Campus Events

A new exhibition curated by students in Penn's School of Arts & Sciences will explore the deep human history associated with the color blue. Into the Blue will span 4,000 years—displaying 20 objects from across the Penn Museum’s collections, including select artifacts from the Middle East, China, Africa, ancient Egypt, and Central America. The exhibition will examine three themes: Obtaining Blue, Making Blue, and Synthesizing Blue. On view through spring 2026. Included with Museum admission.

This exhibition continues the collaboration between ICA and New York-based textile studio Maharam, which invites artists to reimagine the windows of ICA’s façade. For the 2025-26 edition, Philadelphia-based artist Xenobia Bailey created a design that reflects her “Funktional” aesthetic and rooted in her decades-long fiber arts practice.

The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation, Arthur Ross Gallery, and Penn Live Arts present a unique opportunity to experience an installation of acclaimed contemporary artist Nina Chanel Abney’s epic painting cycle entitled I Dread to Think. This artwork comprises a 60-foot-long series of large canvases portraying wildly colorful and sometimes apocalyptic scenes from the Internet Age. Free and open to the Penn community.

Jason Karlawish, professor of medicine, medical ethics and health policy, and neurology at Penn, co-associate director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, and co-director of the Penn Memory Center, will discuss emerging research into aging, neuroethics, and policy. He has investigated issues in dementia drug development, informed consent, quality of life, research and treatment decision-making, and voting by persons living with dementia. Free and open to the Penn community. Register to attend.

Part of America 250 at Penn programming, this exhibit explores the overlooked yet essential role of nurses during the American Revolution, whose vital work helped shape early American healthcare. It challenges the widespread belief that nursing began in the 19th century with Florence Nightingale by providing rare evidence of a world of nursing and caretaking that thrived before, during, and after the American Revolution. Free and open to the Penn community.

This exhibit features the work of Penn staff and students who created replicas and new works of art in three campus makerspaces: Education Commons, the Bollinger Digital Fabrication Lab, and Venture Lab. Through experiential learning, the contributors to this exhibit cultivated creativity and new technological skills while deepening their appreciation of cultural heritage. Free and open to the public.

This webinar will explore the practical, clinical, and policy challenges of expanding access to cancer immunotherapies across African settings. Featuring experts from academic medicine, oncology practice, and global health policy, the session will highlight lessons from early implementation, considerations around cost and affordability, and pathways to more equitable access, offering insights relevant to clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and global oncology partners. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

This Perry World House panel will feature current and former climate negotiators discussing the next Climate Conference (COP31), which will partially focus on whether there is a “new normal” in climate cooperation toward global emissions reductions, or if the formal process can revive ambition and multilateralism. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

Penn professors Emma Hart, Sophia Rosenfeld, and Duncan Watts will address the power and impact of Thomas Paine’s revolutionary pamphlet Common Sense—250 years after its publication—including how to think about the changing meanings of “common sense” in the American political landscape. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

Organized by the Environmental Law Project and the Weitzman School of Design, this symposium will focus on environmental justice in Philadelphia. Attendees will explore how environmental law, landscape architecture, and city and regional planning can address issues of environmental justice in Philadelphia’s urban landscapes. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

Through the rich and varied Aristotelian materials held in the Penn Libraries' collections, this exhibit explores how perceptions of Aristotle have evolved over the centuries—across cultures, disciplines, and imaginations. Free and open to the public.

In this creative typesetting workshop, the Declaration text will be split amongst registered participants, and each participant will have the freedom to choose to include, edit, or redact the words in their segment, as was done by printers throughout the world in the months and years following the initial publication. This event is part of the Penn Libraries America 250 programming. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

The Penn Reads Literacy & Children’s Art Project presents a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service event, “Imagine A World...!” Children ages 3-8 can participate in a theatrical storytime experience, explore a unique Penn library, and create a book to take home. Storytellers, librarians, teachers, and library staff will guide participants. Register to attend.

Part of Reimagining Illumination, a series designed to interrogate and expand the concept of illumination (i.e., the use of light) in books and manuscripts, this workshop will focus on the many ways that modern artists make use of light in their book creations, including transparencies, reflections, and electric light. Open to the public.

The 25th MLK Jr. Social Justice Lecture & Award will be presented to five-time Oscar nominee Spike Lee, an iconic filmmaker who was awarded an Honorary Oscar in 2015 for his lifetime achievement and contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

Part of the One Health@Penn Research Community Work in Progress Series, this session will feature Sara Cherry, John W. Eckman Professor of Medical Science at the Perelman School of Medicine, and Carol Sobotyk, assistant professor of diagnostic parasitology at Penn Vet, discussing vectors and climate change. A Q&A will follow the presentations. Open to the public. Register to attend.

