• Jackson and Tan mentor doctoral students on conducting community-engaged research

    Dean John L. Jackson, Jr. and professor Andy Tan are both mentoring Annenberg School doctoral students this summer as part of the Penn Graduate Community-Engaged Research Mentorship program, facilitated by the Netter Center. The 10-week program offers an opportunity for graduate students interested in community-engaged research to work on smaller scale, short-term projects guided by experienced faculty mentors. 

    FULL STORY AT Annenberg School for Communication →

    • CNBC

    How a Walmart worker with Down syndrome—and her sister—fought and beat the giant retailer after getting fired

    Jasmine Harris of the Law School said that while retailers may prominently feature employees with disabilities in their marketing materials, the verdict of a recent discrimination lawsuit against Walmart affirms that disabled employees are not just for show.

    FULL STORY →

    NPR

    Afro-Cubans come out in droves to protest government

    Amalia Dache of the Graduate School of Education spoke about the history of racial disparities and injustices in Cuba. “When we're thinking about global solidarity with Black people, especially right now, we need all hands on deck,” she said.

    FULL STORY →

    Los Angeles Times

    Simone Biles, the greatest gymnast alive, could be the next marketing GOAT too

    Americus Reed II of the Wharton School said gymnast Simone Biles is one of the few athletes who can expand her brand beyond her sport and into the “greater cultural stratosphere.”

    FULL STORY →

    The Wall Street Journal

    Make a call on quitting your job without any regrets

    Katy Milkman of the Wharton School said people tend to commit further to things that aren’t working out, whether it be a job or a relationship. As a result, she said, “You don’t optimize. You don’t achieve as much.”

    FULL STORY →

    The Washington Post

    Doctors, nurses and medical groups call for mandatory coronavirus vaccinations for health workers

    PIK Professor Ezekiel Emanuel said workplace vaccine mandates could improve uptake. When Penn’s health system required staff to get COVID-19 vaccines, Emanuel said, “the sky didn’t fall. When we do it, and we have a good justification, people respond.”

    FULL STORY →

    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 →