10.21
Education, Business, & Law
An ‘honest broker’ for Washington
Since its inception, the Penn Wharton Budget Model has been at the forefront of informing the nation’s budget, providing fast, in-depth, and transparent analysis for policy makers, the media, and the general public alike.
Penn presents 2018 annual symposium on social change honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
The University of Pennsylvania will honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr. with film screenings, lectures, workshops, panel discussions and musical performances during its 23rd Annual Commemorative Symposium on Social Change, Jan. 15-31.
Penn political scientist Rudra Sil reconsiders Russia
A political science professor at the University of Pennsylvania who has been studying Russian politics for more than a quarter century is in the midst of wrapping up two books.
Penn student Dave Joseph succeeds with drive, determination and the support of others
If Dave Joseph becomes prime minister of his native Jamaica one day, he will have achieved a long-time goal despite experiencing tragedy there. He says the island is a vital part of who he is and that it drives him to succeed.
Penn senior takes up worldwide challenge of climate-change refugees
A political science major and student fellow at Penn's Perry World House is working with a team of student fellows to construct a website showing how cities deal with an influx of climate change refugees.
Staff Q&A with Lisa Warshaw
Public speaking strikes fear in many. But for business leaders, communicating with the public is an unavoidable and essential part of the job.
LGBQ adolescents at much greater risk of suicide than heterosexual counterparts
Specifically, 40 percent of sexual-minority adolescents seriously considered suicide compared to 15 percent of their heterosexual counterparts, and nearly a quarter attempted suicide compared to approximately 6 percent of those in the sexual majority.
Single-sex schools and unexpected STEM outcomes
Boys in all-boys’ schools do better on the general math test than boys in co-ed schools. They’re also more likely to take the science-focused math test. But test scores for girls do not improve in all-girls’ schools.
Coalition Seeks to Increase Transparency on Life Sciences Career Prospects
Nine American research universities and a major cancer institute today announced plans to give would-be life scientists clear, standardized data on graduate school admissions, education and training opportunities and career prospects.
Penn Admits 1,312 Students Via Early Decision
The University of Pennsylvania has admitted 1,312 students to the Class of 2022 through the first-choice Early Decision program.Penn’s admitted Early Decision cohort was selected from a pool of 7,074 applications, the largest in the University’s history and a 15 percent increase over the prior year. Early Decision applicants commit to matriculate if admitted.
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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CNBC
Dieting is out. That poses a problem for a company named Weight Watchers as it rebrands itself WW
Kevin Volpp of the Wharton School and Perelman School of Medicine offered commentary on the “universal challenge” of dieting. “People generally speaking are much more successful in achieving initial weight loss than maintaining weight loss,” he said.
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Bloomberg
Barbara Kahn discusses the retail revolution (podcast)
Barbara Kahn of the Wharton School was interviewed about changes in the world of retail and marketing. “People talk about [contemporary online shopping] as ‘omnichannel’ but right now it’s just retail. Retail has now become a seamless integration between online and offline,” said Kahn.
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Bloomberg
Sears bankruptcy hits close to home for Trump
Speaking about Sears’ decline, the Wharton School’s Daniel Raff said that expressions of nostalgia for the store, which has long catered to blue-collar Americans, “may well resonate with [Trump’s] core voters.”
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Economic Times
Bigger Billion Days: How this year’s festive season could prove transformative for Flipkart
Discussing Indian e-commerce, the Wharton School’s Kartik Hosanagar said that the ratio of customer acquisition costs to customer lifetime value is “even more lopsided than in the U.S., Europe, and China.” The key to profitability, he said, is reducing those acquisition costs and improving customer retention.
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