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.
New Student Issue: Your guide to choosing the best classes
Choosing classes may seem overwhelming — especially when it’s your first time.
Wharton students challenge Jim Cramer's stock predictions
A new study by two Wharton students suggests that Cramer’s recommendations may not be all that useful to investors hoping to beat the market.
SAS and Engineering collaborate to create Vagelos Institute of Energy Sciences and Technology
Vagelos Institute will inspire collaborative research efforts within the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and across many areas of the University to find solutions to energy related problems.
Congressmen announces grant for mathematics as his corruption trial continues
Fattah announced the award of a $510,000 grant to the University of Pennsylvania for the study of algebraic geometry and physics.
Attorney General Loretta Lynch to Penn Law grads: 'Hold justice in your hand'
Attorney General Loretta Lynch spoke about fighting injustice and promoting inclusivity at the Penn Law commencement ceremony on May 16.
College seniors graduate, Trump and Biden in the audience
Tiffany Trump, daughter of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, and Naomi Biden, the grand-daughter of Vice President Joe Biden, were among the roughly 1,500 graduating students of the College of Arts and Sciences on May 15.
Penn prof. profiled as a terrorist for doing math on a plane
Penn professor Guido Menzio was on an American Airlines flight when he was profiled as a terrorist — for working on a differential equation onboard.
1962 to 2016: One woman's story of navigating male-dominated academia
Phyllis Rackin, an English professor, helped open up opportunities for women in academia.
Can coding count as a foreign language?
Spanish, French, Mandarin — and Java? As the debate to consider counting coding as a foreign language grows louder, members of the Penn community weigh in on the possibility of a similar policy here.
Defining diversity: LGBTQ faculty often find themselves outside the bounds
In recent years, recruitment of a diverse faculty has been a topic of much discussion within Penn’s administrative circles.
Wharton rolls out major curriculum redesign, with four-year MGMT 100 and more focus on ethics
The new curriculum also aims to offer students greater flexibility in pursuing academic interests outside of the Wharton curriculum.
Pulitzer Prize winner visits Vietnam War literature class
Viet Thanh Nguyen, who just won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, spoke to students in Professor Amy Kaplan's class “English 102: Vietnam War in Literature and Film” on Monday afternoon.
Five brand-new grants for Penn faculty that integrate different fields
Each grant was given to between two and five professors that specialize in different fields.
Penn professor calls for more focus on ethics in nursing
Nursing students at Penn learn valuable skills in biology and physiology, but they also study a more unusual subject: ethics.
Philosophy major gets new concentration
Students interested in moral and political philosophy have another option to consider when picking majors.
Penn professor says a cure to homelessness is possible
School of Social Policy & Practicetitle and Perelman School oftitle Medicine professor Dennis Culhane says newer approaches to ending homelessness have helped mitigate the problem over the years.
What it's like to spend Fling in the library
Many students who found themselves within the walls of Penn’s largest library this weekend were tied down because of schoolwork.
Biology professor apologizes after making 'insensitive' comment about suicide in lecture
Biology professor Arthur Dunham made a comment in his lecture that several students found to be insensitive, especially given the recent death of Wharton junior Ao "Olivia" Kong by suicide.
Penn Med findings show how states can reduce drunk driving deaths
Researchers at Penn Medicine published a paper last month showing that state laws requiring drivers who have previously been convicted of drunk driving to pass a breathalyzer-type test before starting their cars saved an estimated 915 lives between 2004 and 2013.