| Penn Today

2025-04-10

Proxy Landscapes Symposium

Proxy Landscapes is a two-day symposium that will explore how numerous landscapes act as proxies for remote sites, processes, and transformations that are otherwise inaccessible or unobservable. Designers, historians, anthropologists, and theorists will discuss landscapes that carry traces of hidden phenomena or act as indicators of latent processes. The symposium is organized by associate professor Robert Pietrusko of the Department of Landscape Architecture and hosted by the McHarg Center for Urbanism and Ecology. Free and open to the public.

All Day

Various locations

2025-05-08

Shakespeare at Penn: Uncovering Relics

A Shakespeare First Folio dated 1623 open to the title page

Experts at the Steven Miller Conservation Laboratory have uncovered new insights into several artifacts, including the ashes of a burned Shakespeare folio. As part of the Global Discovery Lecture Series and co-sponsored by The Penn Libraries, this panel will feature English professors Whitney Trettien and Zachary Lesser, and Head of Conservation Sarah Reidell, for a talk about these mysterious relics and what this means for the present and future of libraries and conservation. Register to attend.

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

Virtual

2025-04-17

People and Animals after 1492

Marcy Norton, an associate professor of History at Penn, explores how ongoing encounters between Indigenous and settler communities have transformed the modern world. During this talk, Norton will challenge the idea that treating animals as livestock is a natural and normal way to interact with other creatures. Attendees will be invited to question the notion that animal domestication and husbandry are necessary for cultural progress.

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

Virtual

2025-03-26

Yoonmee Chang Memorial Lecture

Presented by the Asian American Studies Program in Penn's School of Arts & Sciences, the 2025 Yoonmee Chang Memorial Lecture will feature author, filmmaker, and activist Curtis Chin. Participants will hear Chin reflect on his recent award-winning memoir, “Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant.” Meet the author and get your copy signed after the lecture. Register to attend.

5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Penn Museum, 3260 South St.

2025-03-25

Let's Talk: Penn Medicine

An exterior view of the Perelman School of Medicine. The Smilow Research Center is at right.

Attendees will hear the findings of Philadelphia’s community health needs assessment and discuss ways Penn can better meet the needs of their community, with a focus on West Philadelphia. This event is hosted in partnership with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Refreshments will be provided. Register to attend.

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

Karabots Pediatric Primary Care Center, 4865 Market St.

2025-04-26

Morris Arboretum: Hidden Gems Tour

Morris Arboretum plants and stream looking into a field of green.

From hidden structures and sculptures to peculiar walkways, trees, and vistas, participants will learn about garden features off the beaten path or hidden in plain view. Free with general admission. Visitors will meet at the Welcome Center.

11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Morris Arboretum & Gardens, 100 E. Northwestern Ave.

2025-04-09

A Look Inside the Materials Library

In this virtual talk, Mia D’Avanza, the Penn Libraries’ Director of the Fisher Fine Arts Library, and Michael Carroll, Assistant Director of the Fisher Arts Library, will share how sustainable, recycled, and eco-friendly materials spark innovation and creativity. Attendees will get a behind-the-scenes look into how the Materials Library supports research at Penn. This event is open to the public. Register to attend.

7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Virtual

2025-03-28

Indigenous Voices in the Archives

Man shakes hands with member of Ojibwe tribe of Wisconsin, an another man in headdress looks on.

Drawing on lessons learned from collaborating with Native American and First Nations peoples, Emily Jean Leischner, in-resident researcher at the Kislak Center for 2024-2025, will share stories and snippets from her initial survey of Indigenous knowledge in the archives—and propose directions for their future stewardship and engagement with the Indigenous communities it came from. Register to attend.

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

Virtual

2025-03-27

Wharton Dance Studio Spring Showcase

Presented by the Wharton School and Penn Live Arts, the Wharton Dance Studio Spring Showcase brings together MBA students and the broader Penn graduate community to celebrate movement, music, and artistic expression. The showcase features over 300 performers representing 15 multicultural dances including Hip-Hop, Chinese, Bollywood, Latin, Street, and more, showcasing the diverse talents and cultural influences of Penn's student body.

8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St.

2025-04-04

Lunch & Learn: Communicating with Faculty

Participants will learn best practices for communicating with faculty at Penn. This session will focus on how to craft a clear, well-thought-out email to a faculty member to request support in coursework or research interests. Register to attend in-person or virtually. A graduate student ID is required.

12:15 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Hybrid; Van Pelt-Dietrich Library, 3420 Walnut St.