Five faculty members and graduate students seated around tables, talking and laughing

Decolonizing the syllabus

Faculty and graduate students in the History and Sociology of Science Department are reconsidering the way they teach, moving towards a more collaborative, innovative approach that incorporates a wide base of global sources.

Kristina García ・

Vice

Renata Flores brought Quechua to YouTube, and then everything changed

Américo Mendoza-Mori of the School of Arts and Sciences spoke about the need to bring the Quechua language into contemporary art forms. “The stereotype where indigenous people are seen as timeless or pure must be challenged. When native people are put in that box, we are fossilizing them,” he said.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Standardized tests like SAT and ACT favor students with family wealth

Ezekiel J. Dixon-Román of the School of Social Policy & Practice wrote an opinion piece about standardized testing. “While the SAT has been characterized as a ‘wealth test,’ wherein student performance tracks with family income, families’ accumulated assets are rarely measured in association with college admissions tests,” he wrote. “There is good reason to consider this factor more closely.”

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The New York Times

Ruth Bader Ginsburg wins $1 million Berggruen Prize

President Amy Gutmann spoke about Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has been awarded the Berggruen Prize: “She inspires women and men of all ages to realize that a democracy thrives to the extent that it provides every citizen equal footing to achieve their dreams.”

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Four adults and three high school students posed with social media frames

Closing the wealth gap in West Philadelphia

The City of Philadelphia and Actions Not Words have selected Penn’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships to develop and implement a new entrepreneurial program, Project Elevate, offering financial literacy education at public high schools.

Kristina García ・

About 50 people gathered together some in indigenous clothing.

Weeklong focus on indigenous languages

As part of the United Nations International Year of Indigenous Languages, campus groups have organized the Indigenous Languages Week Celebration, supported by a grant from the Sachs Program for Arts Innovation Foundation.

Louisa Shepard ・

Pen and ink drawing of the Addams Family cartoon from the cover of the Pennsylvania Gazette.

The Addams Family legacy lives on

Former Penn student Charles Addams’ creations are back on the silver screen in a new 3D computer-animated film, more than 80 years after the characters were created by the artist.

Louisa Shepard ・

Members of LIFT US UP include (from left) Jordan Harris, Michael Perez, Mariam Olujide, Shannon Shipley, Anitra Persaud, and Cheyenne Williams.

Providing a ‘LIFT’ to first-generation med students

All new students face challenges in the transition to college, but for first-generation, low-income (FGLI) students, it’s a whole new world. Providing a community for these students helps counter feelings of isolation and the “impostor” syndrome that FGLI students may experience.

Penn Today Staff ・