You might have seen students studying you as you passed by on Locust Walk last month, but don't worry - it wasn't because you were having a bad hair day. Students in professor Paul Rozin's Psychology 001 class conducted a "racial association" study which found that, despite Penn's diverse student body, people on campus tend to spend time with others of the same ethnicity.

Former Economics professor Rafael Robb is appealing his five- to 10-year prison sentence for killing his wife, Ellen, in 2006. Robb's attorney, Frank DeSimone, told The Philadelphia Inquirer that he filed a motion for reconsideration because he felt Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Paul Tressler misinterpreted the motive of a letter Robb sent to his 14-year-old daughter, Olivia.

Tragedy abroad brought Penn's religious groups together in remembrance. Yesterday evening, students and staff gathered in Claudia Cohen Hall for an interfaith memorial to honor the victims of the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Speeches and prayers were heard from representatives of the religious groups on campus.

The forthcoming discontinuation of 18 research specialist positions at the Penn Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology, which was announced last Friday, may stem from reasons other than the financial crisis. According to several researchers who declined to use their names due to the situation's sensitivity, the economy's downturn is simply the trigger behind the changes, which they say are due to long-standing University and museum priorities that do not emphasize scientific and historical research.

Scott Mackler is the living future of medical technology. Mackler, a researcher in Penn's Departments of Medicine and Pharmocology, was diagnosed with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in May of 1999. The disease causes motor brain cells to degenerate, eventually debilitating all mobility,

The number of Early Decision applications decreased for the third year in a row, admissions officials announced yesterday. This year, 3,610 students applied early to Penn - an almost 8-percent drop from last year's 3,917 early applications. As in years past, about 30 percent of this year's Early Decision applicants will be accepted, said Dean o

Anne Waters will become the new executive director of the Office of International Programs today, Provost Ron Daniels announced in a press release on Monday. In her new position, Waters will lead the Penn Abroad and International Student and Scholar Services offices, as well as other programs that provide the Penn community with international services.

In light of budgetary pressures, the University will take a number of steps to reduce expenditures, including freezing the base-pay of all top University officials, Penn President Amy Gutmann announced yesterday. In a letter e-mailed to members of the Penn community, Gutmann outlined measures the University will take in response to budgetary constraints related to the country's economic problems.

The Civic House Associates Coalition elected two new leaders Tuesday night who plan to increase collaboration among constituent groups and visibility both on campus and in the West Philadelphia community. College and Wharton junior Julia Luscombe and College junior Nick Eng will serve as co-chairs of CHAC, Penn's community service umbrella organization which includes 50 member groups.

Nov. 27 - A man unaffiliated with the University, 63, reported that someone stole his CD player from his secured vehicle on the 4300 block of Chestnut Street at 10:30 p.m.

Youth civic engagement in Philadelphia isn't just limited to voting on Election Day. Almost one year after it began, the Philadelphia Youth Commission - a group of city residents between the ages of 12 and 23 - has helped young people get more involved in politics and made plans to work with City Council on key issues.

Developers' plans to build an 11-story extended-stay hotel at 40th and Pine Streets received unanimous approval from the architectural committee of the Philadelphia Historical Commission last week. The committee's decision has no legal bearing on the hotel's construction, but its recommendation will be factored into the decision of the full historical commission.

Lawyers for former Economics professor Rafael Robb filed an appeal of his 5 to 10 year sentence for killing his wife, Ellen, two years ago. Frank DeSimone, Robb's attorney, told The Philadelphia Inquirer he filed a motion for reconsideration because he felt Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Paul Tressler did not understand the motive of a letter Robb sent to his 14-year old daughter, Olivia.

Two separate violent incidents involving weapons were reported last week near Penn. On Friday night, a 50-year-old man reported that a security guard denied him access to a building at 43rd and Walnut streets, Detective Swann of the Philadelphia Police said.

Sometimes, you don't need to travel far to learn first-hand about the world. That's what the roughly 50 students of Cathedral of Praise Community Church's after-school program learned two weeks ago when members of the International Student Council visited.

Penn is channeling outrage about violence against women into action. Thanks to a $270,000 grant from the Department of Justice Office on Violence AgaProxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 st Women, Penn will institute recent Rutgers graduate Jessica Mertz as a Violence Prevention Educator. Mertz will promote education about violence against women by coordinating cooperation between v

President-elect Barack Obama met with the nation's governors in Philadelphia yesterday to discuss state issues affected by the financial crisis. Obama called on the National Governors Association to assemble at Independence Hall, in a move Pennsylvania Gov.