Campus Events

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 exhibition, on view in the Annenberg Center lobby and curated by the Arthur Ross Gallery inaugural faculty director Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw, will present a selection of recent paintings by Penn alum Allison Zuckerman that exemplify her exuberant, layered approach to image-making. Using paint and collage, Zuckerman creates densely constructed compositions that draw from art history, popular culture, and the internet. Her paintings celebrate the history of the image-making medium while reimagining who has the power to shape its future. Free and open to the public.

Participants of all ages and backgrounds are invited to this Common Press workshop to print a copy of the Declaration of Independence. The composition will be set in Caslon metal type and ready to print on the studio’s 1889 cast-iron handpress. These hour-long demonstrations are part of America 250 at Penn programming. Groups of up to 20 people are welcome. Reserve a time slot.

The Arthur Ross Gallery’s fall exhibition, “At Liberty: Life in the City of Brotherly Love During the Early Republic,” will explore Philadelphia during the nation’s formative years through paintings, sculptures, and works on paper drawn from major regional and national collections. The exhibition is curated by Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw, inaugural faculty director of the Arthur Ross Gallery, and will include images of the era made to celebrate important national anniversaries, such as the marking of America’s 150th in 1926, through to the present moment. Free and open to the public.

From Aug. 29th through Dec. 13th, Penn students will offer comprehensive tours of the Arthur Ross Gallery’s fall exhibit “At Liberty: Life in the City of Brotherly Love During the Early Republic.” Visitors are invited to explore, ask questions, and connect with the history of Philadelphia through the Revolutionary social landscape. Tours are offered on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the run of the show on Wednesdays from 4:00-6:00 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00-3:00 p.m. The tours are limited to groups of 10. Free and open to the public. No preregistration is required.

This exhibition explores the history behind what was often a fraught relationship between women students and scholars and Penn faculty and administration. It highlights how women moved beyond earlier stereotypes to integrate themselves into all academic and professional disciplines, including all aspects of University life. From early memorabilia and photographs of women on campus to athletics, literary journals, and community work, the vast and ongoing influence of women on the evolution of the University will be on display. Free and open to the public.

The Weitzman Fall 2026 Lecture Series offers perspective on some of the most pressing issues facing built environment professionals, cultural leaders, and policymakers today. Spanning over 25 events, the series welcomes more than 40 designers, artists, scholars, and policymakers from the U.S. and abroad who are tackling sociocultural and environmental issues. Free and open to the public. Registration is required for some events.

The Burrison Art Gallery presents “Beyond Exactitude: Works by Rob Mooij,” curated by Andreea Dimofte. A retired physicist, Mooij finds beauty in those aspects of the world allowing for exact description. Inspired by artists like Soutine, Vuillard, Auerbach, and Ann Gale, he embraces portraiture and landscapes, and is experimenting with abstraction. The Gallery, located adjacent to the dining room on the 2nd floor of the Inn at Penn, features monthly exhibitions and member receptions. Free and open to the Penn community.

Led by Sarah Guérin of Penn’s History of Art Department, these welcoming, all-levels sessions offer participants an opportunity to fully inhabit their body while surrounded by art. No prior yoga experience is necessary. Attendees should bring their own yoga mat and wear comfortable clothes. Registration is available for multiple sessions or drop-inss, and is required for each session. Space is limited.

Waste Scenes is a two-channel video created by artists Maia Chao and Fred Schmidt-Arenales during the Philadelphia-based Recycled Artist in Residency. Working inside an active recycling center, they built short, performative vignettes choreographed by various materials including discarded books and old tapes found on site. Through episodic narration, Schmidt-Arenales and Chao reinterpret material decomposition to encourage recognition of the throwaway culture of contemporary America. The ICA’s gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with extended evening hours on Thursday until 8:00 p.m. Free and open to the public.

For this installment in the Institute of Contemporary Arts’s “Entryways” project series, the vividly-colored, abstract work of artist Saif Azzuz—a member of the Yurok Tribe, whose ancestral lands are located in present-day northern California—will fill ICA’s Sansom Street-facing windows. The project—informed by research into the natural history of Philadelphia—and its placement on the ICA building exterior is designed to prompt conversations about how communities and the natural environment can support each other. The ICA’s gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with extended evening hours on Thursday until 8:00 p.m. Free and open to the public.

This group-exhibition project, developed by Zairong Xiang of Duke Kunshan University in Shanghai and Denise Ryner of the University of Pennsylvania, focuses on historical and social circumstances of solidarity as a process through artistic investigations of primarily Black, African, and Chinese diasporic and economic networks. The exhibit will feature the work of nine artists—representing the Caribbean, South Pacific, West Africa, Taiwan, China, and the U.S.—including video projections, installations, prints, and archival reproductions. The ICA’s gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with extended evening hours on Thursday until 8:00 p.m. Free and open to the public.

