2017
Penn Arts and Sciences Faculty Receive 2017 University Teaching Awards
Four members of the Penn Arts and Sciences faculty are recipients of University-wide teaching awards:LINDBACK AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED TEACHINGDavid Christianson, Roy and Diana Vagelos Professor in Chemistry and Chemical BiologyBeth Linker, Associate Professor of History and Sociology of SciencePROVOST'S AWARD FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE BY NON-STANDING FACULTYLorene Cary, Senior Lecturer in English
Two Join Penn Arts and Sciences Faculty as Endowed Chairs
Dean Steven J. Fluharty is pleased to announce that two new faculty members are joining Penn Arts and Sciences as endowed chairs. Sophia Rosenfeld has been named the Walter H. Annenberg Professor of History, and Kathleen D. Morrison the Sally and Alvin V. Shoemaker Professor of Anthropology and Curator of South Asia in the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
Petition to Congress to Save the National Endowment for the Humanities
“The arts and humanities belong to all the people of the United States.”
Dean Fluharty's Message to Faculty on the Proposed Elimination of National Endowment for the Humanities
The following is a reprint of a message that Dean Steven Fluharty and Associate Dean Jeff Kallberg shared with Penn Arts and Sciences humanities faculty.
Five Penn Arts and Sciences Students Chosen as President’s Engagement and Innovation Prize Winners
Five seniors in the College of Arts and Sciences have been selected as recipients of the 2017 President’s Engagement and Innovation Prizes. Awarded annually, the Prizes provide $100,000 in funding for Penn seniors to design and undertake post-graduation projects that make a positive, lasting difference in the world.
Peacocks, Eye Tracking, and the Brains Behind Decisions
How do male peacocks size up their competition? Not by looking at the brightly colored tail feathers and upper eyespots for which these birds are known, but instead by focusing on their lower feathers and legs. The birds also pay more attention when their competitors shake their tails and move rather than when they are sitting still.
Scientists Show Prediction Polls Can Outdo Prediction Markets
Ask economists whether prediction markets or prediction polls fare better, and they’ll likely favor the former.In prediction markets, people bet against each other to predict an outcome, say the chance of someone winning an election. The market represents the crowd’s best guess. In a prediction poll, the guesser isn’t concerned with what anyone else thinks, essentially betting against himself.
Using Video Games as Tools for Learning and Education
Ask someone which educational resources could make a sociological impact, and video games likely aren’t the first tools that come to mind.But Marcus T. Wright, undergraduate program and communications manager for the Department of Sociology, hopes to change that perspective with his new book, Paradox of the Learning Game: The Promise and Plight of Video Games and Learning.
Grad Ben Talks Gives Students a Chance to Shine
On Friday, March 17, at International House Philadelphia, Penn launched its newly created Grad Ben Talks with a day of TED Talk-style presentations by Arts and Sciences graduate students. Participants presented to an audience of undergraduates, faculty, staff, and fellow graduate students. A single winner was selected in each category by a panel of judges, and an Audience Choice winner was selected by audience members via votes submitted through an online polling service.
New Coursera Delivers Positive Psychology to Students Around the Globe
The University of Pennsylvania, in collaboration with the online education platform Coursera, launched a specialization certificate program, “Foundations of Positive Psychology.”
Emilio Parrado Named Thomas Chair by Penn Arts and Sciences
Dean Steven J. Fluharty is pleased to name Emilio A. Parrado the Dorothy Swaine Thomas Professor of Sociology in Penn Arts and Sciences.
Aligning Depression Treatment to Patient Need Leads to Efficient Care, Study Shows
Depression looks different in every person, making it a challenge to ensure that each receives the appropriate care. Many patients get treatment too intensive for their condition while others don’t get enough.
Penn Arts and Sciences Names Deborah Thomas as Brownlee Term Chair
Dean Steven J. Fluharty is pleased to name Deborah Thomas the R. Jean Brownlee Term Professor in Penn Arts and Sciences.
Researchers Control the Size of 2-D Nanopores With Light
Researchers are investigating a new technology that, if proven, could lead to small, chip-size sensors capable of sensing molecules and detecting illnesses or even possibly the presence of viruses. The technology is focused on nanopores, tiny holes typically just a few nanometers across, 100,000 times smaller than the width of a single strand of human hair.
Researcher Traces U.S. Political Perspectives of Latino Immigrants
When Michael Jones-Correa began looking at public opinion data published in the American National Election Study (ANES), he noticed one population missing: Latino immigrants. Now, he is working to help give them a voice.For decades, the main source of public opinion data on American politics has been the American National Election Study, but ANES only interviewed citizens, which failed to account for the perspectives of many foreign-born adults.
Penn Arts and Sciences Pilots New Efforts to Make a Difference
A new Penn Arts and Sciences program encourages faculty to explore innovative ways of applying their expertise and working with students to address societal challenges. The initiative, called “Making a Difference in Diverse Communities,” provides funding to support teams of faculty and students in multidisciplinary projects that combine coursework, research, and service to address issues of diversity and inequality at the local, national, and international level.
