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School of Arts & Sciences
Mapping the ocean with marine robots
M. Ani Hsieh’s robotics lab investigates how to use ocean currents as a natural energy source for marine robots, which would enable widespread exploration.
Camille Z. Charles on the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act
Camille Z. Charles, professor of sociology, Africana studies, and education, and director of the Center for Africana Studies, talks about residential segregation and the promises and failures of the Fair Housing Act in light of the legislation’s 50th anniversary.
A novel history: Penn doctoral student uncovers first bill of sale for Jane Austen work
While digging through the Royal Archives in the U.K., Nick Foretek, a second-year doctoral student, made a surprising discovery: The Prince Regent paid 15 shillings to buy the first copy of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility.”
Navigating urban waters, with an interdisciplinary approach
With independent research projects and immersive experiences on and near Philadelphia’s waterways, summer fellows with the Penn Program in the Environmental Humanities are collaborating to develop new ways of learning and sharing knowledge.
Drugs in development for cancer may also fight brain diseases, including ALS
In a study done by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine and the School of Arts and Sciences, PARP inhibitors, which are used for fighting cancer, can be useful for the treatment and prevention of brain disorders such as ALS.
Cancer cells send out ‘drones’ to battle the immune system from afar
Checkpoint inhibitor therapies have made metastatic melanoma and other cancers a survivable condition, but only for some patients. Researchers uncovered a novel mechanism by which tumors suppress the immune system, raising the possibility that a straightforward blood test could predict which patients could respond to immunotherapy.
Centennial of Nelson Mandela’s birth
It has been 100 years since the birth of Nelson Mandela, elected as South Africa’s first black president after being imprisoned by the apartheid government for nearly three decades. Penn Professor Tukufu Zuberi of the School of Arts and Sciences discusses Mandela’s legacy and his continuing impact today.
Crowding between the book covers
In her new book, English professor Emily Steinlight focuses on overpopulation as a central theme of 19th-century British novels.
Piecing together an ancient biblical site, bone by bone
In the lab of Penn Museum’s Janet Monge, rising senior Fiona Jensen-Hitch is sorting and photographing ancient human remains to shed light on the people of ancient city of Gibeon.
Penn filmmakers capture less-told stories of climate change
As part of two CURF grants, students Kyle Rosenbluth and Daniel Fradin traveled to the Arctic to explore a Canadian Inuit community for a documentary—and came back with ample story to tell.
In the News
Fortune
We can take on the Catholic Church for covering up child sex abuse. Here’s how
Marci Hamilton of the School of Arts and Sciences shared her recommendations for holding the U.S. Roman Catholic Church accountable for its role in covering up child abuse.
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The New York Times
Why the explosive report on Catholic Church abuse is unlikely to yield criminal charges
Marci Hamilton of the School of Arts and Sciences discussed obstacles in extending or abolishing the statute of limitations for child abuse, saying that “the barrier is the bishops’ extraordinary power over leading Republicans.”
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Philadelphia Inquirer
‘Three Identical Strangers’ and the real science of nature vs. nurture
Rebecca Waller of the School of Arts and Sciences discussed epigenetics, the study of how a person’s environment can effect gene expression.
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Chronicle of Higher Education
How artificial intelligence is changing teaching
Ryan Baker of the Graduate School of Education and Valerie Ross of the School of Arts and Sciences discussed the benefits and challenges of using AI in the classroom.
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The New York Times
The trouble with trucking
Steve Viscelli, a Robert and Penny Fox Family Pavilion Scholar Senior Fellow and a lecturer in the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and the Department of Sociology, was cited for his expertise in the trucking industry.
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