A vigil and memorial to the Tree of Life Synagogue victims brought the Penn community together not just to mourn, but to pledge a commitment to each other during challenging times.
Members of the Penn community gather for a vigil following the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh.
Standing at the foot of the iconic LOVE statue on campus, hundreds gathered in a ceremony of unity and grief following the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Penn President Amy Gutmann, Rabbi Josh Bolton, the Shabbatones a cappella group, and members of Penn Hillel each spoke to the pain that the Penn community feels. But amidst the grief, there was hope. The power of community speaks volumes, from Penn to Pittsburgh to everyone facing adversity in challenging times—the message brought forth is that no one is alone. Quoting the Mourner’s Kaddish, Gutmann reminded the crowd—Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh: All of us will look out for one another.
“Do we give in to fear, to hatred, to despair, to the seeming chasms of our differences?” Gutmann asked. “Or do we stand up, not just today but every day, and look out for one another? We will do that, and there will always be a way forward, a hope undimmed, a resolve reaffirmed.”
Penn President Amy Gutmann addresses the crowd.
An embrace in front of College Hall.
Rick Fox, director of Meor at Penn.
The Shabbatones sing to the crowd.
Members of the Penn community embrace beside the LOVE statue.
The Polyhedral Structures Laboratory is housed at the Pennovation Center and brings together designers, engineers, and computer scientists to reimagine the built world. Using graphic statics, a method where forces are mapped as lines, they design forms that balance compression and tension. These result in structures that use far fewer materials while remaining strong and efficient.
From ancient tombs and tiny robots to personalized gene editing and AI weather models, Penn’s 2025 research portfolio showed how curiosity—paired with collaboration—moves knowledge into impact and stretches across disciplines and continents.
Centering joy in AI development and implementation
PIK Professor Desmond Upton Patton—of Annenberg and SP2—and collaborators introduce a joy-informed framework designed to initiate conversations among engineers, designers, and researchers.
Reflecting on Jane Austen, 250 years after her birth
English professors Michael Gamer and Barri Joyce Gold have been teaching courses specifically dedicated to Jane Austen for years. They spoke with Penn Today about their approach to teaching her novels, how they challenge common readings and myths, and what makes Austen’s work so enduring—and adaptable to the screen—more than two centuries later.
Electronic medical records help save lives of HIV patients
Wharton’s Leandro “Leo” Pongeluppe and colleagues found that HIV clinics in Malawi that switched from paper to electronic medical records saw an estimated 28% reduction in deaths in five years.