Brendan O’Leary Outlines the Path to Compromise in UKEXIT
Last summer Brendan O’Leary, Lauder Professor of Political Science, was in Ireland researching and writing his forthcoming book, tentatively titled Understanding Northern Ireland: Passages from Colonialism to Consociation and Confederation, 1603-2017, when the BREXIT referendum television broadcast interrupted his work.
Researchers Push the Limits of Organic Synthesis
A dendritic molecule is one that grows by branching in several directions from its center core. At each branching point, the molecule branches again into a new generation. These molecules can be used for a broad range of biomedical applications, including gene and drug delivery.
Six From Arts and Sciences Win Thouron Awards to Study in Britain
One Penn Arts and Sciences alumna and five College seniors have received Thouron Awards to pursue graduate studies in the United Kingdom. The scholarship recipients are:
Brannon and Todd Named to Endowed Term Chairs in Penn Arts and Sciences
Dean Steven J. Fluharty is pleased to announce two endowed term chair appointments in Penn Arts and Sciences.
Michael Jones-Correa Traces U.S. Political Perspectives of Latino Immigrants
When political scientist Michael Jones-Correa, a professor of political science, began looking at public opinion data published in the American National Election Study, he noticed one population missing: Latino immigrants. Now, he is working to help give them a voice.
Researchers Apply a Phenomenon in Proteins to a Mechanical Network
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are investigating a counterintuitive process called allostery that occurs in proteins by studying an analogous process in a macroscopic mechanical network.Their research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could lead to a clearer understanding of why this phenomenon is so common in proteins.
Tired Teens More Likely to Commit Crimes as Adults
Teenagers who self-report feeling drowsy mid-afternoon also tend to exhibit more anti-social behavior such as lying, cheating, stealing and fighting. Now, research from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of York, in the United Kingdom, shows that those same teens are 4.5 times more likely to commit violent crimes a decade and a half later.
Drndić and Rappe Named to Endowed Chairs in Penn Arts and Sciences
Dean Steven J. Fluharty is pleased to name two faculty members to endowed chairs in Penn Arts and Sciences.
Penn Arts and Sciences Names 2017 Dean’s Scholars
Penn Arts and Sciences has named 20 students from the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Liberal and Professional Studies, and the Graduate Division as Dean’s Scholars. This honor is presented annually to students who exhibit exceptional academic performance and intellectual promise. The 2017 Dean’s Scholars will be formally recognized as part of the Levin Family Dean’s Forum on February 23. College of Arts and Sciences
Dawn Teele Studies What Factors Lead Women to Run for Political Office
Since the 2016 election, scores of women across the nation have enlisted in political campaign training programs like Emerge America and Ready to Run. Dawn Teele, an assistant professor of political science, is gathering their data to understand why some women throw their hats in the ring while others don’t.
Linguists Investigate Language Borrowing in the Field and the Lab
For work on sociolinguistic borrowing, linguists Gareth Roberts and Betsy Sneller created two alien species, the “Burls” (left) and “Wiwos,” assigning study participants each to a group. Players then communicated via a made-up language, where one species used “b” in place of “f.” The researchers observed these conversations to determine whether any borrowing occurred.
Timothy Powell: Forging Partnerships to Promote Native Languages, Culture
Timothy Powell’s ethnographic research has taken him to far reaches of the world to uncover what happens when the cultural stories that Native Americans told anthropologists hundreds of years ago are returned to indigenous communities today.
Vice President Joe Biden to Lead the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement
University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann today announced that Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. has been named the Benjamin Franklin Presidential Practice Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he will lead the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, a new center focused principally on diplomacy, foreign policy, and national security. The Center will be located in Washington, D.C. Biden will also have an office on the Penn campus in Philadelphia.
Women Will Compete Against Self, but Not Others, to Improve Performance
A woman is less likely to choose competition than a man, even when she performs equally well, unless competing with herself for a better outcome, according to a new study from the University of Pennsylvania, George Mason University and the German Institute for Economic Research or DIW.
Researchers Solve a Decades-old Question About Glass Transitions
If one were to take a liquid—any liquid—and cool it down rapidly enough so that it doesn’t have a chance to crystallize, the result would be glass. Glass is so viscous that it takes too long to flow for anyone to realize that it is liquid rather than solid.
Research Describes Missing Step in How Cells Move Their Cargo
Every time a hormone is released from a cell, every time a neurotransmitter leaps across a synapse to relay a message from one neuron to another, the cell must undergo exocytosis. This is the process responsible for transporting cellular contents via lipid-encapsulated vesicles to the cell surface membrane and then incorporating or secreting them through membrane fusion. Insights into this cellular cargo transport system won three Americans the Nobel Prize in 2013.
Political Science Professor Chosen as Penn Fellow
Daniel Gillion, Presidential Associate Professor of Political Science in Penn Arts and Sciences, has been included in the ninth cohort of Penn Fellows announced by University of Pennsylvania Provost Vincent Price and Vice Provost for Faculty Anita Allen.
