Ash from a volcanic eruption 300 million years ago helped preserve an ancient forest, including foliage of newly characterized noeggerathialean plants. (Image: Hermann Pfefferkorn)
‘Pompeii of prehistoric plants’ unlocks evolutionary secret
An international research team, including Hermann Pfefferkorn of the School of Arts & Sciences, has solved the mystery of where 300-million-year-old specimens fit into the plant family tree.
In a Q&A, Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli reflects on the University’s latest Economic Impact Report and the new effort to include an account of Penn’s civic engagement and impact on Philadelphia, its residents, and surrounding communities.
In-person summer camps at the Morris Arboretum are moving forward this year, after having been canceled last year. Safety measures such as mask-wearing and smaller groups will address COVID-19 concerns. (Image: Morris Arboretum)
Striking a balance in camp planning
Amidst the uncertainties of the pandemic and with time to plan, this year organizers of summer camp offerings at Penn have developed an array of in-person and virtual programs.
The event was the result of a close partnership among Penn Medicine, Mercy Philadelphia, and faith leaders from West and Southwest Philadelphia.
Engaging faith communities to reduce vaccination disparities
In partnership with Mercy Philadelphia and community faith leaders, Penn Medicine held a vaccine clinic at the Church of Christian Compassion that reached 500 people in West Philadelphia. At least two more such events are planned.
Humans aren’t the only species susceptible to COVID-19. A growing number of other animal species have become infected, posing a threat to the health of wildlife and domesticated animals, and in some cases exacerbating threats to people.
From animals to people and back again
Penn researchers are studying the propensity of SARS-CoV-2 to cross between species, and they are working to protect people, pets, and wildlife from COVID-19 infection.
Senior Tsemone Ogbemi, an English major, has been working with the Penn Program in Environmental Humanities on projects that highlight the importance of stories and art in grappling with the climate crisis. (Image: Courtesy of Tsemone Ogbemi)
Bringing the humanities into climate education
Senior Tsemone Ogbemi is sharing the important role of the arts in comprehending climate through her work at the Penn Program in Environmental Humanities and in an environmental conference she is presenting at this week.
Lead paint can pose a threat to public health, particularly for children. In a new publication, Penn scientists and colleagues underscore the importance of implementing policies that ban the production and trade of lead paint to stop further problems before they start. (Image: Reto Gieré)
A call for a global ban on lead paint
In a paper for the United Nations Environment Programme, researchers from the School of Arts & Sciences and the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues make a case for ceasing production and use of lead paint worldwide.
Risk-taking behavior has a signature in the brain, big data shows
While there is no such thing as a single “risk area” of the brain, a study of 12,000 people led by the Wharton School’s Gideon Nave found a connection between genes, lower levels of gray matter, and risky behavior.
