Big Ideas

A look at a few of our big picture priorities that improve Penn as we create knowledge to benefit the world.

Political Science Ph.D. candidate Mikhail Strokan stands in front of a sign with a seal that reads "Tashkent."

Resisting the resource curse

Political science Ph.D. candidate Mikhail Strokan’s work looks at the idea that countries abundant in such natural resources as oil and natural gas wind up struggling economically despite the bounty—and examines why some of these countries fare better than others.

cesar de la fuente in his lab

A low-cost, eco-friendly COVID test

César de la Fuente and a team of Penn engineers work on creative ways to create faster and cheaper testing for COVID-19. Their latest innovation incorporates speed and cost-effectiveness with eco-friendly materials.