7/29

Free Speech

Jonathan Zimmerman, the Judy and Howard Berkowitz Professor in Education at Penn, discusses his book “Free Speeh: And Why You Should Give a Damn,” which briefly tells the history of free speech in America. The book features cartoons by Signe Wilkinson.

7:00 p.m.

Virtual

USA Today

System failure: How federal laws shield sexual predators like Dr. Larry Nassar

Marci Hamilton of the School of Arts & Sciences wrote an opinion piece calling for President Biden to establish a national commission on child sex abuse in order to address the problem’s systemic factors.

FULL STORY →

Fast Company

Want to go viral? Influencers won’t be much help if you’re trying to spread a complex idea

Damon Centola of the Annenberg School for Communication spoke about findings from his recent study showing that social influencers may be ineffective when it comes to changing people’s beliefs and behaviors. Rather, he said, “every network has a hidden social cluster in the outer edges that is perfectly poised to increase the spread of a new idea by several hundred percent.”

FULL STORY →

CNN

Arrest of a Trump friend sends key message

Claire Finkelstein of the Law School co-authored an opinion piece about the prosecution of Tom Barrack, chair of Donald J. Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee. Barrack has been charged with several crimes, including conspiracy to act as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. “The prosecution is a welcome first step to rein in both foreign lobbying generally and the corruption seemingly surrounding the former president specifically, but much more is needed on both counts,” they wrote.

FULL STORY →

Science

How scientists are subtracting race from medical risk calculators

Nwamaka Eneanya of the Perelman School of Medicine said researchers need to consider the drivers of health disparities, rather than merely correlating race with health outcomes. “That’s not a standard that is expected of scientists in this day and age, and it needs to be,” she says. “This is a wake-up call for the scientific community.”

FULL STORY →

  • This year’s Forté Fellows in Wharton’s EMBA Program

    Four first-year Wharton EMBA students—Camille Castro, Fitz Reid, Angela Romero, and Mini Thangaswamy—received scholarships for their commitment to advancing women in business.

    FULL STORY AT Wharton Stories →

  • Michael Glick to lead School’s New Center for Integrative Global Oral Health

    The School is launching its first policy center thanks to a $5 million gift made earlier this year by Garry Rayant, a member of the School’s Board of Advisors, and his wife, Kathy Fields, providing the foundational support to establish the Center.

    FULL STORY AT Penn Dental Medicine →

  • Penn Medicine-led research team awarded $2.9 million to study heart disease and cancer in Black and Hispanic communities

    The grant awarded to the Cardio-Oncology Translational Center of Excellence at Penn Medicine will fund projects aimed at reducing racial disparities in breast and prostate cancer patients with a higher risk for cardiovascular disease.

    FULL STORY AT Penn Medicine News →

    • From the Penn Program on Regulation

    NPR

    Creating a safe post-pandemic workplace

    Wendy De La Rosa of the Wharton School said money alone may not be the most effective workplace motivator because people want rewards, such as extra paid time off, that feel meaningful. “People just want to spend time with their families. People aren't dying to spend time at work,” she said. “We want to live out our values.”

    FULL STORY →