Quaker Quotes: What Was Your Favorite Class at Penn?

We asked, you answered. Alums share their memories, thoughts, and ideas with Omnia.

May 27, 2025

Spring/Summer 2025

As a literature lover, I never would have enrolled in Evolutionary Anthropology if it weren’t for Penn’s “Living World” requirement. As it was, the course opened my eyes in ways my high school workaday biology class never did. Learning in the near-mystical Penn Museum, flanked by somber reminders of our common ancestors, I came to understand how humans’ physical evolution was inextricably connected to cultural development. The biological-cultural imperative was electrifying. –Katie Ambrogi, C’01

Advanced Physical Chemistry Lab. I turned out to be the only student who registered! Professor Marsha Lester convinced me to stay in the course and we designed a creative way to learn the content—visiting different researchers’ labs, learning about what they do and how they do it, and then writing reports and discussing with her. Great experience. –Tom Schwartzman, C’87

Madness in Literature was taught by a mad genius Paul Korshin (RIP) who showed up to every class resplendent in suit and bow tie to spin hilarious stories about the authors, books, and lives we were reading and leading. I took this class because I needed a new purpose and I found it. Shortly after, I decided to major in English so I could learn to read and write. The rest is history. –Joey Arnel Sayson, C’89

My favorite course was the two semesters of Astronomy I had to take to fulfill the Science part of the core curriculum. That course opened my eyes to the mysterious vastness of the universe, which, in the half century since I took it, has grown even more mysterious. –Eugene Stelzig, C’66

It was a biology class on Humans and Their Environment (I think) by Professor Dan Janzen and I was riveted at every lecture. He had such a breadth of experience and had a way of telling the story of nature that captivated me. That was also one of the hardest term papers I ever had to write, but I remember learning so much as I did. I always wished that class was available for the world to see and experience. –Racquel Stucky, C’09

Introduction to Anthropology taught by Professor Peggy Sanday. It was wonderful to learn about different cultures in a small, lively seminar setting and to have the opportunity to use the Anthropology library to research the Inca culture. The entire class also enjoyed having the end-of-semester dinner at the professor’s home. –Camilo Ferrandez, C’89, W’89

Math 381, spring semester 1971. This class made me decide to become a mathematician. One day Professor Frank Warner said, “Now you know the precise meaning of those dxi and d/dxi.” At the time, I knew I didn’t really understand, but I decided to keep studying math until I did. Eighty research papers, seven books, a few seminar and colloquium talks at Penn, and various awards later, I realize I made the right choice. –John D’Angelo, C’72

European History with Professor Albert Rieber. He really brought this class to life. He was dramatic, provided great information, and was engaging. It was held in College Hall 200, and I liked it so much I took the full year. I still remember his lecture on WWI. –Judith Lobel, C’88

Intensive Beginning Chinese taught by Professor Chiang during the Fall 2001 and Spring 2002 semesters. I was able to take a Chinese class for two hours every day, five days a week. It not only allowed me to learn Chinese in a safe, non-judgmental environment, but I was able to get to know all of my classmates, knew all their names, and could practice speaking Chinese with them outside of class. –Maggie Phan, C’04

BIO 555 (Summer 1982) was a six-week field course in intertidal ecology at the marine station on Swans Island, Maine. Professor Hans Borei was a field ecologist right out of central casting: a lanky old Swede with a pipe and a great accent. He knew his stuff and inspired a lifelong love of ecology and the Maine Coast. –William Conners, C’84