July 2026 – Edition 58
Penn’s Computational Social Science Lab uses AI to identify media bias, MBA students in the Wharton WORKS program mentor justice-impacted individuals, and PhD students taking a close look at AI present their research.
Media Bias Detector by Penn’s Computational Social Science Lab Cuts Through Cluttered News Landscape
What if we could better understand the information shaping our world? In the University of Pennsylvania’s Computational Social Science Lab, a team led by Duncan Watts, the Stevens University Professor and Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor, is doing exactly that. Their philanthropy-powered Media Bias Detector applies AI and data science to identify bias in news coverage. The team’s interdisciplinary research has the power to inform public understanding and drive future innovation.
Through Wharton WORKS, MBA Students Expand Access to Opportunity
Led by Damon Phillips, Robert Steinberg Professor, professor of management, the Wharton Opportunities for Reentry, Knowledge, and Skills (WORKS) program connects Wharton MBA students with justice-impacted individuals in the Philadelphia area. The program is a part of Opportunity Lab, housed within the Wharton Impact, Value, and Sustainable Business Initiative. Students teach business classes to incarcerated learners, mentor formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs, and help formerly incarcerated individuals strengthen their workforce readiness skills.
Since its launch in April 2023, Wharton WORKS has attracted a growing number of students committed to using their business skills to create meaningful impact. To celebrate the program’s success, we spoke with four Wharton MBAs who took part in WORKS in spring 2026 to find out what motivated them to participate and what they learned from the experience.
Wharton PhDs Study How AI Is Transforming Our World
The rapid progression of AI is not only changing industry every day but also opening new lines of inquiry in the academic world. In their research, Wharton doctoral students Ruben R. Salas, GRW’28, Weixin He, GRW’28, and Roger Saumure, GRW’28, are exploring how AI influences human behavior, affects the creative process, and more.
For doctoral students who hope to become professors, presenting their research at conferences is essential. At Wharton, these opportunities are supported by the Wharton Doctoral Travel Awards, which Salas, He, and Saumure have all received this year. As Salas notes, what sets Wharton apart is “the full support — from the resources to develop the research to the funds that help strengthen its impact through conferences and other chances to present.”
Learn more about these students’ research and Wharton’s doctoral programs in Wharton Magazine.