Madison Dawkins was a freshman at Penn when she first understood the crisis of mass incarceration, thanks to a seminar called Race, Crime, and Punishment, taught by political science professor Marie Gottschalk. The course left such an impression on Dawkins she created her own minor in race and criminal justice through Africana Studies, and began a student organization calls BARS–Beyond Arrests: Rethinking Systematic Oppression, to educate fellow students on criminal justice reform.
To Dawkins, the discussion of prison reform focuses almost entirely on incarcerated men, and ignores the effect of incarceration on women, especially on their health. Dawkins response was to lead a health and mindfulness program for incarcerated women at the Riverside Correctional Facility.
On the move: Water quality and antimicrobial resistance testing goes mobile
Penn researchers have developed a mobile field laboratory allowing them to test water quality and track antimicrobial resistance in and around San Cristóbal in the Galápagos.
Penn researchers Vanessa and Alexis North are studying one of the largest collections of Egyptian blue objects ever found in the ancient Near East, shedding new light on how the world’s first synthetic pigment may have traveled far beyond Egypt.
A new role for dental providers? Rethinking where vaccines are given
Vaccinations have traditionally been administered in primary care settings or pharmacies. However, for about a decade, some states have authorized dentists to administer vaccines, and many others did so during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effectiveness of this approach has led some countries and states to expand or consider expanding the role of dental providers in delivering routine vaccines, including those against COVID-19 and the human papillomavirus (HPV), and in providing vaccine education.
Penn student develops a way for computer chips to run more efficiently
Fluid Silicon, a platform from President’s Sustainability Prize winner Nhlanhla Mavuso, allows computer chips to continuously monitor their health and self-tune as their characteristics change. The technology has the potential to reduce energy usage in data centers and improve reliability in mission-critical applications.
