6.19
Education, Business, & Law
For first-generation college students, going ‘off script’ is key
At the “I Have a Dream” Foundation gala in New York City, Penn President Amy Gutmann encouraged “dreamers” to not feel limited in their potential to succeed.
Netter Center prepares high school seniors to enter the contemporary workplace
Five students from West Philadelphia explored careers during a six-month internship at Penn, where they learned about fields from accounting to Zamboni operations.
Promoting inclusion at Supplier Diversity Forum and Expo
Discussing strategies for increasing supplier diversity, the event drew 200 local LGBTQ, women, and minority-owned businesses, Penn buyers and community organizations to campus.
‘Candy aspirin,’ safety caps, and the history of children’s drugs
When St. Joseph Aspirin for Children was introduced in the 1940s, it was formulated to be attractive in taste and color to its young audience. Dubbed “candy aspirin,” the product became popular—fast. As a consequence, aspirin poisonings of children under five skyrocketed.
Science and politics: a Q&A with Molly Sheehan
The School of Engineering and Applied Science postdoc researcher discusses what fascinates her about science, her unique path in science and technology, and the role scientists should play in political office.
Listening to the needs of Black male teachers
In researching his forthcoming book, Ed Brockenbrough revealed Black male teachers have a strong sense of responsibility to students, and they feel uniquely alone in that challenge.
Worth a try: anti-bias education in the workplace
Workplaces that address racial bias with anti-bias training have mixed results, but are more inclined than ever to recognize its necessity.
Wrongful convictions reported for 6 percent of crimes
For capital crimes like rape and murder, wrongful convictions happen in about 3 to 5 percent of cases. Such an estimate had proved elusive for the prison population as a whole—until now, thanks to work from Penn criminologists.
Breaking the bank
Economics professor Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde reveals that Bitcoin is not the first private currency in history, and may face regulation in the future.
Science fiction or the future of trucking?
Driverless trucks seem like science fiction, part of a far-off world where robots and humans live and work side by side.
In the News
The New York Times
AT&T-Time Warner Ruling Shows a Need to Reboot Antitrust Laws
PIK Professor Herbert Hovenkamp expressed discomfort with setbacks to antitrust law in the wake of AT&T’s merger with Time Warner.
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Associated Press
Vaping Essays: E-Cigarette Sellers Offering Scholarships
The Wharton School’s Ron Berman said of the vaping industry’s scholarship efforts, “This is almost a backdoor way to get your name on a university website, and from the point of view of the student it would look like the university is supporting this effort.”
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The Washington Post
Trump Urges Punishment for Former House IT Worker
In response to the president’s tweets about the “right wing conspiracy theory,” the Law School’s Claire Finkelstein said it was “highly improper for the president to weigh in on a pending case and to urge the Justice Department not to accept a plea deal” involving a government employee and his wife.
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The Washington Post
What a Howard Schultz Presidential Campaign Could Mean for the Starbucks Brand
Americus Reed of the Wharton School commented on the risks of building values like diversity into a company’s branding, noting that companies like Starbucks can be held to a higher standard than those that market themselves differently.
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The New York Times
The Class Struggle According to Donald Trump
Responding to assertions that workers should, ideally, be able to choose their labor based on skill and interest, Adam Cobb of the Wharton school said that “life doesn’t operate so cleanly…. A worker’s wealth and well-being is much more dependent upon her employer than the employer is on a given worker….”
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