12.1
Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences
In impeachment inquiry, is President Trump more akin to Andrew Johnson or Bill Clinton?
In impeachment inquiry, is President Trump more akin to Andrew Johnson or Bill Clinton?
With the opening of an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump late last month, historian Mary Frances Berry compares the case against Trump to three other presidents who were threatened with removal.
Libraries launch Diversity in the Stacks initiative
Libraries launch Diversity in the Stacks initiative
The Libraries has launched a new initiative to enhance collections that represent and reflect the University’s diverse population, and to highlight those works in a series of blog posts, starting with Afrofuturism.
Emily Steinlight brings a modern look to Victorian-era studies
Emily Steinlight brings a modern look to Victorian-era studies
What does it mean to study the Victorian era now? For Steinlight, it’s considering how 21st-century challenges, interests, and perspectives influence and inform how scholars examine the 19th century.
Saudi Arabia vs. Iran: A regional spat with global implications
Saudi Arabia vs. Iran: A regional spat with global implications
Political scientist Michael Horowitz, who specializes in international relations and military decision-making, explains the situation and outlines what might happen next.
Seeing life through their eyes
Seeing life through their eyes
Through the voices and stories of seven men, a feature-length documentary co-produced and directed by Annenberg Dean John L. Jackson Jr. and graduate student Nora Gross illustrates what it means to be black and gay in the south.
Public awareness of nuclear, refinery, and fracking sites
Public awareness of nuclear, refinery, and fracking sites
Just over half of the U.S. adults living within 25 miles of a nuclear site say they do, according to the new study of proximity and risk perceptions from the Annenberg Public Policy Center. The more risk that people thought the nuclear, refinery, and fracking sites posed, the less likely they were to report that they lived near one.
Brevity is the soul of Twitter
Brevity is the soul of Twitter
A new study from the Annenberg School for Communication finds that the 280-character limit makes Twitter more civil.
Classical studies professor Emily Wilson receives MacArthur ‘genius grant’
Classical studies professor Emily Wilson receives MacArthur ‘genius grant’
Professor of Classical Studies Emily Wilson has been named a 2019 MacArthur Fellow by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, receiving what is known as the “genius grant.”
Studying ancient architectural artifacts in Greece
Studying ancient architectural artifacts in Greece
Junior Zahra Elhanbaly worked with art history’s Mantha Zarmakoupi on a research project on the island of Paros.
How to make progress for Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers
How to make progress for Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers
The Water Center at Penn has completed the first phase of a high-level study of the challenges and opportunities for water resource management in Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Region.
In the News
WHYY (Philadelphia)
After ‘long-term extended loan,’ Penn Museum sends ancient Iraqi artifacts home
The Penn Museum is bringing 3 boxes of ancient artifacts to the Iraq embassy in Washington, D.C. to be returned to their country of origin. “All the tablets were shipped out to be studied because no one in Iraq at the time could read them,” said the Museum’s Brad Hafford.
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Forward.com
The Trump Administration is using accusations of anti-Semitism to silence criticism of Israel
Ian Lustick of the School of Arts and Sciences wrote an opinion piece about the current administration’s efforts to “chill free speech and criticism of Israel” using the Department of Education’s civil rights mandate.
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“The Brian Lehrer Show,” WNYC Radio (New York City)
America, are we ready: Democracy and impeachment and inclusion
Mary Frances Berry of the School of Arts and Sciences spoke on a podcast about the role of impeachment in American democracy.
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The New York Times
Make room at the table for difficult people
Annette Lareau of the School of Arts and Sciences wrote an op-ed about how families can make space for everyone at the Thanksgiving table, including those with mental illnesses and cognitive disabilities. “The trick is to reframe our expectations and accept the situation for what it is,” she said.
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Science
French playwright Molière did indeed write his own masterpieces, computer science suggests
Joan DeJean of the School of Arts and Sciences said the 17th-century French playwright Molière has a uniquely identifiable authorial voice.
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