Natural Science

Research Roundup: Fruit Fly Mating, Airbnbs and Crime, and More

In the first 2025 edition of this series, we examine “wing spreading,” how a popular homestay accommodation increased robberies in London, how to reduce votes lost in the mail, and spending on home care.

Nurturing a Love for Math

A new book by Professor of Mathematics Robin Pemantle and longtime math teacher Henri Picciotto offers middle and high school educators actionable materials and invites reflection and connection across disciplines.

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.

2024 Year in Review

As the calendar flips to 2025, we look back at a few of the dozens of stories we had the privilege of sharing this past year.

A Celebratory Dedication for the Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology

The opening of the 112,500-square-foot space—now home to the Vagelos Institute for Energy Science and Technology—marks the start of a new chapter in Penn’s study of energy science and the fight against climate change.

Jeffrey Kallberg Named Interim Dean of Penn Arts & Sciences

Kallberg, Deputy Dean and William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Music, will step into the role as of January 1, 2025. Josephine Park, School of Arts and Sciences President’s Distinguished Professor of English, will succeed Kallberg as Associate Dean for Arts and Letters.

Penn Arts & Sciences Pathways: Tova Tachau, C’25 (Video)

Tachau entered Penn as a biochemistry and biophysics double-major, but a class in 20th-century Russian literature inspired her academic journey, which now includes a major in Russian and East European Studies.

Inspiring Community

This fall, Penn Arts & Sciences alums gathered on campus, in New York City, and abroad to mentor, mingle, and learn.

Emergency Response

Solving the complex challenge that is climate change requires breadth in approach. Penn Arts & Sciences is positioned to lead.

The Other Emissions Coming from Cars

Tiny tire particles discharge into the environment every time a vehicle brakes, accelerates, or rounds a curve. In a UN brief, geochemist Reto Gieré and colleagues aim to educate the world about this lesser-known environmental obstacle.

From the Microscope to the Big Picture

Steven J. Fluharty reminisces about his time on campus as an undergraduate and the path that got him where he is today.

Penn Arts & Sciences: Then and Now

As Steven J. Fluharty steps down as Dean, we look back at how the School has evolved during his tenure.

Memory Lane

Scholars across Penn Arts & Sciences are exploring memory. What they’re learning may change how we understand our minds, bodies, and histories.

New Penn Arts & Sciences Faculty

In the 2024–2025 academic year, 27 new faculty join 19 departments.

Tumor Forcefields

A collaboration between Biology Professor Wei Guo and colleagues in Penn Engineering and Penn Medicine discovered how solid tumors may block therapeutics from getting through.