For many students the only exposure they have to Japanese culture is sushi and anime, but this summer rising College junior Aya Nakanishi is immersing herself deep into that nation's customs. Nakanishi, along with rising College senior Gurpreet Kalra, is about to embark on a month-long journey to Japan to participate in the 59th Japan-America Student Conference.

The Board of Trustees, Penn's highest governing body, met last week in Houston Hall to discuss issues ranging from globalization to renovating the University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. In a series of meetings, the trustees mainly approved plans by University President Amy Gutmann and her administration as well as received updates on projects that are under way.

Study abroad programs across the United States may soon be expanding their horizons. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act on June 5, and if approved by the Senate, the bill would authorize $80 million to aid U.

Assault June 12 - At around 6:30 a.m., two people unaffiliated with the University - Vincent Mitchell, 56, of the 6900 block of Woodland Avenue, and Shaketa Harrell, 37 - were arrested for allegedly assaulting each other. Fraud June 12 - Two suspects were reported leaving Chestnut Dorm, located at 3900 Chestnut St.

llion grant has been awarded by the Rockefeller Foundation to the School of Design's Center for Urban Redevelopment Excellence to aid in the reconstruction of New Orleans. The center supports urban redevelopment leaders by "placing promising young professionals in fellowships with top redevelopment organizations nationwide," according to the program's Web site.

Next time you think about grabbing that sugary snack, you might want to think again. Research conducted at the University of New Hampshire of 800 undergraduate students showed that not only is excess fat a problem plaguing college students, but many of them have high blood pressure and high cholesterol and suffer from a deficiency of nutrients such as fiber, calcium and iron.

Vincent Price, the Steven H. Chaffee professor of Communication and Political Science, will assume his position as the associate provost for faculty affairs on July 1. Price received his bachelor's degree from Santa Clara University and his Ph.D. in communication from Stanford University and has served in various other leadership positions, including as chairman of the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Michigan and chairman of the Faculty Senate at Penn.

With the summer in full swing, many of Penn's improvement projects planned for the coming months are also moving into full gear. However, there is one such project that has been stalled. The demolition of the former Hillel building, located next to the ARCH building at 36th Street and Locust Walk has been pushed back yet again.

For the past year, Al Gore has been the darling of environmentalists, as his popular documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, made their case about the dangers of global warming to people worldwide. But now, Scott Armstrong, a Wharton Marketing professor, wants Al Gore to put his money where his mouth is.

President Amy Gutmann and Provost Ron Daniels announced today that Thomas Robertson, currently affiliated with Emory University, will become the next Dean of Wharton, effective Aug. 1.

The construction of the Rosenthal Imaging and Treatment Center was completed last Thursday at the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital located on 39th and Spruce streets. The new facility is expected to open sometime later this summer. RITC is the only oncology and imaging facility devoted entirely to veterinary medicine in Pennsylvania according to a press release by the Veterinary Hospital.

Nintendo wants you to be its friend. With a marketing campaign geared toward a broad demographic of families and non-gamers, the company hopes to eschew the common conception of the solitary, non-social geek playing alone in his isolated dorm room. With a price tag of a mere $250, the company seems to want not only a bigger crowd, but a hipper one as well.

From Botox and plastic surgery to red sports cars and Rogaine, it seems everybody wants to be younger. And while science has not uncovered a method to prevent aging altogether, stem cell scientists at Penn recently uncovered new information that may be useful in slowing down the aging process.

Assault June 7 - John Cameron, 43, of the 1700 block of Yewdall Street, was arrested for allegedly striking a complainant inside a vehicle at around 9:20 p.m. The complainant was not affiliated with the University. Auto Theft June 5 - Forday Komara, 31, of Upper Darby, was arrested for allegedly taking a vehicle from Penn Tower Parking at around 11: 20 p.

Herbert Levine, Economics professor at Penn from 1960 to 2006, died Sunday, succumbing to complications from leg surgery after battling prostate cancer for the past 15 years. Levine was 78. Receiving his B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University, Levine specialized in Soviet economics and his insights were "in demand during the period leading up to the dissolution of the Soviet system," according to a written statement by fellow Economics professor Lawrence Klein.

he Wharton School has awarded the Dean's Medal to Oscar Arias, president of Costa Rica. The Dean's Medal is the highest award given by Wharton. It was created in 1983 to recognize leaders in business, public service and academia who have successfully used their managerial talents to make a positive impact in people's lives.

For many Penn students, summer is the time to kick back, relax and bask in the warm weather. But not for everyone. This summer various Penn students are staying in Philadelphia in order to give back to the community. Joe Meissler, a rising College sophomore, spends his summer days raising money for cancer research by playing guitar for the Philadelphia-based ska band, The Brasshole Fiasco.