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  • Physics of disaster: How mudslides move

    Researchers led by Penn’s Douglas Jerolmack and Paulo Arratia used samples from the deadly 2018 Montecito mudslides to understand the complex forces at work in these disasters.
    house surrounded by boulders carried by a mudslide
    During the 2018 Montecito mudslides, powerful flows of debris pushed boulders out of creek-carved canyons toward homes, causing destruction and 23 deaths. New findings from a Penn-led team leveraged recent developments in physics to understand the forces that govern the mudslides. (Image: Douglas Jeromack)

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  • Women’s labor and political agency in Delhi
    Four women street vendors sell shoes and footwear on a Delhi street.

    Four women street vendors sell shoes and footwear on a Delhi street.

    (Image: Kannagi Khanna)

    Women’s labor and political agency in Delhi

    Rashi Sabherwal, a doctoral student in political science, explores how women engage politically in society in informal roles through her research in India.

    Sep 30, 2025