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Finding a new behavioral adaptation in fruit flies
Researchers pose next to a box they fabricated for recording fly courtship.

From left to right, Dawn Chen, Yun Ding, and Minhao Li.

Eric Sucar

Finding a new behavioral adaptation in fruit flies

Penn researchers discovered “wing spreading” in Drosophila santomea, research that hints at a rare, novel finding and offers insights into an underrepresented area in sexual reproduction research: female-initiated behaviors.
The wayfinder: Jessa Lingel creates community and belonging on campus
Jessa Lingel stands in front of a black screen, her head cocked to the side. In the foreground (blurred) are a student's head and water bottle.

“I see my role as a faculty member as helping other people navigate within this structure,” Lingel says. 

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The wayfinder: Jessa Lingel creates community and belonging on campus

As the new director of the Program in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies and the Center for Research in Feminist, Queer, and Transgender Studies, Jessa Lingel creates community and belonging on campus.

Kristina Linnea García

Timothy Rommen appointed vice provost for the arts at Penn
Timothy Rommen.

Timothy Rommen is the Davidson Kennedy Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of music and Africana studies in the School of Arts & Sciences. His role as inaugural vice provost for the arts begins Jan. 1, 2025.

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Timothy Rommen appointed vice provost for the arts at Penn

The Davidson Kennedy Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of music and Africana studies in the School of Arts & Sciences, Rommen will begin the new appointment on Jan. 1.
Edible Books at the Kelly Writers House
Seven people around a table with cake during the Edible Books event.

The 14th-annual Edible Books party at the Kelly Writers House featured 30-some creations based on literature titles, often involving puns.

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Edible Books at the Kelly Writers House

The annual Edible Books contest at the Kelly Writers House features food creations inspired by books, often involving puns based on the titles. In this 14th year, 30-some entries were admired and (mostly) eaten.

Louisa Shepard

University announces Penn Global Middle East Distinguished Visiting Scholar Initiative
Dahlia Scheindlin, Shay Hazkani, and Amal Jamal

(Left to right) Dahlia Scheindlin, Shay Hazkani, and Amal Jamal are the inaugural Distinguished Visiting Scholars in the Penn Global Middle East Distinguished Visiting Scholar Initiative.

(Left image: Eyal Warshavsky)

University announces Penn Global Middle East Distinguished Visiting Scholar Initiative

The program will formally launch in fall 2025 with the arrival of the inaugural visiting scholar, Dahlia Scheindlin, followed by Shay Hazkani in spring 2026, and Amal Jamal in fall 2026.
Penn students get convention access in extraordinary political times
students at the dnc pose for a group photo

(On homepage) Eisenhower and Margolies have been taking Penn undergraduate students to the Democratic and Republican conventions every presidential cycle since 2000—except for 2020, due to the COVID pandemic—as part of their Conventions, Debates, and Campaigns course, offered every four years.

(Image: Lex Gilbert)

Penn students get convention access in extraordinary political times

Undergrads who attended the Republican or Democratic convention this summer are breaking down their experiences during the Conventions, Debates, and Campaigns course, taught by David Eisenhower, Marjorie Margolies, and Craig Snyder.
Libraries exhibition explores the movement of books
a hand on a hand-made book with moveable parts

Various types of books were created for the exhibition that visitors can touch, including one of wood inspired by medieval illuminated manuscripts.

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Libraries exhibition explores the movement of books

A new exhibit at the Penn Libraries explores the myriad ways books move—as physical objects in different formats, and across space and time—featuring 24 items from the collection, a video wall displaying 26 additional items, and interactive models.

Louisa Shepard

Studying Wikipedia browsing habits to learn how people learn
Network schematic of peoples' browsing activity on Wikipedia.

Shown here: A hyperlink network from English Wikipedia, with only 0.1% of articles (nodes) and their connections (edges) visualized. Seven different reader journeys through this network are highlighted in various colors. The network is organized by topic and displayed using a layout that groups related articles together.

(Image: Dale Zhou)

Studying Wikipedia browsing habits to learn how people learn

A collaborative team of researchers analyzed the information-seeking styles of more than 480,000 people from 50 countries and found that gender and education inequality track different types of knowledge exploration. Their findings suggest potential cultural drivers of curiosity and learning.
Airbnbs associated with more crime in London, new study shows
Police officers patrolling Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus in central London

“The fact that we still find an increase in crime despite Airbnb’s efforts reveals the severity of the predicament induced by the rise of home sharing,” says David Kirk, professor of criminology at Penn, who co-authored a study with University of Cambridge criminologist Charles C. Lanfear to study the impacts on crime of Airbnb lettings across London.

(Image: iStock/Paolo Paradiso)

Airbnbs associated with more crime in London, new study shows

Since its founding in 2008, the short-term homestay platform Airbnb has expanded to 100,000 cities in more than 220 countries, and, according to data from the company, 1.5 billion guests had stayed in Airbnb-listed properties through 2023.