School of Arts & Sciences

Penn Biologists Establish New Method for Studying RNA’s Regulatory ‘Footprint’

Increasingly, biologists have come to realize that RNA is not merely a transitional state between DNA and proteins but plays a major role in determining whether and how genes are turned into a protein product. Gaining a deeper understanding of RNA regulation can help scientists shed light on diseases that arise when this function goes awry.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Penn’s 2014 Kelly Writers House Fellows Announced

The University of Pennsylvania will host three celebrated writers as Kelly Writers House Fellows during the 2014 spring semester.Journalist and essayist Buzz Bissenger will visit Penn Feb. 17-18, followed by fiction writer T.C. Boyle March 31-April 1 and poet Rae Armantrout April 28-29.

Jacquie Posey

Penn Women’s Rugby Levels the Playing Field

So much for sugar and spice. For the nearly 30 undergraduate student-athletes who are members of the Women’s Rugby Club at the University of Pennsylvania, playing nice is not part of the approach. Rugby, a blend of football, soccer and wrestling, requires bold athleticism and a military-like strategy. In this tough-as-nails sport, there’s no room for niceties.“Rugby is the toughest sport out there; no doubt about it,” says Lucy Dawson, the co-president of the club and a junior majoring in cognitive neuroscience in the College.

Jill DiSanto

An Icy Journey Gave Penn’s Leah Davidson a Worldly Perspective

Leah Davidson, a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania, plans to pursue a career in business. But she wants to do so in an environmentally conscientious manner. So when, as a high school senior, she learned of an opportunity to visit one of the most untouched habitats on Earth, she jumped at the chance.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Penn Freshman Shines on the Soccer Field

Playing soccer brought Alec Neumann to the University of Pennsylvania, and, since arriving on campus in the fall, the freshman has relished in the game and in the ability to pursue additional interests as well.

Jeanne Leong

Penn’s Strong Global Community Attracts Growing Number of International Students

During the past five years, the number of international students at the University of Pennsylvania has seen record growth at the undergraduate and the graduate level. Penn is among the top destinations for international students from around the world seeking to study in the United States. Currently, the University hosts 5,751 international students from 137 different countries, including China, Japan, Thailand, Canada, Taiwan and Singapore.  

Jill DiSanto

Penn Team Reduces Toxicity Associated With Lou Gehrig’s Disease in Animal Models

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a devastating illness that gradually robs sufferers of muscle strength and eventually causes a lethal, full-body paralysis. The only drug available to treat the disease extends life spans by a meager three months on average.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Penn Researcher Traces the History of the American Urban Squirrel

Until recently, Etienne Benson, an assistant professor in the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of History and Sociology of Science, has trained his academic eye on the history of conservation of large, charismatic wildlife, such as tigers, grizzly bears and orc

Katherine Unger Baillie



In the News


Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Civil discourse: Tips for navigating potentially divisive discussions around the holiday table

Research co-authored by Matthew Levendusky of the School of Arts & Sciences found that political discussions between members of opposing voting parties helped reduce polarization and negative views of the other side.

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Associated Press

Archaeologists discover 4,000-year-old canals used to fish by predecessors of ancient Maya

Jeremy Sabloff of the School of Arts & Sciences and Penn Museum says that ancient fish-trapping canals show continuity in Maya culture.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Penn student awarded Rhodes Scholarship to continue cancer research at Oxford University

College of Arts and Sciences fourth-year Om Gandhi from Barrington, Illinois, has been awarded a 2025 Rhodes Scholarship to continue his cancer research at Oxford University.

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Chicago Sun-Times

UChicago students, Barrington native among 2024 Rhodes Scholars heading to University of Oxford

College of Arts and Sciences fourth-year Om Gandhi from Barrington, Illinois, has been awarded a 2025 Rhodes Scholarship for graduate study at the University of Oxford.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Penn has preserved a pair of gloves said to belong to Shakespeare. Did they?

Alicia Meyer and Tessa Gadomski of Penn Libraries are researching whether a pair of centuries-old gloves belonged to Shakespeare, with remarks from Zachary Lesser of the School of Arts & Sciences.

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