Reflecting on the 250th anniversary of the United States, speakers invoked American traditions and provided guidance on building a meaningful life in a fast-changing world.
Celebrating Penn’s 270th Commencement at a historic moment
Generations of Penn graduates enjoyed a walking tour of Old City, a celebration of Kelly Writers House’s 30th anniversary, a gallery hop at the ICA and Arthur Ross Gallery, and more during the annual Alumni Weekend.
Applying AI to accelerate discovery, foster learning
At an Alumni Weekend panel moderated by President J. Larry Jameson, Presidential Associate Professor César de la Fuente of Penn Medicine and Hamsa Bastani of the Wharton School highlighted how research at Penn is putting AI insights and tools into practice.
Dating back to the 1800s, Ivy Stones are embedded in the brick walls, walkways, and building facades throughout Penn’s campus, some weathered and bearing the signs of history and legacy.
On May 18, more than 9,000 students are eligible to graduate at the University-wide Commencement ceremony, and Penn will confer eight honorary degrees.
The Fed explained: What it does and why it matters
Former Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker and financial historian Peter Conti-Brown, both Wharton professors, unpack the central bank’s origins, its unusual structure, and the quiet ways it shapes the economy.
Graduates from all 12 Schools are taking their degrees and expertise and heading out into the world as graduate students, postdocs, residents, entrepreneurs, startup execs, policy workers, and more, with the interdisciplinary groundwork of a Penn degree in tow.
Penn fourth-year and graduate student named 2026 Knight-Hennessy Scholars
The scholarship provides financial support for as long as three years to pursue a graduate degree and global leadership training at Stanford University.
This program features an evening of live performances, sound, and moving image as the artists of Under Scores amplify their work. The evening begins in the Gordon Gallery in Weitzman Hall at 4:00 p.m. with performances and activations by Sol Kim and Dylan Li. Then at 4:45 p.m., an organ performance by Ambika Trasi, a listening session by Cacie Rosario Jackson, and a screening of Noa Mori Machover’s film, After Market, at the Arthur Ross Gallery. Drinks and light fare will be provided. Register to attend.
This walking tour at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens will highlight garden features not often discovered on a typical visit. Participants will have opportunities to witness hidden garden gems. The tour highlights a combination of structures, sculptures, spaces, trees, and vistas. Good walking shoes are recommended. Free with Penn ID.
A University-wide initiative to shape Penn’s future
Guided by Penn’s strategic framework, In Principle and Practice, Penn Forward launched in September 2025 with six working groups of faculty, staff, students, and postdoctoral scholars who challenged legacy assumptions and proposed bold, actionable strategies to advance Penn’s mission and strengthen operations.
Penn Forward’s initial nine priority initiatives aim to build trust with those we serve, enable bold discovery, and extend Penn’s geographic reach and impact across a lifetime. Learn more about these initiatives and follow along with Penn Today as Penn continues to drive forward.
Penn’s community engagement progress at the turn of the century
The third installment in the limited series ‘Chapters of Change’ explores how Penn has led community engagement efforts in public education, economic development, and neighborhood prosperity during a time of widespread change in the nation’s cities.
Chapters of Change: Thirty years of life sciences transformation at Penn
In the fourth and final installment of the series, ‘Chapters of Change’ highlights another transformational moment in Penn’s past when the evolution of life sciences research sparked the University to commit to investing in new research facilities and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
How the Quaker Commitment empowered one student to create her path at Penn
Gabrielle Fine, a fourth year in the Wharton School and recipient of financial aid from the Quaker Commitment, will graduate in May with an interdisciplinary skillset and new perspectives from a global adventure and local engagement.
Chapters of Change: The blossom of Penn’s professional schools in the 19th century
‘Chapters of Change’ highlights key moments of change in Penn’s history, adapting to shifts in society. In the 19th century, the University faced industrialization and more by creating some of its first professional schools.
Scientists uncover promising new strategy to stop Parkinson’s in its tracks
“Many patients with Parkinson’s disease are diagnosed in the early stages, when symptoms are relatively mild, but there is currently no treatment that slows the progression,” explains Alice Chen‑Plotkin of the Perelman School of Medicine.
Penn researchers advance detection of microplastics in water as federal effort ramps up
Speaking about microplastics, Samantha McBride of the School of Engineering and Applied Science says, “The more that you're exposed to, the more it stays in your body. And at this point, we are now learning all of the new, different effects that this might have on human health.”
University of Pennsylvania holds 270th Commencement Ceremony
“More than 6,000 students were on hand for the school's 270th commencement ceremony at Franklin Field. President Larry Jameson offered remarks to the audience and led the proceedings. Historian and bestselling author, Michael Beschloss, delivered the Commencement address.”
The government hasn’t done enough to regulate AI, most Americans say in a new Penn survey
Shawn Patterson Jr. of the Annenberg Public Policy Center and Matthew Levendusky of the School of Arts & Sciences, the Annenberg School for Communication, and APPC are quoted in a story spotlighting an APPC study on public opinion about AI and its government regulation.
