Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences

A Penn professor leading a seminar to a class of first-year students.

The impact of small seminars for new college students

Sixty first-year seminars offer complex subjects in a comfortable group setting, as well as close connections to professors and peers. This year, 10 are also taking part in a pilot program focused on teaching students how to have respectful dialogue around difficult topics.

Michele W. Berger ・

A young person pouring water over their head.

As the world warms, how are young people feeling?

Climate scientist Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences and Annenberg School for Communication leads a research community that aims to understand climate anxiety and improve climate communication.

From the Environmental Innovations Initiative ・

Portrait of Xinlan Emily Hu

The mechanics of collaboration

Penn Ph.D. student Xinlan Emily Hu leads a group of budding engineers and social scientists who study communication across teams. The group has developed a new toolkit aimed at helping researchers analyze and measure teamwork.

Nathi Magubane ・

Ala Stanford.

Doing the work to end health disparities

Ala Stanford is a surgeon, a national leader in health equity, and professor of practice at Penn. Her new book chronicles her path from North Philly, how she served thousands during the COVID-19 pandemic, and her work to end health disparities.

Susan Ahlborn ・

President Reagan presenting Roy Benavidez with the Medal of Honor in 1981.

Telling the story of a Hispanic war hero

In his new book “The Ballad of Roy Benavidez,” Penn historian William Sturkey explores the life of this Hispanic war hero, his fight to maintain veteran disability benefits, and the ways in which Hispanic Americans have long shaped U.S. history with scant acknowledgement.

From Omnia ・

A human head with branches similar to neurons emanating.

The inner workings of chronic pain

Jessica Wojick, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Biology in the School of Arts & Sciences, examines the biological experiences of pain and how to mitigate suffering.

Blake Cole ・



In the News


Fast Company

Bosses who think they’re funny create emotional labor for employees, says study

A new collaborative study from Penn finds that poor attempts at humor from a manager might negatively affect job satisfaction in the workplace.

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Associated Press

International Women’s Day is a celebration and a call to action. Here are things to know

Kristen Ghodsee of the School of Arts & Sciences explores the history of International Women’s Day as a tool for activism in Russia.

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WABC (New York City)

Preserving Assyria explores the preservation of cultural heritage in post-conflict Iraq

Michael Danti of the School of Arts & Sciences discusses the Penn Museum’s latest exhibit, “Preserving Assyria,” which explores the preservation of cultural heritage in post-conflict Iraq and showcases the rise of the New Assyrian Empire.

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Marketplace (NPR)

What did you do at work last week? Monitoring performance doesn’t improve it, expert says

Adam Grant of the Wharton School says that people do their best work when they’re given a chance to pursue autonomy, mastery, belonging, and purpose.

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Live Science

2,600-year-old jewelry stash from ancient Egypt includes gold statuette depicting family of gods

Shelby Justl of the School of Arts & Sciences says that Karnak Temple in Egypt was dedicated to the worship of a “golden triad” of deities.

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