Penn Arts & Sciences

Standing faculty at Penn in the humanities and allied departments are invited to apply for 2026–27 research fellowships on the Wolf Humanities Center’s annual theme, Practice. Apply by October 1, 2025.

Full fellowship and application details: wolfhumanities.upenn.edu/fellowships/...

Rethinking extreme environments, from human spaceflight to heat in Philadelphia | Penn Today Anthropology professor Mallika Sarma of the School of Arts & Sciences is challenging what we think of as an extreme environment—beyond settings like low temperature or high altitude—and who gets…

Prof. Mallika Sarma of Anthropology is challenging what we think of as an extreme environment—beyond settings like low temperature or high altitude—and who gets studied. She's driven by the question, “When the going gets tough, how do we stay going?”

Eye puffs prompt separable sensory, affective brain responses in mice, people Post-puff brain state might not be an emotion, some researchers caution, but the protocol provides a cross-species approach to study emotions.

Prof. Nicole Rust of Psychology is quoted in @thetransmitter.bsky.social on a new study of a protocol that provides a cross-species approach to study emotions. @nicolecrust.bsky.social

When Data Science and Social Good Intersect Through a grant program and a new minor focused on data analytics, the Data Driven Discovery Initiative is using new tools and technologies to directly address societal challenges.

Through a grant program and a new minor focused on data analytics, the Data Driven Discovery Initiative is using new tools and technologies to directly address societal challenges.

Hunting for Relics of a Universe Past In the lab of Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy Robyn Sanderson, Alexandra DiMauro, C’27, and Mariam Tskitishvili, C’28, are looking for hints about dark matter and analyzing data that…

In the lab of Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy Robyn Sanderson, Alexandra DiMauro, C’27, and Mariam Tskitishvili, C’28, are looking for hints about dark matter and analyzing data that could inform what we know about how stars form. #DarkMatter #Astrophysics

A public-facing, interdisciplinary, and student-centered approach to philosophy | Penn Today Philosophy professor Jennifer Morton’s experiences growing up in Peru during the politically turbulent 1980s and ’90s and as a first-generation college student shaped her research interests.

Prof. Jennifer Morton of Philosophy takes a public-facing, interdisciplinary, student-centered approach to philosophy, shaped by her experiences growing up in Peru during the politically turbulent 1980s and '90s and as a first-generation college student. buff.ly/m78Mw3K @jennifermmorton.bsky.social

Strongest Nor easters Getting Stronger Research from Professor Michael Mann and PhD students Annabelle Horton and Mackenzie Weaver shows that as the worst of these East Coast winter storms intensify, so does their destructive potential—a…

15 years ago, I invited Michael Mann to deliver a guest lecture. But he never made it to campus. Instead, he was snowbound by a nor’easter. Prof. Mann has since researched the impact of climate change on storms, finding that these nor’easters are getting more destructive. @michaelemann.bsky.social

The Science Outreach Initiative @sas.upenn.edu
is hosting an online panel with FERBS (First Exposure to Research in the Biological Sciences) students on Weds, Aug 6.

This panel is ideal for high school students interested in doing research in college. Register here: upenn.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Researching cultural heritage at the Penn Museum | Penn Today Aiming for a career in the museum field, Sierra Williams, a rising third-year in the College of Arts & Sciences, is working on a research study at the Penn Museum’s Penn Cultural Heritage Center…

Through the Summer Humanities Internship Program, College third-year Sierra Williams is gaining experience researching cultural heritage at the Penn Museum.

Videos From the Amazon Reveal an Unexpected Animal Friendship Scientists are trying to understand footage that showed ocelots and opossums, usually predator and prey, hanging out together.

A surprising new pairing has been found palling around the Amazon--ocelots and opossums. The finding doesn’t surprise Erol Akçay, Associate Professor of Biology, who suspects the pair might be the latest example of what scientists call hunting mutualism.

Lynn Meskell elected Fellow to the British Academy | Penn Today The honor recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to the humanities and social sciences.

Congrats to Lynn Meskell, Richard D. Green Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor, on being elected as a Fellow of the British Academy in honor of her outstanding contributions to the humanities and social sciences! 👏 👏

Hunting for Relics of a Universe Past In the lab of Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy Robyn Sanderson, Alexandra DiMauro, C’27, and Mariam Tskitishvili, C’28, are looking for hints about dark matter and analyzing data that…

In the lab of Prof. Robyn Sanderson of Physics & Astronomy, Alexandra DiMauro, C’27, and Mariam Tskitishvili, C’28, are looking for hints about dark matter and analyzing data that could inform what we know about how stars form. #DarkMatter #Astrophysics

Hello BlueSky! I’m Mark Trodden, new Dean of Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences. I joined Penn in 2009 as a particle physicist and later served as Associate Dean for Natural Sciences for two years. Looking forward to sharing student & faculty highlights, initiatives, and events with you all!

How the Brain Plays Tricks on the Eyes By studying the tilt illusion—when the visual cortex sees straight lines as angled—Professors Alan Stocker and Geoffrey Aguirre are making inroads into fundamental computational processes that could…

By studying the tilt illusion—when the visual cortex sees straight lines as angled—Professors Alan Stocker and Geoffrey Aguirre are making inroads into fundamental computational processes that could inform neuroscience and better AI. @pennmindcore.bsky.social

317 | Nicole Rust on Why Neuroscience Hasn't Solved Brain Disorders Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas · Episode

Prof. Nicole Rust of Psychology is featured on Sean Carroll's Mindscape podcast and discusses why neuroscience hasn't solved brain disorders. @nicolecrust.bsky.social

Strongest Nor’easters Getting Stronger Although the number of these winter storms has decreased since 1940, the strongest are unquestionably getting stronger, with maximum windspeeds and precipitation rates increasing.

