Aja Carter (seen here in May 2018) recently earned her doctorate from the Department of Earth and Environmental Science in the School of Arts & Sciences. In the lab of Peter Dodson, she studied how the structure of the vertebrae in the spinal column changed over time and how that affected the way animals move. As most aspects of university life moved online because of COVID-19, so did her thesis defense and that of so many others.
The joys and trials of defending a dissertation virtually
When most aspects of university life moved online because of COVID-19, so, too, did the thesis defense for Ph.D. candidates. Despite some challenges, the shift had unexpected benefits.
While instructional laboratories on campus are closed, students, faculty, and instructors are finding creative solutions for science, math, and engineering courses and projects.
Wharton student Connor Gibson, left, smiles during a discussion in the Can We Talk? course early in the spring 2020 semester, as classmate Sydney Nixon looks on.
A class on civility teaches how to have tough conversations
Wharton School junior Connor Gibson knew the benefits of a tight-knit community and also knew there wasn’t much diversity there to challenge his way of thinking. He says a SNF Paideia course, Can We Talk?, was transformational
Penn Integrates Knowledge professor Michael Platt holds appointments in the Department of Psychology in the School of Arts & Sciences, the Department of Neuroscience in the Perelman School of Medicine, and the Marketing Department in the Wharton School.
Gaze and pupil dilation can reveal a decision before it’s made
These two biomarkers may offer clues into the underlying biological processes at play in decision making, according to research from neuroscientist Michael Platt.
Kayden Perren (foreground) feeds cloth through a donated sewing machine as India Watson (far right) teaches him how to construct a pocket. Image taken in February.
High school meets business with Bridges 2 Wealth
Bridges 2 Wealth, a financial literacy program that celebrated its one-year anniversary with the Netter Center in February, collaborates with Penn students and Philadelphia schools to close the wealth gap.
Lyle Ungar, a professor in the School of Engineering and Applied Science and one of the principal investigators of the World Well-Being Project, which has spent more than half a decade working on ways to grasp the emotional satisfaction and happiness of specific places.
Language in tweets offers insight into community-level well-being
In a Q&A, researcher Lyle Ungar discusses why counties that frequently use words like ‘love’ aren’t necessarily happier, plus how techniques from this work led to a real-time COVID-19 wellness map.
In pre-Covid-19 times, the Marshak Dairy at Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center was a place for teaching as well as research. Now an essential crew of workers remain to care for the cows, as other veterinarians in the School continue to care for livestock around the region. (Credit: Penn Vet)
Supporting agriculture and a safe food supply
Essential workers in the School of Veterinary Medicine are caring for livestock, keeping track of disease, ensuring product consistency, and communicating with farmers to ensure that farms can continue providing a reliable food supply for the community.
New Summer Savings Grant provides aid to replace lost summer earnings
Penn will provide undergraduate financial aid recipients with grants in 2020-21 to replace standard summer savings expectations, mitigating lost job opportunities due to COVID-19.
Glenda Goodman, assistant professor of music at Penn, collaborated with a friend at Princeton to organize the American Contact project on material texts.
Understanding the Americas through material texts
Penn and Princeton partner to create a now-virtual symposium to explore 38 objects, including books, journals, maps, musical scores, visual art, wampum, textiles, stone tablets, and various kinds of handwork.
