Campus & Community

The Netter Center for Community Partnerships finished its summer of programming for West Philadelphia students, impacting 640 students and six University-Assisted Community Schools.

The Pennovation Accelerator held their eighth annual Pitch Day at the Pennovation Center in July, the concluding event for the six-week program focused on business development. Serpent Robotics, an advanced robotics system that eliminates the dangers of manual tree-cutting, was named the overall 2025 Pennovation Accelerator Winner. Earable Intelligence won Best Pitch for developing an ear-based wearable medical device—or “earable”—to detect, and even predict, epileptic seizures.

New features, improvements, and enhancements have enriched the user experience and made the pool safer and more accessible.

A year into his role as vice president of Business Services, Michael Scales has built on the division’s “legacy of excellence” while being a sponge and getting to know students and staff around the division.

The 35 World House Student Fellows have weekly seminars with expert faculty and policymakers who visit Perry World House, and work on a yearlong client-driven policy project with an external partner like a nongovernmental organization or government office.

Penn’s 286th academic year formally began at Convocation, where President J. Larry Jameson drew lessons from nature by invoking fireflies—recognizing students’ brilliance, prescribing them to ‘“embrace the unexpected,” and reminding them, “Fireflies do not glow alone.”

The Ivy League released the 2025 Ivy League men’s soccer preseason poll with the University of Pennsylvania men’s soccer team landing the top spot. Penn earned the favored spot with 120 points and ten first-place votes after ending last season as the Ivy League regular-season champions.

The Penn Commonwealth-Engaged Scholars (PCES) Program is a new initiative aimed at deepening the university’s connection with communities across Pennsylvania. Funding for PCES comes from the University’s inaugural Draw Down the Lightning Grants program. The first cohort of PCES Scholars is made up of faculty and staff members interested in applying their expertise to local Pennsylvania issues.

New and returning undergraduates arrived on campus last week, attending welcome events and receptions, including an introduction to the Libraries, the Class Photo on Franklin Field, and an evening at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

President J. Larry Jameson offered a message of encouragement, comparing the scaffolding on Fisher Fine Arts Library to the support Penn will provide the Class of 2029, and Provost John L. Jackson Jr. told students they will be challenged both with new ideas and to embrace differences.