Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences

Penn’s 2015-16 Theme Year is Discovery with Penn Reading Project: The Big Sea

University of Pennsylvania Provost Vincent Price, Vice Provost for Education Andrew Binns, the Council of Undergraduate Deans and the Office of New Student Orientation and Academic Initiatives today announced that the 2015-16 academic theme will be the Year of Discovery and that The Big Sea by Langston Hughes will be the Penn Reading Project.

Jacquie Posey

Doing Good and Learning Leadership Skills at Penn

When University of Pennsylvania student Amy Phillips learned about the Girl Scouts at Penn program, she immediately joined.Having been a Scout from kindergarten through high school, Phillips was thrilled to be able to continue her involvement at Penn.

Jeanne Leong

Composer Has a Lifelong Fascination with Sounds

Erica Ball was just 3 years old when she begged her parents to let her play the piano. She doesn’t remember exactly what sparked her interest, but Ball says her fluency grew quickly as she progressed from playing on a tiny keyboard to a baby grand by middle school.

Heather A. Davis

Botswana Internship Inspires Penn Senior to Start a Happiness Blog

University of Pennsylvania senior Callan Parra chronicles the stories of people she’s met who’ve triumphed over adversities and offers insights on coping with stress and finding life’s “perfect moments” in a new blog called “Happy for Happyness.”

Jacquie Posey



In the News


CNN

After four years with COVID-19, the U.S. is settling into a new approach to respiratory virus season

Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center says that the sense of urgency around vaccination has faded as attention on respiratory viruses wanes.

FULL STORY →



Voice of America

U.S. bolstering Philippines amid increasing assertiveness by China

Thomas J. Shattuck of Perry World House says that greater interest in the Philippines by the U.S. and Japan will have a positive impact on Taiwan’s security.

FULL STORY →



Axios

Report: Latin America’s progress on helping sex abuse victims

Marci Hamilton of the School of Arts & Sciences points to Chile as an international example of a large sex abuse scandal turning into effective activism.

FULL STORY →



BBC

Gordion: A lost city of legends in central Turkey

Brian Rose of the School of Arts & Sciences and Penn Museum has led excavations at the ancient Turkish city of Gordion since 2007.

FULL STORY →



Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia’s Market Street East searches for growth and renewal — with or without a new Sixers arena

Akira Drake Rodriguez, Rashida Ng, and Dominic Vitiello of the Weitzman School of Design say there should be a more robust and inclusive conversation about the future of Philadelphia’s Market Street East.

FULL STORY →