In this Omnia, we highlight how researchers are using sound to answer a range of questions and how Africana studies at Penn has emerged as a leader in the field. We showcase the College of Liberal & Professional Studies certificate program; get to know three alums working in the world of art auctions; and look back at the contributions of the Vageloses, who recently gave Penn Arts & Sciences $83.9 million to fund science initiatives—the largest single gift ever made to the School. Plus, we delve into what polling can actually reveal in a Presidential election year, a class all about rivers, the origin story of Ayako Kano, a professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, and so much more.
Features
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Sound Solutions
Researchers across Penn Arts & Sciences are turning to sound for new answers to questions on subjects from birdsong to the benefits of music exposure.
Catalysts for Basic Science
P. Roy Vagelos, C’50, PAR’90, HON’99, has been connected to Penn for 75 years, starting as an undergrad. He and his wife, Diana T. Vagelos, PAR’90, recently gave Penn Arts & Sciences $83.9 million to fund science initiatives—the largest single gift ever made to the School.
Seizing the Moment
Spanning disciplines and geographies, Africana studies at Penn has emerged as a leader in the field.
Just Right
The certificate programs offered by the College of Liberal & Professional Studies fill an educational need for students who want to learn about an area but don’t need a full degree.
Addressing Tough Topics
The Living the Hard Promise dialogue series offers a chance for frank conversation about subjects from free speech on campuses to the role of universities.
Lessons in Philosophy
As philosophers-in-residence at the Academy at Palumbo in South Philadelphia, Ph.D. students Jacqueline Wallis and Afton Greco are teaching high schoolers how to contemplate life’s big questions.
Guardians of the Gallery
Alums now at Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Doyle auction houses discuss championing underrepresented artists, enriching an object’s narrative, their time at Penn, and more.
Omnia 101
What Can Polls Tell Us in 2024?
John Lapinski, Robert A. Fox Leadership Professor of Political Science and director of the Robert A. Fox Leadership Program and the Penn Program on Opinion Research and Election Studies, talks polling in this Presidential election year.
Movers & Quakers
On the Grid
Emily Schapira, C’02, WG’09, CEO of the Philadelphia Energy Authority, is fighting climate change and creating thousands of local jobs along the way.
A College of Their Own
The first class of 11 students graduated from the College of Liberal Arts for Women in 1934. A look back at what life was like for these pioneers and the hundreds who followed.
Penn Arts & Sciences at Work: Sharon Kim, C’05
Penn Arts & Sciences at Work is a photoblog series that highlights College alums in their workplaces as they reflect on how and why their careers took shape.
From Connecting to Coaching
An array of opportunities for alums, faculty, and students to gather.
In the Classroom
History on the River
John Kanbayashi’s new seminar frames the past not by time or place, but through a natural feature that humans use but can’t fully control.
Insomnia
Origin Stories: Ayako Kano (Video)
Kano, a professor of Japanese studies, discusses her love of music and theater, her grandfather’s notebook, plus her path to academia and her notions of scholarship “as an art and as a way of life.”
