11/15
Michele W. Berger
An improv class that enriches the mind and soul, even remotely
The Penn Memory Center’s Cognitive Comedy program gives people with memory impairments and their caregivers a no-pressure space to think creatively, socialize, and be part of a community.
Michele W. Berger ・
Experiencing the pandemic from abroad
When rising junior Julia Mitchell learned in March that France was about to shut down, she decided to immerse herself further in the language rather than come home, quarantining with her homestay family and finishing courses remotely.
Michele W. Berger ・
Brain scans of 9- to 11-year-olds offer clues about aggressive, antisocial behavior
Two new papers, one about gray matter, the other about reward behavior, suggest that at the neural level not all conduct problems look the same.
Michele W. Berger ・
More Side Gigs for Good during COVID-19
In the latest installment of the Side Gigs for Good series, Penn Today hears from faculty, staff, and students who have been continuing to care for their communities as the pandemic’s effects stretch on.
Katherine Unger Baillie, Michele W. Berger ・
What the 1968 Kerner Commission can teach us
Criminologist and statistician Richard Berk, who worked on the report as a graduate student, explains the systemic racism and poverty found to underlie violent unrest in the 1960s and where COVID-19 and the economy fit today.
Michele W. Berger ・
Can spending time in nature prevent or lessen postpartum depression?
Nurtured in Nature, a pilot project in Black communities conducted by Penn Medicine’s Eugenia South, aims to find out.
Michele W. Berger ・
Cave discovery holds clues to earliest Homo sapiens in Europe
Ancient DNA from 46,000-year-old bone fragments and a tooth reveals this group likely overlapped with Neanderthals for thousands of years.
Michele W. Berger ・
The case against separating breastfeeding mothers and infants during the pandemic
In a Q&A, Diane Spatz of Penn Nursing and CHOP discusses why it’s safe and beneficial to keep them together, even when the mother tests positive for COVID-19.
Michele W. Berger ・
Talking positive psychology and COVID-19 with Larry King
In a free video series co-hosted by James Pawelski, King interviews researchers about coping during the pandemic. In a June 11 event, they’ll speak with actor Kevin Bacon about philanthropy, arts and culture’s role in well-being, and the importance of open dialogue.
Michele W. Berger ・
Scholarship through the lens of an iconic media brand
A new Annenberg course centered around HBO offered undergrads hands-on exposure to media production and a chance to hone their analytical skills using primary source materials.
Michele W. Berger ・