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.
Van Pelt at 50
Five decades on, the University’s central library is still doing the job.
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.
Alumni Weekend 2012
Photos from the Alumni Weekend 2012 festivities
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.
Glee at 150
After a century and a half, Penn’s oldest performing arts group is still going strong.
The Geeks Shall Inherit the Bars
Penn alumni are at the forefront of a growing movement to make socializing safe for the world’s nerds.
Penn Perspectives on the 99 Percent
Penn faculty talk about what lies behind the Occupy phenomenon, what may lie ahead, and what the recent spate of protests across the political spectrum portends for the republic.
Homecoming 2011
Homecoming 2011: Photos from the festivities.
Penn Connected
With the opening of Penn Park in September, the University’s eastward expansion is now a reality. A brief history of what it took to transform this long-sought dead zone into an oasis.
Pointing the Way to the Pole
He didn’t find the Open Polar Sea he was looking for—and probably overestimated how far North he actually managed to get—but the Arctic discoveries of Isaac Israel Hayes M1853 helped set the course for later explorers. And that was just the first of his several careers.