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From one gene switch, many possible outcomes

A team of researchers led by Aman Husbands of the School of Arts Sciences has uncovered surprising ways transcription factors—the genetic switches for genes—regulate plant development, revealing how subtle changes in a lipid-binding region can dramatically alter gene regulation.

A semester of community on campus

Penn’s fall semester officially began in August, as many students returned to campus. While staff, faculty, and postdocs are largely in West Philadelphia year-round, the fall marks a reset and starting point for many. The late summer and mild fall weather brings the natural beauty of campus to life.

Top five election takeaways

Stephanie Perry, exit polling manager for NBC News and executive director of the Penn Program on Opinion Research and Election Studies, shares insights into what drove voters in Tuesday’s election.

On ‘waging peace’

At the 2024 Silfen Forum, former Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority Salam Fayyad and former Israeli Ambassador Itamar Rabinovich spoke about dialogue and diplomacy in the Middle East.

Disability awareness at Penn

About one-fifth of all college students identify as having a disability, a figure that has grown in recent decades. At Penn, students form advocacy clubs, work with the Weingarten Center, and study disability.

Takeaways: The new mini moon

Last month Earth welcomed a visitor known as 2024 PT5. To learn more about this celestial guest, Penn Today caught up with two astronomers in the School of Arts Sciences, Gary Bernstein and Bhuvnesh Jain.

Keeping a fire under control

Penn’s Division of Public Safety’s PennReady: Protecting Communities Through Resilience and Relationships Health and Safety Fair on Sept. 27 featured a controlled burn of a mock residential room, showcasing the efficacy of sprinkler and alarm systems, and the response of first responders and city firefighters.

Public opinion research in changing times

In a QA, William Marble of the Penn Program on Opinion Research and Election Studies talks about how PORES has had to adjust to the series of rapidly changing events in the presidential race and to longer-standing shifts in public opinion research methodologies.

The mechanics of collaboration

Penn Ph.D. student Xinlan Emily Hu leads a group of budding engineers and social scientists who study communication across teams. The group has developed a new toolkit aimed at helping researchers analyze and measure teamwork.

The mechanics of collaboration

Penn Ph.D. student Xinlan Emily Hu leads a group of budding engineers and social scientists who study communication across teams. The group has developed a new toolkit aimed at helping researchers analyze and measure teamwork.

Drawn to ArtWell

Drawn by their interests in art, design, and support for children in Philadelphia, two Penn students in the College of Arts and Sciences, Natalie Cheng and Aled Dillabough, are working as interns this summer at the nonprofit ArtWell.

Four academic journeys explored

Vijay Balasubramanian and Tukufu Zuberi in the School of Arts Sciences, Amy Hillier in the School of Social Policy Practice, and Brittany Watson in the School of Veterinary Medicine share their academic paths toward interdisciplinary work.

Redlining and rentals

Historian Brent Cebul in the School of Arts Sciences is working on a new digital mapping project looking at the impact of Federal Housing Administration policies on the availability of affordable rental housing post-World War II.

The anthropology of plastics in India

Doctoral candidate Adwaita Banerjee uses ethnographic research to document the ecological transition of the Deonar dumping ground, where thousands of Dalits and Muslim migrants mine the area for plastic that can be resold and recycled.

The power of protons

Penn Medicine has treated more than 10,000 cancer patients at three proton therapy centers across the region, including the largest and busiest center in the world—while also leading the way in research to expand the healing potential of these positive particles.

The anthropology of plastics in India

Doctoral candidate Adwaita Banerjee uses ethnographic research to document the ecological transition of the Deonar dumping ground, where thousands of Dalits and Muslim migrants mine the area for plastic that can be resold and recycled.

The power of protons

Penn Medicine has treated more than 10,000 cancer patients at three proton therapy centers across the region, including the largest and busiest center in the world—while also leading the way in research to expand the healing potential of these positive particles.

The Civil Rights Act at 60

To mark the anniversary, Mary Francis Berry, Marcia Chatelain, and William Sturkey of the School of Arts Sciences and Deuel Ross of Penn Carey Law offer takeaways on the landmark legislation.

Penn Glee Club goes to Italy

Rome, Milan, and Naples became the stage for the Penn Glee Club during its 10-day tour of Italy. Thirty-seven members went on the trip, mostly vocalists, but also members of the band and the tech crew.

