Visual artists have depicted the sea for millennia, capturing its brilliant hues and alluring but disquieting nature—and shifting society’s relationship to the shoreline in the process. In the spirit of the summer season and beach vacations, Penn Today spoke with art history professor Ann Kuttner about ancient Roman portrayals of the sea and with Ph.D. student Benjy Jude about 19th-century French seascapes.
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Despite decades of cancer research, the five-year survival rate for oral squamous cell carcinoma—the most common form of head and neck cancer—is approximately 50%. New findings from a multidisciplinary team of Penn researchers open the door to a broader, more effective class of treatments: The team has developed a platform that uses lipid nanoparticles to deliver a combination of cancer-fighting therapies.
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As LeBron James signs with the Philadelphia 76ers, revisit a story from the Penn Today archives that highlights one of the NBA superstar’s earliest experiences in the city: playing at the Palestra. James visited campus in December 2002 as part of the Fighting Irish, when he was a 17-year-old high school senior attending St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, Ohio.
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On hot days, workers are much more likely to get hurt on the job. Trains are more likely to be delayed, flight cancellations and postponements increase, and labor productivity falls. In a Q&A with environmental and labor economist R. Jisung Park, Penn Today explores the impact of extreme heat on academic success and worker productivity.
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Researchers used a deep AI search to uncover new antibiotic candidates for drug-resistant bacteria in prions, mis-folded proteins linked to rare and fatal brain diseases. “For a long time, drug discovery has been limited not only by what we can test, but by where we choose to look,” says César de la Fuente. “AI is changing that.”
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Penn Today celebrates recent honors received by faculty members in the School of Arts & Sciences, Penn Carey Law, and the Perelman School of Medicine.
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Young women with PMOS—a hormonal and metabolic disorder formerly known as PCOS—face a higher risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to a Penn Medicine study. The findings also indicate an increased chance of heart attacks and strokes for people with PMOS and underscore the need to closely monitor cardiovascular health.
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From algebra to AI, the Graduate School of Education and the School District of Philadelphia are transforming research into real-time change across the school system. “This kind of co-constructed, partnership-driven work is based on a deep and growing trust,” says Dean Katharine Strunk.
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When people hedge, they use qualifiers like “could” or “might.” A study co-authored by marketing professor Jonah Berger finds that hedging is most persuasive when it involves personal perspective and words that suggest higher likelihood. “Personal perspective means they’re taking more ownership,” Berger says, “so we’re more likely to be persuaded by what they have to say.”
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Penn Vet clinician Rose Nolen-Walston has a history of taking on unexpected challenges. This year she ran her second ultramarathon, which began in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert and crossed unforgiving terrain, extreme heat, and freezing mountain heights.
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After three decades as a pioneering scholar of journalism studies, Barbie Zelizer has retired from the Annenberg School for Communication. “She is a tireless community builder, a dedicated mentor, and a field builder,” says Dean Sarah Banet-Weiser.
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Penn Nursing’s Kathryn Connell calls for urgent systemic reforms to support nurse clinician-scientists who balance active bedside practice with academic research. Losing this “dual presence,” Connell argues, stifles healthcare innovation.
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“Innovation & Impact,” a monthly podcast hosted by Penn Engineering faculty—including Dean Vijay Kumar—features leading global experts discussing the latest breakthroughs and innovations in science, technology, and medicine.
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Tyler Nase, an Olympian who rowed with the men’s lightweight program at Penn, has been named the head women’s rowing coach beginning July 20.
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Last week, Penn Today revisited stories on climate and water management. From community-led water testing and hydrogen fuel production to stormwater runoff and the intersection of water and AI, Penn researchers are tackling the challenges of extreme summer storms.
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