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School of Arts & Sciences
Cuba libre
The complexities of Cuba’s history and the response by artists were the focus of the summer abroad course “Penn-in-Havana: Visual Culture and Public Art in Cuba,” taught by art historian Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw, and funded by a Making a Difference in Diverse Communities grant.
Students, Bush talk political differences and bridging divide
Jeb Bush, the 43rd governor of Florida, and Penn’s very own Presidential Professor of Practice, joined students on Wednesday evening in College Hall for a wide-ranging, candid discussion.
Penn Biden Center engages students in The Democracy Project
Students took part in the first of four national events aimed at deepening the understanding of young Americans' attitudes about democracy.
Eugene Mele and Charles Kane to share Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
For introducing a new class of materials with unique and useful properties, known as topological insulators, physicists Charles Kane and Eugene Mele will receive the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. The award honors “fundamental discoveries…that are transforming our world.”
Q&A with Marc Meredith: What’s at stake in the midterm elections
The political scientist on the importance of the upcoming midterm elections, and the need to increase voter turnout.
To improve dunes, plant more beach grass
Pairing biology and cinema studies, Bianca Charbonneau and Yoni Gottlieb have produced a light-hearted, informative video that teaches the proper method for planting dune grasses to build a healthier dune ecosystem.
Linguistic red flags from Facebook posts can predict future depression diagnoses
The language people use in these social media posts can make these predictions as accurately as the tools clinicians use in medical settings to screen for the disease.
The healing word
Deborah Thomas embeds herself in communities stricken by violence to chronicle the humanity revealed during the aftermath.
Educational leaders examine the ‘University of the Future’
“Beyond the Walls: The University of the Future” brought scholars, administrators, and technology experts together to discuss the future of higher education and the disruption of the traditional “brick and mortar” college campus.
How parenting affects antisocial behaviors in children
In a recent study of the parental caregiving environment, psychologist Rebecca Waller found that within identical twin pairs, the child who experienced harsher behavior and less parental warmth was at a greater risk for developing antisocial behaviors.
In the News
Philadelphia Inquirer
Penn physicists win $3 million Breakthrough Prize
The School of Arts and Sciences’ Charles Kane and Eugene Mele have been awarded the 2019 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics for their work developing a two-dimensional topological insulator, which forces electrons to travel in an orderly fashion. The material could some day be used to improve energy efficiency.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Elizabeth Warren’s DNA test: How reliable is it? A Penn prof explains
Theodore Schurr of the School of Arts and Sciences said U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s genetic analysis, which used indigenous DNA samples from Peru, Mexico, and Colombia as reference points, was legitimate due to historical migration patterns.
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Vanity Fair
Is the Harvey Weinstein criminal case in trouble?
“We’re in a different arena than we were 10 years ago,” said Marci Hamilton of the School of Arts and Sciences, comparing the current moment to the pre-#MeToo era. As prosecutors, “the public and the politics are on your side now…. You can find juries that will convict.”
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Guess what these young dinosaurs ate when their parents weren’t looking
Peter Dodson of the School of Veterinary Medicine and the School of Arts and Sciences offered commentary on young dinosaurs’ ability to independently forage for vegetation. “It seems like a pretty fair bet that there wasn’t parental care,” said Dodson.
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The Atlantic
Lindsey Graham doesn’t want a primary
In an article by Dick Polman, writer in residence in the School of Arts and Sciences, Brian Rosenwald of the Fox Leadership Program was cited for his political expertise. Lindsey Graham “knows that infuriating the left and the media really poses no risk, given the nature of his state,” said Rosenwald.
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