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.
Thousands petition Penn to fire visiting scholar accused of crimes against humanity
Maria Paula Romo was dismissed by the Ecuadorian Assembly for her oversight of the government's allegedly abusive response to protests.
Penn senior named one of 12 Mitchell Scholars to receive funding for study in Ireland
Wragan, who majors in neuroscience at Penn, plans to continue studying neuroscience and chronic pain at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland.
Two Penn students named 2022 Rhodes Scholars
College senior Nicholas Thomas-Lewis from Kimball, Nebraska and Wharton and Engineering senior Raveen Kariyawasam from Colombo, Sri Lanka bring Penn’s total number of Rhodes Scholars to 33.
Penn Wharton Budget Model lays off student workers mid-semester, prompting SRFS to intervene
The student workers, some of whom identify as first generation and low income, were surprised and disappointed after the sudden layoff.
Vast majority of spring 2022 courses will be held in person
The University's emphasis on in-person instruction for spring 2022 applies to all four undergraduate schools.
Engineering professor Cynthia Sung featured in Miranda Cosgrove's TV show
"Mission Unstoppable," which began airing in 2019, is a television series highlighting women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Former Temple business school dean on trial for admissions fraud
Falsified admissions data led the business school’s online MBA program to be ranked No. 1 for four consecutive years.
New Zeke Emanuel course will bring students to Washington to learn about how policy is made
The course, PSCI 398: How Washington Really Works, will include students from Penn and George Mason University, and will be co-taught by Emanuel and George Mason University professor Steve Pearlstein.
Two Ph.D. students warn of corporations’ influence on democracy at graduate workshop
The Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy sponsored the workshop, entitled “Media Diets and Democratic Discourse.”
As temperatures dropped, parts of David Rittenhouse Laboratory were left without heat
The heating in several math professors' offices stopped working on Nov. 3 — as temperatures outside reached a low of 37 degrees.
Disability Services to hold ‘drop-in hours’ for exam scheduling during weekdays this month
This new test-booking assistance service comes days after The Daily Pennsylvanian published an article on student backlash about Weingarten and Disability Services’s allegedly inadequate support resources during midterms.
Professors are keeping pandemic-inspired exam formats to alleviate student anxiety
Many professors incorporated benefits they found from using online platforms during the pandemic into their midterms this semester, adding that the return to in-person learning has eliminated concerns of academic integrity.
Penn Libraries received works of late public health historian and activist Elizabeth Fee
Fee’s surviving spouse, Mary Garofalo, donated personal papers the leading scholar wrote during her time as a pioneer in advocacy, health, and history.
Penn partners with research institutions on environmental humanities research program
The collaboration is dedicated to generating discussion and research on environmental justice, the climate crisis, and public engagement.
Penn ranks No. 13 in U.S. News and World Report's 2022 ranking of Best Global Universities
Among the Ivy League, Penn ranked in the middle of the pack, with Harvard ranked No. 1, Columbia ranked No. 6, and Yale ranked No. 12.
Over 7,000 students risk being barred from classes due to COVID-19 testing noncompliance
Students who have not received a COVID-19 test since Oct. 19 are in danger of receiving red passes and have until Oct. 30 to get tested.
‘Falling through the cracks:’ Students with disabilities allege poor support from Weingarten
Students who receive testing accommodations are frustrated by an alleged lack of communication and organization from Penn’s Weingarten Learning Resources Center and Disability Services as they have transitioned to in-person exams.
Students in the College can submit anonymous reports about issues in their courses
One of the most commonly reported issues is professors who aren’t accommodating students who must miss in-person classes due to health reasons.
Annenberg study finds that vaccine mandates likely promote higher vaccination rates
The findings from the Annenberg researchers indicate that mandates work to improve vaccination rates among Americans.
