Thomas explains the origins of her interest in children’s literature and young adult fiction, as well as what to expect from her new book, ‘The Dark Fantastic.’
Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, associate professor of literacy, culture, and international education in the Graduate School of Education.
Welcome to the “office hours” of Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, associate professor of literacy, culture, and international education in the Graduate School of Education.
Here, in the latest episode of the “Office Hours” podcast series produced by Penn Today, which explores the minds of the University’s academic talents in a more unbuttoned and freewheeling setting outside of the lecture hall, Thomas discusses growing up with limited children’s literature options, where young adult and children’s lit is going today, why she still hasn’t watched “The Wire,” and what she thinks is an overrated virtue.
The Polyhedral Structures Laboratory is housed at the Pennovation Center and brings together designers, engineers, and computer scientists to reimagine the built world. Using graphic statics, a method where forces are mapped as lines, they design forms that balance compression and tension. These result in structures that use far fewer materials while remaining strong and efficient.
From ancient tombs and tiny robots to personalized gene editing and AI weather models, Penn’s 2025 research portfolio showed how curiosity—paired with collaboration—moves knowledge into impact and stretches across disciplines and continents.
Centering joy in AI development and implementation
PIK Professor Desmond Upton Patton—of Annenberg and SP2—and collaborators introduce a joy-informed framework designed to initiate conversations among engineers, designers, and researchers.
Reflecting on Jane Austen, 250 years after her birth
English professors Michael Gamer and Barri Joyce Gold have been teaching courses specifically dedicated to Jane Austen for years. They spoke with Penn Today about their approach to teaching her novels, how they challenge common readings and myths, and what makes Austen’s work so enduring—and adaptable to the screen—more than two centuries later.
Electronic medical records help save lives of HIV patients
Wharton’s Leandro “Leo” Pongeluppe and colleagues found that HIV clinics in Malawi that switched from paper to electronic medical records saw an estimated 28% reduction in deaths in five years.
