Working towards new materials for next-generation electronic devices
A Penn team has developed insight into the chemical and geometric mechanisms underlying the synthesis of new 2D materials, paving the way for next-gen devices, biomedical applications, and cleaner, quicker energy conversion and storage.
Mapping smarter tree placement in Philadelphia and beyond
Weitzman School of Design 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.
Where AI models fall short in mimicking the expressiveness of human speech
Undergraduates Kevin Li, Henry Huang, and Ethan Yang worked with linguistics professor Jianjing Kuang to compare speech production and perception by humans and AI—research that can help companies move closer to natural and expressive AI speech.
Penn Dental Medicine at PHMC on Cedar is one of five community care programs the School of Dental Medicine operates. At Penn Dental on Cedar, part of the mission is to integrate dental and medical care.
Students use machine learning to track and protect whale populations
For their Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program project, Chinmay Govind and Nihar Ballamudi leveraged AI to locate and census whales. The study may inform policy measures that help to improve protections for whale populations worldwide.
A summer of student enrichment, from big ideas to bold beats
The Netter Center for Community Partnerships finished its summer of programming for West Philadelphia students, impacting 640 students and six University-Assisted Community Schools.
Pastor Evan Mawarire—an advocate for justice who has held fellowships at Penn, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, and Yale—will discuss his new memoir, “Crazy Epic Courage,” exploring the intersections of activism, faith, and courage in the fight for human rights and democratic accountability. The first 50 students to attend will receive a signed copy of the book. Register to attend.
The Penn Public Lectures on Classical Antiquity and the Contemporary World aim to reimagine the discipline of Classical Studies and will be delivered by visionary scholars of ancient civilizations. Within this context, Sept. 9 will focus on “Anger”; Sept. 10 will be themed around “Desire”; and Sept. 11 will explore “Compassion.”
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.
Keeping it local: Penn’s partnerships with Philadelphia-based vendors boost local economy, neighborhood impact
According to the University’s latest Economic Impact Report, Penn helps power Philadelphia’s economy by procuring goods and services from neighboring businesses. Local CEOs discuss the meaningful impact that Penn has on their bottom line and in the community.
Using behavioral economics-based interventions, a 2025 President’s Engagement Prize-winning project will address health and nutrition inequities in a West Philadelphia elementary school.
Penn lends support to Rebuilding Together Philadelphia effort repairing 11 local homes in two days
Marking a milestone block build, 70 Penn volunteers combined forces with Rebuilding Together Philadelphia, a nonprofit with roots at the University, to revitalize owner-occupied houses in the West Philadelphia community. The momentous two-day event involved a block build and speaking program—with a local homeowner sharing a heartfelt message.
Supporting a community for learning, research, and thriving
Four months after the launch of the Office of Religious and Ethnic Interests (Title VI), the office is combating discrimination in all forms while leading educational efforts about dialogue and adaptive leadership.
