Kindred spirits: Irish-Native American solidarity Eamon De Valera, the president of Ireland, shakes hands with members of Ojibwe tribe in Wisconsin during a 1919 tour of the United States. Kindred spirits: Irish-Native American solidarity A fundraiser for two Native American tribes hard hit by the pandemic has received tens of thousands of dollars from donors in Ireland. Conor Donnan looks at the Irish diaspora in the United States and at the transatlantic solidarity between Ireland and Native nations.
Bridging the communication divide for Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities Alum Kate Panzer had just a little experience sewing before she began making the clear-fronted masks. “I’ve learned so much about sewing,” she says. “People across the world have pulled out their sewing machines to provide this resource.” (Image: Courtesy Kate Panzer) Bridging the communication divide for Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities Clear-fronted face masks, better and more frequent interpreters, and amped up involvement from local organizations have made a big difference during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The joys and trials of defending a dissertation virtually Aja Carter (seen here in May 2018) recently earned her doctorate from the Department of Earth and Environmental Science in the School of Arts & Sciences. In the lab of Peter Dodson, she studied how the structure of the vertebrae in the spinal column changed over time and how that affected the way animals move. As most aspects of university life moved online because of COVID-19, so did her thesis defense and that of so many others. The joys and trials of defending a dissertation virtually When most aspects of university life moved online because of COVID-19, so, too, did the thesis defense for Ph.D. candidates. Despite some challenges, the shift had unexpected benefits.
Literary characters as masks: A reflection on identity during a pandemic For the final project in a Penn English course on young adult literature, Amy Juang created masks for characters in five books. A double major in English and visual studies from Minneapolis, Juang graduated in May. Literary characters as masks: A reflection on identity during a pandemic An English and visual studies double major, May graduate Amy Juang created five masks to reflect the identities of characters in novels she studied in a young adult literature course taught by Melissa Jensen.
COVID-19’s assault on Black and Brown communities COVID-19’s assault on Black and Brown communities Racism, inequality, and the coronavirus have combined to cause an alarming number of COVID-19 cases and deaths among African-American and Latinx populations.
Do political beliefs affect social distancing? Do political beliefs affect social distancing? A new study found that political partisanship influenced Americans’ decisions to voluntarily engage in physical distancing at the start of the pandemic, particularly in response to communications by state governors.
Side Gigs for Good during COVID-19 Side Gigs for Good during COVID-19 Whether making masks, writing letters, raising funds, or shopping for neighbors, members of the Penn community have stepped up during the pandemic to support those in need.
COVID-19 checkup COVID-19 checkup Ezekiel J. Emanuel, vice provost for global initiatives and a physician, gave an update on the pandemic during a Perry World House virtual earlier this week. He says summer is a good time to open up in stages but cautions about fall.
Herman Beavers named faculty director of Civic House and the Civic Scholars Program Professor of English and Africana Studies Herman Beavers. (Image: Omnia magazine) Herman Beavers named faculty director of Civic House and the Civic Scholars Program Beavers has taught at Penn since 1989 and is a professor of English and Africana studies, a distinguished poet, and a widely published scholar of 20th-century, and is a leader in the Penn community.
Using stress to shape microlevel structures Using stress to shape microlevel structures A new study describes how external forces drive the rearrangement of individual particles in disordered solids, enabling new ways to imbue materials with unique mechanical properties.