Campus & Community

In a video message to the Penn community, Penn President J. Larry Jameson introduces Penn Forward, the University’s strategic planning initiative that builds on the progress of In Principle and Practice and boldly address the opportunities and challenges of the present moment in higher education.

Graduate student Frank Chen provides insight into his project to find the best spots to plant street trees and optimize shade coverage for pedestrians in Philadelphia.

The Netter Center for Community Partnerships finished its summer of programming for West Philadelphia students, impacting 640 students and six University-Assisted Community Schools.

Each Fellow will host a reading and a brunch followed by a one-hour interview/conversation.

The 21 Distinguished Visiting Fellows will engage with students, staff, faculty, and the community on pressing global issues including climate change, democracy, global justice, human rights, and security. They represent NGOs, media, education, government, and the private sector.

The Pennovation Accelerator held their eighth annual Pitch Day at the Pennovation Center in July, the concluding event for the six-week program focused on business development. Serpent Robotics, an advanced robotics system that eliminates the dangers of manual tree-cutting, was named the overall 2025 Pennovation Accelerator Winner. Earable Intelligence won Best Pitch for developing an ear-based wearable medical device—or “earable”—to detect, and even predict, epileptic seizures.

New features, improvements, and enhancements have enriched the user experience and made the pool safer and more accessible.

A year into his role as vice president of Business Services, Michael Scales has built on the division’s “legacy of excellence” while being a sponge and getting to know students and staff around the division.

The 35 World House Student Fellows have weekly seminars with expert faculty and policymakers who visit Perry World House, and work on a yearlong client-driven policy project with an external partner like a nongovernmental organization or government office.

Penn’s 286th academic year formally began at Convocation, where President J. Larry Jameson drew lessons from nature by invoking fireflies—recognizing students’ brilliance, prescribing them to ‘“embrace the unexpected,” and reminding them, “Fireflies do not glow alone.”