Penn is Making History -- every day

State of the Art: Penn Photography Students On Their First Grand Tour

This spring, a dozen PennDesign students took their first "grand tour" -- not of Europe, but of Beijing, China, where they spent two weeks "in pursuit of an image": exploring, through photography, "the contradictions and significance of China's radically shifting contemporary cultural climate."

It was the University's first-ever "studio abroad" opportunity for photography students, made possible by the new Howard A. Silverstein and Patricia Bleznak Silverstein Photography Program.

Prior to their departure, the students -- an even mix of grads and undergrads -- immersed themselves in Chinese language, history, and culture, while honing their conceptual targets and photojournalistic strategies. Once in Beijing, they spent their time traveling and shooting for an assigned research project.

Back at Penn, students displayed their work in an exhibit called "East West South North," now on view with an accompanying catalog through June 26 at the Charles Addams Fine Arts Gallery.

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» more like this in Arts | Students

Out of Africa: Penn's Sarah Tishkoff Integrates Knowledge of Genetics and Culture

Earlier this month Penn PIK Professor Sarah Tishkoff made world history. She and her team of international scientists published the largest African genetic study ever undertaken: a genetic map of Africa that sheds new light on all of humankind -- our origins, our evolution, and our future.

It's a landmark study, 10 years in the making, that reveals Africa to be the most genetically diverse place on earth. Pinpointing the origin of modern human migration in southern Africa and the exit point out of Africa near the middle of the Red Sea, her study also shows how genetic mutations and linguistic diversity have co-evolved. And it sets the stage for future biomedical research on disease, diet and drug treatments.

Sweeping? Yes. Groundbreaking and provocative? Yes and yes. But that's what happens when you integrate knowledge from multiple academic disciplines -- in this case, genetics, biology, anthropology, and linguistics.

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» more like this in Faculty | Knowledge | Medicine

President Amy Gutmann Applies (Everything She's Learned) to Penn

Three weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal asked the presidents of 10 top colleges and universities to complete an unusual assignment: answer an essay question from their own school's admissions application.

Among the "applicants" was Penn's Amy Gutmann, whose question was, Write page 217 of your 300-page autobiography. (Yes, an actual question from Penn's admissions application.) The rules: no more than 500 words, no help from speechwriters.

Page 217 turned out to be not only a very good page but a very good day for both Amy Gutmann and Penn.

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» more like this in Faculty | Higher Education | Scholarships

Turning on the Power of Donors

Kathryn Cunningham Hall (C'08), founder of Power Up Gambia, officially turned on the switches of the 96 solar panels which will now provide the Sulayman Junkung General Hospital in The Gambia with constant electricity and clean, running water.

      details of the event: Kathryn's blog | newsletter [.pdf]

"It's a dream come true," said Kebba Badgie, the hospital's chief executive.

It's also a demonstration of the power that's generated by collaborative generosity.

» more like this in Going Green | Medicine | Penn People | Volunteering

Penn Vention Takes the Field

Samuel Reeves (left) and Josh Koplin of Humanistic Robotics, Inc.

Two young inventors -- Samuel Reeves (Wharton '05) and Joshua Koplin (Pratt Institute School of Design) -- just received $2 million from the Department of Defense so that they can turn their prototype into a fully functional, commercially viable product.

Their invention? A robotic device that clears land mines.

Affectionately named SCAMP (Specialized Compact Automated Mechanical-clearance Platform), this no-nonsense machine is designed to clear about an acre of mines a day and to run at about a fifth of the cost of other minesweepers -- critical features in a world where there are still up to 100 million land mines, thousands of casualties each year, and where 80 percent of de-mining is done manually, on hands and knees.

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» more like this in Alumni | Innovation | Knowledge | Students