Rides and reminders

In a new megastudy, Katy Milkman of the Wharton School and collaborators at Penn’s Behavior Change for Good Initiative led research on reminders and free rides to and from pharmacies to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates.

Penn Glee Club goes to Italy

Rome, Milan, and Naples became the stage for the Penn Glee Club during its 10-day tour of Italy. Thirty-seven members went on the trip, mostly vocalists, but also members of the band and the tech crew.

Rides and reminders

In a new megastudy, Katy Milkman of the Wharton School and collaborators at Penn’s Behavior Change for Good Initiative led research on reminders and free rides to and from pharmacies to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates.

The English major’s cheerleader and champion

Bestselling author Jennifer Egan taught an undergraduate literature course in the spring as an English Department artist in residence in the School of Arts Sciences. A 1985 Penn graduate, she is a passionate advocate for the English major, the humanities, and a liberal arts education.

The English major’s cheerleader and champion

Bestselling author Jennifer Egan taught an undergraduate literature course in the spring as an English Department artist in residence in the School of Arts Sciences. A 1985 Penn graduate, she is a passionate advocate for the English major, the humanities, and a liberal arts education.

Fruitful insights on the brain

Research led by China Byrns of the lab of Nancy M. Bonini in the School of Arts Sciences have uncovered new details about the role of zombie-like cells in brain aging, using the fruit fly as a model.

Positioned for Success

The program, launched by recent College of Arts and Sciences grads Taussia Boadi and Cheryl Nnadi, was a 2023 Projects for Progress winner and provides academic support to middle school students affected by gun violence.

A shared passion for community engagement

The Graduate School of Education helps students put their knowledge into practice through community engagement. Three soon-to-be graduates speak with Penn Today about how their service enabled them to deepen their connection with West Philadelphia.

Public defender shortages

A new report by Paul Heaton, director of the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice, shows that nearly every county in Pennsylvania has a shortage of public defenders.

Positioned for Success

The program, launched by recent College of Arts and Sciences grads Taussia Boadi and Cheryl Nnadi, was a 2023 Projects for Progress winner and provides academic support to middle school students affected by gun violence.

Penn alum named 2024 Yenching Scholar

Chonnipha (Jing Jing) Piriyalertsak, a 2023 graduate, has been selected as a 2024 Yenching Scholar, with full funding to pursue an interdisciplinary master’s degree in China studies at theYenching Academy of Peking University in Beijing.

Public defender shortages

A new report by Paul Heaton, director of the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice, shows that nearly every county in Pennsylvania has a shortage of public defenders.

Measuring readers of romance

Researchers at Penn's Price Lab for Digital Humanities conducted a quantitative analysis of the romance genre, studying thousands of avid readers and the hundreds of thousands of books in their collections in Goodreads

More than two hearts beat as one

PIK Professor Michael Platt and collaborators studied how physiologic measures like cardiac synchrony can guide decision making in groups. Their study found that heart rate synchrony was a much better predictor than standard questionnaire-based surveys.

Wyatt at the bat

The fourth-year third baseman on the baseball team discusses his 36 best friends, hitting home runs, getting hit by 90 mph fastballs, and why the New York Yankees are “God’s team.”

A greener approach to end the academic year

Efforts have expanded this year to ensure student Move-Out for the summer break is more clean, green, and convenient than ever before. On campus, PennMOVES—operated by Business Services—is in full effect, partnering with Goodwill to collect materials students can’t take with them when they leave campus.

A shared passion for community engagement

The Graduate School of Education helps students put their knowledge into practice through community engagement. Three soon-to-be graduates speak with Penn Today about how their service enabled them to deepen their connection with West Philadelphia.

A deep dive with Anna Kalandadze

The fourth-year distance swimmer discusses swimming 11,000 yards a day, competing at the NCAA Championships, learning to dive from watching Michael Phelps, her interest in coral reef restoration, and getting circled by a shark.

Who, What, Why: Ara Patvakanian

The fourth-year mathematical economics and political science double-major describes how our understanding of economic and political phenomena can have far-reaching consequences and highlights the importance of embracing different intellectual perspectives.

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