Research published in @pnas.org from @michaelemann.bsky.social and PhD students Annabelle Horton and Mackenzie Weaver shows that as the worst of these winter storms intensify, so does their destructive potential—a facet that current coastal risk assessments often ignore. @upenn.edu

Strongest Nor easters Getting Stronger Research from Professor Michael Mann and PhD students Annabelle Horton and Mackenzie Weaver shows that as the worst of these East Coast winter storms intensify, so does their destructive potential—a f...

"Strongest Nor’easters Getting Stronger" | Great piece on our new study by Michele Berger for @upenn.edu #OmniaMagazine: omnia.sas.upenn.edu/story/strong...

Opinion | Viewpoint Diversity Isn’t the Solution to Liberal Bias Viewpoint diversity can easily backfire.

Jennifer Morton, Presidential Penn Compact Professor of Philosophy, writes in The New York Times on viewpoint diversity in higher education. @jennifermmorton.bsky.social

The Sounds of Fruit Fly Courtship SongTorrent, a custom-built, 96-channel system, records audio and video of fruit fly mating rituals, allowing Assistant Professor of Biology Yun Ding and colleagues to better understand how nervous…

SongTorrent, a custom-built, 96-channel system, records audio and video of fruit fly mating rituals, allowing Assistant Professor of Biology Yun Ding and colleagues to better understand how nervous systems work.

Of Monkeys and Men — 100 Years since the Scopes Trial and Still Missing the Bigger Picture on Science v. Religion A century ago today, America fixed its attention on a Dayton courthouse. Tennessee was prosecuting John T. Scopes for violating a 1925 law forbidding public schools and universities to teach the theor...

Prof. Schaefer has a new article out today in @religiondispatches.org discussing the one hundredth anniversary of the beginning of the Scopes Trial on July 10, 1925. Check it out here!

religiondispatches.org/of-monkeys-a...

@sas.upenn.edu

The Poetry of Ancient Math The methods and findings of pre-modern Indian mathematicians remain poorly understood. Priya Nambrath, a doctoral candidate in the Department of South Asia Studies, wants to change that.

The methods and findings of pre-modern Indian mathematicians remain poorly understood. Priya Nambrath, a PhD candidate in the Department of South Asia Studies, wants to change that. #AncientMath #SouthAsianStudies

Origin Stories Philip Rea Video In high school, Professor Phil Rea aspired to become a classical trumpet player. But after realizing he could apply his creativity to the sciences, he turned to biology. Rea describes his journey…

Prof. Phil Rea aspired to become a classical trumpet player. But after realizing he could apply his creativity to the sciences, he turned to biology. Rea describes his journey from musician to biochemist, science writer, and co-founder of Penn's LSM Program in our latest Origin Stories.

The New Mind With a new Draw Down the Lightning grant, Nikola Moore, C’25, developed a workshop series focused on mitigating linguistic risk with large language models.

With a new Draw Down the Lightning grant, Nikola Moore, C’25, developed a workshop series focused on mitigating linguistic risk with large language models. About 100 people participated in the three cross-disciplinary workshops this spring, with a final all-day hackathon-style event.

Unpacking the Contradictions of Artist Romaine Brooks Lila Shermeta, C’25, has always been passionate about the connections between writing and art history. Her award-winning senior thesis on Brooks, an obscure late-19th and early-20th-century queer…

Lila Shermeta, C’25, has always been passionate about the connections between writing and art history. Her award-winning senior thesis on Brooks, an obscure late-19th and early-20th-century queer artist drawn to fascism, decisively unites the two fields.

Extreme summer weather patterns have tripled since the 1950s | Penn Today New research led by Michael E. Mann links a surge in stalled jet stream events to human-driven climate change, with major implications for future heatwaves, wildfires, and floods.

New research led by Prof. Michael E. Mann links a surge in stalled jet stream events to human-driven climate change, with major implications for future heatwaves, wildfires, and floods which have nearly tripled since the 1950s. @michaelemann.bsky.social‬

Creating a classroom democracy | Penn Today Through a Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia course, assistant professor of history Sarah Gronningsater and her students resuscitate early American history.

"By definition, we live in the world that the past made.” Sarah Gronningsater, author of the award-winning Penn Press title THE RISING GENERATION, discusses her approach to teaching early American history in this profile from Omnia, featured in Penn Today (cc: @sas.upenn.edu). bit.ly/4ekfmKy

Creating a Classroom Democracy Through a Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia course, Assistant Professor of History Sarah Gronningsater and her students resuscitate early American history.

Through a Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia course, Assistant Professor of History Sarah Gronningsater and her students resuscitate early American history.

Bridging Medicine and Business Arun Das, C’10, W’10, took a winding path to end up at Cabaletta Bio, a biotechnology company that wants to revolutionize autoimmune disease treatment.

Arun Das, C’10, W’10, took a winding path to end up at Cabaletta Bio, a biotechnology company that wants to revolutionize autoimmune disease treatment.

The Pauling Medal Award The Pauling Medal Award Announcing the 2025 Pauling Award RecipientDr. Joseph FranciscoUniversity of Pennsylvania In recognition of his pioneering studies of the chemistry of Earth’s atmosphere. Hi…

Congratulations to Joe Francisco for being named to receive the 2025 Linus Pauling Medal Award! @sas.upenn.edu

acspss.org/pauling-meda...

Telescope s Last ACT A final batch of data from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope shows our universe in its infancy, but Mark Devlin, Reese W. Flower Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, says many more exciting…

A final batch of data from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope shows our universe in its infancy, but Mark Devlin, Reese W. Flower Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, says many more exciting projects lie ahead.