In the latest episode of Penn Today's “Office Hours” podcast series, and the final installment of 2019, three returning guests join for a chat about the holiday season, the decade that’s been, and the year ahead.
From left to right: Julia Ticona, Mr. Fish, and Ebony Elizabeth Thomas.
Welcome to the “holiday office party” of Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, associate professor of literacy, culture, and international education in the Graduate School of Education; Julia Ticona, assistant professor of communication at the Annenberg School for Communication; and Dwayne Booth, aka “Mr. Fish,” a lecturer in Annenberg.
Here, in the spirit of the season, the trio of “Office Hours” podcast returnees unite to discuss holiday traditions, reflect on the 2010s, and imagine what awaits in the new decade. “Office Hours” is a production of Penn Today and can be discovered on Apple Music.
5:05: Ticona’s favorite part of the holiday season
8:25: Thomas quips about HGTV trends
12:45: Mr. Fish on experiencing winter after California
16:00: Thomas explains the reaction to her new book, “The Dark Fantastic”
20:45: Ticona’s biggest Penn accomplishment this year
28:20: Thomas on quitting Twitter
35:15: Mr. Fish on political activism
49:00: All the guests consider what they've previously described as “overrated virtues”
57:00: Ticona looks back at her past decade and emphasizes gratitude
When the Schuylkill swallowed the city: Lessons from Hurricane Ida’s historic flood
New Penn research shows that Hurricane Ida wasn’t a once-in-a-century anomaly but a preview of how climate change, urbanization, and aging infrastructure are rewriting flood risk.
The Fed explained: What it does and why it matters
Former Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker and financial historian Peter Conti-Brown, both Wharton professors, unpack the central bank’s origins, its unusual structure, and the quiet ways it shapes the economy
How population changes are impacting primary education worldwide
Research from Penn sociologist Emily Hannum and colleagues reveals regional trends in whether school-age populations are increasing, plateauing, or decreasing—and shows how different countries are responding.
A bioengineered bean gum from the lab of Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell is found to reduce the levels of three microbes associated with head and neck squamous cell cancer to almost zero, without affecting the beneficial bacteria normally found in the mouth.
Fighting oral cancer with bioengineered chewing gum
Research led by Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell shows that antiviral and antibacterial chewing gums reduce the levels of three microbes linked to worse outcomes in oral cancers, paving the way for more effective and affordable therapies.
