Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences

More thoughts on the state of American democracy

In part two of this series, five Penn experts offer their insights on public health, election legitimacy, student loan debt, and more.

Person in a bright blue top standing at a podium with microphones, smiling.

Five questions about the new White House press secretary

In a Q&A, Barbie Zelizer of the Annenberg School for Communication discusses Jennifer Psaki’s first weeks on the job, plus what a shift back to a traditional press briefing means for journalism during the Biden presidency.

Transportation justice, commute knowledge, and equitable access

While transportation research is often focused on mobility and demand, researchers in Megan Ryerson’s lab are also evaluating its role in social dynamics and environmental justice.

Street dancers in colorful costumes being cheered on by bystanders

‘Kanaval’ documentary celebrates musical link between Haiti and New Orleans

WXPN debuts its latest radio documentary, exploring the historical and cultural connections between Haiti and New Orleans.

Student filmmaker puts pencil to paper for heartwarming sci-fi fantasies

Senior Dennis Sungmin Kim finds success with his hand-drawn, animated short films.

The state of U.S. democracy

On the eve of a presidential inauguration following a historic election and its aftermath, experts from across the University weigh in on where we stand as a country.

Side-by-side photos of author and book cover of Rational Fog by M. Susan Lindee

Q&A

Seeing clearly through the fog of war

In a new book, science historian M. Susan Lindee of the School of Arts & Sciences explores the interplay between scientific progress and violence in modern war.

Main entrance of Penn Museum with brick wall and door open showing arched passageway with Sphinx in the doorway in the very back of the view.

Penn Museum awarded National Endowment for the Humanities grant

The Penn Museum has been awarded a $750,000 Challenge Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.The grant will help catalyze fundraising for the renovation of the Museum’s Egyptian Wing, part of its major Building Transformation project.

A person in a suit and button-down shirt sitting on a stairwell landing, smiling. The intricate white stairwell and a brick wall behind it are to the person's right.

A modified game of ‘chicken’ reveals what happens in the brain during decision-making

Research from the Platt Labs found that in rhesus macaques, two regions of the brain mirror those of similar regions in humans, broadening the understanding of what unfolds, neurologically, when people interact and cooperate.

Distressed person wearing a mask sitting on a couch looking at a phone, hand on forehead.

In the pandemic’s early days, a third of U.S. adults felt depressed, anxious

According to new research from Penn, those feelings worsened as the month of March progressed, and economic worries rather than social distancing or fear of the virus itself played the largest role.

Filters