Perry World House invites the Penn community to a conversation with His Excellency Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, former UN Deputy Secretary-General, who will discuss how the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s closure in 2025 marked the end of an era in global development, threatening the livelihood of millions of vulnerable people. The conversation will primarily focus on future directions in global development—and how the world might do better on this front. Register to attend.

The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation will host a screening of “The Rotunda,” a new documentary by Philadelphia filmmaker Ellen Reynolds. The film captures the spirit of The Rotunda as a space for arts, culture, and community at Penn. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Rachel Wenrick, Penn’s inaugural executive director for the arts, featuring Gina Renzi, director of The Rotunda, and longtime staff members, community organizer Alice Wright and artist Alex Smith. Free and open to the public. Registration is requested but not required.

This workshop, designed for Penn staff, will offer powerful techniques for maintaining a grounded mindset and personal resilience during periods of instability and rapid change. Participants will discover effective methods for motivating, supporting, and empowering their teams and communities when facing significant challenges. Penn staff can register to attend.

Workshop attendees will strengthen their ability to collaborate, resolve conflict, and reach durable agreements. Participants will gain practical tools they can immediately apply to important conversations, enabling them to approach complex discussions with greater clarity, empathy, and confidence. Open to the Penn community. Register by Dec. 1 to attend.

Every January, the Kelly Writers House (KWH) community welcomes everyone back to campus with “Mind of Winter,” a celebration of the season’s comforts inspired by Wallace Stevens’s poem, "The Snow Man.” Attendees can enjoy homemade soups and stews, followed by winter-themed readings selected by KWH community members. Register to attend.

The MLK Interfaith Commemoration Program reflects on the religious themes of the civil rights movement, especially as embodied in the life and ministry of Martin Luther King, Jr. With words, song, and the presentation of the MLK Community Involvement Recognition Awards, the annual Interfaith Program will emphasize common humanity and acknowledge individuals whose local engagement and active service exemplifies King’s vision. This year’s program will feature guest speaker Reverend Carl Day. Register to attend.

In a Philadelphia debut, “Right in the Eye” celebrates Georges Méliès—a cinema pioneer and the inventor of special effects—by adding an original, multilayered score to complement and interpret 12 of his otherwise silent films. In this movie-concert by France’s Alcoléa & cie, a trio of musicians play 50 instruments, from the classics to the obscure, evoking the technical and playful approach that defined Méliès’ work. Students can receive a discount with Penn ID.

Part of America 250 at Penn programming, a selection of photographs by Academy Award-winning cinematographer and Penn alumnus Phil Parmet, who documented life in Haiti after the fall of Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier in 1986. This display captures both the "resignation, disappointment, and sadness" and the "strength and determination" felt by the Haitian people during this pivotal time in their history. Free and open to the public.

The Manuscript Studies Interest Group is a regular meeting for people who want to get up close and personal with a variety of handwritten materials from regions across the globe, including the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Western Europe. Penn students, faculty, and staff are invited to contribute their insights, discuss their work, and share the joy of manuscripts. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

Emily Sneff, a leading expert on the history of the Declaration of Independence, will share insights into the first printings of the U.S.’s founding document. Part of America 250 at Penn programming, this talk will explore the process of declaring independence and draw connections to the core themes and material focus of the Common Press’s America 250 programming. Register to attend.

Rosie Poku, a joint Ph.D. candidate in Africana Studies and comparative literature & literary theory at Penn, will present “The Performance of Translation: Journeys in Afro-Diasporic Women’s Modernisms,” exploring her research into Black women’s diasporic writings and performances of the early 20th century. Free and open to the Penn community. Register to attend.

Open to the public, this program will feature a reading by members of Suppose an Eyes, a poetry workshop sponsored by Kelly Writers House. Suppose An Eyes, founded in 1999 and one of the longest-running poetry workshops in the Philadelphia area, provides a supportive place for poets of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences to share and improve their writing.

“Collecting the New Irascibles: Art in the 1980s” opens a window into the 1980s Lower East Side art scene, where low rents and studio-ready lofts cultivated a dynamic arts ecology. The exhibition brings together loans from world-renowned collections and highlights several artistic movements of the 1980s that signaled a decisive break from past expectations and a full-force tilt toward the “new.” Free and open to the public.

