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High-ranking hyena mothers pass their social networks to their cubs
Group of hyenas on the landscape

Hyenas benefit from being born to high-ranking mothers, from whom they inherit their social networks, according to research led by biologists from Penn and Michigan State University. (Image: Kate Shaw Yoshida)

High-ranking hyena mothers pass their social networks to their cubs

Using 27 years of detailed data on hyena social interactions, a team led by Penn biologists nailed down a pattern of social network inheritance and its implications for social structure, rank, and survival.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Digging into the government report on UFOs
meteor streaks across a night sky

Digging into the government report on UFOs

In a Q&A, historian of science Kate Dorsch illuminates the history behind reporting and investigating UFO sightings and contextualizes the new government report on such phenomena.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Obscuring the truth can promote cooperation
Businesspeople shaking hands holding up masks to their faces

Obscuring the truth can promote cooperation

People are more likely to cooperate if they think others are cooperating, too. New research by biologists in the School of Arts & Sciences shows that overstating the true level of cooperation in a society can increase cooperative behavior overall.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Online learning’s impact on student performance
students learning virtually with laptop

Online learning’s impact on student performance

Alex Rees-Jones of the Wharton School co-authored a study that found that online learning during the pandemic had a negative impact on student learning.

Dee Patel

Five tips for talking to young children about COVID-19 today
A person in a face mask giving hand sanitizer to a child also wearing a face mask.

Five tips for talking to young children about COVID-19 today

Many vaccinated adults have started going maskless, but most children still cannot. Some states are now fully open. Psychologist Caroline Watts offers parents language they can use to talk openly as a family about this newest phase of the pandemic.

Michele W. Berger

Anti-trans legislation: ‘Game pieces in the culture wars’
progressive lgbtq flag

Philadelphians celebrate the outcome of 2020’s presidential election, waving the Progress Pride Flag while marching through Center City. The U.S. saw the rollback of trans civil rights protections in health care, education, housing, employment, and other areas under the Trump administration. (Image: Rashaad Jorden, also featured on homepage)

Anti-trans legislation: ‘Game pieces in the culture wars’

With 117 bills proposed across 33 U.S. states, 2021 is a record-breaking year for anti-trans legislation.

Kristina García, Julian Shendelman

Penn team expands cultural heritage work in Iraq, backed by new funding
Taq-i Kisra Taq-i Kisra is a vaulted hall near Baghdad that likely dates to the 6th century. After heavy rains in late 2020 caused part of it to collapse, the Penn team was asked to conduct an assessment on the structure. It’s one of the newest projects for the IHSP, funded by the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas.

Penn team expands cultural heritage work in Iraq, backed by new funding

Three big new projects—restoration of a fortification gate, repair of an important landmark, and a survey of historic nonreligious architecture—recently got underway.

Michele W. Berger

Ballerina Emily Davis is ‘on her toes’
Ballerina Emily Davis completed her Penn degree while dancing with the Pennsylvania Ballet.

May graduate Emily Davis earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the College of Liberal and Professional Studies while working full-time as a ballerina with the Pennsylvania Ballet and volunteering to conduct research at CHOP and community service with Philadelphia nonprofits. (Image: Arian Molina Soca)

Ballerina Emily Davis is ‘on her toes’

May graduate Emily Davis earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the College of Liberal and Professional Studies while working full-time as a ballerina with the Pennsylvania Ballet and volunteering to conduct research at CHOP and community service with Philadelphia nonprofits.
Penn Vet dual degrees: The student experience
From left to right: Jaclyn Camus, Anna Shirosky, Caitlyn Tukdarian

From left to right: Jaclyn Camus, Anna Shirosky, and Caitlyn Tukdarian. (Images: John Donges/Penn Vet)

Penn Vet dual degrees: The student experience

The expansion of the dual degree program is timely, given the recent perfect storm of a pandemic; growing awareness of social, racial and economic inequity; and increased impact of climate change .

From Penn Vet