Wellness

Two people standing in front of a wall of art. One of them is holding up a second piece of art in gloved hands. The other gestures toward the art, holding a computer or clipboard in the other hand.

Do art museums prioritize visitor well-being enough?

Research from the Humanities and Human Flourishing Project in Penn’s Positive Psychology Center reveals that the people working in these institutions want to see greater emphasis on human flourishing, but they feel ill-equipped to make it happen.

Michele W. Berger ・

Hands typing on a keyboard.

How to improve accessibility and digital inclusion

Tonya Bennett discusses a recent accessibility awareness panel discussion where higher education leaders focused on physical and digital access and inclusion for the more than one billion people worldwide with disabilities and impairments.

Dee Patel

Farhan Jivraj sits at a desk and looks at the topographic rug in the biophilic room

Can nature-inspired designs affect cognition and mood?

A team from the Center for Neuroaesthetics created a biophilic room to test the idea. Preliminary findings from a small pilot show promise, but also spur many questions about how to best use such a space.

Michele W. Berger , Kelsey Geesler, Michael Grant ・



In the News


Philadelphia Inquirer

My brother’s recovery from a car crash became a lesson in how to talk to doctors and nurses

Emily Largent of the Perelman School of Medicine writes that communication is part of healing, as she experienced when her brother was in a car accident and unable to notify family himself.

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Fortune.com

Millennial HR professionals are entering the C-suite, and their priorities reflect their lived experiences: ‘We spend a lot of time getting to know folks deeply’

Matthew Bidwell of the Wharton School points to an uptick in student interest in employee wellness strategies.

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US News

Stressed? Depressed? Mindfulness training could offer long-term relief

Yvette Sheline of the Perelman School of Medicine is quoted on how many cultures have used different variations of mindfulness, and that classes are generally affordable and accessible in most cities.

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The Washington Post

The less college students sleep, the worse their grades, study finds

Two hundred Penn students and staff participating in a seven-week online course to build better sleep habits have reported an overall decrease in symptoms of insomnia, according to Rebecca Huxta of Wellness at Penn.

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Inside Higher Ed

New on the job: Penn director of well-being initiatives creates tools for success

As Wellness at Penn’s inaugural director of well-being initiatives, doctoral candidate Jackie Recktenwald of the Graduate School of Education is looking to improve student health and wellness across campus.

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The New York Times

The foods that keep you hydrated

Dan Negoianu of the Perelman School of Medicine says there’s really no data behind the eight-glasses-of-water-a-day advice.

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