

Of mice, men and embryonic stem cells

Penn researchers may have found a way to untangle the mire which is the embryonic stem cell controversy. Professor of Animal Biology Hans R. Schöler and his team of researchers have identified a receptor, the germ cell nuclear factor or GCNF, that could lead to new ways of creating embryonic stem cells. Stem cells are valuable because they have the potential to form a number of different tissues and consequently be used to treat various conditions, such as generating new nerve cells for spinal cord injuries.

Courses for a better you

Human Resources is offering courses to help you be better at your job and courses for your well-being. Professional advice Need a guide to a strange new territory called management? HR’s Learning and Education department now offers one.

Turnaround: The neighborhood is looking good

In the mid-1990s, when urban problems were emerging in West Philadelphia, University President Judith Rodin (CW’66) took stock of the two places she loved—her hometown, West Philadelphia, and her alma mater, Penn—and bonded the two through an impressive set of initiatives. Now, six years after Penn refocused its attention on the neighborhood and four years after the official launch of the West Philadelphia Initiative, the Current takes a look at Penn’s investments and how the neighborhood has changed. The results cannot be missed.

Business success means streets are jumping

Jack Shannon remembers 36th and Walnut streets. Shannon, director of economic development in the Office of the Executive Vice President, was a Penn Law School student in the ’80s, and he recalls how the area stretched dismally from 34th to 38th streets, holding mostly empty spaces and a large parking lot. Zoom ahead several years later, and a different picture emerges. The area now teems with foot traffic and boasts shops such as the Penn Bookstore, Douglas Cosmetics and Cosí.

Get to know the neighbors

In the market for fun

The world’s only arts market devoted exclusively to young people’s programming is coming to campus next week, and you and your family are invited to take a peek at what’s for sale. The 24th International Showcase of Performing Arts for Young People will take place at the Annenberg Center Jan. 30 through Feb. 2. Eighteen performing arts groups will present 45-minute performances offering Showcase participants and the general public a chance to sample their offerings. Showcase highlights include:

“Crossing the Green Line: Border Struggles in the Palestinian-Israeli West Bank”

The Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority have negotiated borders, and now both sides have built permanent military checkpoints. “Crossing the Green Line” is about passing through these checkpoints—specifically those that mark the Green Line, the geopolitical border separating the West Bank from Israel proper—and how their existence affects the daily life of West Bank Palestinians.

Science, media and ethics contend

While the nation’s political leaders legislate and debate the future of stem cell research, Penn’s School of Medicine held its own heated inquiry on the topic titled, “What Price Cure? The Controversy Over Stem Cell Research.” Moderated by Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics, the Dec. 12 event featured a diverse panel, with voices ranging from the scientific to the journalistic and the legal.