Daniel Eun, director of robotic urologic oncology and reconstruction at Temple University Hospital, says doctors can and sometimes do operate — even remove kidneys — through the belly button, making the scar almost invisible. It’s not always the best option, he notes, as the size of the incision makes the procedure more difficult, and it’s not recommended for all cases, including when there’s cancer. But if the organ is healthy and being donated, removing it through the belly button could work well and keep the abdomen scar-free.

A study by Temple undergraduate Mary Wolfe set out to answer the question: Does vegetation encourage or suppress crime? After studying Landsat satellite images and comparing the images to Philadelphia Police crime statistics, Wolfe and Jeremy Mennis, associate professor of geography and urban studies at Temple, found that areas with abundant vegetation did suppress crime. The study was made possibly by a Temple University Creative Arts, Research and Scholarship (CARAS) grant.

It’s wedding season, but for some young couples the joy of the event can be obscured by the amount of debt they bring to the marriage. Temple Fox School of Business finance Professor Jonathan Scott says it’s important to talk about debt before marriage because payments can dictate financial priorities. “I find that a lot of kids say, ’I’m not a numbers person.’ Well, I don’t know how you are going to survive if you are not a numbers person," he said. "There is some basic financial literacy that everyone needs to have.”