The eighth annual Pennovation Accelerator Pitch Day
The Pennovation Accelerator held their eighth annual Pitch Day at the Pennovation Center in July, the concluding event for the six-week program focused on business development. Serpent Robotics, an advanced robotics system that eliminates the dangers of manual tree-cutting, was named the overall 2025 Pennovation Accelerator Winner. Earable Intelligence won Best Pitch for developing an ear-based wearable medical device—or “earable”—to detect, and even predict, epileptic seizures.
People living on small islands and territories face mounting climate impacts, but little is known about their stance on the issue. Research from a team including Parrish Bergquist, assistant professor of political science, aims to fill those gaps.
Penn researchers developed a system that allows light to be guided through a tiny crystal, undeterred by bumps, bends, and back-reflections. Their findings pave the way for robust, controllable light-based chips, smarter routing for data links, and more stable lasers.
A West Philadelphia High School student practices the drum as part of a July summer program in partnership with the Netter Center for Community Partnerships and nonprofit Musicopia.
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.