Stuart Weitzman School of Design

Patricia Renee Thomas paints on a large canvas in her studio.

Graduate student artists persevere during pandemic and find new inspiration

Penn Master of Fine Arts students are not only adapting to this year’s challenges, but are pushing their work in different directions, as they continue to paint, draw, sculpt, photograph, and film during the pandemic.

View of Philadelphia skyline from the Schuylkill River at dusk.

How can cities become healthier, greener, and more equitable in the future?

In a year marked by COVID-19, renewed calls for racial justice, a contentious presidential election, and an active wildfire and hurricane season, Penn experts share what’s needed to make urban areas more resilient to future crises.

Two people standing beside a Mongolian ger on a hill with Ulaanbaatar in the background.

Gers and the grid: Combatting air pollution in Mongolia

The Center for Environmental Building and Design (CEBD) at The Weitzman School partnered with Mongolian nonprofit GerHub to test out ways of making ger living more energy efficient to reduce air pollution and improve respiratory conditions in Ulaanbaatar.

Design-minded strategies for greener, healthier indoor spaces

Insights on the evolution of modern building design, how to improve ventilation while reducing energy usage, and ways that architects are supporting their communities with simple, design-based solutions.

Lynn Meskell standing in front of a glass display case at the Penn Museum.

Lynn Meskell appointed Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor

The world-renowned archaeologist has joint appointments in the Department of Anthropology, the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation and the Department of City and Regional Planning, and the Penn Museum as a curator in both the Asian and Near East sections.

Professors on the importance of integrating the arts into life and work

While there are some challenges, universities provide an environment for faculty to pursue both their artistic creativity and academic scholarship, said Penn professors in a Homecoming discussion led by Al Filreis of the Kelly Writers House.

Seated rows of workers with "CASA" shirts on hold signs saying "I deserve $15/hr"

New seminar series addresses racism and anti-racism in contemporary America

A new series organized by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia Program at Penn includes 13 conversations focusing on inequalities across on economic, political, social, and cultural systems. (Pre-pandemic image)

a fallen tree on top of a playground next to a picnic table

After the storm, how to make a city more resilient

During a Perry World House virtual event, panelists discussed the lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy and how cities can use these learnings to better recover from extreme weather events and climate change.

Two people, one sitting in the woods, and the other playing the drums.

Pew Center for Arts & Heritage awards 2020 grants to Penn projects

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage announced 41 grants totaling $10.5 million in support of the Institute for Contemporary Art and Stuart Weitzman School of Design, and a Girard College project involving theater director Brooke O’Harra and music composer Tyshawn Sorey.

decent housing was just one among many rights that activists were demanding

‘Perspectives on Fair Housing’ looks back on more than 50 years of landmark legislation

A new Penn Press book featuring experts from law, education, urban studies, and social policy presents fair housing as one of the foremost issues facing the U.S. today.

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