Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences

Emily Steiner’s hands hold open an antique book.

Alternative literary history

A decade of research and writing by English Professor Emily Steiner has resulted in a new book about the work of John Trevisa, a 14th century English author who translated encyclopedias and other reference books, helping to create a body of general knowledge for non-specialists.

Louisa Shepard ・

An illustration of six faces with different skin tones, ranging from dark to light. Above the faces are connected lines that look like jacks, to indicate social networks.

Clinician peer networks remove race and gender bias

Research from Damon Centola of the Annenberg School for Communication shows that structured health care networks significantly reduce health care inequities and disparities in patient treatment.

Alina Ladyzhensky ・

professor and two students looking at colorful artwork on table

Art from Mexico

During visits to the Penn Museum this semester, nearly 200 students in intermediate Spanish classes had the chance to learn about yarn paintings by the Huichol people, an indigenous group in Northwest Mexico.

Louisa Shepard ・

tulia falleti

Politics, activism, and academics

The career of Tulia Falleti, Class of 1965 Endowed Term Professor of Political Science in the School of Arts & Sciences, grew from her activism as a student in a newly democratic Argentina.

Lauren Rebecca Thacker ・

Image of a book cover, with a purple ribbon placed on top of a hand. The title reads," Coping with Crohn's and colitis: A patient and clinician's guide to CBT for IBD," by "Melissa G. Hunt, Foreword by Aaron T. Beck" next to a photo of a person standing up, wearing a black blazer and a black and gold dress.

A self-help guide to treating IBD

In her new book, clinical psychologist Melissa Hunt offers a cognitive behavioral therapy approach to helping people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis improve their quality of life.

Michele W. Berger ・

Book cover for Under Pressure: Essays on Urban Housing, edited by Hina Jamelle.

‘Under Pressure: Essays on Urban Housing’ is released

The new publication, edited by Hina Jamelle, senior lecturer and director of urban housing in the Department of Architecture, gathers and contextualizes recent conversations on urban housing through a design lens.

From the Weitzman School of Design ・

A person leaning against a tree outside, wearing a blue-and-white button down shirt, arms crossed.

A partnership to preserve Kashaya

Since the 1980s, linguist Eugene Buckley has studied this Native American language, now spoken by just a dozen or so people in northern California. In collaboration with members and descendants of the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians, he’s built a database of Kashaya words, sounds, and stories.

Michele W. Berger ・



In the News


Philadelphia Inquirer

Comcast’s Sports Complex plan for South Philly would make our city less livable

In an Op-Ed, Vukan R. Vuchic of the School of Engineering and Applied Science says that Philadelphia should make transit more accessible rather than striving to accommodate more cars.

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The New York Times

We don’t see what climate change is doing to us

In an Op-Ed, R. Jisung Park of the School of Social Policy & Practice says that public discourse around climate change overlooks the buildup of slow, subtle costs and their impact on human systems.

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Associated Press

Far fewer young Americans now want to study in China. Both countries are trying to fix that

Amy Gadsden of Penn Global says that American interest in studying in China is declining due to foreign businesses closing their offices there and Beijing’s draconian governing style.

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The Wall Street Journal

‘Slouch’ review: The panic over posture

In her new book, “Slouch: Posture Panic in Modern America,” Beth Linker of the School of Arts & Sciences traces society’s posture obsession to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.

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Associated Press

In death, three decades after his trial verdict, O.J. Simpson still reflects America’s racial divides

Camille Charles of the School of Arts & Sciences says that Black Americans have grown less likely to believe in a famous defendant’s innocence as a show of race solidarity.

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