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Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · 14h

We all have theories about why we are the way we are. But for psychologists, this becomes a scientific exploration. In my third episode of the Ampersand Podcast, I discuss this connection between self and subject with Associate Professor of Psychology Rebecca Waller. buff.ly/CR4LFH7 @sas.upenn.edu

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Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · 6d

Big news from History: Congrats to Marcy Norton, who was awarded the WHA Bentley Book Prize for "The Tame and the Wild: People and Animals after 1492" and Sophie Rosenfeld, who was shortlisted for the Cundill History Prize for “The Age of Choice: A History of Freedom in Modern Life."

Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · 7d

Additional congrats to Ben Nathans for his book “To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement.” After winning the Pulitzer Prize earlier this year, it was recently shortlisted for the Cundill History Prize and won two book prizes from ASEES.
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Benjamin Nathans Honored with Two Awards from ASEEES

In addition to winning the Pulitzer Prize, the Alan Charles Kors Term Associate Professor of History continues to receive praise for To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet…

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Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · 8d

Across the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, Penn Arts & Sciences is building the knowledge base essential to a healthier future. Check out our new Health @ SAS site for a comprehensive look: health.sas.upenn.edu @upenn.edu @sas.upenn.edu

Health Hub | Penn Arts & Sciences

Highlighting the myriad lenses that faculty from across Penn Arts & Sciences are using to study health.

health.sas.upenn.edu

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Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · 9d

A pair of gifts from Julie Beren Platt and Marc E. Platt will establish an endowed professorship and create a program fund for graduate support in the Jewish Studies Program that will advance scholarship, community engagement, and global impact.

Two leadership gifts elevate Jewish Studies at Penn Arts & Sciences | Penn Today

A pair of gifts from Julie Beren Platt and Marc E. Platt will establish an endowed professorship and create a program fund for graduate support in the Jewish Studies Program that will advance…

penntoday.upenn.edu

Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · 12d

“Is there anything in the Constitution too sacred to change? That, if we changed it, we’d lose the spirit of America?” In a special edition of 60-Second Lectures marking Constitution Day 2025, faculty experts answer this student’s question and more in a conversation moderated by Dean Peter Struck.

60-Second Lectures: The Constitution at 238

Penn Arts & Sciences faculty mark Constitution Day 2025 by sharing diverse outlooks and expertise on the supreme law shaping the United States before joining…

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Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · 14d

What role does higher ed play in a democracy? In this Ampersand Podcast, historian Sophia Rosenfeld and I talk about the humanities, democracy, and how studying the history of choice can help students think critically about the hidden assumptions that shape their worlds. https://bit.ly/4mB5izg

Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · 21d

With grateful thanks to alumna Louise A. Strauss, I’m pleased to share that a $21 million gift from her estate will provide major support to the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, as well as the Rare Judaica Acquisitions Endowment Fund in Penn Libraries. bit.ly/4pqTtOL

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Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · 22d

Congratulations to Joseph Francisco on winning this year’s Pauling Medal in honor of his groundbreaking work into the chemistry of Earth’s atmosphere. buff.ly/wHy3OrN @upenn.edu @pennchemistry.bsky.social @sas.upenn.edu

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Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · 25d

It was great meeting with students, faculty, and staff from Penn Arts & Sciences at the Meet the Dean events this past week. Thanks to all who attended, and I’m looking forward to more opportunities to connect and learn from our School community. @upenn.edu @sas.upenn.edu

Group of students interacts with a lecturer in a brick-walled courtyard.

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Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · 29d

Dean Peter Struck and I discuss the Roman roots of the liberal arts tradition, how AI is changing the college experience, and charting curriculum for the 21st century in the new Ampersand podcast. Listen to full episode here: https://bit.ly/42prYev @upenn.edu @sas.upenn.edu

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Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · Sep 8

For their Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program project, Nihar Ballamudi, C'26, and Chinmay Govind, ENG'27, leveraged AI to locate and census whales. The study may inform policy measures that help to improve protections for whale populations worldwide. @pennengineering.bsky.social

Students use machine learning to track and protect whale populations | Penn Today

For their Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program project, Chinmay Govind and Nihar Ballamudi leveraged AI to locate and census whales. The study may inform policy measures that help to improve ...

