In a Q&A, Penn historian Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet, an expert on Iran and the modern Middle East, speaks about the Iranian opposition movement, current protests, the Islamic Republic’s crackdown, and daily life in the country.
From calves to canines, Penn Vet shines at Pennsylvania Farm Show
At the nation’s biggest indoor agricultural exposition, Penn Vet faculty, staff and leadership met with young people interested in becoming veterinarians, staffed the ‘Calving Corner’ exhibit, and showed off the expertise of the animals at Penn Vet’s Working Dog Center.
Disfluency, or irregularities and breaks in speech, are part of life—but do they affect how we perceive each other? Fourth-year linguistics Ph.D. student Jonathan Lee is trying to find out.
This fall, in Andi Johnson’s course Health in Philly: Past and Present, students worked closely with leadership of the health-focused nonprofit Bebashi to identify ways they could better support staff, while visiting other local health organizations to learn more about how they address issues facing city residents.
A new report prepared by Weitzman faculty for the Pennsylvania Creative Industries, powered by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, shows a large and diverse creative workforce in the state.
Penn Engineering’s Chris Callison-Burch on 25 years of AI innovation
Penn Engineering faculty Chris Callison-Burch, a leading researcher in the artificial intelligence field, reflects on decades of technological innovations that have informed the present and future of AI.
Sniffing out cancer: Trained dogs can detect hemangiosarcoma by scent
Penn Vet’s Cynthia M. Otto and Clara Wilson and colleagues show that trained dogs can identify the odor of hemangiosarcoma, a devastating canine cancer, offering the hope of a better screening tool and more effective treatments.
Penn biophysicist Arnold Mathijssen uncovers how and why E. coli manage to swim upstream causing infections in challenging places such as the urinary tract, respiratory system, and catheters, pointing to new strategies for designing safer, more effective biomedical tools and treatments.
Ahead of the main event on July 4, 2026, marking the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Penn students, faculty, and staff will have multiple early opportunities to engage with America’s 250th anniversary.
Centering joy in AI development and implementation
PIK Professor Desmond Upton Patton—of Annenberg and SP2—and collaborators introduce a joy-informed framework designed to initiate conversations among engineers, designers, and researchers.
The Spring 2026 Weitzman Lecture Series offers perspective on some of the most pressing issues facing built environment professionals, cultural leaders, and policymakers today—from climate migration to threats to heritage sites around the world. Speakers will explore the lessons of pandemic-era experiments for public space, the dynamics of urban renewal in Portland following a municipal plan to combat displacement, and how an interest in salt lakes became a mission to save our water systems, among other topics. Free and open to the public. Registration is required for some events.
Exterior of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design, including sculptures near the building entrance.
Every January, the Kelly Writers House (KWH) community welcomes everyone back to campus with “Mind of Winter,” a celebration of the season’s comforts inspired by Wallace Stevens’s poem, "The Snow Man.” Attendees can enjoy homemade soups and stews, followed by winter-themed readings selected by KWH community members. Register to attend.
Penn’s guiding principles are the University’s enduring values and distinctive strengths: anchored, inventive, interwoven, and engaged. The practices support and strengthen Penn’s core educational mission.
At Penn Today, we focus on some of the ways the University is putting this framework into action. From student, faculty, and staff profiles to research updates and event coverage, Penn Today highlights the latest examples of the University’s principled approach to excellence.
Penn Forward’s Access, Affordability, and Value co-chairs on creating opportunity
As co-chairs of Penn Forward’s Access, Affordability, and Value working group, Sara Bachman, dean of the School of Social Policy & Practice, and Patrick Harker, a professor and dean emeritus of the Wharton School, discuss breaking down barriers and opening pathways.
A conversation with Penn Forward’s Global Opportunity and New Markets co-chairs
In a Q&A with Ezekiel Emanuel and Megan Ryerson, co-chairs of the Global Opportunity and New Markets working group for Penn Forward, the duo discuss the charge of their group, where they are in the process, and leaning into global engagement.
Through Penn First Plus, students unlock potential and purpose
Providing first-generation and limited-income students with a comprehensive array of support, Penn First Plus equips undergraduates for success during and after their time at Penn.
The eighth annual Penn Local Business Exchange brought together entrepreneurs, city officials, and University buyers to swap insights and build relationships.
Penn Vet plans $94M building at New Bolton Center campus in Chester County
A 63,000-square-foot building is part of a broader expansion at the School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton Center campus, where another multimillion-dollar academic facility is also set to open soon.
How Penn helped to rescue RHD’s Family Practice health clinics after a nonprofit ownership change
After Family Practice & Counseling Network lost its status as a federally qualified health center and the grant that went with it, the Penn Health System provided financial support to help the clinic stay in business.