This panel will bring together researchers and local practitioners studying how streeteries spread across cities, with a spotlight on Philadelphia's experience, and why some neighborhoods experienced many while others saw few, and how shifting rules ultimately led to many of them disappearing. Panelists will explore whether temporary pandemic experiments will lead to lasting improvements in how we design and share public space. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

Emily Oster—professor of economics at Brown and founder of ParentData—will share best practices for communicating scientific evidence clearly, responsibly, and effectively. The session is geared toward researchers, clinicians, policymakers, communicators, and students seeking practical insights into how evidence can be conveyed in ways that meaningfully inform health and well-being. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions about research, public engagement, and practice. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

Karen Goldberg, Vagelos Professor of Energy Research and director of the Vagelos Institute for Energy Science & Technology, will discuss the development of alternatives to oil as feedstocks for chemical and liquid fuels. Free and open to the Penn community. Register to attend.

Students enrolled in a doctoral or master’s program through the School of Arts & Sciences (SAS) Graduate Division or in the SAS College of Liberal and Professional Studies are invited to practice their public communication skills through 8-minute TED Talk-style presentations. Participants will gain experience describing their work to lay audiences, get an edited recording of their talk and feedback from judges, and will be eligible for cash prizes.

Free and open to the Penn community, this year’s Hallmark program will explore how artificial intelligence—one of the most transformative technologies of our time—can be guided by the ethical imperatives Martin Luther King, Jr. championed: equity, compassion, and shared humanity. Participants will examine the ethical and social implications of AI through the lens of King’s vision for the Beloved Community—a society where technology, empathy, and justice work in harmony. Register to attend.

Adventive America will place the forthcoming 250th anniversary of the U.S. into a broader global context by examining plants and their agency in nation-building. This two-day program will examine the collectors, collections, and global botanical exchanges between the U.S., Indigenous nations, Britain, Spain, Japan, and China, from the early American republic to the present day. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

This presentation will outline the mission and activities of The Black Space Project, an interdisciplinary research initiative starting at the University of Texas at Austin. These activities include collaboration with the National Trust, an exhibit on communal uses of the Black home, and a digital archive on non-licensed Black contributions to the built environment. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

Open to Penn students and alumni served by Career Services, the annual Spring Career & Internship Fair will feature opportunities with employers from a range of industries seeking to fill post-graduate and internship opportunities. Students and postdocs from all majors and concentrations are welcome to attend. No advance registration is required. Dress is business casual.

This program will serve as the opening celebration for “Collecting the New Irascibles: Art in the 1980s,” an exhibition highlighting pivotal artistic developments of the 1980s. Guests will be among the first to view the exhibition while enjoying light refreshments, remarks, and conversation throughout the evening. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

This program will serve as the opening celebration for “A World in the Making: The Shakers,” an exhibition exploring the design legacy of the Shakers, a religious group whose values of community, labor, and equality shaped their furniture, architecture, and everyday objects. Light refreshments will be provided. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

“A World in the Making: The Shakers” explores the design legacy of the Shakers, a religious group whose values of community, labor, and equality shaped their furniture, architecture, and everyday objects. Through works by contemporary artists influenced by the Shakers, alongside original Shaker-made pieces, the exhibition invites reflection on how Shaker ideals continue to inform conversations around inclusion, gender, and intentional living in the 21st century. Free and open to the public.

Originating as a time for respite from agricultural work and togetherness with loved ones, Lunar New Year is observed by various Asian communities—including those of Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Tibetan descent—involving customs such as feasts, gift exchanges, lantern lighting, and offerings to deities and ancestors. This family-friendly festival will feature various Lunar New Year traditions, such as storytelling, artmaking, live music and dance performances, and a traditional Lion Dance finale. Free with Penn ID.

Penn staff are invited to join this 15-minute conversation about activating an optimistic mindset. Participants will practice strategies to help them grow from various challenges. Register to attend.

The in-person STEM & Sustainability Career Fair provides an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, and postdocs to engage with employers, apply for positions, and make substantial progress in their internship and job searches and career exploration. This fair will focus on career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and sustainability fields.

The in-person STEM & Sustainability Career Fair provides an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students, Penn alumni, and postdocs to engage with employers, apply for positions, and make progress in their job searches and career exploration.

This conversation will focus on tangible, community-level sustainability solutions, how environmental issues disproportionately affect certain communities, and the critical link between climate and justice. Participants will learn how local leadership and grassroots efforts can drive impactful climate action and discuss strategies for advancing environmental justice. Free and open to the Penn community. Register to attend.

During this drop-in Open Studio at the Common Press, participants will learn to print a broadside—a single-sided print meant for public display—commemorating the important role iron played in Pennsylvanian and American history. Free and open to the public. Penn ID or photo ID required. Register to attend.

Widely exhibited and published photographer Leandre Jackson will join historian, curator, and Penn alumnus Samir Meghelli in a conversation about Jackson’s remarkable career documenting the lives and work of Black history-makers of the 20th and 21st centuries. The conversation will be followed by a reception and a display of Jackson’s photographs in the Henry Charles Lea Library. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.