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How ‘um’ and ‘uh’ shape impressions
Jonathan Lee.

Fourth-year linguistics Ph.D. student Jonathan Lee became curious about breaks in speech when he noticed they were missing from transcripts and subtitles.

(Image: Kevin Ren)

How ‘um’ and ‘uh’ shape impressions

Disfluency, or irregularities and breaks in speech, are part of life—but do they affect how we perceive each other? Fourth-year linguistics Ph.D. student Jonathan Lee is trying to find out.

From Omnia

2 min. read

Working in groups can help Republicans and Democrats agree on controversial content moderation online

Working in groups can help Republicans and Democrats agree on controversial content moderation online

A new study by Annenberg School for Communication professor Damon Centola and alum Douglas Guilbeault explores how content moderators can reach consensus on classifying controversial material online, including inflammatory, offensive, or hateful images.

Hailey Reissman

2 min. read

Stefan Hatch: Tackling housing insecurity
Stefan Hatch stands in the McNeil Building.

nocred

Stefan Hatch: Tackling housing insecurity

Fourth-year Stefan Hatch is researching one of Philadelphia’s most pressing challenges: housing insecurity. The double major combines urban studies and psychology to explore solutions.

2 min. read

As measles cases rise, views of MMR vaccine safety and effectiveness and willingness to recommend it drop

As measles cases rise, views of MMR vaccine safety and effectiveness and willingness to recommend it drop

As the number of confirmed cases of measles in the U.S. rises, a new nationally representative panel survey by Penn’s Annenberg Public Policy Center finds a small but significant drop in the proportion of the public that would recommend that someone in their household get the MMR vaccine.

Centering joy in AI development and implementation
Desmond Patton seated at his desk.

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Centering joy in AI development and implementation

PIK Professor Desmond Upton Patton—of Annenberg and SP2—and collaborators introduce a joy-informed framework designed to initiate conversations among engineers, designers, and researchers.

2 min. read

New book brings responsive math teaching to classrooms nationwide

New book brings responsive math teaching to classrooms nationwide

Following years of research in Philadelphia schools, the Graduate School of Education’s Responsive Math Teaching team is sharing the practical tools and guiding principles they identified in a new book to help educators make math more meaningful and equitable.

TIP, Penn Press, and Penn GSE bring new knowledge of Philadelphia to classrooms in time for the Semiquincentennial

TIP, Penn Press, and Penn GSE bring new knowledge of Philadelphia to classrooms in time for the Semiquincentennial

In 2025, Philadelphia public school teachers completed content-focused workshops, offered by Penn’s Teachers Institute of Philadelphia with sponsorship from Penn Press, to use in lessons during the upcoming Semiquincentennial year, helping students to become better informed about their city and their nation.

One School, many schools of thought
Mark Trodden.

School of Arts & Sciences dean Mark Trodden joins faculty in discussion for Omnia’s latest podcast series.

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One School, many schools of thought

A special edition of the Penn Arts & Sciences “Ampersand” podcast features Dean Mark Trodden in conversation with SAS faculty from different disciplines.

Alex Schein

2 min. read

Exploring Philadelphia’s petrochemical past
An illustration of the Philadelphia Gas works complex in 1890

Philadelphia Gas Works in an 1890 illustration. It sat on the east side of the Schuylkill River, between Market and Filbert streets.

(Image: David J. Kennedy. Courtesy of Historical Society of Philadelphia, via petrodelphia.org.)

Exploring Philadelphia’s petrochemical past

Penn historian Jared Farmer recently launched a website about Philadelphia’s fossil fuel economy to help students and residents learn about the local past in larger context.

2 min. read