Iran at a crossroads Iran is functioning under an Internet communications blackout, which has strained economic and family ties, says Penn’s Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet.(Image: Vahid Salemi via AP Images) Q&A Iran at a crossroads In a Q&A, Penn historian Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet, an expert on Iran and the modern Middle East, speaks about the Iranian opposition movement, current protests, the Islamic Republic’s crackdown, and daily life in the country. 4 min. read
How ‘um’ and ‘uh’ shape impressions Fourth-year linguistics Ph.D. student Jonathan Lee became curious about breaks in speech when he noticed they were missing from transcripts and subtitles.(Image: Kevin Ren) How ‘um’ and ‘uh’ shape impressions Disfluency, or irregularities and breaks in speech, are part of life—but do they affect how we perceive each other? Fourth-year linguistics Ph.D. student Jonathan Lee is trying to find out. 2 min. read
From calves to canines, Penn Vet shines at Pennsylvania Farm Show Penn Vet Dean Andrew Hoffman chats with undergraduate Gavi Burton and her father Dan at the School’s booth at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Burton hopes to become a large animal veterinarian.(Image: Ashley Hinton) From calves to canines, Penn Vet shines at Pennsylvania Farm Show At the nation’s biggest indoor agricultural exposition, Penn Vet faculty, staff and leadership met with young people interested in becoming veterinarians, staffed the “Calving Corner“ exhibit, and showed off the expertise of the animals at Penn Vet’s Working Dog Center. 2 min. read
Who gets replaced by AI and why? Who gets replaced by AI and why? New research from Wharton marketing professor Pinar Yildirim reveals how AI can impact employee motivation when implemented in the wrong part of a team’s workflow.
Updated volume published on treating and preventing adolescent mental health disorders Updated volume published on treating and preventing adolescent mental health disorders The third edition of “Treating and Preventing Adolescent Mental Health Disorders: What We Know and What We Don’t Know,” an overview of the current state of knowledge of major mental health conditions that emerge during adolescence, has been published by Oxford University Press, sponsored by the Adolescent Mental Health Initiative, a project of Penn’s Annenberg Public Policy Center and The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands.
Sizing up Pennsylvania’s creative workforce Waterhouse Pottery focuses on handmade functional wares for home and garden. Alex Watrous earned her BFA in Ceramics at Edinboro University and has since worked professionally in the ceramics industry through manufacturing, retail supply, gallery management and sales, as well as arts administration.(Image: Courtesy of Bridge Perspective) Sizing up Pennsylvania’s creative workforce A new report prepared by Weitzman faculty for the Pennsylvania Creative Industries, powered by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, shows a large and diverse creative workforce in the state. 2 min. read
Health in Philly, past and present Students in Andi Johnson’s course Health in Philly: Past and Present visited the nonprofit organization Bebashi in December to present their findings from interviews with staff.nocred Health in Philly, past and present This fall, in Andi Johnson’s course Health in Philly: Past and Present, students worked closely with leadership of the health-focused nonprofit Bebashi to identify ways they could better support staff, while visiting other local health organizations to learn more about how they address issues facing city residents. 5 min. read
Penn Engineering’s Chris Callison-Burch on 25 years of AI innovation Image: Courtesy of Penn Engineering Penn Engineering’s Chris Callison-Burch on 25 years of AI innovation Penn Engineering faculty Chris Callison-Burch, a leading researcher in the artificial intelligence field, reflects on decades of technological innovations that have informed the present and future of AI. 2 min. read
Working in groups can help Republicans and Democrats agree on controversial content moderation online Working in groups can help Republicans and Democrats agree on controversial content moderation online A new study by Annenberg School for Communication professor Damon Centola and alum Douglas Guilbeault explores how content moderators can reach consensus on classifying controversial material online, including inflammatory, offensive, or hateful images. 2 min. read
A study of the ancient built environment A view of the trench with the early Hellenistic mosaic.(Image: Courtesy Teos Archaeological Project) A study of the ancient built environment A book of essays co-edited by history of art professor Mantha Zarmakoupi dives into a historic movement focused on recentering how we think about ecological concerns and the built environment. 2 min. read