Xin Sun prepares samples collected from the Eastern Tropical North Pacific aboard a research vessel. By adding stable isotope tracers to these vials, Sun and her team can track how different microbial groups convert nitrogen compounds into nitrous oxide, revealing how subtle shifts in oxygen and organic matter change the ocean’s chemistry.
(Image: Courtesy of Xin Sun)
Ocean microbes are a key to climate modeling
In the shadowy layers of the Pacific, microbes decide how much nitrous oxide—a potent greenhouse gas—rises skyward. New research from Penn’s Xin Sun offers an improved understanding of microbial ecology and geochemistry—key to forecasting global emissions in response to natural and man-made climate change.
Sanya Carley is the Presidential Distinguished Professor of Energy Policy and City Planning in the Weitzman School of Design and the Mark Alan Hughes Faculty Director of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy.
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Sanya Carley appointed vice provost for climate science, policy, and action
Carley is an expert on energy policy, affordability, and transition.
Russell Composto, chair of the Penn Forward Undergraduate Education and Innovation working group and vice provost for undergraduate education, seated with undergraduates on Oct. 13, 2025, inside College Hall.
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Russell Composto talks leading Penn Forward’s Undergraduate Education and Innovation working group
In a Q&A, Russell Composto, vice provost for undergraduate education and chair of Penn Forward’s Undergraduate Education and Innovation working group, talks about the guiding principles of the team and what it means to think boldly about the future of the undergraduate experience at Penn.
Local businesses and Penn suppliers promote their products and services during the expo portion of the Penn Local Business Exchange.
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Fueling growth locally, together
The eighth annual Penn Local Business Exchange brought together entrepreneurs, city officials, and University buyers to swap insights and build relationships.
Inspiring interest in water quality at Cobbs Creek
Faculty and staff, high school and Penn students, and community members are working together to collect and analyze the most detailed water quality data to date at the West Philadelphia stream.
Craig Roncace, Penn’s urban park manager, oversees a team of 60+ staff members dedicated to waste management and campus maintenance.
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Craig Roncace puts his green thumb to work
As Penn’s urban park manager, Craig Roncace leads a versatile team in charge of outdoor maintenance, waste management, and sustainability initiatives across campus.
Who, What, Why: Olivia Larson on sleep and memory in mental health disorders
“My overarching goal was to use sleep as a window into the mechanisms that link poor cognitive functioning with poor mental health,” clinical psychology doctoral student Olivia Larson says of her dissertation.
Michael Weisberg has been chosen lead the continued implementation of recommendations from the 2024 University Task Force on Antisemitism and the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community.
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Michael Weisberg on building community at Penn
Michael Weisberg, a distinguished professor of philosophy, has been appointed to lead the continued implementation of recommendations from the Task Force on Antisemitism and the Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community.
Applying design to agriculture for a new approach to agroforestry
Penn researchers are leading a multidisciplinary land-use project that blends trees, livestock, and streamside buffers to turn New Bolton Center into a living lab for stewardship agriculture.
Nafisa Bangura (left) and Angelica Dadda (right) examine CoolSeal-treated asphalt bricks in the Composto Lab to better understand how this coating behaves in controlled environments.
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Students test one way to combat extreme heat in Philadelphia
Third-year students Nafisa Bangura and Angelica Dadda expanded upon a multidisciplinary research endeavor to evaluate a reflective pavement coating as a tool to mitigate extreme heat. Their work may inform policy efforts to improve urban heat resilience.
