School of Arts & Sciences

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Looking at the past through the historic present

Sophomore Megan Chui expected her internship at the National Constitution Center to give her insights into how the past plays into the present. The summer of social unrest and the pandemic added a contemporary component to the job.

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Five takeaways from the presidential debate

Marc Trussler, director of data sciences for Penn’s Program on Opinion Research and Election Studies, shares his thoughts on the chaotic first debate of the 2020 election.

Examining race in East Asian Studies

The Center for East Asian Studies hosted a roundtable discussion between faculty assessing anti-racism in their fields of study.

Aja Carter and Peter Dodson standing in a room full of dinosaur skeletons and books, Carter is touching the vertebrae of a skeleton.

In paleontology, Peter Dodson is a king begetting kings

World-renowned paleontologist Peter Dodson names his greatest accomplishment: being a mentor.

Aging and the costs that come with it

As a high school student, junior Darcey Hookway spent time volunteering on a dementia ward at a local hospital. “The social aspect of their condition really struck me,” says Hookway, who is from London. “They struggled immensely with social isolation. And now with COVID exacerbating that more than ever, I think that’s a huge detriment to their health.”

Person with hair pulled back, green earrings and black glasses looks into the camera, wearing Supreme Court robes and white lace collar.

Remembering RBG

Penn Today reached out to five experts from centers and schools across the University to reflect on Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy.

Chinese flag flies in front of modern skyscrapers

An ambitious new Project on the Future of U.S.-China Relations

Launched in May, the initiative brings together “next generation” thinkers—scholars and practitioners—to address the complex and changing relationship between the two countries.

Nakeeya Garland smiling with ocean view in background

Black joy and resistance in ‘times of struggle’

Nakeeya Garland, a senior from Oakland, California majoring in Africana studies, examines Black joy and resistance during a summer internship at the African American Museum of Philadelphia.

A food journey across the Middle East

During a summer internship with Professor Heather J. Sharkey, four undergrads studied oranges, olive oil, coffee, and sorghum in an effort to understand their political, nutritional, and emotional value to the region.

Barbara Savage sees ‘bright spots’ in her research, even in a pandemic

Before the world went into lockdown, the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought in the Department of Africana Studies at Penn had been traveling around the globe to conduct research for her latest project.

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