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City of Philadelphia

Guthrie Ramsey’s creative journey of healing, collaboration, and persistence
Professor sitting at a piano

Music Professor Guthrie Ramsey has released a new album of songs, “A Spiritual Vibe, Vol. 1,” meant to pay homage to his many musical partnerships. (Image: NJR2 Photography)

Guthrie Ramsey’s creative journey of healing, collaboration, and persistence

Music Professor Guthrie Ramsey has released a new album of songs meant to pay homage to his many musical partnerships. The project was prompted by his cancer diagnosis and influenced by the global pandemic and uprising against racial injustice.
Cholera vs. flu: Philadelphia’s historical epidemic successes and failures
Map from 1830s depicting the eastern United States, showing cholera cases with red highlights

The map depicts the spread of cholera in Pennsylvania and other eastern states in 1832. (Image: Courtesy of the New York Academy of Medicine)

Cholera vs. flu: Philadelphia’s historical epidemic successes and failures

Philadelphia’s response to the 1918 influenza might be the poster child of how not to handle an epidemic. Timothy Kent Holliday makes the case that the city was well equipped for outbreaks decades and even centuries earlier.

Kristen de Groot

SP2 graduate is now a policy fellow for Philly’s LGBTQ population
A sign with LOVE written the colors of the black and brown rainbow flag is held aloft before City Hall

In 2017, Philadelphia's Office of LGBT Affairs introduced black and brown stripes to the rainbow flag as part of anti-racism initiatives. (Image: Albert Lee)

SP2 graduate is now a policy fellow for Philly’s LGBTQ population

Sayeeda Rashid, who identifies as a queer South Asian woman, advocates for social justice in the Philadelphia Mayor’s office of LGBTQ Affairs.

Kristina García

High school meets business with Bridges 2 Wealth
Costumed student feeds cloth through a sewing machine as five others look on

Kayden Perren (foreground) feeds cloth through a donated sewing machine as India Watson (far right) teaches him how to construct a pocket. Image taken in February. 

High school meets business with Bridges 2 Wealth

Bridges 2 Wealth, a financial literacy program that celebrated its one-year anniversary with the Netter Center in February, collaborates with Penn students and Philadelphia schools to close the wealth gap.

Kristina García

A ‘Collective Climb’ to combat poverty
Three side-by-side portraits of Penn students

From left to right: Hyungtae Kim, Mckayla Warwick, and Kwaku Owusu.

A ‘Collective Climb’ to combat poverty

With the President’s Engagement Prize, seniors Hyungtae Kim, Kwaku Owusu, and Mckayla Warwick will work to combat poverty in West Philadelphia through education, shared resources, and community collaboration.

Kristina García

Improv with an impact
Two students

Seniors Philip Chen, left, and Meera Menon won the President’s Engagement Prize for The Unscripted Project, a nonprofit to bring improv classes to Philadelphia public schools in partnership with the Philly Improv Theater. 

Improv with an impact

With their President’s Engagement Prize, Wharton School seniors Philip Chen and Meera Menon plan to create The Unscripted Project, a nonprofit that will run 10-week improv courses in Philadelphia public schools, partnering with the Philly Improv Theater.
A historical ‘Earth Day Project’
People march along Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia on April 22, 1970 during Earth Day.

Participants marching along Benjamin Franklin Parkway during Philadelphia’s first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. (Image: University Archives)

A historical ‘Earth Day Project’

On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, historian Anne Berg and a team of students are launching an online exhibit looking at Penn’s connection to the Philadelphia celebration.

Kristen de Groot

Walter Licht’s legacy of civic engagement
Person sits on corner of conference table with wall of books behind them, smiling at the camera. History professor Walter Licht in his office earlier this semester. He is stepping down from his duties at Civic House in June.

Walter Licht’s legacy of civic engagement

For more than 40 years at Penn, Walter Licht has crafted a career of equal parts renowned historian, teacher, and community activist, including creating the Penn Civic Scholars Program. Licht recently announced he is stepping down from his positions at Civic House.

Kristen de Groot

Pandemics, quarantines, and history
A watercolor painting depicts a three masted ship anchored near a port with a yellow flag aloft.

A yellow quarantine flag is raised on a ship anchored off a port in this watercolor painting by E. Schwartz.

Pandemics, quarantines, and history

History professor Alex Chase-Levenson explores pandemics and quarantines in his upcoming book, and shares lessons that citizens and politicians can take from the past.

Kristen de Groot

A time traveling Harriet Tubman, brought to life on stage
Lorene Cary stands in her office with a wall of bookshelves behind her

A time traveling Harriet Tubman, brought to life on stage

English faculty Lorene Cary’s first play features a time traveling Harriet Tubman who toggles between her 19th-century life and a present-day Philadelphia prison where she recruits soldiers to fight with her in the Civil War. Playing to sold-out audiences, “My General Tubman” is on stage through mid-March at Arden Theatre Company.