Student
A Sounding Board for First- and Second-Years
The College’s pre-major advising program has been around since the 1990s. The 130 or so faculty and staff who participate act as a support system and academic guide for undergrads learning to navigate the experiences and spaces of Penn.
Small Seminars Foster Sense of Belonging for New College Students
Sixty first-year seminars offer complex subjects in a comfortable group setting, as well as close connections to professors and peers. This year, 10 are also taking part in a pilot program focused on teaching students how to have respectful dialogue around difficult topics.
Omnia Podcast: Deep Listening and The Sound of Philadelphia (Audio)
In a graduate seminar taught by Professor of Music Carol Muller, students re-examined ethnographic research methods and worked on field projects aimed at documenting Philadelphia’s Black music history.
How a Flipped Classroom Stokes the Collaborative Spirit of Physics
Bill Ashmanskas is using the Structured Active In-Class Learning format to help his students grasp high-level physics concepts.
From College Community to Career Path
Joyce Kim, an advanced doctoral student in sociology and education, wants to know what motivates undergraduates—especially those who are the first in their families to attend college—to choose the career trajectories that they do.
Pain Management
Jessica Wojick, doctoral candidate in the Department of Biology, examines the inner workings of chronic pain, and how to mitigate the suffering of those who are afflicted.
Using Animation to Spread Strength and Hope
Ejun Hong, C’25, has been making animated films since high school. The prizewinning Echoing, It Doesn’t Stop is her fourth, inspired by Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Numbers on the Brain
In trying to learn more about how our understanding of quantity and numbers develops, Francesca Luzzi, C’24, has been studying how children experience a perceptual illusion involving dots and lines. The results have been surprising.
Kicking Off Summer With a Casual PWA Networking Event
The Professional Women’s Alliance Summer Networking Social is an annual way for students and alums to connect. Seventy women gathered at the Wilson Rose Garden in New York for the 2024 edition.
Shaping the Future of Healthcare (Video)
Twenty seniors in the Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Sciences & Management spent a year analyzing four novel medical advances from scientific and business perspectives. As part of their capstone presentations, the students shared their business plans.
Inside the Dumping Grounds of Mumbai
PhD candidate Adwaita Banerjee was on a mission to trace the path of recycled plastics through his city. The work led him to ask bigger questions about caste, racialization, class, and dignity.
Using Literature to Unlock Stories of the Unseen
In the hands of Matty Hemming, GR’24, early 20th-century novels become roadmaps to the politics and norms of their authors’ time.
A Safe Space for Difficult Conversations
How does representation in sexually explicit materials affect the well-being of people who identify as cisgender male, Asian American, and non-heterosexual? It’s a question Steven Chen, C’24, is on a quest to answer.
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.
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.