2022 Penn Grad Talks (Video)

Penn Arts & Sciences graduate students present on myriad topics in TED Talks fashion.

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Where can you find lectures on topics like Deadbeat Dinoflagellates: Symbiotic Cooperation Breaks Down After Coral Bleaching and African American Encounters With Soviet Central Asia, all in one place? Penn Grad Talks has you covered.

This past February, some of Penn Arts & Sciences' top graduate students addressed these and many other topics to live and online audiences at the latest Penn Grad Talks. Students from the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and the professional masters' programs gave TED-style talks on their research, vying to win prizes of $500. Check out the winners here, and visit our website to see all of the contestants.

Visit our Vimeo gallery to see all of this year's presentations.


Chad Payne, Lauder Institute

“Web 3.0: Embracing the Future of Internet Technologies on the African Continent"
Winner: Audience Choice


Charlotte Williams, Anthropology

“Harvesting Heritage: The United Fruit Company and Corporate Labor in 20th-Century Archaeological Science"
Winner: Social Sciences


Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon, History

“Black Like Us: African American Encounters With Soviet Central Asia"
Winner: Humanities


Luella Allen-Waller, Biology

“Deadbeat Dinoflagellates: Symbiotic Cooperation Breaks Down After Coral Bleaching"
Winner: Natural Sciences


Yansong Li, Environmental Studies

“Witnessing Circularity: Circular Economy Lessons from Amsterdam"
Winner: Professional Masters