OMNIA, Now Online

As we roll out the second issue of OMNIA we are happy to announce the launch of our new site: default. The site places an emphasis on multimedia with exclusive content like our Origin Stories series, which explores the beginnings of our scholars’ research interests. And who better to kick off a series on beginnings than physicist Mark Trodden, whose pioneering research investigates the very early universe. Omnia online will also feature a new podcast series, OMNIA: All Things Penn Arts and Sciences. The podcast covers everything from policy debates on evolution to primate social bonding behavior, a segment that features the subjects of our cover story, biologist Dorothy Cheney and psychologist Robert Seyfarth.

 In addition, we are launching two new sections, both online and in print: (Ins)omnia and Student Spotlight. (Ins)omnia will offer lighter content informed by scholars in the arts and sciences, whether it’s summer reading suggestions, or an explanation of objects found in a professor’s office. Student Spotlight features exciting research from students, such as doctoral candidate in earth and environmental science Emma Harrison, who discovered a symbiotic relationship between earthworms and top soil stability, and undergraduate English major Meg Pendoley, who edits Doublespeak, a student-run magazine that features original translations of poetry and essays about translation, culture, and bilingualism.

 As you browse through the issue you’ll also notice icons highlighting the themes of the Penn Arts and Sciences strategic plan (see key on right). Our cover story, as well as the feature on the brain’s location-tracking cells, spotlights the “Mapping the Mind” portion of the plan, which explores the relationship between brain activity and the human consciousness. Our feature on Applecart, the political consulting firm started by three very recent Penn alums, speaks to the “Public Policy and Social Impact” portion of the plan, which places an emphasis on faculty, students, programs, and centers engaged in research on social issues and matters of public policy. Additional foundations of the plan include themes such as “Energy, Sustainability, and Environment” and “Humanities in the Digital Age.”

 With the launch of our new site and each new issue we are committed to keeping you in touch with all the ways Penn Arts and Sciences is affecting both its local and global communities. We’ll see you online.