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Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · Sep 5

Congratulations to Charles Kane on receiving the 2025 Lorentz Medal awarded by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences! @upenn.edu

Penn physicist Charles Kane to receive the 2025 Lorentz Medal | Penn Today

Awarded every four years by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, the medal honors Kane’s pioneering research on topological insulators.

penntoday.upenn.edu

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Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · Sep 4

What do leafcutter ants, science communication, mortality rates, and childhood skill development have in common? They represent some of the recent findings from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty in our biology, sociology, psychology, and economics departments. @sas.upenn.edu @upenn.edu

Research Roundup Ant Genetics Life Expectancy and More

A look at work from faculty in our Departments of Biology, Sociology, Psychology, and Economics.

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Reposted by Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania

Penn Arts & Sciences @sas.upenn.edu · Sep 3

Gareth Roberts, Associate Professor of Linguistics, presents "How Old is Language?" at today's first 60-Second Lecture of the fall semester. @upenn.edu @garicgymro.bsky.social #60Second #language #linguistics

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Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · Sep 2

How old is language? To find out, join linguistics professor Gareth Roberts on 9/3 near the Ben Franklin statue in front of College Hall. Gareth will kick off the first 60-second lecture series of the fall semester, with more talks at noon on 9/10 and 9/17. buff.ly/w6kRBMb @upenn.edu

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Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · Aug 28

Check out the Ampersand podcast on choice and consequence with cognitive scientist Sudeep Bhatia and historian Sophia Rosenfeld. I’ll be appearing on the Ampersand podcast in the weeks to come, speaking with Sophia, Michael Mann, and Peter Struck, among others. @upenn.edu @sas.upenn.edu

Ampersand Podcast | Choice and Consequence

Our new podcast series, Ampersand, features faculty from different disciplines discussing a topic they have in common. In our first episode, Sophia Rosenfeld, Walter…

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Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · Aug 27

Great to meet the Class of 2029! I’m excited for these first-year students to continue their intellectual journey at Penn.

The Class of 2029 Gets to Know Penn Arts Sciences Photos

At New Student Orientation, incoming first-years met faculty and new friends as they prepared for their first semester at Penn.

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Reposted by Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania @upenn.edu · Aug 22

A timeless Penn tradition. For the first time, the Class of 2029 gathers on Franklin Field.

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Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · Aug 21

Technology leads us to radical transformation; how do we prioritize humanity in AI? Driven by perspectives from a range of disciplines, Penn Arts & Sciences is ideally positioned to address both opportunities and challenges of generative AI creatively.

AI Hub | Penn Arts & Sciences

Driven by perspectives from a range of disciplines, Penn Arts & Sciences is uniquely positioned to provide creative responses to the opportunities and challenges posed by generative AI.

ai.sas.upenn.edu

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Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · Aug 19

As some people know, I love to write by fountain pen. I talk a bit about why I still prefer writing mathematical equations by hand and answer some other questions in the second installment of a two-part video series by Omnia. Watch the full video: buff.ly/TbTZuxh @sas.upenn.edu

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Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · Aug 15

Join me for our next Ben Talks Los Angeles event at the Fox Studio Lot on Tuesday, September 16. Hear from a panel of experts as they explore how artistic production and material culture reflect, preserve, and challenge societal narratives and connect us to human experience. bit.ly/45NAx4S

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Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · Aug 14

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 @gkaguirre.com @sas.upenn.edu

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…

omnia.sas.upenn.edu

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Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · Aug 12

Humans have existed for only 0.007% of Earth's 4.5 billion-year history but can significantly alter the planet's equilibrium. Addressing climate change demands the collaborative efforts of humanists, researchers, and social scientists. Learn more about how @sas.upenn.edu is tackling this issue.

Climate@SAS | Penn Arts & Sciences

The School of Arts and Sciences brings indispensable intellectual range to understanding and addressing the problem of climate change.

climate.sas.upenn.edu

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Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania @pennsasdean.bsky.social · Aug 8

In order to train the best scientific minds, we must offer students hands-on scientific experiences. The Penn Research Experience for High School Students gives Philadelphia 11th and 12th graders the opportunity to tackle college-level research. #ScienceEducation

Curiosity STEM and a Summer on Campus

The Penn Research Experience for High School Students gives Philadelphia 11th and 12th graders a rare opportunity to tackle college-level research. Program alums say the experience was foundational…

omnia.sas.upenn.edu

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