School of Arts & Sciences

Two researchers stand in a roped-off area of land, backlit by the rising sun. A study site marked with pink flags is at their feet.

A second life for leaves

Taking a scientific approach to managing campus land, Facilities and Real Estate Services is partnering with soil scientists and ecologists to study how mulching plots with leaves fares for soil health and biodiversity.

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Researchers create better light-trapping devices

A new study shows how the performance of optical resonators can be improved using topological physics, which can lead to more efficient lasers, sensors, and telecommunication devices.

Protesters holding posters saying: "Give us fair elections" and "For honest elections", outdoors in Moscow square.

Russian interference and the West: Learning from ‘The Lands in Between’

In his new book, Mitchell Orenstein argues that politics in countries situated between Russia and the European Union can hold powerful lessons for Western countries affected by Russian interference.

Five faculty members and graduate students seated around tables, talking and laughing

Decolonizing the syllabus

Faculty and graduate students in the History and Sociology of Science Department are reconsidering the way they teach, moving towards a more collaborative, innovative approach that incorporates a wide base of global sources.

A figure stands at the entrance of a large human-scale maze, indicating memory and spatial navigation

Memory recall and spatial navigation elicit similar electrical activity in brain

Penn neuroscientists show for the first time that low-frequency oscillations called theta waves appear in both cases, a finding that could eventually help diminish memory loss.

Two people standing in a building entryway. Windows are on their left, a yellow wall with a portrait are on their right. They're both looking into the camera and smiling.

How does opioid exposure affect brain development in young children?

That’s the question Allyson Mackey and Dylan Tisdall hope to answer, through a new grant from an NIH initiative focused on addiction research.

Ambassador Yamamouchi and Fred Dickinson shake hands

Japan ambassador speaks of ‘cornerstone’ relations with U.S.

In a lecture and conversation with the Penn community, Consul General and Ambassador of Japan Kanji Yamanouchi discussed the state of Japan’s relationship with the United States.

sphinx in the archway of the museum entrance

Penn Museum’s transformation revealed

The main level reopens after a historic renovation featuring the relocated sphinx and completely reimagined Africa and Mexico/Central America galleries.

Group of five people sitting in chairs in a circle

Mentoring circles support a journey through STEM

An initiative of the Biomedical Postdoctoral Council Diversity Committee has established an informal network of “mentoring circles” for postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates in STEM, with a particular emphasis on including participants from underrepresented backgrounds.

For Rent sign on front gate of a brick apartment building

Social interactions in the housing market

Doctoral candidate in sociology Doron Shiffer-Sebba’s prize-winning research paper examines the interpersonal dynamics of landlords and tenants.

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