10.21
Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences
Alarm and response for emerging health threats: Social media, news, and Zika
Research finds that traditional news accounts and Twitter messages had different associations with risk perceptions and behavior during the 2016 U.S. Zika virus outbreak.
Leading from within: Madison Dawkins brings health and mindfulness to prison
Rising senior Madison Dawkins created an independent study focused on health and mindfulness with the women at the Riverside Correctional Facility.
Piecing together an ancient biblical site, bone by bone
In the lab of Penn Museum’s Janet Monge, rising senior Fiona Jensen-Hitch is sorting and photographing ancient human remains to shed light on the people of ancient city of Gibeon.
A gentle nudge at the right moment can curb unnecessary spending online
It turns out, reminding people of their financial goals before they start online shopping can reduce unnecessary spending of this kind by almost 25 percent.
Penn filmmakers capture less-told stories of climate change
As part of two CURF grants, students Kyle Rosenbluth and Daniel Fradin traveled to the Arctic to explore a Canadian Inuit community for a documentary—and came back with ample story to tell.
The calm before the storm in the Middle East
In her new book, Heather Sharkey, a professor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, explores Muslim, Christian, and Jewish relations in the period before World War I.
Q&A with Mary Frances Berry
The civil rights activist, historian, and author discusses her new book “History Teaches Us to Resist: How Progressive Movements Have Succeeded in Challenging Times.”
Greening vacant lots reduces depression in city dwellers
People living within a quarter mile of greened lots had a 41.5 percent decrease in feelings of depression and a nearly 63 percent decrease in self-reported “poor mental health,” compared to those who lived near the lots that received no intervention.
Talking philosophy, privacy, and race with Anita Allen
On July 1, the Vice Provost and professor of Law and Philosophy became the first female African-American president of the American Philosophical Association’s Eastern Division.
Pardon power: Rogers Smith on presidential privilege
The political science professor discusses the legality of the current president applying the power of presidential pardon to himself, and concludes that there's no definitive constitutional answer.
In the News
Philadelphia Inquirer
Elizabeth Warren’s DNA test: How reliable is it? A Penn prof explains
Theodore Schurr of the School of Arts and Sciences said U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s genetic analysis, which used indigenous DNA samples from Peru, Mexico, and Colombia as reference points, was legitimate due to historical migration patterns.
FULL STORY →
“Morning Joe,” MSNBC
Did link between Russian bank, Trump campaign exist?
The Annenberg Public Policy Center’s Kathleen Hall Jamieson joined a panel of experts on “Morning Joe” for a discussion about allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election. She identified “trolls, hackers, and disinformation to [James] Comey” as major factors in Trump’s win.
FULL STORY →
The Atlantic
Lindsey Graham doesn’t want a primary
In an article by Dick Polman, writer in residence in the School of Arts and Sciences, Brian Rosenwald of the Fox Leadership Program was cited for his political expertise. Lindsey Graham “knows that infuriating the left and the media really poses no risk, given the nature of his state,” said Rosenwald.
FULL STORY →
The Washington Post
1 in 6 older black people have been homeless at some point in their life, study finds
Research from Dennis Culhane of the School of Social Policy & Practice suggests that baby boomers experienced higher rates of homelessness than other generations, though it was unclear how the rates among post-boomer generations were affected by the mortgage crisis of the mid-2000s.
FULL STORY →
Philadelphia Inquirer
This prominent Penn prof didn’t believe Russia got Trump elected. Here’s what changed her mind
The Annenberg Public Policy Center’s Kathleen Hall Jamieson was featured for her new book, “Cyberwar: How Russian Hackers and Trolls Helped Elect a President.” Though she had initially been “actively skeptical,” Jamieson said, she eventually concluded that the data clearly supported claims of Russian meddling.
FULL STORY →