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Why are alcohol- and drug-related deaths rising in the U.S. and not elsewhere?
Silhouette of a person sitting against a wall on the side of the image, legs pulled up close to her chest.

Why are alcohol- and drug-related deaths rising in the U.S. and not elsewhere?

With insights from anthropology and neuroscience, Penn researchers Michael Platt and Peter Sterling find that, in comparison, 16 other wealthy nations offer communal assistance at every life stage, support that protects individuals and families long term.

Michele W. Berger

Studying the past through a modern-day lens
Lynn Meskell standing in front of a glass display case at the Penn Museum.

Lynn Meskell is the Richard D. Green Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor in the Department of Anthropology in the School of Arts & Sciences, a professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning and the graduate program in Historic Preservation in the Stuart Weitzman School of Design, and a curator in the Middle East and Asia sections at the Penn Museum.

(Image: Eric Sucar)

Studying the past through a modern-day lens

In a Q & A, archaeologist and PIK Professor Lynn Meskell discusses her background, the subjects that interest her—from espionage to World Heritage sites—and collaborations that have organically arisen at Penn despite the pandemic and a mostly remote first year.

Michele W. Berger

The ‘music’ of one poet’s words, translated
Huda Fakhreddine holding the poetry book outside

(Homepage image) As a scholar, Fakhreddine works hard to retain as much of a poem as possible when it moves from Arabic to another language. “It’s a challenge that all translation involves. We talk about what’s lost and what’s gained,” she says. “It’s all exaggerated here with these short musical pieces. Their meaning is ground in their sound.”

The ‘music’ of one poet’s words, translated

With help from her daughter, scholar Huda Fakhreddine published an English version of 30 poems for children written by her father in Arabic, paying tribute to their endearing and enduring subject matter and to the musicality and richness of their sound.

Michele W. Berger

A call for tools to navigate the future of the Delaware River watershed
Three images of highway submerged with water, robot, and underwater scene that says Ecotopian Toolkit for Delaware Watershed Justice

A call for tools to navigate the future of the Delaware River watershed

The Penn Program in Environmental Humanities is partnering with Philadelphia’s Independence Seaport Museum to solicit designs for tools to help Delaware River watershed residents adapt and respond to climate change and other ecological challenges.

Katherine Unger Baillie

It takes a village, especially during a global pandemic
Group of people wearing masks outside a building in Malawi.

The field research team of the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health. (Image: Penn LDI)

It takes a village, especially during a global pandemic

A Penn LDI and Penn Population Aging Research Center team tracks behavior and attitudes in Malawi during COVID-19’s first wave.

Hoag Levins

Can Russia be stopped?
Trudy Rubin and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow sit in chairs on a stage with a sign between them reading Perry World House

Trudy Rubin (left), foreign affairs columnist with the Philadelphia Inquirer, and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow discuss tensions between Russia and Ukraine at Perry World House. (Image: Courtesy of Perry World House)

Can Russia be stopped?

Alexander Vershbow, former U.S. ambassador to Russia and Perry World House Distinguished Visiting Fellow, discusses Russia’s military buildup along the Ukrainian border that’s stoking invasion fears.

Kristen de Groot

Ten from Penn elected 2021 AAAS Fellows
Researchers Sara Cherry, Susan Davidson, Douglas Durian, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Katalin Kariko, I. Joseph Kroll, Mingyao Li, Hongjun Song, Duncan Watts, and E. John Wherry

Penn’s new AAAS Fellows for 2021, clockwise from top left: Sara Cherry, Susan Davidson, Douglas Durian, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Katalin Karikó, I. Joseph Kroll, Mingyao Li, Hongjun Song, Duncan Watts, and E. John Wherry

Ten from Penn elected 2021 AAAS Fellows

Ten scholars representing five schools across the University of Pennsylvania have been named to the 2021 class of American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows, recognized for their “scientifically and socially distinguished achievements.”

Katherine Unger Baillie

After the shutdown, what comes next for the former Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery?
philadelphia refinery

Flames and smoke emerge from the Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refining Complex in Philadelphia, Friday, June 21, 2019. (Image: Matt Rourke/AP Images)

After the shutdown, what comes next for the former Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery?

Creating a greener, more equitable future at the site means understanding its complex history, its long-running public health impacts, and working in partnership with communities.

Erica K. Brockmeier