News Archives

A Polish hospital has angels on its side

Life in Eastern Europe has gotten better since the fall of Communism. But the countries of the former Soviet Bloc still have a good deal of catching up to do before they can take their place alongside the affluent West. Two Penn faculty members are doing their part to help Poland catch up on the medical front.

Penn takes top billing at the Philly Film Festival

Even if you’re not a film buff, a stargazer or a hipster, Penn’s neighborhood will definitely be the place to be from April 8 to 21. That’s because this year’s Philadelphia Film Festival is using West Philadelphia as its hub, bringing screenings to neighborhood theaters, visitors to the Inn at Penn and, hopefully, increased foot traffic to the campus.

Out & About: The West Philadelphia cycle

Let me say this up front—I am not a cyclist. Sure, I’ve ridden bikes before, but never in the city. I’ve never shared the road with a stream of cars. I don’t even own a bike.

BOOKQUICK/"The Arrow of Gold: A Story Between Two Notes”

Although not as well known as his earlier novels “Lord Jim” and “Nostromo,” “The Arrow of Gold” was critically acclaimed when it first appeared in 1919 and is still considered to be among the best of Conrad’s later works.

Making the Most Out of Reading to Your Pre-Schooler

PHILADELPHIA -- Reading to your pre-schooler should never be a chore for parents or kids.  There are small things parents can do to get the most out of time spent cuddling together reading "Where the Wild Things Are" or "Olivia Saves the Circus," said Lawrence Sipe, who teaches courses on and researches children's literacy and how youngsters interact with picture books at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania.

In bloom

This month, the Morris Arboretum welcomes in spring with a flourish, with the month-long Japanese Cherry Blossom Celebration that encourages understanding of Japanese cultural, social and educational customs. The events include a visit on April 5 from Tokyo’s newly crowned Cherry Blossom Queen and a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony (above) on April 17, as well as classes for the kids and those interested in mastering the art of minimalist Japanese plant displays.

Design goes underground

When Julia Moore Converse came to Penn 22 years ago, she already had curatorial stints at Harvard’s Fogg Museum and the National Gallery under her belt. Though less well known, Penn’s Architectural Archives—where she was offered the job of curator—was already a force to be reckoned with. The core of the collections, started by former Graduate School of Fine Arts Dean Holmes Perkins, was the Louis I. Kahn Collection, an extraordinary cache of drawings, sketches and plans by Penn’s best-known architecture professor and alum.

No big fallout seen from domestic diva's demise

ETHICS/A Wharton professor weighs in on the impact of Martha Stewart’s conviction Happy homemaker, ruthless entrepreneur, or simply a woman persecuted because of her gender. Whatever your opinion, it appears likely that Martha Stewart, once the paragon of middle-class values and 21st-century success, is headed for a stay in a facility associated more with guard towers and barbed wire than tea cozies and mint sprigs.

Staff Q&A: Sharlene Sones

STAFF Q&A/The woman in charge of selling the Penn brand to the world didn’t realize she had a familiar face—until… “We all have the ability to reaffirm and strengthen Penn’s position.” When she’s not flying planes or hitting tennis balls, Sharlene Sones is busy providing the tools the 70 campus restaurants, hotels and stores need to make their businesses grow. As Sones describes it, she works to drive customers to their doors and focuses on marketing Penn as a “place to be” for culture and nightlife.

Annenberg stage crew