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Five insights into the history of government shutdowns
A woman walks by a "closed" sign in front of the National Archives building in Washington, D.C.

The National Archives building in Washington, D.C. during a federal government shutdown.

(Image: Julia Demaree Nikhinson via AP Images)

Five insights into the history of government shutdowns

Penn historian Brent Cebul traces the transformation of federal shutdowns from rare occurrences to strategic political tools.

3 min. read

Women’s labor and political agency in Delhi
Four women street vendors sell shoes and footwear on a Delhi street.

Four women street vendors sell shoes and footwear on a Delhi street.

(Image: Kannagi Khanna)

Women’s labor and political agency in Delhi

Rashi Sabherwal, a doctoral student in political science, explores how women engage politically in society in informal roles through her research in India.

2 min. read

Two leadership gifts elevate Jewish Studies at Penn Arts & Sciences
College Hall.

The Julie Beren Platt and Marc E. Platt Professorship of Jewish Studies will provide support for eminent scholars in the field, facilitating research and educational opportunities that might have otherwise been out of reach.

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Two leadership gifts elevate Jewish Studies at Penn Arts & Sciences

A pair of gifts from Julie Beren Platt and Marc E. Platt will establish an endowed professorship and create a program fund for graduate support in the Jewish Studies Program that will advance scholarship, community engagement, and global impact.

4 min. read

The discovery of a tomb linked to King Midas
The South Gate cemetery excavations, with Gareth Darbyshire (foreground left), Brian Rose (foreground right), and Simon Greenslade (middle background). Tumulus MM is in the distance at upper left

The South Gate cemetery excavations, with Gareth Darbyshire (foreground left), Brian Rose (foreground right), and Simon Greenslade (middle background).

(Image: Gebhard Bieg)

The discovery of a tomb linked to King Midas

Penn researchers and collaborators have discovered a 2,800-year-old royal tomb linked to Midas Dynasty in Gordion, Türkiye.

2 min. read

Navigating gender and power in South Korea
Soosun You stands with her hands on her hips.

Soosun You’s research focuses on gender and equity in South Korea.

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Navigating gender and power in South Korea

As the newest member of Penn’s political science faculty, Soosun You brings global experience—from her work as a former journalist in Seoul to conducting fieldwork in Africa—to research on women’s rights and politics in South Korea.

2 min. read

The 2025 Cundill History Prize Shortlist: Ben Nathans and Sophia Rosenfeld

The 2025 Cundill History Prize Shortlist: Ben Nathans and Sophia Rosenfeld

Awarded by McGill University, the Cundill History Prize is the world’s leading award for history writing, highlighting books that uncover neglected histories and speak to the current context of conflict, protest, and the concern with freedom across the globe. Nathans and Rosenfeld are selected from a record number of over 400 international submissions.

The rise of tariffs
Shipping containers lined up outside a port in China.

Consumers will see the effects of these tariffs in the near future, says economics professor Enrique Mendoza, but predicting which items will see a price increase is tricky.

Image: Yinwei Liu via Getty Images

The rise of tariffs

Enrique Mendoza, a professor of economics in the School of Arts & Sciences, explains what tariffs are and unpacks their potential short- and long-term effects.

From Omnia

2 min. read

Penn receives $10M to strengthen urban research locally and globally
Aerial view of Penn and Philadelphia.

The gift to Penn’s Institute for Urban Research will support a co-director position and a postdoctoral fellowship, enhancing the Institute’s ability to address timely urban opportunities and challenges. 

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Penn receives $10M to strengthen urban research locally and globally

The funds will support the Institute for Urban Research’s advancement of research, education, and policy solutions for cities.

2 min. read

A new paradigm for cooling on New York’s Governors Island
A heat scan being taken on a human under a cooling cover structure

Image: Chris Perez

A new paradigm for cooling on New York’s Governors Island

The KlimaKover team includes architects, researchers, and builders from Penn, Henning Larsen, AIL Research, SKANSKA who are addressing urban cooling by adapting a radiant cooling system to an architectural-scale application that uses far less energy than traditional AC.

From the Weitzman School of Design

2 min. read