Q&A

Photograph of a seismograph reading following an earthquake.

Understanding the Northeast earthquake

Last week, people in the Northeast experienced a rare earthquake that registered a magnitude of 4.8. Penn Today spoke with David Goldsby of the School of Arts & Sciences and Robert Carpick of the School of Engineering and Applied Science about the event.

Nathi Magubane ・

Textures knitted through in a pattern.

Mechanics of knitting

Randall Kamien of the School of Arts & Sciences and Geneviève Dion of Drexel University share how combining traditional origami techniques with modern textile science can lead to practical applications in various industries.

Nathi Magubane ・

(Image: Courtesy of Harvard University Press)

‘The Tame and the Wild’ 

Historian Marcy Norton’s new book looks at the history of human-animal relationships in Europe and Native America and how they became entangled after 1492.

Kristen de Groot ・

Man walking through a city carrying packages

The advent of e-commerce

In a Q&A, sociologist Steve Viscelli of the School of Arts & Sciences talks transport, last-mile delivery, and the “incredible amounts of physical effort” required to get the holiday packages to America’s front doors.

Kristina García ・



In the News


Philadelphia Inquirer

Back at Penn, former president Amy Gutmann reflects on ambassadorship and where she is now: ‘I feel very free’

In a Q&A, Amy Gutmann discusses her life post-Penn presidency and ambassadorship, including her return to campus for the christening of Amy Gutmann Hall.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Former Penn president Judith Rodin on the changing relationship between business and universities

In a Q&A, former Penn President Judith Rodin discusses her current role advising the Bellwether District, which seeks to reinvent two square miles of former oil refineries in South and Southwest Philly, and the rapid changes in business-academic relations throughout her career.

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Forbes India

Life is not a series of linear stages defined by age: Mauro F Guillen

In a Q&A, Mauro F. Guillén of the Wharton School discusses his latest book, “The Perennials,” which outlines the shaping of a post-generational society and its implications for businesses, governments, and society at large.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

The Biden administration is trying to make it easier to convert offices to apartments post-pandemic

In a Q&A, Vincent Reina of the Weitzman School of Design discusses a new White House initiative to incentivize commercial-to-residential conversion projects, especially as the office market continues to struggle.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Lab tests and scans interpreted by AI? These Penn doctors are researching the good—and bad—ways to use AI in health care

In a Q&A, Samiran Mukherjee of the Perelman School of Medicine discusses the potential ways that AI can benefit health care professionals and patients.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

A CHOP pediatrician shares how she talks to patients—and her own kids—about pedestrian safety

In a Q&A, Katie Lockwood of the Perelman School of Medicine explains when and how to teach children about pedestrian safety.

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