4.23
Education, Business, & Law
Three from Penn elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Vice Provost for Faculty Anita Allen of the Law School and the School of Arts and Sciences, Daniel Rader of the Perelman School of Medicine, and Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein of Perry World House join a group recognized for their world-class leadership and expertise.
Lump-sum pension payments: Who are the winners and losers?
Wharton’s Olivia S. Mitchell discusses the Treasury department’s move to allow private companies to pay lump-sum pension payments to retirees and beneficiaries, instead of monthly payments.
The Green New Deal: What it says, what it doesn’t say, and how close we are to adopting it
Mark Alan Hughes, director of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, discusses the basics of this energy-mobilization proposal.
How companies are increasing neurodiversity in the workplace
Wharton’s Peter Cappelli discusses how companies are increasing efforts to employ adults with autism, but doing so requires a lot of support and training.
How gender and racial biases are hurting economics
Following a survey released this month by the American Economic Association that reveals a disturbingly high level of gender bias in the field, Wharton’s Olivia S. Mitchell discusses the effects of gender and racial biases in the field of economics.
It’s a dangerous job, but does someone have to do it?
The Wharton School’s Robert Hughes discusses his new research about the ethical questions facing firms that employ workers in physically dangerous jobs.
In Ethiopia, new perspectives on the challenges of development
PIK Professor Ezekiel Emanuel and Assistant Professor Heather Schofield led a group of Wharton students on a four-day trip to Ethiopia, for a close-up look at the African nation’s health, agricultural, business, and political sectors.
Nostalgia is not enough: Why consumers abandon legacy brands
Legacy brands like Sears, Payless ShoeSource, and Toys “R” Us are shuttering their doors as customers abandon longstanding consumer mainstays. Despite customers having emotional connections to certain stores, “It is more like these brands are breaking up with the customers,” says Santiago Gallino of the Wharton School.
Who made that decision: You or an algorithm?
Wharton’s Kartik Hosanagar’s new book, “A Human’s Guide to Machine Intelligence: How Algorithms Are Shaping Our Lives and How We Can Stay in Control,” examines how algorithms influence our decisions.
Without Mueller details, questions remain on Russia
Professors from Penn Law and the School of Arts and Sciences react to what we know—and what’s still unanswered.
In the News
Philadelphia Inquirer
Trump-friendly Newsmax bundled into Comcast’s Xfinity service
The Annenberg School for Communication’s Victor Pickard discussed conservative news channel Newsmax and its recent deal with Comcast. If Comcast is “feeling the heat from the right, it will make sense to appease some of those critics,” said Pickard.
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Boston Globe
Boxes, pouches, cartons, and envelopes — oh my!
Eric Orts of the Wharton School spoke about the environmental impact of packaging waste. “Lots of it will still go into a landfill, for no really good reason,” said Orts. “If you look at something like the distribution system of Amazon, it doesn’t seem that hard to shift this.”
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NPR
What can a personality test tell us about who we are?
Adam Grant of the Wharton School spoke about his concerns with the Myers-Briggs test, when used by companies to make staffing decisions. “It’s a great way to weed out diversity,” Grant said.
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Associated Press
California eyes risk pool as it struggles with costly fires
The Wharton School’s Carolyn Kousky said California is at such high risk for wildfire that even risk pools and catastrophe bonds don’t appeal to investors.
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Bloomberg
Lyft’s tumbling stock is a worrying sign for other unicorns
When prices for Lyft’s stocks dropped on its second day of trading, the Wharton School’s David Erickson “was surprised that it blew through the IPO price so quickly. While there was a lot of enthusiasm on Friday, it’s obviously been dampened today, and it’s hard to recreate that moment once you lose it.”
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