School of Arts & Sciences

Alfie Arun smiles from behind his laptopas he listens to the student debate in the Future of Conservatism class.

The future of conservatism

A one-of-a-kind political science course taught by Deirdre Martinez of the School of Arts & Sciences and Evan McMullin, a Penn alum who was running for the Senate during the class, took students through the past and present conservative movement.

Kristen de Groot ・

tangen hall food lab, wide view

Cooking up something special

The Food Innovation Lab at Tangen Hall provides a space for student entrepreneurs with an appetite for experimentation and creativity.

Carter Johns

Ben Jealous listens to Camille Charles talk at a Kelly Writers House event

Beyond America’s racial fault line

Professor of practice Ben Jealous discussed race, politics, America’s long history of interracial collaboration, and his new book with Camille Z. Charles during a co-sponsored event at Kelly Writers House.

Kristina García ・

colorful coral reef with sun shining through the water

How species partnerships evolve

Biologists from the School of Arts & Sciences explored how symbiotic relationships between species evolve to become specific or general, cooperative, or antagonistic.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・

Two rows of people: William Beltran, Brian Gregory, Insup Lee, Guo-Li Ming. Bottom row: Eric Schelter, Theodore Schurr, Warren Seider, and Karen Winey.

Eight Penn professors elected 2022 AAAS Fellows

Researchers from the School of Arts & Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Perelman School of Medicine, and School of Veterinary Medicine join a class of scientists, engineers, and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines.

Michele W. Berger ・

Benjamin Bagby speaking and gesturing with his hand

Evoking an ancient world

The medieval English epic poem “Beowulf” is brought to life in a musical performance by Benjamin Bagby and academic discussion through a partnership among the Penn Live Arts, the Libraries, and the School of Arts & Sciences. 

Louisa Shepard ・



In the News


Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Civil discourse: Tips for navigating potentially divisive discussions around the holiday table

Research co-authored by Matthew Levendusky of the School of Arts & Sciences found that political discussions between members of opposing voting parties helped reduce polarization and negative views of the other side.

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Associated Press

Archaeologists discover 4,000-year-old canals used to fish by predecessors of ancient Maya

Jeremy Sabloff of the School of Arts & Sciences and Penn Museum says that ancient fish-trapping canals show continuity in Maya culture.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Penn student awarded Rhodes Scholarship to continue cancer research at Oxford University

College of Arts and Sciences fourth-year Om Gandhi from Barrington, Illinois, has been awarded a 2025 Rhodes Scholarship to continue his cancer research at Oxford University.

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Chicago Sun-Times

UChicago students, Barrington native among 2024 Rhodes Scholars heading to University of Oxford

College of Arts and Sciences fourth-year Om Gandhi from Barrington, Illinois, has been awarded a 2025 Rhodes Scholarship for graduate study at the University of Oxford.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Penn has preserved a pair of gloves said to belong to Shakespeare. Did they?

Alicia Meyer and Tessa Gadomski of Penn Libraries are researching whether a pair of centuries-old gloves belonged to Shakespeare, with remarks from Zachary Lesser of the School of Arts & Sciences.

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