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Black histories and Black futures
students in lecture hall

Homepage image: Chinaza Okonkwo of Los Angeles was one of 65 students enrolled in the 2018 Africana Studies Summer Institute, now in its 36th year. The Institute is one of the hallmarks of the Africana Studies Department. 

Black histories and Black futures

Professors and students reflect on 50 years of Black studies at Penn.

Kristina García

Grace Choi aims to redefine food insecurity on college campuses
Grace Choi.

Grace Choi. (Image: OMNIA)

Grace Choi aims to redefine food insecurity on college campuses

It’s hard for college students to find time to cook or prioritize eating well, says Choi. She has found that although many researchers connect students’ socioeconomic statuses to their eating habits, almost none gauge what dining options students had access to in the first place, or what factors drive their food choices.

From Omnia

A Paideia fellow finds a community for research and connection
Celia Kreth reading  papers in an office in Arkansas.

Celia Kreth reading papers at The Madison County Record in Huntsville, AR, where original papers from 1957 are archived.

A Paideia fellow finds a community for research and connection

For Celia Kreth, a junior in the School of Arts & Sciences, the SNF Paideia Fellows Program allows for a holistic, hands-on approach to her education.

Penn Today Staff

Penn receives momentous gift to support Korean studies, neurovascular surgery, and the Wharton School 
James Kim.

Penn alum James Joo-Jin Kim.

Penn receives momentous gift to support Korean studies, neurovascular surgery, and the Wharton School 

The $25 million gift from James Joo-Jin Kim and Agnes Kim, and the James and Agnes Kim Family Foundation will support a range of initiatives at Penn, including the James Joo-Jin Kim Center for Korean Studies in the School of Arts & Sciences.
Perceptions shaped social behavior during the pandemic
A movie marquee with the words "1. Elbow Bumps 2. Foot Shakes 3. Just Wave!"

Perceptions shaped social behavior during the pandemic

Research from Penn psychologists found that Americans who most feared losing their connections continued interacting with others, paradoxically acting in ways that risked prolonging disease-mitigating social restrictions.

Michele W. Berger

Uncovering unexpected properties in a complex quantum material
a close up of hands adjusting a lens on an optics table with green laser light in the foreground

A new study describes previously unexpected properties in a complex quantum material. Using a novel technique developed at Penn, these findings have implications for developing future quantum devices and applications.

Uncovering unexpected properties in a complex quantum material

Using a novel technique developed at Penn, researchers gained new insights into the properties of a proposed excitonic insulator known as Ta2NiSe5, with implications for future quantum devices.

Erica K. Brockmeier

Improving college access for Philadelphia’s Latinx community
Emilio Parrado in a classroom gesturing as he speaks to the class. Two people are blurred behind in the background. The 22 students in Emilio Parrado’s Academically Based Community Service course on Latinx in the United States will mentor high schoolers who are part of the Centro de Cultura Arte Trabajo y Educación (CCATE) college-readiness program. Here Parrado describes the next steps to the class, with CCATE’s Holly Link and Obed Arango in the background.

Improving college access for Philadelphia’s Latinx community

A collaboration between Penn and the nonprofit Centro de Cultura Arte Trabajo y Educación aims to enhance a thriving post-secondary success program, create mentoring opportunities, and more.

Michele W. Berger

Jolyon Baraka Thomas on curiosity and contentment
A man in a three-piece suit stands in front of a stone building

For religious studies professor Jolyon Thomas, “faith is a black box,” he says. Rather than be a participant in religious faith, Thomas is much more interested in studying its causations, repercussions, and interplay with identity, politics, and education.

Jolyon Baraka Thomas on curiosity and contentment

For Jolyon Baraka Thomas of the School of Arts & Sciences, the route to religious studies was the same one that led him away from faith.

Kristina García