Alumni
Unpacking the Contradictions of Artist Romaine Brooks
Lila Shermeta, C’25, has always been passionate about the connections between writing and art history. Her award-winning senior thesis on Brooks, an obscure late-19th and early-20th-century queer artist drawn to fascism, decisively unites the two fields.
The Hidden History of Harriet Tubman’s Civil War Service
Edda Fields-Black, GR’01, who earned her PhD from the Department of History and is today a professor at Carnegie Mellon, recently won a Pulitzer Prize for her account of the Combahee River Raid, which she argues was the largest slave rebellion in U.S. history.
Bridging Medicine and Business
Arun Das, C’10, W’10, took a winding path to end up at Cabaletta Bio, a biotechnology company that wants to revolutionize autoimmune disease treatment.
Building Calculus Confidence
The student-run Bridge to Math program helps hundreds of incoming first years overcome math anxiety and prepare for college-level courses. The initiative is about to host its fourth summer session.
Quaker Quotes: What Was Your Favorite Class at Penn?
We asked, you answered. Alums share their memories, thoughts, and ideas with Omnia.
Out and About
Penn Arts & Sciences alums gathered on campus, in New York City, and Boston to meet Dean Peter Struck, mentor undergrads, mingle, and learn.
Recent Gifts Advance Key Educational Priorities
Support from William J. Levy, W’57, L’64, The Robert K. Johnson Foundation, and The Neubauer Family Foundation expands opportunities for undergraduates and professional master’s students.
Behind the Scenes of Rule Breakers
Amber Afzali, C’23, stars in a new movie about the Afghan Dreamers, Afghanistan’s first female robotics team.
Centering Black History
Ahead of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States, the McNeil Center for Early American Studies, the Library Company, and 1838 Black Metropolis collaborated on a conference about Black Philadelphia in the 18th and 19th centuries.
A Semester of Mentoring
Alums representing media and technology, film production, investment banking, and more offer advice to undergrads at mentoring meals, roundtables, and coffee breaks.
Talking with Conclave’s Mike Jackman, C’85
The film, which Jackman produced, has been nominated for Best Picture and seven other Oscars. (It already took home Best Picture at the BAFTAs.) Fellow Penn Arts & Sciences alums Fred Berger, C’03, and Marc Platt, C’79, also received Best Picture bids for “A Complete Unknown” and “Wicked,” respectively.
A Dialogue about the Past and Future of Democracy
Ben Talks NYC, which took place this year at the Times Center in front of a crowd of 270 people, featured Jeffrey Green and Michele Margolis of Political Science, Donovan Schaefer of Religious Studies, and Sophia Rosenfeld of History.
From the Front Office to the Mural Wall
Adrian Lorenzo, C’11, was on a fast track in Major League Baseball before walking away to pursue his other passion as an artist. He’s discovered success there, too.
Uncovering Oscar Wilde’s Library
Sarah Pipkin, C’14, former Penn student turned London librarian, connected the dots to solve a century-old mystery about books belonging to the famous author. The discovery adds to our understanding of LGBTQ history.
From Periodic Table to Libretto
Growing up the child of a famous scientist, Karyl Charna Lynn, CW’65, was expected to follow her father’s path. She pursued chemistry throughout her schooling, but when she started writing about opera, she knew she’d found her passion.