Student

The Poetry of Ancient Math

The methods and findings of pre-modern Indian mathematicians remain poorly understood. Priya Nambrath, a doctoral candidate in the Department of South Asia Studies, wants to change that.

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.

Creating a Classroom Democracy

Through a Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia course, Assistant Professor of History Sarah Gronningsater and her students resuscitate early American history.

Training Tomorrow’s Data Scientists

The Data Driven Discovery Initiative has expanded its four-year-old postdoctoral fellow program to include researchers from Penn Engineering and Penn Medicine using cutting-edge techniques in data science and artificial intelligence.

The Life Cycle of an Idea

Virtually every product and breakthrough we take for granted—from life-altering technologies to life-saving medical advancements—started at a university, and with fundamental scientific research.

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.

Let’s Get Digital

An advanced economics course taught by Assistant Professor Juan Camilo Castillo encourages students to apply tools and theories to digital markets in the real world.

The New Mind

With a new Draw Down the Lightning grant, Nikola Moore, C’25, developed a workshop series focused on mitigating linguistic risk with large language models.

When Data Science and Social Good Intersect

Through a grant program and a new minor focused on data analytics, the Data Driven Discovery Initiative is using new tools and technologies to directly address societal challenges.

The Sounds of Fruit Fly Courtship

SongTorrent, a custom-built, 96-channel system, records audio and video of fruit fly mating rituals, allowing Assistant Professor of Biology Yun Ding and colleagues to better understand how nervous systems work.

Making Concrete Sweat

Combating urban “heat islands” may become a little easier thanks to work from VIPER student Yash Rajpal, C’26, ENG’26, on a composite that boosts water absorption in cement.

Opening the (Lab) Door

Through four years of immersive research, cultural learning, and community-rooted leadership training, students in the First Exposure to Research in the Biological Sciences program learn to lead, think critically, and make lasting contributions to science and society.

Penn Arts & Sciences 2025 Graduation (Photos)

Over three days, ceremonies celebrated the more than 2,400 degree recipients from the College of Arts & Sciences, Graduate Division, and College of Liberal & Professional Studies.

By the Numbers: Outstanding Achievement

This year, students and recent alums from Penn Arts & Sciences received many local and national honors, from the Rhodes Scholarship to Penn’s President’s Engagement Prize.

In the Footsteps of History

When William Adger completed a degree at Penn in 1883, he became the first African American to graduate from the College of Arts & Sciences. Now it’s time for Faruq Adger, C’25—William’s fifth-great nephew—to take his turn.