Penn in the News

Every researcher in the Netherlands is to be questioned about whether they have committed research misconduct or engaged in “sloppy science” as part of a major national effort to bolster scientific standards. In response to rising concerns over a “reproducibility crisis” in science and a series of high-profile fraud cases in the Netherlands, the country is to commit 8 million euros ($9 million) to understanding the problem, finding solutions and trying to reproduce critical studies.

Kermit Roosevelt of the Law School comments on the Supreme Court immigration ruling that invalidates President Obama’s DAPA Executive Order.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has always sought to attract the best and the brightest. Now it also wants the most committed. The bank has concluded that helping to widen the pool of candidates beyond those from elite schools like Harvard University and Yale University will enable it to find students loyal to the industry. So it is making changes in the way it interviews and assesses candidates for summer analyst roles, typically the first-rung jobs for a banking career.

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a challenge to a race-conscious admissions program at the University of Texas at Austin, handing supporters of affirmative action a major victory. The decision, Fisher v. University of Texas, No. 14-981, concerned an unusual program and contained a warning to other universities that not all affirmative action programs will pass constitutional muster. But the ruling’s basic message was that admissions officials may continue to consider race as one factor among many in ensuring a diverse student body.

Damion Lester is just the kind of kid UCLA would love to have. He’s a straight-A student, class president and technology buff who is building his own computer from scratch. The standout student at Washington Preparatory High School in South Los Angeles also is African American — a demographic the Westwood campus is working hard to woo to make sure its student body reflects the state’s rich diversity. Some of UCLA’s best and brightest gave him and other students a five-star tour this year, complete with academic advice, financial aid information and a Bruins cinch bag and water bottle.

Gerard Schellenberg and Li-San Wang of the Perelman School of Medicine are quoted about leading a new Alzheimer’s disease research center.

Sudeep Bhatia of the School of Arts & Sciences talks about the science of why people love shopping at certain stores and focuses on Target.

Colleges routinely force students with weak math skills to take remedial classes before enrolling in one that yields credit, a requirement that poses one of the biggest hurdles for disadvantaged Americans on the path to getting a degree. Many placed in remediation get disheartened or sidetracked and end up dropping out of college before they ever really start. New research suggests these students might fare better if they simply start in a college-level course and are given extra help on the side.

John Quigley, former Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection secretary, is highlighted as a new Senior Fellow at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy in the School of Design.

John Landis of the School of Design writes about development in Sydney to make it a more attractive city in which to live.