Academics
There’s always something new going on at Penn’s four undergraduate schools and 12 graduate schools. Look here for information on upcoming academic initiatives, new classes and research conducted by professors and students.
Student entrepreneurs pitch journalism startups at the Kelly Writers House
With $7,500 in seed funding on the line, the stakes were high.
New course on birds takes flight
Penn Professor Mike McGraw’s new course, “Ornithology,” the study of birds, is combining Master of Environmental Studies students’ love for nature with a more acute set of knowledge to use in the great outdoors.
Women in Engineering: challenges and hopes for the future
Among freshmen traversing the Engineering Quad and hustling to introductory math classes, roughly four out of ten are women.
New theater course to have dance focus
he new course, Theater Arts 215, will focus on everything from dance theory to practice, and will involve a substantial amount of in-class experiential learning through movement and sensory experience.
Lecturer studies Philadelphia accent in American Sign Language
Just as there are unique Californian, Jersey and Philadelphia accents, there are regional differences in the way people use sign language across regions of the United States.
Management 100 team grants wishes with new webseries
Bianca’s Kids is a nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for children going through difficult times in their lives.
Profs behind #WeAreYale protests linked to Penn
Before becoming residential faculty masters of Yale’s Silliman College, professor Nicholas Christakis and his wife Erika were educated at Penn.
Huntsman student Debi Ogunrinde receives Canadian Rhodes Scholarship
A second Penn student will go to the U.K. on a Rhodes Scholarship next year.
Wharton research emphasizes socializing at work
Wharton assistant professor Lynn Wu found that a person’s engagement in social communication, and not the financial value generated by their work, was the most indicative factor of job retention and promotion.
Penn scientists win $3 million award for decades of research on neutrinos
23 Penn scientists were presented the 2016 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics for their work on neutrinos.Penn professor gives televised physics lesson
In the episode, which was filmed in the David Rittenhouse Laboratory, Johnson and Rees used high-speed video to discuss the physics behind what makes a ball bounce.
Six classes? No problem
For some, taking six classes a semester is a necessity. For others, it’s a satisfying choice.
Dept. of Defense grant for drone-like research raises ethical questions
The Department of Defense awarded Penn's GRASP Lab $5.5 million to develop autonomous flying robots.
Philosophy class sees instructor swap midway through semester
During the middle of this semester, students in PHIL 247 welcomed a new instructor for the class centered on the theory of Karl Marx.
Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman talks social impact at Wharton
The Turner Social Impact Executive Speaker Series emphasizes using business acumen for good.
Professor's legal win will make MOOCs more dynamic
One professor’s legal victory means more content and less confusion for massive open online courses throughout the country.
TA compensation rewards students for classroom prowess
Varying by department, teaching assistants at Penn see a decent pay rate for their work.
Quaker Consortium provides access to Penn courses to Philadelphia-area students
Penn students take advantage of the program less frequently than students at Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore and Haverford
Wharton dean is top paid among Penn's deans
Not only does Wharton offer higher salaries to its graduates - it provides a larger compensation package to its dean as well.