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What makes messages persuasive?
A person signing paperwork from a salesman at an outdoor car lot.

Image: Maskot via Getty Images

What makes messages persuasive?

Psychology researchers Dolores Albarracín and Yubo Zhou studied the relative persuasive impact of messages expressing attitudes, describing behaviors, or combining both.

2 min. read

Many Americans pessimistic about AI’s impact—and want more regulation

Many Americans pessimistic about AI’s impact—and want more regulation

Results of a survey from Penn’s Annenberg Public Policy Center find that only 17% of Americans believe AI will have a positive impact on the United States over the next decade, while 42% expect its effects to be negative.

Want to succeed in academia? Build a network beyond your co-authors

Want to succeed in academia? Build a network beyond your co-authors

Researchers at the Annenberg School for Communication have analyzed the “thank you” notes in 129,750 political science journal articles and find that informal connections between authors are more predictive of higher productivity and impact than formal connections.

Hailey Reissman

2 min. read

Championing the humanities

Championing the humanities

Humanities Works is one piece of a new, larger, and broader umbrella hub for the humanities,  raising the visibility of humanities scholarship through shared spaces and events including faculty lightning talks.

Why young voters tune out
Glynn Boltman working on her laptop.

Fourth-year Glynn Boltman traveled to three swing states—Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Nevada—to have deep conversations about politics with young people in everyday settings.

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Why young voters tune out

Fourth-year Glynn Boltman set out to explore why many young Americans intentionally disengage from politics. Her findings, which she turned into a podcast, challenge common assumptions about political disengagement—and suggest a need for more empathy.

From Omnia

2 min. read

Sacrifice versus suffering: Examining unheard stories of the past
Rafaella Lambrinos

Rafaella Lambrinos, a fourth-year history major, documented British food rationing during World War II and the ensuing Bengal famine of 1943 for her honors thesis.

(Image: Eric Sucar)

Sacrifice versus suffering: Examining unheard stories of the past

Fourth-year Rafaella Lambrinos traveled to London to study archival records about the Bengal famine of 1943 and British food rationing, gaining greater insight into the study of the past.

3 min. read time

Emmy Keogh is buttering up her post-graduation plans
Emmy Keogh selling her butter at table.

Emmy Keogh is a Class of 2026 communications major and founder of bespoke butter company Debonair Butter Company.

(Image: Courtesy of Annenberg School for Communication)

Emmy Keogh is buttering up her post-graduation plans

The graduating fourth-year communications major has used many of Penn’s resources for entrepreneurs to get her bespoke butter company churning.

From Annenberg School for Communication

2 min. read

Equipping students and nonprofits for impact
ChiaKo Hung.

ChiaKo Hung is an assistant professor at Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice.

(Image: Carson Easterly)

Equipping students and nonprofits for impact

SP2’s ChiaKo Hung researches nonprofit financial management and philanthropy, and equips his students with the practical skills necessary to apply to the social sector.

2 min. read

Reimagining a shelter as a supportive space for childhood

The HAVEN team with Liz Donaghue, assistant shelter director, in Jane Addams’ Bright Spaces room.

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Reimagining a shelter as a supportive space for childhood

HAVEN, a winning project of the 2026 President’s Engagement Prize developed by three fourth-year undergraduates, will launch an after-school program for K-5 children at Jane Addams Place, a homeless shelter in North Philadelphia.

3 min. read