9.25
Campus & Community
How Penn first responders are dealing with the coronavirus on the front lines
How Penn first responders are dealing with the coronavirus on the front lines
COVID-19 presents challenges faced by first responders, including PennComm dispatchers and police officers.
Nursing student volunteers play critical role at campus COVID-19 testing site
Nursing student volunteers play critical role at campus COVID-19 testing site
For two weeks, 37 fourth-year nursing students checked people in, conducted screenings, and swabbed noses, contributing to the more than 13,000 tests completed at Houston Hall since early August.
‘Motivated to vote’
‘Motivated to vote’
Co-directors Eva Gonzalez and Harrison Feinman of Penn Leads the Vote push for 100% student voter registration in the Year of Civic Engagement.
Climate Week offers something for ‘every member of the Penn community’
Climate Week offers something for ‘every member of the Penn community’
With participation from schools, centers, and groups across the University and a focus on the interplay of the climate emergency with social justice issues and the global pandemic, Climate Week at Penn will run September 21-25. The week’s dozens of events will help participants learn about the climate crisis—and then act.
‘India front and center’
‘India front and center’
Tariq Thachil talks with Penn Today about his current work on migration and urbanization in south Asia, the balance between research and teaching, and his new role as the director of the Center for the Advanced Study of India (CASI).
A new editor at Penn Press begins in unprecedented times
A new editor at Penn Press begins in unprecedented times
New leadership—plus the pandemic and protests—are fueling change at the venerable Penn Press.
Chaz Howard finds common ground in the face of division
Chaz Howard finds common ground in the face of division
The University chaplain, vice president for social equity and community, and head of the University’s recently announced Projects for Progress sees hope in the face of activism invigorated by nationwide racial justice protests.
Side gigs for good endure amid a pandemic
Side gigs for good endure amid a pandemic
The Penn community’s altruism shines as the pandemic’s effects stretch on.
Using PennOpen Pass for the early detection of COVID-19
Using PennOpen Pass for the early detection of COVID-19
The daily symptom tracker is a critical step in ongoing efforts to safely resume academic, research, and clinical activities across campus.
Penn announces COVID-19 childcare grant
Penn announces COVID-19 childcare grant
The Penn COVID-19 Childcare Grant helps faculty, staff, and postdoctoral trainees at the University who incur childcare expenses for care during the academic year.
In the News
Business Insider
4 big questions you may have about college admissions during the pandemic, answered by an Ivy League dean and a former NYT education writer
Dean of Admissions Eric Furda and Jacques Steinberg, co-authors of “The College Conversation,” shared an excerpt from their guide to navigating college admissions and freshman year amid the pandemic.
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The Wall Street Journal
U.S. medical school applications soar in COVID-19 era
Admissions Dean Neha Vapiwala of the Perelman School of Medicine said some medical schools are waving prerequisites to accommodate students who may have been unable to participate in extracurricular activities earlier this year.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
How to conduct an engaging lab experiment in the time of COVID: Brew beer
Biology instructors at Penn assembled and mailed hundreds of lab kits to students to aid virtual learning. “It’s important to get students off of their computers and using some of the tools and techniques that are used by scientists,” said Linda Robinson of the School of Arts & Sciences.
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The Washington Post
College applicants will make the pandemic a focus of their admissions essays. Should they?
Dean of Admissions Eric Furda and Jacques Steinberg, authors of “The College Conversation,” wrote about how students should address the pandemic and other current events when writing college-application essays.
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The Wall Street Journal
College admissions in a COVID year: SATs are out, personal stories are in
Dean of Admissions Eric Furda offered advice about writing college admissions essays amid the pandemic. “Students should explain as well as they can the context of their lives during COVID,” he said. “That means hunting deep for insight about how COVID affected them, how they were able to derive meaning from it, how it will impact them moving forward.”
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