School of Arts & Sciences

Sophia Zehler removes the Quaker mascot head in costume at the Palestra.

Inside the Quaker’s head

Sophia Zehler recently earned her master’s degree from the Fels Institute of Government. The first-generation Cuban American also spent the year as Penn’s mascot, her third mascotting position in five years.

Q&A

Young, Gifted, and Diverse: Camille Z. Charles on Black identity

In a new book, sociologist Camille Z. Charles explores the multifaceted identities of Black college students.

Combating urban heat

Through the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program, rising junior Sarah Sterinbach has spent the summer learning about the policies Philadelphia has used to protect its citizens from extreme heat and how those efforts might improve in the future.

Timothy Rommen next to a piano and a podium teaching a class full of students.

‘Music connects’ for Summer Institute students

The Summer Institute for Pre-Freshmen brings new students together with experienced faculty and graduate students to discuss cultural themes in Africana studies.

Q&A

Cultural representations in films

In partnership with BlackStar Projects, Maori Karmael Holmes of Penn Live Arts curates films to uplift the work of Black, brown, and Indigenous artists.

four panels show a cancerous tumor with some portions labeled in red, green, and blue, and a close up image of part of it

Cancer cells selectively load ‘drones’ to keep T cells from infiltrating tumors

Biologist Wei Guo and colleagues elucidate the process of sorting and loading cargo for these biological drones with implications for a more targeted and effective use of checkpoint inhibitor drugs in cancer treatment.

Woman wearing face mask walks along sidewalk lined with campaign signs

Moore v. Harper: Voting rights, election law, and the future of American democracy

Experts from law, political science, and history share their thoughts on the potential dangers posed by a case the U.S. Supreme Court will hear next term.

Angela Shen smiles in front of the red steel sculpture on Locust Walk

Martial arts and Asian American identity

Rising junior Angela Shen researches the ritual and practice of judo, taekwondo, kung fu, and karate.

A crowd of people gathered, one holds a sign that reads ABORTION IS ESSENTIAL.

Q&A

Dorothy Roberts on the future of abortion advocacy

Dorothy Roberts speaks with Penn Today on the implications of the Dobbs decision, which struck down Roe v. Wade, leaving many states with no legal right to abortion.

Scientists Erynn Johnson and Aja Carter use a 3D printer to make shell shapes

Q&A

Mentorship strategies to boost diversity in paleontology

Drawing on research as well as their experiences as women of color in paleontology, Aja Carter and Erynn Johnson, who earned doctoral degrees from Penn, coauthored a paper offering advice for making the field more inclusive.

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