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A charter bus to Chinatown
An image of the "Friendship Gate," with people walking by on a winter day

The iconic “Frienship Gate” at 10th and Arch St. marks the entrance to Philadelphia’s historic Chinatown.

A charter bus to Chinatown

Launched in 2021 by a student-led initiative, the biweekly bus service connects students with local businesses in Philadelphia’s Chinatown.

Kristina García

Newly identified softshell turtle lived alongside T. rex and Triceratops
Illustration of ancient turtle in water with Tyrannosaurus walking on ground nearby

Newly identified softshell turtle lived alongside T. rex and Triceratops

Peter Dodson of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Steven Jasinski, who recently earned his doctorate from the School of Arts & Sciences, describe the find of a new softshell turtle from the end of the Cretaceous Period.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Possessed: The Salem witch trials
Historical rendering of a courtroom in the era of the Salem witch trials.

In many ways, the witch hunt fit in with New England folk beliefs and theology, says Kathleen M. Brown. The idea that the devil had a hand in human affairs and “could seduce you away from God” was a very normative belief, she says.

Possessed: The Salem witch trials

This spring marks the 330th anniversary of the Salem witch trials, during which a total of 20 “afflicted girls” accused around 150 people, 19 of whom were executed. Historian Kathleen M. Brown discusses why this episode is still fascinating today.

Kristina García

From tracing art thieves to tracing Early American history
Emma Hart leans against a tree in front of the McNeil Center on Penn campus with her arms crossed, smiling at the camera

Emma Hart is the new Richard S. Dunn Director of the McNeil Center for Early American Studies.

From tracing art thieves to tracing Early American history

Emma Hart, the new director of the McNeil Center for Early American Studies, discusses her former career, her new role, and her goals for the future.

Kristen de Groot

How a class of ‘brilliant graduates’ shaped modern Chinese architecture
chinese drawing architecture

(Homepage image) A protestant church designed by Tung Chuin in 1928 and awarded the Beaux Arts Institute of Design 1st place medal. This rendering and the works of more than 20 architecture student alumni from China are currently on display as part of the “Building in China” exhibition. (Image: Ming Tong)

How a class of ‘brilliant graduates’ shaped modern Chinese architecture

The ‘Building in China’ exhibition showcases the work of the ‘first generation’ of Penn architecture alumni from China and how striking a balance between modern and traditional continues to shape the country’s expression of its national identity.

Erica K. Brockmeier

Diversion programs reduce criminal justice system footprint
A wooden elevated path in the woods with two choices for directions to take.

Diversion programs reduce criminal justice system footprint

Research from Penn criminologists and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office found that such programs increase expungement rates and lower reconviction rates, leading to a net-narrowing effect overall.

Michele W. Berger

Penn announces nine 2022 Thouron Scholars
nine portraits

Five University of Pennsylvania seniors and four alumni have received a 2022 Thouron Award to pursue graduate studies in the United Kingdom. Left to right from the top: senior Ayina Anyachebelu, 2020 graduate Michael John, senior Anjali Mahajan, 2020 graduate Sabine Nix, senior Robert Novak, 2021 graduate Trevor Núñez, senior Andrew Orner, senior Lawrence Phillips, and 2019 graduate Mark Rinder. 

Penn announces nine 2022 Thouron Scholars

Five seniors and four recent alumni have received a 2022 Thouron Award to pursue graduate studies in the United Kingdom. Each scholarship recipient receives tuition for up to two years, as well as travel and living stipends, to earn a graduate degree there.
Four takeaways from the IPCC’s report on climate adaptation and vulnerability
Person in SCUBA fear floating over bleached coral reefs.

Evidence of coral reef bleaching in a seabed off Hachijo-jima Island in Tokyo, November 2020. The latest report from the IPCC focuses on how climate change is affecting coral reefs like this and other biodiversity, as well as people and places. (Image: The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images)

Four takeaways from the IPCC’s report on climate adaptation and vulnerability

The assessment gets explicit about the effect of climate change on people, places, and ecosystems. Experts from Penn weigh in on what it means.

Michele W. Berger

Pandemic shifts: Oliver Kaplan on outing and education policy
Man in blue jacket on Penn's campus in late afternoon winter light.

Going into Penn, Kaplan thought he would go into law consulting. But when he thought about what would be most beneficial, his career focus shifted to education policy.

Pandemic shifts: Oliver Kaplan on outing and education policy

The pandemic led Oliver Kaplan, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, to reconsider his academic path. He changed his major to philosophy and now hopes to shape educational policy for LGBTQ+ students.

Kristina García

The West’s sanctions on Russia
A line of people wearing winter coats and hats extends down a sidewalk in St. Petersburg, Russia, as they wait to use an ATM

People stand in line to withdraw U.S. dollars and euros from an ATM in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Feb. 25, 2022. Ordinary Russians faced the prospect of higher prices and crimped foreign travel as Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine sent the ruble plummeting, leading uneasy people to line up at banks and ATMs. (Image: AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

  • Q&A

    • The West’s sanctions on Russia

    Jesús Fernández-Villaverde, professor of economics and director of the Penn Initiative for the Study of the Markets, discusses the severity of the sanctions, the effects so far, and the potential reverberations for the rest of the globe.

    Kristen de Groot