News from

2025-08-28

E-Waste Collection & Disposal

This “E-Waste Event” offers a chance for the Penn community to reduce electronic waste responsibly. Visitors can bring personal, office, and tabletop lab items—so long as they don’t contain data or hazardous materials. All hard drives must be processed by Penn Medicine Academic Computing Services before they can be recycled. Freezers and refrigerators will not be accepted.

11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Smilow Center for Translational Research, 3400 Civic Center Blvd.

2025-08-23

Speakeasy Open Mic Night

Exterior of the Kelly Writers House with a path to the front door.
This open mic night during New Student Orientation features performances by the incoming class. Attendees are invited to bring and share their poetry, musical instruments, flash fiction. Individual and group participants have three minutes at the podium; no pre-event sign-ups necessary. Visitors are also welcome to just listen, meet classmates, and check out Kelly Writers House.

9:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Kelly Writers House, 3805 Locust Walk

2025-11-19

Ukraine and Russia: Writing History in the Time of War

Flags of Ukraine and Russia.
Penn historian and 2025 Pulitzer Prize-winning author Benjamin Nathans will explore the impact of the Russo-Ukrainian war on academia—the field of European Studies in particular—with Harvard Professor of Ukrainian History Serhii Plokhy. Through the lens of Plokhy’s forthcoming publication and related projects, they will discuss the challenges, advantages, and disadvantages of writing history as it unfolds—as well as what opportunities this may create or hinder for the work and global collaboration of historians.

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

TBA

2025-10-25

Family Performing Arts Night

Hosted by Penn’s Performing Arts Council (PAC), Family Performing Arts Night serves up a sampling of performances from some of Penn’s 60-plus student-run performing arts clubs. Attendees can watch family, friends, and performers take the stage for this renowned annual showcase of music and dance.

6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Irvine Auditorium, 3401 Spruce St.

2025-08-28

Student Performing Arts Night 2025

This program brings together dozens of student performing arts groups for a series of short, get-to-know-you performances. All students are invited to get a taste of the various performing clubs at Penn.

7:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St.

2025-09-04

Made (By Hand): Reflections on Running a Press

two sets of arms over a hand-operated printing press, one set with gloved hands putting ink on a metal cylinder and the other placing a printing plate with an image of a tree without leaves on the flat surface in front of the cylinder
To celebrate the opening of Made (By Hand) in the Midwest: The Contre Coup Press, 1979-2019, Jessica Peterson, director of the Common Press, will reflect on her experiences running a printshop and a small press prior to working at Penn and speak about her role at the Common Press teaching students about letterpress printing, binding, and papermaking.

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Van Pelt-Dietrich Library, 3420 Walnut St.

2025-09-26

Common Press: Wood Engraving

Common Press screening bags
In this workshop, participants will learn to use basic wood engraving tools to practice a range of mark-making strategies and produce a sampler. Then, attendees will have the opportunity to begin a block of their own design. Participants should come prepared with a simple 2”x2” drawing, design, photograph, or letterform to work from. Register to attend.

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Van Pelt-Dietrich Library, 3420 Walnut St.

2025-08-11

2025 SUMR Research Symposium

Exterior of the Colonial Penn Center.
Organized by the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, the 2025 Penn LDI Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research Program (SUMR) culminates in the four-day SUMR Symposium. The annual program features presentations by the SUMR scholars about their mentor-directed research work. Free and open to the public.

All Day

Colonial Penn Center, 3641 Locust Walk

2025-10-03

The Evolution of API Advocacy at Penn

Rain streaks on a gridded window with an image of a red building behind
This panel will trace the legacy of student leadership and community-building that gave rise to the Asian Pacific Student Coalition, the Pan-Asian American Community House, and other vital API spaces at Penn. Featuring multiple Penn alumni, the conversation will highlight the collective efforts of students, faculty, and staff that have fueled API community-building on campus.

12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

The ARCH, 3601 Locust Walk

2025-10-03

Executive Leadership Dialogue with Vaughn Ross

Brick building with shutters on windows and bushes in front
Join Fels Distinguished Fellow Joseph Pierce for a conversation with special guest Vaughn Ross, founder and principal of Rvesta Consulting. Ross served as the first deputy chief of staff to Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney from 2016-21. In his time with Mayor Kenney, he retained a portfolio of departments focused on economic development, including the department of Planning and Development; the Commerce Department; and the Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability.

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Fels Institute of Government, 3814 Walnut St.

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