In the inaugural iteration of the Institute of Contemporary Art’s new research residency program, interdisciplinary artist Wilmer Wilson IV will explore how squirrels can reflect shifting ideals of American behavior and belonging. Wilson will follow the squirrel across a range of overlooked cultural and political histories—such as Benjamin Franklin’s rodent diplomat Mungo to the recent viral controversies of TikTok star Peanut—and will examine how categories such as “pet,” “pest,” and “wildlife” produce hierarchies of care, visibility, and disposability. The ICA’s gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with extended evening hours on Thursday until 8:00 p.m. Free and open to the public.

This symposium, led by Historic Trappe, Penn’s McNeil Center for Early American Studies, and Ursinus College, will mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by exploring the diaries, journals, letters, and material culture made or used by people in the mid-Atlantic region from 1760–1790. Expert panels will explore family dynamics amid political upheaval, wartime experiences of soldiers and civilians, accounts from different religious perspectives, and new approaches to non-English sources on the American Revolution. Free and open to the public.

Between Oct. 5-9, the seventh annual Climate Week at Penn will offer opportunities for the Penn community to learn about and help address the climate crisis. Some events require registration to attend.

Part of Climate Week at Penn, this workshop will focus on data visualization and communication strategies to reach decision makers. A former policymaker will explain how to translate research so that decision makers at the federal, state, and local levels of government understand the evidence and how it connects to their policy work. Participants will learn to leverage design options that support storytelling through data, with the goal of translating research findings for policy change. A laptop is needed for this workshop. Free and open to the Penn community. Register to attend.

Kicking off the 7th annual Climate Week at Penn, several undergraduates will deliver 1.5-minute lightning talks about select climate-related topics. Free and open to the public.

Eric Herschthal, associate professor of history at the University of Utah, will offer a climate-relevant presentation: “Slave-Based U.S. Cotton Emissions, the Industrial Revolution, & the Birth of the Climate Change.” Herschthal will discuss emissions from land cleared for slave-based cotton production and compares them to emissions from land cleared for non-slave-based U.S. farms, as well as coal emissions in Britain and the United States. Free and open to the public.

The Penn Center for Science, Sustainability & the Media (PCSSM), EcoAthletes, and Penn Climate will host a panel with current and former Penn athletes—moderated by Michael Mann, Presidential Distinguished Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science—on how athletes can help accelerate a climate comeback by promoting environmental and climate action to millions of sports fans around the world. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

Hosted by the Price Lab for Digital Humanities, this showcase will examine representations of automata, mechanical devices, computational objects, humanoid robotic sentience, cryptography, and more, in relation to gender, labor, multilingualism, and environmentalism in Kislak Special Collections. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

Presented by the McGraw Prize in Education, this virtual panel will feature 2025 McGraw Prize winners exploring bold ideas and innovative strategies shaping the future of education. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

Penn Climate hosts this Climate Week program featuring Emily Falk, vice dean of the Annenberg School for Communication. Falk will highlight research at the intersection of communication, psychology, and neuroscience about how to motivate individual and collective climate action. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

Bird-window collisions are a leading cause of bird mortality in the U.S., killing over one billion birds each year. During Climate Week, the Penn community is invited to honor these birds by creating replicas of commonly affected species. These will become part of an art installation—stretching the length of a football field—to memorialize the lives lost to this widespread issue. Participants will also learn practical tips and tools to make their windows bird-safe, get to know the work of Bird Safe Philly, and discover how Penn is taking action to become a more bird-friendly campus. Free and open to the public.

This event, hosted by the School of Arts & Sciences, will start with afternoon tea and coffee with Dean Mark Trodden from 4:30-5:00 p.m., followed by the main program from 5:00-6:00 p.m. William W. Braham, professor of architecture in the Weitzman School of Design, will facilitate a discussion with Doris Wagner, DiMaura Professor of Biology at Penn. Attendees will engage in collaborative discussions and climate programming. Free and open to the public.

Penn students, faculty, and staff are invited to celebrate 30 years of the Filipino Language Program at Penn and honor Filipino American History Month. This free program will recognize the program’s history, learn about what it offers today, and celebrate its vibrant community. Register to attend. Space is limited.

All Penn students, faculty, postdocs, and staff are welcome to drop in during Wellness at Penn’s annual Flu Clinic between Oct. 7-9 for their free flu shot. Penn ID is required.

This Perry World House program will feature Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) exploring the nexus of environmental policy, national security, energy, the economy, as well as the challenge of U.S. federal policymakers building bipartisan consensus on these critical issues. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

The length of the 1.5 Minute Climate Lectures represents 1.5°C—the maximum amount the average temperature can rise to avoid the worst consequences of global warming. For this year’s 1.5* Minute Climate Lectures, six Penn experts will share their perspectives on climate solutions. Free and open to the public.

