In this Omnia, we showcase how immersion enhances a liberal arts education and the hope Penn Arts & Sciences faculty feel even in the face of overwhelming climate change realities. We profile classicist Emily Wilson, who recently published a new translation of The Iliad; get to know Biology’s self-described “plant group” and the new Cinema & Media Studies Department; and learn what life is like in China today, more than three years after COVID lockdowns began. Plus, we highlight a course that teaches students fieldwork in West Philadelphia, learn about laughter, and so much more.
Features
-
Flow Motion
Courses across Penn Arts & Sciences show how immersion enhances a liberal arts education.
A Race Against Time
Faculty from Penn Arts & Sciences are confronting the climate crisis and contributing to solutions. They say there’s still time to act.
Emily Wilson’s Epic Life
The Classical Studies professor on the power and responsibility of translation, the allure of ancient worlds, and the value of the strange.
Cultivating Discovery
Within the Department of Biology, the self-described “plant group” is employing cutting-edge techniques to explore everything from cancer and developmental biology to how agricultural crops might withstand a changing climate.
Life in China After Lockdown
Three experts on contemporary China discuss what it’s like there after several tumultuous years of zero-COVID policies and changing public opinion.
Building on Success
Penn’s program in Cinema & Media Studies becomes an academic department.
Omnia 101
Omnia 101: World Heritage Sites and Conflict
Archaeologist Lynn Meskell, Richard D. Green University Professor of Anthropology, discusses UNESCO and why places designated as cultural touchstones often signify much more.
Movers & Quakers
From the Clubhouse to the Tonys
Commercial theater producer Tim Bloom, C’17, reflects on the art of making people laugh and the chance opportunities that shaped his path from Penn’s premier musical comedy troupe to Broadway.
Inspiring Community
Inspiring Community - Fall/Winter 2023
Highlighting Penn Arts & Sciences Alums
In the Classroom
The Items Left Behind
In an undergraduate anthropology course, students learn archaeological fieldwork skills and unearth the story of a historic Black neighborhood in West Philadelphia.
Insomnia
Office Artifacts: Eric J. Schelter
Discover the story behind several of the Hirschmann-Makineni Professor of Chemistry’s favorite office items.
Three Questions: On Laughter
Corine Labridy, Assistant Professor of French and Francophone Studies, writes and teaches about laughter, as well as its role in building identity and making sense of tough times.
