11/15
Q&A
A look at the history of affirmative action with Mary Frances Berry
A look at the history of affirmative action with Mary Frances Berry
The Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and professor of history emerita shares the origins of the term, discusses the practice’s early champions and highlights the ensuing controversies.
Why COVID misinformation continues to spread
Why COVID misinformation continues to spread
Penn Medicine’s Anish Agarwal discusses why false claims about the virus and vaccines arise and persist, plus what he hopes will come from NIH-funded research he and Penn Engineering’s Sharath Chandra Guntuku have recently begun.
The psychology of playing the fool
The psychology of playing the fool
Law professor Tess Wilkinson-Ryan’s new book “Fool Proof: How Fear of Playing the Sucker Shapes Ourselves and the Social Order―and What We Can Do About It” explores the psychology of fools, dupes, cons, and morality.
What is the future of Social Security?
What is the future of Social Security?
As Social Security continues to march toward insolvency, Olivia S. Mitchell of the Wharton School discusses current policy debates and the role of financial literacy in achieving reform.
The case for affirmative action with professor Cara McClellan
The case for affirmative action with professor Cara McClellan
The Penn Carey Law professor and founding director of the Advocacy for Racial and Civil Justice Clinic shares how affirmative action benefits institutions and how the diversity it brings helps colleges and universities fulfill their educational missions.
Matthew Levendusky and Kathleen Hall Jamieson on democracy amid crises
Matthew Levendusky and Kathleen Hall Jamieson on democracy amid crises
A new book by a team of scholars—including Matthew Levendusky of the School of Arts & Sciences and the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s Kathleen Hall Jamieson—analyzes the crises surrounding the 2020 election and its aftermath.
Sophia Rosenfeld and Peter Struck discuss 2,800 years of ideas through history
Sophia Rosenfeld and Peter Struck discuss 2,800 years of ideas through history
The Penn Arts & Sciences professors discuss editing their new book series, “A Cultural History of Ideas.”
HR collab helps staff and faculty manage student loan debt
HR collab helps staff and faculty manage student loan debt
Penn Today talks with Claudia Quinton of the Division of Human Resources, who, along with several coworkers, dedicated hours of extra time to assist colleagues pursuing student loan forgiveness.
Experimental Italian theater comes to the Annenberg Center
Experimental Italian theater comes to the Annenberg Center
In “fedeli d’Amore,” Italian theatre company Teatro delle Albe immerses audiences in the last visions of Dante.
President Liz Magill on law, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg
President Liz Magill on law, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg
In a Q&A, University President Liz Magill discusses her legal and leadership experience—including one of her favorite memories from clerking for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
In the News
Scientific American
Grumpy voters want better stories. Not statistics
In a Q&A, PIK Professor Duncan Watts says that U.S. voters ignored Democratic policy in favor of Republican storytelling.
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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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