5/18
Penn in the News
A round-up of Penn mentions in local, national, and international media.
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Penn In the News
Is It Stupid to End Surge Pricing by Ola and Uber in India?
Kartik Hosanagar of the Wharton School comments on the benefits of surge pricing.
Penn In the News
UC-Berkeley to Cut 500 Positions in Next Two Years
The University of California at Berkeley plans to cut about 500 staff positions during the next two years, a workforce reduction of about 6 percent that comes as the prestigious public flagship is moving to erase a large budget deficit. UC-Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks disclosed the budget moves Monday evening in a memo to the campus community. The San Francisco Chronicle reported the staff cuts Tuesday. In February, Dirks had warned “painful” measures were needed to deal with a “substantial and growing” budget deficit.
Penn In the News
The Religious War Against American Scholars of India
The distrust and even disdain with which many practicing Hindus view the scholars who study their religion would likely surprise many outside the confines of the field. A cultural and religious war is raging in which Western academics are the enemy. Disputes over alleged mischaracterizations of Hinduism and India by Western scholars are long simmering and boil over from time to time. This happened in 2005-6, when Hindu groups battled with scholars over proposed revisions to descriptions of the religion in California middle school textbooks.
Penn In the News
In Admission Decisions, the Deciders’ Own Backgrounds Play a Big Role
A new study of admissions officers calls into question selective colleges’ claims that they have fully embraced holistic admissions as a means of promoting diverse enrollments. The study, based on an unusual experiment involving more than 300 admissions officers at selective colleges, found that a large share of the institutions gave holistic consideration only to midrange applicants. They used academic cutoffs based on grades, standardized-test scores, or the academic rigor of high-school courses to admit those at the top or reject those at the bottom.
Penn In the News
Haptics: A Technology So Sensitive It Could Pick Up a Dime
Katherine Kuchenbecker of the School of Engineering and Applied Science is mentioned as one of the organizers for a technology symposium on haptics. Graduate student Eric Young of the School of Engineering and Applied Science is pictured and quoted.
Penn In the News
At Purdue, Student Aid Based on Future Earnings Could Revolutionize College Debt
Students at Purdue University soon will be able to apply for education funding in exchange for a percentage of their future earnings, a program that could revolutionize college financial aid at a time when costs are high. Through its research foundation, the public college in West Lafayette, Ind. is rolling out the “Back a Boiler” program next month, using a concept known as an income-share agreement, or ISA, that would be available to rising juniors and seniors. Awards will start at $5,000 and will take into account a student’s cumulative debt.
Penn In the News
Nanocrystal Inks Used to Build Flexible Transistors
Cherie Kagan of the School of Engineering and Applied Science is quoted on her work exploring the potential of colloidal nanocrystals to create flexible transistors and other electronic components.
Penn In the News
Professor Pay Up 3.4%
Salaries for full-time, continuing faculty increased by 3.4 percent this year and 2.7 percent adjusted for inflation, according to the American Association of University Professors’ Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession. That’s down slightly from 2.9 percent last year, adjusted for inflation, when that figure exceeded 2 percent for the first time since the recession (although it should be noted that a one-time tweak to the way some faculty categories were reported this time around make year-over-year comparisons nominally less appropriate).
Penn In the News
Poor New Yorkers Tend to Live Longer Than Other Poor Americans
Researchers Samuel Preston and Irma Elo of the School of Arts & Sciences are cited for their work studying how New York City’s high share of immigrants plays a role in the city’s overall wellness.
Penn In the News
Video: Bridging the Gender Gap
Katlyn Grasso, a recent alum and 2015 President Engagement Prize winner, talks about improving gender equality in the workplace.