The Art of Change

Charles Krause spent most of his career digging for stories. Now he’s finding—and exhibiting—artists whose work impacts the world.

Drone’s Day Scenarios

An invasion of unmanned aerial vehicles—drones to you—is on its way, but these flying robots are here to help, not enslave the human race. (At least, that’s what they say at Penn’s pioneering GRASP Lab, where some of the most sophisticated ones are being created.)

The Transformer

He turned an abandoned stretch of elevated rail tracks on Manhattan’s lower West Side from an eyesore to a treasured urban amenity, and put playing fields and green space where a garbage dump taller than the Statue of Liberty once sprawled. Now Penn Design alumnus and professor James Corner is creating a modern-day pleasure garden on the site of London’s Summer Olympics.

The Case of S. Weir Mitchell

He’s now remembered, if at all, for a misguided “rest cure” that inspired an iconic piece of early feminist fiction, but in his day alumnus and longtime University trustee S. Weir Mitchell found fame in several fields—as a noted surgeon and physician, a leading medical researcher, and a best-selling author.

From Brand to Role Model

Less than a decade after launching her own label, Tory Burch C’88 is one of the most recognizable names in fashion. Through mentoring and microloans, the Tory Burch Foundation is empowering other women entrepreneurs to follow in her footsteps.

Making Democracy Safer for Governing

Even the best-intentioned politicians can find themselves distracted from the public interest by factors ranging from the continual demands of fundraising, to the expectations of supporters and activists, to an often cynical, “horse-race” obsessed media. But even in the era of the permanent campaign, there are ways to foster an environment more conducive to governing.

Dispatches from the Front

In a series of interviews and book excerpts, three of Penn’s most prominent political alumni—Ed Rendell C’65 Hon’00, Jon M. Huntsman Jr. C’87 Hon’10, and Arlen Specter C’51—discuss their time as office-seekers and public servants, and offer some hard-earned advice about what needs fixing.

Toward a More Perfect Union

Whoever wins the White House will confront challenges and opportunities that were lost in the fog of electioneering. Penn scholars address five areas that the campaigns muddled, ignored, or failed to think big about.

Penn in the Olympics

The University cleaned up at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, collecting 21 medals— 10 of them gold—in track and field events. Since then, there’s been a Penn presence at every summer games the US has participated in. On the eve of the 2012 London Games (which will make 25), here are some stories of Quaker Olympians through the decades.

“What’s ‘Ya’?”

While no one seems quite able to define what a Young Adult, or YA, novel is, exactly, lots of people—of all ages—are reading them. And quite a few Penn alumni (including the one who asked that question) are writing them.

Rush’s Remedies

Two centuries after its publication, Founding Father and early Penn faculty member Benjamin Rush’s pioneering work on mental illness prompts alarm and admiration—as well as reminders about ongoing challenges in the mental-health field.

Is That All There Is?

On the road with Zach and Buzz, Peggy Lee on the car stereo, and the meaning of life. An excerpt from Father’s Day: A Journey into the Mind and Heart of My Extraordinary Son.

The Rise of the Biocrats

From stem-cell research to HPV vaccinations, healthcare policy to genetic modification, bioethics increasingly provides the framework for weighing the costs and benefits of scientific progress. Long a leader in the field, the University is moving to make Penn the place where such work happens, and where the next generation of bioethicists will be minted.

Time for the Maya

No, the ancient Maya did not predict that the world will end in December 2012. Yes, the Penn Museum is taking advantage of the popular fascination with that distinctly North American misinterpretation of the Maya calendar to mount a wide-ranging exhibit examining Maya notions of time and much more about this rich, still-thriving culture.

The Artful Rebel

Francis Hopkinson signed the Declaration of Independence, designed the American flag, wrote some biting satire, composed the nation’s first secular music, and got some props for his scientific ingenuity. Not a bad career for the College’s first alumnus.

Character’s Content

Penn psychologist Angela Duckworth Gr’06 argues that character—not intelligence, quality of instruction, family situation, or income level—is the crucial determinant of achievement in school. Now she just has to figure out how to measure character—and influence it for the better.

“Good, Bad or Otherwise, Keep Writing and Peddling”

Persistence paid off for the songwriting duo of Ray Evans W’36 and Jay Livingston C’37, whose compositions include multiple Oscar winners, a much-loved Christmas song, and the themes from Bonanza and Mr. Ed. Their creative and personal journey—and the lost world of popular music pre-rock-and-roll—is documented in fascinating detail in a collection of materials recently donated to Penn.

Can Some Quakers Save the Sixers?

Philadelphia’s NBA franchise has been losing games and fans for most of the last decade. This fall a group of alumni investors led by Joshua Harris W’86 bought the team and have big plans for turning around this troubled asset. Is that crazy?

Bless Me, Father, For I Have Published

In 1988 James Martin W’82 jumped off the corporate fast track at General Electric to become a Jesuit priest. That meant two decades of study and service; taking vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience; and praying a lot—oh, and also living rent-free in midtown Manhattan (in the same building where he works!), writing bestselling books, and palling around with Stephen Colbert.

When Steven Met Hoodie

Hip-hop artist Hoodie Allen (aka Steven Markowitz W’10) is using the latest in social networking and the old-school marketing skills he learned at Wharton—minimize barriers to entry; provide speedy, individualized customer service; build brand loyalty—to conquer the music world.