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Education, Business, & Law
Law faculty perspectives on passage of the First Step Act
Penn Law faculty weigh in on the passage of the First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill that modifies sentencing laws, expands job training, and takes additional steps intended to reduce recidivism and create a fairer and less costly criminal justice system.
Money alone won’t address climate change goals—we need policy action
Wharton’s Eric W. Orts joins other experts to analyze the likely outcome of the 24th annual Conference of the Parties, the two-week U.N. meeting where a plan of action to reverse climate change is the goal.
In negotiations, one strategy leads to better economic gains, but worse relationships
Behavioral scientist Nazli Bhatia found that aggressive but retracted offers known as ‘phantom anchors’ can improve outcomes—but only when employed with finesse.
The best books of 2018 for young readers
Penn GSE’s Ebony Elizabeth Thomas and her team share their book choices for elementary and middle grade kids, showcasing authors whose work explores issues like race, gender, ethnicity, and class thoughtfully and empathetically.
Making sense of the war on Huawei
In an opinion piece, Wharton dean Geoffrey Garrett weighs in on the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, CFO of Huawei, and argues it is only the beginning of what is clearly becoming the U.S. government’s war on the Chinese tech firm.
‘The Pitch’ podcast comes to Penn
Senior molecular biology major Katherine Sizov won the judges over with her fruit biosensor company Strella Biotech.
‘Second Looks, Second Chances’ examines parole reform for life sentences
Regina Austin, Penn Law’s William A. Schnader Professor of Law, has authored a new paper offering a behind-the-scenes account of producing a documentary calling for commuting life sentences for prisoners in Pennsylvania.
Undergraduate leads NGO to change Chicago’s gun violence
Sophomore Eva Maria Lewis is tackling the root causes of Chicago’s gun violence crisis and working to create equitable communities.
New fellowship offers undergrads unfiltered, frank access to city leaders
Through the program, offered by the Penn Institute for Urban Research, 14 students will meet with a former Philadelphia mayor, Philly’s current director of planning and development, and more.
How Wharton worked to slow the rising tide of early internship recruiting
When Wharton leadership noticed a rising trend in extremely early internship recruiting by investment banks, they took action, working with other universities as well as the firms to figure out a plan that’s best for students.
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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Allentown (Pa.) Morning Call
Pennsylvania Supreme Court relents for now on medical malpractice changes
Responding to threats by a large health network outside Philadelphia to end cross-county partnerships if venue restraints on medical malpractice lawsuits were lifted, Hanming Fang of the School of Arts and Sciences and the Leonard Davis Institute said changing the venue rule would allow lawyers to file lawsuits in Philadelphia regardless of affiliations with the city’s health systems. “I don’t see that logic,” said Fang.
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“The Pulse,” (WHYY Radio)
What’s the best way to teach math?
Caroline Ebby of the Graduate School of Education said that in the U.S. many people learn math as a set of rules to follow but don’t fully understand the procedures used to solve equations.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
From self-care to dumpling tours, Valentine’s Day is becoming more than flowers and chocolates
The Wharton School’s Barbara Kahn spoke about changes in Valentine’s Day gift-giving trends. “It’s easier and easier to acquire stuff, but people are also saying I don’t need just stuff anymore,” she said, in response to this year’s uptick in gifts that center a shared memory or experience.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Hershey School’s law firm was arguing two cases before a federal judge—and then hired his son
David Hoffman of the Law School commented on a judge’s decision to reintroduce negligence claims to the suits against the Milton Hershey School. “Federal judges rarely change their mind on reconsideration, and when they do, that kind of open-mindedness should be celebrated,” said Hoffman.
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