Jay Gottfried Appointed Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor
Jay Gottfried has been named the University of Pennsylvania’s 18th Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor, effective July 1, 2017. The announcement was made today by Penn President Amy Gutmann and Provost Vincent Price.
Paleobiologist Lauren Sallan Selected as a 2017 TED Fellow
Lauren Sallan, an assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science, has been selected as a TED Fellow, joining a class of 15 innovators from around the world who will deliver a talk on the TED stage in April in Vancouver, B.C.
Tomson Receives Charles E. Kaufman Foundation Grant for Energy Research
Neil Tomson, an assistant professor of chemistry in Penn Arts and Sciences, has received a grant from the Charles E. Kaufman Foundation, one of The Pittsburgh Foundation’s charitable entities, for his research on coordination chemistry and catalysis using molecular-scale electric fields.
Charles, Duckworth Named to Endowed Chairs in Penn Arts and Sciences
Dean Steven J. Fluharty is pleased to announce the appointment of two faculty members in Penn Arts and Sciences to endowed chairs.
Stephen A. Levin Building Wins Architectural Award
The Stephen A. Levin Building at the University of Pennsylvania has received the Gold/Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects–Potomac Valley. One of the judges called the structure, “A very handsome building, and our favorite from the very beginning. It is filled with delightful spaces that encourage collegiality. It is a beautifully crafted, nicely proportioned, and a respectful building.”
David Brownlee Wins Lifetime Achievement ‘Globy’
David Brownlee has received a lifetime achievement award from the Global Philadelphia Association for his contributions to the growth of the city. Brownlee is the Frances Shapiro-Weitzenhoffer Professor of the History of Art. He is a historian of modern architecture and urbanism in Europe and America and a Fellow of the Penn Institute for Urban Research.
Modern Language Association of America Awards Book Prizes to Two Penn Arts and Sciences Professors
The Modern Language Association of America has awarded prizes for scholarly work to Kathryn Hellerstein, associate professor of Germanic languages and literatures, and Paul Saint-Amour, professor of English.
2016
Researchers Expand Research on Simplifying Recycling of Rare-earth Metals
In a previous study, researchers pioneered a process that could enable the efficient recycling of two rare-earth metals, neodymium and dysprosium, which are found in the small, powerful magnets in many high-tech devices.
MacArthur Foundation Features Penn’s #100andChange Proposal (Video)
Two Penn professors are proposing to change the world. You can show your support by watching their video, currently featured on the MacArthur Foundation’s web site, and sharing your comments on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtag #100andChange: https://www.macfound.org/press/article/look-100-change-through-video/ (third video).
Paul Saint-Amour Awarded 2016 Modernist Studies Association Book Prize
Paul Saint-Amour, a professor of English at Penn Arts and Sciences, has won the Modernist Studies Association Book Prize for 2016 for his most recent book, Tense Future: Modernism, Total War, Encyclopedic Form. The prize is awarded annually to a book published in the previous year that has made a significant contribution to modernist studies.
Fish Fossils Reveal How Tails Evolved, Penn Professor Finds
Despite their obvious physical differences, elephants, lizards and trout all have something in common. They possess elongated, flexible structures at the rear of their bodies that we call tails. But a new study by a paleobiologist reveals that the tails of fish and the tails of tetrapods, or four-limbed animals, are in fact entirely different structures, with different evolutionary histories.
Three Endowed Chairs Named in Penn Arts and Sciences’ Department of History
Dean Steven J. Fluharty is pleased to name three faculty members to endowed chairs in Penn Arts and Sciences.
Professor’s Research on Mass Incarceration Informs Documentary, Museum Exhibit
After studying the origins and politics of mass incarceration, Marie Gottschalk has taken her research one step further by introducing the idea of a “carceral state” with millions of people in prison, on probation or on parole who are still “detained” through monitoring.
Chemists Uncover New Information About a Protein Linked to Alzheimer’s
Although the protein tau, which is associated with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, has been heavily studied for decades, its role in maintaining cell function is poorly understood.
Announcement from Dean Fluharty on the College Dean
During the spring semester of 2017, Dennis DeTurck will be on sabbatical leave from his roles as Stephen A. Levin Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Robert A. Fox Leadership Professor, and Professor of Mathematics. His leave from the College deanship will be a short break from a role in which Dennis has served with extraordinary devotion since 2005, as an energetic champion for undergraduate education in the liberal arts at Penn.
Power Poses Don’t Help and Could Potentially Backfire
The idea behind power poses, that if you stand in a “powerful” position, broad posture, hands on hips, shoulders high and pushed back, you will suddenly feel psychologically and physiologically stronger, is intuitively appealing, especially for people without much confidence. The problem is that it’s simply not true, according to researchers Coren Apicella, an assistant professor in the psychology department, and Kristopher Smith, a fourth-year psychology Ph.D. student.
Penn Fels Policy Research Initiative Announces Fall Interdisciplinary Grants
The Fels Policy Research Initiative in the School of Arts & Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania has announced eight collaborative grant recipients. Each will be awarded as much as $15,000 in support of three new working groups and five conferences, designed to further interdisciplinary partnerships.