Cristina Bicchieri, social norms expert and founding director of Penn’s Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences (MBDS), wanted to understand how different countries’ COVID-19 responses have been affecting individual behavior. Along with MBDS instructor Enrique Fatas, she developed a survey to determine how new social norms like mask-wearing and social distancing have emerged.

Through field trips around the region and up-close and hands-on studies, students in the Master of Environmental Studies program’s Field Study of Soils summer course taught by Alain Plante learn to see soil as more than the ground we walk on. For the first time this year, class members examined soils on University property from within a five-foot pit dug at the School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton Center campus.

The College of Liberal and Professional Studies and School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania today announced the launch of a cybersecurity boot camp to be held on Penn’s campus. Geared toward adult learners, the Penn Cybersecurity Boot Camp will help supply Philadelphia with more cybersecurity professionals, filling a critical need among employers across the region.

LPS' Classical Studies post-baccalaureate program professor Emily Wilson, the first woman to publish an English translation of Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey, has been awarded a genius grant from the MacArthur Foundation.

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On Friday, November 22, the students and staff of Penn’s Pre-Health Programs welcomed David and Lyn Silfen University Professor of Ethics Jonathan D. Moreno for a discussion of his recently published book as part of the program’s Distinguished Speaker series.

Michael DiBerardinis, Professor of Practice at the Fels Institute of Government, has been awarded a 2019 Civic Champion Award by CORA Services, a Philadelphia non-profit that aids children, youth, and families experiencing emotional, academic, and social challenges.

The Fels Institute of Government has new faculty leaders, but many traditions are staying put, including the institute’s signature Public Policy in Practice workshops. That’s because the series fits neatly in place with the 82-year-old institute’s focus on providing students with an analytical, personal, and practical program in public administration, says John Lapinski, who co-directs Fels with Matthew Levendusky.

Students in Penn’s Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences (MBDS) program won first place at Rare’s Behavioral Design Challenge at Dickinson College.

The challenge gave MBDS students an opportunity to apply their classroom learning to solve a real-world problem—namely, encouraging college students to eat more plant-based foods.

The Water Center at Penn awarded research grants during fall 2019 to five Master of Environmental Studies (MES) and Master of Science in Applied Geosciences (MSAG) students under the Student Support Program Award. The students will use the grant money for research in water science, policy, and sustainability. The grant aims to recognize academic excellence and prepare students for leadership roles by encouraging applied research and community engagement. 

Throughout history, some of the world’s most precious cultural artifacts and sites have been destroyed during times of war. Recent newspaper headlines show that the phenomenon continues today, with the 2001 demolition of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan, the 2012 destruction of Sufi shrines in Timbuktu, Mali, and the recent obliteration of historic sites across Syria and Iraq.