News Archives

Repairing a bike on the fly

While at the University of South Florida for a training session, Brian Shaw, director of the Business Services Division who oversees Penn Transit and Parking Services, was strolling by a garage, taking note of its layout and signage, when his transportation senses started tingling.

For the Record: Commencement ceremonial objects

In the pomp and pageantry at Commencement and other ceremonial occasions, Penn puts some items on display that represent the authority of the University and its leaders.

Green it up

Each year, gardeners with a green thumb can add unusual or hard-to-find plants to their yards, window boxes, and flower beds at the Morris Arboretum’s annual plant sale. The sale runs on Friday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Summer songs

Tickets are now on sale for WXPN’s annual summertime music extravaganza, the XPoNential Music Festival, which will run from July 26-28. The Festival, held at Wiggins Park in Camden, N.J., features three days of music with performances by more than 20 established and emerging artists. This year, the XPoNential Music Festival is partnering with the AmericanaramA Festival of Music, which features Bob Dylan & His Band, Wilco, and Ryan Bingham. Additional performers include The Lumineers, Dr.

The surprising and complicated history of adoption

In 1976, Peter Conn and his wife, Terry, were confronted with a dilemma. At the time, they were up to their ears in red tape, trying to adopt their fourth child, Jennifer, who had been born in an orphanage outside Seoul, South Korea. On one form from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, they were confronted with the following question: “How many natural children do you have?”

Say ‘Hey’ kids

WICshops offer hands-on technology lessons

Every few months, it seems as if there is a new electronic gadget released to the public with never-before-seen technological innovations, or generational upgrades to previously released devices. If you’re not a techie or a 10-year-old born into the touch-free generation, it can be hard to keep up. But the technology-challenged should have no fear: The David B. Weigle Information Commons (WIC) is here to help you polish your hardware and software skills.

Creativity flourishes at 40th Street Artist-in-Residence program

It might seem a bit inartistic, but Mike Harpring’s creativity flourishes most in a structured environment. “Some people are naturally inclined to make art because they’re feeling inspired,” says the printmaker, sculptor, and carpenter. “I have a lot of creative energy if I have focus and structure. I’m the kind of person who will invest all their time in projects if there’s a deadline.”

Coursera at Penn surpasses one million enrollees

One million and counting. That’s the number of open online learning course enrollments Penn reached this month, less than a year after the University offered the first classes with the online learning platform Coursera. Penn is one of the founding partners and board members of Coursera, which offers free, open-access, non-credit classes to anyone with a computer.

Coursera proposals

Provost Vincent Price and Edward Rock, director of open learning initiatives, announce a new round of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to be offered through the University’s partnership with Coursera. Faculty members from any school are invited to submit proposals for courses to be taught in the fall of 2013 or spring of 2014.