Campus & Community

Transitioning back into society

Time and again they pleaded with him to make the phone call. He wouldn’t have to handle the drugs. All he had to do was set up the buy.He knew it was wrong, and probably a crime, too. Each time the friends of his college roommate mentioned it, Kirk James found the courage to say no. Until the one time he said yes.

Brian M. Schleter

Special collections, welcoming spaces, scenic views at Van Pelt

The sixth floor of the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center, which recently reopened after a three-year renovation project, could become one of the most popular campus locations, with updated meeting and study spaces and breathtaking views.

Jeanne Leong

Calling all artists

The Burrison Gallery is calling for artwork submittals to be considered for its third annual University Club Members Exhibit, a juried group show that will run from June 29 through Aug. 16.

Student Spotlight with Talon Ducheneaux

THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND: From the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, Ducheneaux, 20, is a hip-hop artist and future psychologist. As a freshman, he drove to Penn from South Dakota, a trip that took about six days.

Greg Johnson

Philadelphia READS! Community Night at Penn Museum April 10

It's a groundswell and it's building momentum—Philadelphia's cultural community is putting the spotlight on reading, literacy, and community engagement. Reading opens up worlds of opportunity—and books, like the many cultural treasures in the city, bring so many worlds vividly to life.

Pam Kosty



In the News


Philadelphia Inquirer

What’s it like to come home from prison? Reentry simulations let people experience it firsthand

With support from the STAR program, Aslam Ashari was able to enroll in an entrepreneurship course at Penn after his release from prison.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

He started college in prison. Now, he is Rutgers-Camden’s first Truman scholar

Tej Patel, a third-year in the Wharton School and College of Arts and Sciences from Billeria, Massachusetts, was one of 60 college students nationwide chosen to be a Truman Scholar.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

A collector donated 75,000 comic books to Penn Libraries, valued at more than $500,000

Alumnus Gary Prebula and his wife, Dawn, have donated a $500,000 collection of more than 75,000 comic books and graphic novels to Penn Libraries, featuring remarks from Sean Quimly of the Kislak Center and Jean-Christophe Cloutier of the School of Arts & Sciences.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

How did a white woman come to write the newest definitive text on Philadelphia’s Black history?

Penn alum Amy Jane Cohen is profiled for her new book “Black History in the Philadelphia Landscape,” which examines Black history through the lens of events, institutions, and individuals across the city. The book includes a reflection from Penn chaplain Charles Howard.

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WHYY (Philadelphia)

Homeward bound: When a Penn Medicine nurse was diagnosed with uterine cancer, she turned to the service dogs she helped to train

A profile highlights Maria Wright of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, from her volunteer work connecting people with service dogs to her cancer diagnosis and her own journey applying for a service dog.

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