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Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences
Designing with resilience to prepare for a changing world
Urban designers joined with architects, engineers, city planners, sociologists, and other experts to share strategies for adapting to rising sea levels, fiercer storms, and sinking shorelines, coinciding with the launch of the Certificate in Urban Resilience at the School of Design.
‘The conversation America needs’
Former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO Wesley Clark, a retired four-star general of the U.S. Army, and former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, who served as the first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, joined the Penn Political Union in College Hall on Wednesday for a wide discussion.
In Japan, students learn to savor the moment
Nine students spent a week in Japan though a Penn Biden Center program. After a whirlwind tour that included a visit to Hiroshima and a home stay, students say the experience was life-changing.
Through comics, profs draw path to visual literacy
In Making Comics, an English course for undergraduates, students learn the theory of comic books while working with others to make them—all in the name of visual literacy.
Professor Charles Bernstein awarded Yale’s 2019 Bollingen Prize for Poetry
Charles Bernstein is the 51st poet to be honored with the biennial prize, one of the most prestigious given to American writers. Bernstein’s latest collection, “Near/Miss,” was published last year.
Iconic indeed, will Amtrak’s split-flap sign remain?
As Amtrak decides whether to keep the split-flap sign at 30th Street Station, PennDesign professors lay out research-based and historical considerations.
Reclaiming socialism
Kristen R. Ghodsee has been intrigued by the former Eastern bloc since she was in high school. Now, her research is reaching a new audience in a provocative book.
Spencer named Robert S. Blank Presidential Professor
Quayshawn Spencer, an associate professor of philosophy, has been named the Robert S. Blank Presidential Associate Professor of Philosophy.
Report predicts aging homeless population will nearly triple by 2030
The national population of people 65 or older experiencing homelessness is estimated to grow from 40,000 to 106,000 by 2030.
Walt Whitman up close
As part of the Penn Manuscript Collective, students transcribe rare documents and original works by Walt Whitman in the University’s collection. Their discoveries will be included in an international symposium at Penn this spring, Whitman at 200, led by the Penn Libraries marking the anniversary of the poet’s birth.
In the News
Far fewer young Americans now want to study in China. Both countries are trying to fix that
Amy Gadsden of Penn Global says that American interest in studying in China is declining due to foreign businesses closing their offices there and Beijing’s draconian governing style.
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In death, three decades after his trial verdict, O.J. Simpson still reflects America’s racial divides
Camille Charles of the School of Arts & Sciences says that Black Americans have grown less likely to believe in a famous defendant’s innocence as a show of race solidarity.
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‘Slouch’ review: The panic over posture
In her new book, “Slouch: Posture Panic in Modern America,” Beth Linker of the School of Arts & Sciences traces society’s posture obsession to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.
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Why Indigenous artifacts should be returned to Indigenous communities
The Penn Museum is noted for creating its “Native American Voices: The People—Here and Now” exhibit with the help of tribal representatives.
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The truth behind the slouching epidemic
Beth Linker of the School of Arts & Sciences traces the history of a poor-posture epidemic in the U.S. which began at the onset of the 20th century.
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