Academics
There’s always something new going on at Penn’s four undergraduate schools and 12 graduate schools. Look here for information on upcoming academic initiatives, new classes and research conducted by professors and students.
Penn prof. wins up to $150,000 from Rita Allen Foundation to fund neuroscience research
Abdus-Saboor, the Mitchell J. and Margo K. Blutt Presidential Assistant Professor of Biology, will receive grants of $50,000 annually for up to three years to fund his pain research.
After opposition to homeless people in NYC mounted, two Penn profs. stepped up to help
English professor Melissa Sanchez and Business Economics and Public Policy assistant professor Corinne Low won the award for leading the Upper West Side Open Hearts Initiative, which Low co-founded.
Penn hit with two ‘Zoom bombings’ last week, prompting profs. to increase class security
Last Wednesday, BIOL 101: Introduction to Biology A and CRIM 100: Criminology were 'Zoom bombed' — a term used to refer to hackers invading video meetings on Zoom.
Math 104's new engineering curriculum prompts over 500 students to petition its reversal
Students criticize the change, saying that a lot of the content is specific to engineering fields and the videos are difficult to follow. The Math department, however, will not revert Math 104 to its old curriculum.
Penn prof. Amy Offner wins Hunt Prize for research in welfare and developmental states
Offner won the prize for her book, "Sorting out the Mixed Economy: The Rise and Fall of Welfare and Developmental States in the Americas."
Perry World House hosts former visiting scholar to discuss new book on drone technology
The event featured a conversation between Boyle, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, and Perry World House Director and Penn political science professor Michael Horowitz.
Penn launches U.S.-China relations project in response to increased international tensions
Policy recommendations will cover six topics: national security; trade and competitiveness; technology; human rights, law and democracy; climate and environment; and research, education, and academic freedom.
Dissatisfied with Penn’s tutoring services, three seniors launch their own
Through StudyRev, which fully launched this semester, tutees can request help when they need it and tutors can work as their schedule permits.
Student-curated Penn Museum exhibit showcases Oceanic cultures
The exhibit, titled “Living with the Sea: Charting the Pacific,” was curated by College senior Kia DaSilva and 2020 College graduates Ashleigh David and Erin Spicola.
Some students pile on course credits this semester due to flexibility of online learning
Students who have previously only taken four or five courses are now enrolled in up to seven courses due to the increased flexibility of online learning and Penn’s decision to extend the spring’s pass/fail grading option.
Some STEM profs. report triple the workload to run fully online courses this fall
Math professor Robert Ghrist said the Math department has replaced infrequent, high-stake midterms with weekly quizzes, tripling the workload for professors to generate assessments every week.
New co-director of Annenberg media center will lead studies on Black voices in politics
Jackson plans on studying how marginalized voices create political change, citing the Black Lives Matter movement as a source of motivation.
First years create book club, Penn Reads, to bond with peers while away from campus
After choosing a book to read together, the club meets virtually every Thursday for a discussion that may include politics, personal experiences, and other topics the books may inspire.
Two Penn grads launch podcast to teach medical students networking skills
The founders pointed to Penn's pre-professional culture of networking, which they said drastically differs from medical school's environment and curriculum, as inspiration to create the podcast.
Penn Program in Environmental Humanities kicks off academic year with Climate Week lectures
The program aims to identify how to implement climate and ecological literacy within the liberal arts curriculum in Philadelphia schools and beyond
STEM students report being slammed by hours of added virtual class content
The increased workload and time "in class" has forced students to drop classes, work fewer hours at their jobs, and hone their time-management skills.
Headaches, exhaustion, and more screen time: Penn students are worn down by online learning
Students report feeling tired from staring at their screens all day, and say their courses and coursework take more time and mental energy than they normally would in person.
Chemistry department will not pause admissions for Ph.D. students next academic year
While the Chemistry department must endure the same budget cut as the other SAS departments, Chemistry Ph.D. students are typically supported by research grants from government agencies.
Penn partners with medical device provider to develop new healthcare technology
The partnership aims to develop new technical solutions for health care challenges including critical care, diabetes, mental health, and cardiology
