5.21
Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences
Photo finish
Graduating senior Wilson Fisher will use a Fulbright Award to study photographers and other artists in Ukraine.
A conversation with Ebony Elizabeth Thomas
Thomas explains the origins of her interest in children’s literature and young adult fiction, as well as what to expect from her new book, “The Dark Fantastic.”
Echo chambers may not be as dangerous as you think
Research on the “wisdom of crowds” has found that access to information exchange can increase the likelihood that beliefs are accurate, even contentious partisan political beliefs, among homogenous groups.
Inaugural Provost’s Graduate Academic Engagement Fellowships awarded
Michael Vazquez, a philosophy Ph.D. student, and Paul Wolff Mitchell, an anthropology Ph.D. student, are the first recipients of the award for 2019-2021.
A sense of place on shifting shores
Roderick Coover, whose work merges cinema, science, and history, is the 2019 Mellon Artist-in-Residence for the Penn Program in Environmental Humanities (PPEH). His recent film “Toxi-City: A Climate Change Narrative” screened at PPEH’s “Teaching and Learning with Rising Waters” event.
Training physician-scholars to see patients as people, not categories
The anthropology M.D.-Ph.D. program, recently graduating its first two students, combines clinical and ethnographic skills aimed at working with and caring for society’s marginalized.
Survey examines emergency department management of deliberate self-harm
SP2’s Steven Marcus’ new study examines how routinely emergency room staff members properly provide help to individuals who present for self-harm, and how to improve emergency care for high-risk patients.
Studying novels with novelist Jennifer Egan
Pulitzer-Prize winning author Jennifer Egan returns to her alma mater to teach a course on English literature.
Musical merger of academics and performance
Music 236 emerges students in focused study on one classical composer through academics and musical performance with the Daedalus Quartet.
Pokémon activates a unique part of the brain, offering insights into its structure
In a study of adults who played the game extensively as children, Penn and Stanford researchers discovered that a particular area of the visual cortex lights up when players view characters from the original version.
In the News
“All Things Considered,” National Public Radio
In 'Ladysitting,' Lorene Cary chronicles the end of her grandmother's life
Lorene Cary of the School of Arts and Sciences was interviewed about her new memoir, which documents the year she spent caring for her grandmother.
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The Washington Post
Economists conducted a $5 million experiment to (literally) shed light on crime
Aaron Chalfin of the School of Arts and Science co-led a study that found installing bright lights near public-housing developments in New York City reduced nighttime crime by as much as a 59%, the equivalent to a 10% increase in police presence. The results suggest that improved living conditions may more effectively reduce crime than increased policing.
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The Atlantic
If you fear the deep state, history explains why
A recent poll found that “three-quarters of Americans believed that unelected government and military officials secretly control policy decisions in Washington.” John Gans of the Perry World House sees these beliefs as concerning evidence of “collapsing trust” in the U.S. government.
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Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
Urban League annual report addresses voting rights, suppression
Mary Frances Berry of the School of Arts and Sciences commented on the Urban League’s report on voting rights, cosigning their recommendation of passing the Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would counteract strict voter-ID laws. She also expressed doubt that the Electoral College would be abolished any time soon.
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Forbes
Want to change the world? Get immersed in something that matters
Angela Duckworth of the School of Arts and Sciences was interviewed on the “From the Dorm Room to the Board Room” podcast about her career journey.
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