Penn researchers Vanessa Workman and Alexis North are studying one of the largest collections of Egyptian blue objects ever found in the ancient Near East, shedding new light on how the world’s first synthetic pigment may have traveled far beyond Egypt.
New Penn Vet research moves science closer to a solution to male infertility
By converting human skin or blood cells into stem cells and coaxing them into early-stage human sperm cells, researchers are furthering the understanding of how sperm cells are formed.
Penn GSE professors Bodong Chen and Seiji Isotani discuss the AI Thinkery, a faculty working group where colleagues from across the School gather to discuss and collaborate on artificial intelligence.
The lasting impacts of West Nile virus on Pennsylvania bird populations
Using mosquito surveillance data, researchers at Penn Vet have modeled the occurrence of West Nile virus in Pennsylvania bird species. Understanding how species traits influence response to the virus will improve wildlife conservation and disease management strategies.
Partnering with local digital leaders to promote violence prevention
A team of Philadelphia-based content creators is collaborating with Penn public health experts to develop a comprehensive anti-violence campaign tailored for youth across the City, with youth-focused workshops and educational materials to be piloted in select Philadelphia public schools this fall.
Clinical psychologist Jenelle Nissley-Tsiopinis and colleagues test school-based programs to help students who have difficulty with organization, time management, and planning.
A course that management expert Rahul Kapoor developed a few years ago—Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the New Space Era—holds lessons for making sense of today’s commercial space boom.
On the move: Water quality and antimicrobial resistance testing goes mobile
Penn researchers have developed a mobile field laboratory allowing them to test water quality and track antimicrobial resistance in and around San Cristóbal in the Galápagos.
1776: The Musical will immerse audiences in the behind-the-scenes debates and discussions leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence—expressed in song and rapid-fire dialogue. Theatre students from across the Philadelphia area will bring these debates, decisions, and personalities to life on stage. Shows will be at various times. Reserve tickets in advance. Penn students receive a discount with Penn ID.
This symposium—the culmination of the 2026 Penn LDI Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research Program (SUMR)—will spotlight the participating SUMR scholars and their faculty mentors, featuring presentations about their mentor-directed research work. Free and open to the public.
A University-wide initiative to shape Penn’s future
Guided by Penn’s strategic framework, In Principle and Practice, Penn Forward launched in September 2025 with six working groups of faculty, staff, students, and postdoctoral scholars who challenged legacy assumptions and proposed bold, actionable strategies to advance Penn’s mission and strengthen operations.
Penn Forward’s initial nine priority initiatives aim to build trust with those we serve, enable bold discovery, and extend Penn’s geographic reach and impact across a lifetime. Learn more about these initiatives and follow along with Penn Today as Penn continues to drive forward.
Penn’s community engagement progress at the turn of the century
The third installment in the limited series ‘Chapters of Change’ explores how Penn has led community engagement efforts in public education, economic development, and neighborhood prosperity during a time of widespread change in the nation’s cities.
Chapters of Change: Thirty years of life sciences transformation at Penn
In the fourth and final installment of the series, ‘Chapters of Change’ highlights another transformational moment in Penn’s past when the evolution of life sciences research sparked the University to commit to investing in new research facilities and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
How the Quaker Commitment empowered one student to create her path at Penn
Gabrielle Fine, a fourth year in the Wharton School and recipient of financial aid from the Quaker Commitment, will graduate in May with an interdisciplinary skillset and new perspectives from a global adventure and local engagement.
Chapters of Change: The blossom of Penn’s professional schools in the 19th century
‘Chapters of Change’ highlights key moments of change in Penn’s history, adapting to shifts in society. In the 19th century, the University faced industrialization and more by creating some of its first professional schools.
Nearly 1 billion students now face school cellphone bans
“This policy energy reflects a profound concern with what technology is doing to us,” says Angela Duckworth of the School of Arts & Sciences, who worked on a study focusing on U.S. school cellphone bans.
COVID funding provided underfunded Philly-area schools with laptops. ‘RAMageddon’ might send them back in time
“The demand for memory chips and the extraordinary prices we’re seeing here — the profit margins that these companies are getting for these memory chips — are unprecedented,” says Benjamin Lee of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “I haven’t seen this for 20–30 years since I’ve started working in this space.”
Rare human brain study reveals how an Alzheimer's drug may protect the brain
“The findings provide some of the clearest human evidence to date that anti-amyloid therapies may limit the accumulation of tau and slow the brain changes that lead to memory loss and cognitive decline,” says David Wolk of the Perelman School of Medicine.
University of Pennsylvania researchers develop AI tool to help speed autism evaluations
Rene Vidal of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences says CAMI, Computerized Assessment of Motor Imitation, "...is a much more fine-grained motor assessment than is usually done in the current standardized test" in autism evaluations.
