A generous gift from alumni Glenn and Amanda Fuhrman brings the work of internationally acclaimed artist Jaume Plensa to the University of Pennsylvania. The latest addition to the Penn Art Collection expands Philadelphia's public art.
Researchers at Penn Engineering have discovered how a coral’s skeleton compacts itself to ward off danger, a novel discovery of ‘granular jamming’ in a living organism.
U.S. Army veteran connects service to research on empathy in ancient Greece
Serving in the Army from 2009 to 2012 informed the research of Malcolm Nelson, Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellow in classical studies, on empathy norms in ancient Greek culture.
Advancing sleep medicine, research, and awareness at Penn Nursing
Nurse leaders from Penn’s School of Nursing are redefining care for barriers to sleep, bringing science, innovation, and empathy to restless patients everywhere.
Penn receives naming gift for new Student Performing Arts Center
A landmark gift from Julie Beren Platt and Marc E. Platt will name the Platt Student Performing Arts Center, which will provide 38,700 square feet of dynamic, flexible space for student performances and rehearsals.
Teaching creative Philadelphia youth career and entrepreneurship skills
As a volunteer with the nonprofit after-school program Project 440, Meryl Krieger, a senior learning designer for the College of Liberal & Professional Studies, helps artistically minded high school students with life skills.
Ahead of the main event on July 4, 2026, marking the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Penn students, faculty, and staff will have multiple early opportunities to engage with America’s 250th anniversary.
A conversation with Penn Forward’s Global Opportunity and New Markets co-chairs
In a Q&A with Ezekiel Emanuel and Megan Ryerson, co-chairs of the Global Opportunity and New Markets working group for Penn Forward, the duo discuss the charge of their group, where they are in the process, and leaning into global engagement.
A massive chunk of ice, a new laser, and new information on sea-level rise
For nearly a decade, Leigh Stearns and collaborators aimed a laser scanner system at Greenland’s Helheim Glacier. Their long-running survey reveals that Helheim’s massive calving events don’t behave the way scientists once thought, reframing how ice loss contributes to sea-level rise.
The Penn community is invited to the opening of “Spit and Polish All the Time”—an exhibit on the experience of Black nurses during World War II—with the Barbara Bates Center’s recent acquisition of Major Nancy Leftenant-Colon photographs on display. This exhibit launch will include a screening of a documentary clip featuring Major Nancy Leftenant-Colon. Register to attend.
This interdisciplinary symposium, organized by assistant professor of landscape architecture Nicholas Pevzner, will bring together experts in wildfire adaptation, fire management, design, forest management, and sustainable forestry to explore the interlinked challenges of designing and managing landscapes for fire resilience in the face of a changing climate.
Penn’s guiding principles are the University’s enduring values and distinctive strengths: anchored, inventive, interwoven, and engaged. The practices support and strengthen Penn’s core educational mission.
At Penn Today, we focus on some of the ways the University is putting this framework into action. From student, faculty, and staff profiles to research updates and event coverage, Penn Today highlights the latest examples of the University’s principled approach to excellence.
A conversation with Penn Forward’s Global Opportunity and New Markets co-chairs
In a Q&A with Ezekiel Emanuel and Megan Ryerson, co-chairs of the Global Opportunity and New Markets working group for Penn Forward, the duo discuss the charge of their group, where they are in the process, and leaning into global engagement.
Through Penn First Plus, students unlock potential and purpose
Providing first-generation and limited-income students with a comprehensive array of support, Penn First Plus equips undergraduates for success during and after their time at Penn.
The eighth annual Penn Local Business Exchange brought together entrepreneurs, city officials, and University buyers to swap insights and build relationships.
Students test one way to combat extreme heat in Philadelphia
Third-year students Nafisa Bangura and Angelica Dadda expanded upon a multidisciplinary research endeavor to evaluate a reflective pavement coating as a tool to mitigate extreme heat. Their work may inform policy efforts to improve urban heat resilience.
List of states delaying LIHEAP payments during government shutdown
Sanya Carley of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the Weitzman School of Design says that 1 in 4 American households struggle to pay their energy bills and keep their homes at livable temperatures.
