| Penn Today

2026-01-29

The Black Space Project

This presentation will outline the mission and activities of The Black Space Project, an interdisciplinary research initiative starting at the University of Texas at Austin. These activities include collaboration with the National Trust, an exhibit on communal uses of the Black home, and a digital archive on non-licensed Black contributions to the built environment. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Meyerson Hall, 210 S. 34th St.

2026-02-19

Faculty/Staff i care Training

This interactive training for Penn students, faculty, and staff, equips participants with the skills and resources to intervene with student stress, distress, and crisis. Register to attend.

10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Houston Hall, 3417 Spruce St.

2025-12-11

Understanding US Action in Venezuela

Free and open to the public, this Perry World House panel will examine the U.S. government policy and actions toward Venezuela, including strikes on Venezuelan boats and the people on board. Speakers will explore why the U.S. has chosen to act now, what strategic objectives are shaping current policy, and how these decisions are being interpreted across Latin America and beyond. Register to attend.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Perry World House, 3803 Locust Walk

2026-01-16

Pollutants and Policy in the Built Environment

A person crosses the Schuylkill River on a blue bike. The city skyline behind him is obscured with smoke haze.

Organized by the Environmental Law Project and the Weitzman School of Design, this symposium will focus on environmental justice in Philadelphia. Attendees will explore how environmental law, landscape architecture, and city and regional planning can address issues of environmental justice in Philadelphia’s urban landscapes. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Golkin Hall, 3501 Sansom St.

2026-01-27

Journeys in Afro-Diasporic Women’s Modernisms

Rosie Poku, a joint Ph.D. candidate in Africana Studies and comparative literature & literary theory at Penn, will present “The Performance of Translation: Journeys in Afro-Diasporic Women’s Modernisms,” exploring her research into Black women’s diasporic writings and performances of the early 20th century. Free and open to the Penn community. Register to attend.

5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Max Cade Center, 3401 Walnut St.

KPFA

The state of U.S. media; plus, Paramount and Netflix go after Warner Brothers

Victor Pickard of the Annenberg School for Communication looks at the “many problems” in the American media today.

Associated Press

UN says world must jointly tackle issues of climate change, pollution, biodiversity and land loss

Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences welcomes a recent UN climate report’s emphasis on tackling issues across governments and society.

The Washington Post

Here’s why your hair turns gray, and what you can do about it

George Cotsarelis of the Perelman School of Medicine discusses gray hair and what can be done about it.

Philadelphia Inquirer

Baby KJ’s gene-editing treatment lands him on Nature’s top 10 list

The successful treatment by doctors at Penn Medicine and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia of a rare, life-threatening liver condition is spotlighted in a list of top scientific news for 2025.

The Washington Post

‘Weaponized incompetence’ can harm relationships. Here’s how to counter it

Corinne Low of the Wharton School says that wives who are the primary breadwinners do almost twice as much cooking and cleaning as their husbands.