Academic Innovation What is the future of the Catholic Church under Pope Francis? December 19, 2014 Executive Director of Emory University's Aquinas Center Phillip Thompson discusses the effect Pope Francis is having on the Roman Catholic Church. Print Related Stories Academic Innovation In Rome with the new pope: Emory student has front-row view Top Stories Student Experience Meet Emory's Class of 2030 Emory's Class of 2030 represents 46 states, 71 countries beyond the U.S., and thousands of unique experiences. Get to know the class and find out what inspires the newest Emory Eagles. Academic Innovation Emory welcomes 175 new faculty for this academic year New faculty joining the university for the 2026-27 academic year include world-class researchers and educators who bring expertise across dozens of disciplines. See the full list of new faculty hires representing eight Emory schools. Science & Technology How mice learn to think out of the box — a neuroscience surprise Emory biologists show how the prefrontal cortex, a brain region associated with learning more flexible behaviors, can sometimes block the ability to adopt a better way to solve a problem.