School of Arts & Sciences

penn museum incantation bowl being examined

The story the bowls tell

In an ambitious new project, historian Simcha Gross and Harvard’s Rivka Elitzur-Leiman are studying hundreds of ancient incantation bowls housed at the Penn Museum. They hope to better understand the objects and eventually, build a database of all these bowls worldwide.

The future of decline in America

In his new book “The Future of Decline: Anglo-American Culture at its Limits,” English Professor Jed Esty offers alternatives to America’s “language of greatness,” taking lessons from the experience of Britain during the past century.

A portrait of former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and flowers at his foundation's headquarters In Moscow

Mikhail Gorbachev’s legacy

Penn experts share their thoughts on Gorbachev’s impact on the Soviet Union and the world, and how history will remember him.

A man walks past graffiti about Irish unification on a wall in Belfast.

Making sense of a United Ireland

In a new book, political scientist Brendan O’Leary explores the contentious issue of a reunited Ireland and why now is the time to consider the future of the island.

Illustration resembling a cosmic square with stars.

‘In These Times’ explores the intricate riddles of life through art

Episodes 6 and 7 of the latest season of the OMNIA podcast explore how art like music and dance have been the pulse of social movements, and how individual artistic experiences impact mental health and well-being.

Person seen walking in a town across the river from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine

Q&A

Ukraine nuclear power plant caught in war’s crossfire

The School of Arts & Sciences’ Anna Mikulska, an expert on the geopolitics of energy, discusses the situation at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Station, Russia’s aims, and what she’s most concerned about.

Adrian poses next to garden shrubbery that has been sculpted into the word "LIMA"

Chinese Americans, countries apart

Fourth year Adrian Ke’s research into Chinese Peruvian immigrants fueled her thesis and a deeper connection to her own cultural identity.

First-year students and families gather on the lawn on College Green to hear remarks from Penn President Liz Magill.

President and Provost welcome the Class of 2026

Speaking to the Class of 2026 filling a sunny College Green, President Liz Magill and Interim Provost Beth Winkelstein assured first-years and their families that Penn will provide the support they need.

A summer optimizing obstetrics health care

Second-year student Antoilyn Nguyen spent their summer as a researcher analyzing labor and delivery charts as part of a long-term cohort study to standardize labor induction for better and more equitable results.

Max Johnson Dugan leans against a tree in front of a halal food cart on the street.

Who, What, Why

Who, What, Why: Max Johnson Dugan’s research on halal food

A doctoral candidate in religious studies, Dugan focuses on halal consumption: “What we make, what we wear, what sort of things that we eat, what we do with our bodies.”

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