Class Envy
Recollecting the Penn my daughter called her own.
Value-Added Education
America’s obsession with academic proficiency is a dead end. Can an alternative model get us back on track?
Day Labor
Carrots, potatoes, and life lessons in Costa Rica.
The Chickenpox Cure
Itching for home in a strange new land.
The Duck Lady, the Professor, and the Vent Man
Remembering three atypical educators.
Dr. Borbor’s Soldiers
Training health workers to stop HIV in postwar Liberia. No need to sugarcoat.
Bankruptcy, Bailout, or Bust
What’s the best way to solve the mortgage crisis?
Right Foot, Left Foot
Dueling kickers on the other varsity football team.
Cadaver
Dissecting the psyche along with the flesh.
Into the Woods
Taking group therapy way off the beaten path.
Me and My Mini-Me
The psychology of cloning.
Differential Diagnosis
Rethinking a medical career in Guatemala.
Mental Toughness Training
A year of service with AmeriCorps.
Walk Like An Egyptian
By foot, bus, and camel to Giza.
To Play Or Not To Play
Grownups, kids, and the war on recess.
The Mississippi Project
Blogging the great American river.
The Quiet Recruiter
Remembering the alum who set my mind on Penn.
Orthodoxy, Alaska Style
Take only memories, leave only footprints, and air-hug if you can.
Nip, Tuck, and the Feminine Self
Why cosmetic surgery is about more than we think.
Everything’s in a Name
“All those years, I was only fooling myself.”
Take Note
The mid-1960s English classroom, revisited.
Three Lessons in Table Manners
Teaching an anthropologist how to eat.
Kind Strangers
International adoption is redefining the American family—for the better.
Never Been There, Never Done That
Husband (check). Kids (check). Now where’s my life of adventure?