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Patti Smith as a Kelly Writers House Fellow
Patti Smith and Al Filreis at microphones.

Smith and Filreis held a public discussion, filled with her stories and readings of her works, on the morning of Feb. 25.

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Patti Smith as a Kelly Writers House Fellow

Singer, songwriter, poet, author, and musician Patti Smith was in residence at the Kelly Writers House for two days, telling stories about the people in her life throughout the decades, reading passages from her books, and performing her songs.
Q&A on the German election results
The dome of a building is visible on the left. To the right, a striped black, red and yellow flag is flying on a pole. An inscription on the building reads: “Dem Deutschen Volke,” or “To the German People.”

The German flag flies in front of the Reichstag building the day after the German Bundestag elections were held.

(Image: Christophe Gateau/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

  • Q&A

    • Q&A on the German election results

    Kristen Ghodsee of the Department of Russian and East European Studies discusses the outcome of the German parliamentary elections and the implications for Europe’s future.
    Corine Labridy leads an exploration of French Caribbean culture and literature
    A woman with glasses in a dark sweater sits behind a desk, looking to the left.

    Corine Labridy, an assistant professor of French and Francophone studies, uses the literature of the French Caribbean to help students learn larger lessons about identity and culture.

    (Image: Corine Labridy)

    Corine Labridy leads an exploration of French Caribbean culture and literature

    The French and Francophone Studies faculty member took an unconventional route to academia. She places the voices of the islands at the heart of her work.
    From the Archives: Raymond and Sadie Alexander family home movies
    Sadie and Raymond Alexander with a film projector in a room with books on bookshelves and framed photos behind them.

    Penn alumni Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander and Raymond Pace Alexander in their North Philadelphia home, 1708 W. Jefferson St., in 1952, looking at some of their home movies, which are in the University Archives and Records Center.

    (Image: University Archives and Records Center)

    From the Archives: Raymond and Sadie Alexander family home movies

    The University Archives’ Alexander Family Papers document the professional and personal lives of Penn trailblazers Raymond and Sadie Alexander, as well as some of their family members. Included are more than 100 home movies, dating from 1930 to 1961.
    What can theoretical physics teach us about knitting?
    knitted squiggles

    (On homepage) A close-up of a highly structured self-folding knit, where carefully designed stitch patterns create a repeating wave-like geometry. This fabric’s shape is dictated entirely by its stitch arrangement, demonstrating how knitting can be programmed to form complex, three-dimensional structures without the need for additional shaping forces. Such advancements in knitigami—the fusion of knitting and origami—could lead to innovations in deployable textiles, soft robotics, and adaptive materials.

    (Image: Courtesy of Lauren Niu)

    What can theoretical physics teach us about knitting?

    Penn physicist Randall Kamien, visiting scholar Lauren Niu, and collaborator Geneviève Dion of Drexel bring unprecedented levels of predictability to the ancient practice of knitting by developing a mathematical model that could be used to create a new class of lightweight, ultra-strong materials.
    Four from Penn named 2025 Sloan Research Fellows
    Four portraits arranged in a 2x2 grid. Clockwise from top left: Jason Altschuler, Cesar de la Fuente, Liang Wu, and Anderson Ye Zhang

    Jason Altschuler (top left) and Anderson Ye Zhang (bottom left) of the Wharton School, Liang Wu (bottom right) of the School of Arts & Sciences, and César de la Fuente (top right) of the Perelman School of Medicine have been named 2025 Sloan Research Fellows. They are among 126 early-career scientists in North America chosen this year to receive the two-year, $75,000 fellowship in recognition of their accomplishments, creativity, and potential to become leaders in their fields.

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    Four from Penn named 2025 Sloan Research Fellows

    Jason Altschuler, César de la Fuente, Liang Wu, and Anderson Ye Zhang have been honored as early-career researchers and scholars for their accomplishments, creativity, and potential to become leaders in their fields.
    Who, What, Why: Serene Safvi on strengthening dialogue
    A woman in a brown jacket and brown shirt stands in a stairwell smiling at the camera.

    Serene Safvi, a philosophy, politics, and economics major, says the SNF Paideia Program’s fellowship has helped her understand the importance of dialogue and bridging differences.

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  • Who, What, Why

    • Who, What, Why: Serene Safvi on strengthening dialogue

    The third-year Paideia Program fellow shares her work educating others about issues and the importance of constructive conversations.
    Looking to the past to understand the impacts of human land use in South Asia
    R. Ramesh adjusts measuring tape at archaeological site.

    R. Ramesh, assisting superintending archaeologist at the Archaeological Survey of India, adjusted a measuring tape at an archaeological site in India before he and Penn's Kathleen Morrison took samples for paleoenvironmental analysis from a Neolithic (3000-1200 BCE) deposit. 

    (Image: Courtesy of Kathleen Morrison)

    Looking to the past to understand the impacts of human land use in South Asia

    An international group of scholars, including archaeologists from the School of Arts & Sciences, synthesized archaeological evidence in South Asia from 12,000 and 6,000 years ago.
    Senior thesis explores Bayard Rustin’s civil rights vision
    A man stands in a stairwell leaning on the banister.

    Connor Nakamura’s senior thesis traces Bayard Rustin’s life from 1955 to 1965, including his focus on creating economic opportunity.

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    Senior thesis explores Bayard Rustin’s civil rights vision

    Fourth-year Connor Nakamura’s research delves into Rustin’s life, work, and legacy as a thinker and leader.