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Amy Gutmann honored by Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

Amy Gutmann honored by Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

At a ceremony on November 5, the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History honored Amy Gutmann, Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science and scholar of democracy, with the Only in America Award, given to Jewish Americans who have made enormous contributions to our world.

A massive chunk of ice, a new laser, and new information on sea-level rise
A researcher walking through a glacier in Greenland.

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A massive chunk of ice, a new laser, and new information on sea-level rise

For nearly a decade, Leigh Stearns and collaborators aimed a laser scanner system at Greenland’s Helheim Glacier. Their long-running survey reveals that Helheim’s massive calving events don’t behave the way scientists once thought, reframing how ice loss contributes to sea-level rise.

5 min. read

Bringing AI into game theory

Bringing AI into game theory

Joshua Plotkin, Walter H. and Leonore C. Annenberg Professor of the Natural Sciences in the School of Arts & Sciences, is working to bring together the fields of game theory and machine learning, in the hopes of discovering new strategies for solving real-world problems.

Connecting with America’s 250th anniversary
The Declaration of Independence at the National Archives

The Declaration of Independence on display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

(Image: Mark Schiefelbein via AP Images)

Connecting with America’s 250th anniversary

Ahead of the main event on July 4, 2026, marking the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Penn students, faculty, and staff will have multiple early opportunities to engage with America’s 250th anniversary.

3 min. read

New Katz Center fellowship amplifies study of antisemitism through classes, events, and community
Mendel Kranz leaning against bookshelves in a library setting

Mendel Kranz is the inaugural recipient of the Ross-Silk-Lowenstein Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism

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New Katz Center fellowship amplifies study of antisemitism through classes, events, and community

Mendel Kranz, the inaugural recipient of the Ross-Silk-Lowenstein Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, elevates awareness and critical inquiry into antisemitism through research projects, classroom dialogue, and educational events.

4 min. read

A road map to reduce firearm harms by 2040
Six people stand on a set of parallel, converging arrows, illustrating the concept of collaboration or moving forward together.

Image: mathisworks/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

A road map to reduce firearm harms by 2040

Three Penn faculty members are among more than 40 experts to author a report addressing the persistent challenge of gun violence and proposing solutions stemming from a JAMA Summit convened last spring.

2 min. read

How has talking about politics changed in the last quarter-century?
Two people speaking in a government building.

Americans are having more political conversations than they were 24 years ago, and are more likely to be talking with people they agree with politically, Penn researcher Diana C. Mutz finds.

(Image: Hill Street Studios via Getty Images)

How has talking about politics changed in the last quarter-century?

Penn researcher Diana Mutz finds that we’re having more political conversations now with like-minded people, and that political intolerance has increased as a result.

2 min. read

Philosophy, technology, and pushing beyond human limitations
Gary Purpura teaches class.

But to Gary Purpura, the associate vice provost for education and academic planning in the Office of the Provost and a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy, is teaching Enhancing the Human Mind with Technology this semester.

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Philosophy, technology, and pushing beyond human limitations

Gary Purpura’s class Enhancing the Human Mind with Technology introduces students to philosophy through the lens of transhumanism, illustrating the possibilities of technology to enhance the human condition and expand the idea of what it means to be human.

3 min. read

Understanding today through Soviet history  

Understanding today through Soviet history  

Benjamin Nathans examines dissent in the Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s to understand how our world was shaped by history.

Why rental support works
Vincent Reina and Sara Jaffee.

“You’re seeing a dramatic improvement in housing stability outcomes,” says Vincent Reina, pictured with Sara Jaffee.

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Why rental support works

Cash assistance drastically reduces tenants’ likelihood of eviction and homelessness, according to an ongoing study of the PHLHousing+ program from Weitzman’s Vincent Reina and Arts & Sciences’ Sara Jaffee.

From the Weitzman School of Design

2 min. read