Spotting Penn’s Ivy Stones nocred Spotting Penn’s Ivy Stones Dating back to the 1800s, Ivy Stones are embedded in the brick walls, walkways, and building facades throughout Penn’s campus, some weathered and bearing the signs of history and legacy. 1 min. read
A look back at the Class of 1776 “Upon the Report of the Examiners, the following candidates approved of as qualified by their standing and proficiency to be admitted to the Degree of Bachelor of Arts, are James Abercrombie, John Leeds Bos[z]man, John Clopton, William Cock[e], Thomas Duncan Smith, William Thomas, and Ralph Wiltshire; and a mandate was ordered to be made out for conferring on them their Degree of Bachelor of Arts on the 10th of June next.”(Image: Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania Minute Books, volume 2, 1768-1779; University Archives) A look back at the Class of 1776 At the time, the seven graduates of the class received Bachelor of Arts degrees in a private ceremony open only to faculty, trustees, and graduates—due to what was described as the “unsettled state of affairs.” 2 min. read
Chapters of Change: Thirty years of life sciences transformation at Penn nocred Chapters of Change: Thirty years of life sciences transformation at Penn In the fourth and final installment of the series, “Chapters of Change” highlights another transformational moment in Penn’s past when the evolution of life sciences research sparked the University to commit to investing in new research facilities and cross-disciplinary collaboration. 6 min. read
Making paper for the Declaration’s anniversary Kelly He lifts the mould and deckle to drain water from the paper pulp.nocred Making paper for the Declaration’s anniversary Learn the five steps to making paper as it was done in the Revolutionary era, part of a Common Press semiquincentennial project, alongside a class from the Weitzman School of Design. 5 min. read
Sacrifice versus suffering: Examining unheard stories of the past Rafaella Lambrinos, a fourth-year history major, documented British food rationing during World War II and the ensuing Bengal famine of 1943 for her honors thesis.(Image: Eric Sucar) Sacrifice versus suffering: Examining unheard stories of the past Fourth-year Rafaella Lambrinos traveled to London to study archival records about the Bengal famine of 1943 and British food rationing, gaining greater insight into the study of the past. 3 min. read time
Three from Penn elected to the American Philosophical Society Penn faculty members Ezekiel J. Emanuel, Elizabeth Magill, and Sophia Rosenfeld have been elected to the American Philosophical Society.nocred Three from Penn elected to the American Philosophical Society Ezekiel Emanuel, Liz Magill, and Sophia Rosenfeld have been recognized for extraordinary achievements in their fields. 3 min. read
Founding-era research and the social context of public institutions Tingfeng Yan is a Friends of the MCEAS Fellow at the McNeil Center.(Image: Courtesy of The McNeil Center Center for Early American Studies) Founding-era research and the social context of public institutions At the McNeil Center for Early American Studies, Friends of the MCEAS Fellow Tingfeng Yan is uncovering the political ideas and practices that informed the creation of U.S. constitutionalism. 2 min. read
History course brings Philadelphia’s ‘Revolutionary Stories’ to life Second-year David Sun examines primary source documents at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania for his Revolutionary Stories project.nocred History course brings Philadelphia’s ‘Revolutionary Stories’ to life In a partnership with the Historical Society of Pennsylvania expanding students access to primary source documents, undergraduates examine the lives of regular Revolutionary-era Philadelphians. 4 min. read
Penn’s inaugural SAS Commons explores democracy and knowledge Penn’s inaugural SAS Commons explores democracy and knowledge History professor Sophia Rosenfeld discusses Democracy and Knowledge, the inaugural theme for the School of Arts & Sciences new two-year program SAS Horizons.
Exploring the history of North American pastels Megan Baker is a Barra Foundation Fellow in Art and Material Culture at Penn’s McNeil Center.(Image: Courtesy of McNeil Center for Early American Studies) Exploring the history of North American pastels McNeil Center Fellow Megan Baker’s dissertation research explores how the fine art medium tells a larger story of material transit across the Atlantic during a time of mounting political discord. 2 min. read