Open to the Penn community, this Climate Week research poster session will showcase how faculty, staff, and students are advancing climate knowledge, highlighting interdisciplinary collaborations across campus. Free and open to the public.

The annual Penn Libraries Book Prize in Sustainability recognizes outstanding contributions to global discourse on environmental sustainability. A cocktail reception will precede the award ceremony, where author, journalist, and eco-lifestyle expert Ashlee Piper will speak about her book, the winner of this year’s award: “No New Things: A Radically Simple 30-Day Guide to Saving Money, the Planet, and Your Sanity.” Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

Inspired by “Iron Chef” and Wharton’s own “Iron Prof” events, this special event during Climate Week will showcase the climate-related research of Wharton faculty. Attendees will hear from 10 Wharton professors presenting their research on climate and business in five minutes or less. Pizza and soft drinks will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Free and open to the Penn community. Register to attend.

UnRavelled is a synthesis of theatre, music, science and visual art. The show explores the complexities of the human mind through the parallel lives of scientist-turned-painter Anne Adams and composer Maurice Ravel, both affected by frontotemporal dementia. With a cast of 10 actors and musicians, the play follows Adams, a biologist whose life unravels as she abandons her career, consumed by the desire to paint and an obsession with Ravel’s iconic Boléro. As Adams’ cognitive decline accelerates, her art flourishes, revealing a surprising link between neurological disease and creativity. There will be post-show discussion panels Thursday–Saturday and post-show workshops Saturday and Sunday. Students receive a discount with Penn ID.

As part of Climate Week, Penn Dental Medicine will host an office supplies swap. Common office items such as labels, paper, small appliances, office chairs, etc. will be accepted. Participants are invited to take items they need. Following the event, the remaining supplies will be donated to a local charity. The program will take place at Penn Dental Medicine in the lower concourse in classrooms 19A and 19B. Free and open to the public.

During Penn’s 43rd Annual Norman Glickman Lecture in Urban Studies, UCLA associate professor of urban planning Kian Goh will explore the intersections of urban planning, climate change, migration, and social advocacy, offering timely insights for scholars, practitioners, students, and community members. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

This guided nature journaling experience during Climate Week at Penn will invite participants to appreciate the environment surrounding Penn’s campus. Free and open to the public.

From remote tropical forests and urban heat islands to the Himalayas and outer space, Mallika Sarma, assistant professor of anthropology and director of the Health and BioBehavior Laboratory, will explore how humans have (mostly) successfully navigated and responded both physiologically and behaviorally to the natural, built, and social dimensions of novel and demanding environments. During this interactive Global Discovery Series lecture co-sponsored by Climate Week at Penn, Sarma will ask what climate change means for human stress and resilience. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

Participants are invited to hear from Penn faculty and staff who are leveraging AI to tackle climate-related research, working to improve the sustainability of AI and data centers, and those who are exploring how Penn as an institution can contribute toward the responsible use of AI. Free and open to the public.

The Secret Cinema will return to the Rotunda with another chapter of their occasional series, “Archive Discoveries 2026: Unseen Curiosities from the Secret Cinema Collection.” This free program will feature several rare short films from the past. Few of these films are likely to have been screened elsewhere in recent years. Open to the public.

During the nation’s 250th year, Penn students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to this free symposium examining the legacy of slavery and the ongoing movement for abolition in Philadelphia. Through a series of panels and a keynote address, the daylong program will explore how the law both enables and constrains the pursuit of intergenerational justice in the city where America’s constitutional project began. This will be a full-day conversation with prominent Philadelphia voices, including civic leaders, community organizers, and academic contributors to foster genuine dialogue between legal analysis and lived experiences. Register to attend.

Alejandro Camacho, professor of law at UCLA, will discuss highlights from his new book: “Lessons for a Warming Planet.” The book talk, organized by the Penn Carey Law Environmental Law Project, will be followed by a Q&A. Free and open to the Penn community.

Penn students are invited to pitch their boldest sustainability ideas in a live, “Shark Tank”-style competition for a chance to raise visibility of their projects and receive mentorship towards a Green Fund application. Finalists will present their ideas before a panel of expert judges and a live audience. The winner will receive mentorship to develop a full Green Fund proposal. The judges’ panel will be comprised of faculty and staff from the Penn Engineering, Penn Sustainability Office, and the Weitzman School of Design. Free and open to the public.

This conversation with New York-based Ukrainian artist Lesia Khomenko will celebrate the installation of her contemporary painting A Frame from Video Footage of a Kamikaze Drone in Amy Gutmann Hall. Khomenko will discuss drone technology, warfare, and artistic production with Kostas Daniilidis, the Ruth Yalom Stone Professor of Computer Vision at Penn Engineering. They will focus on the rise of drone technology and warfare and the impact on vision and perception, including the war in Ukraine on artistic production in that country and the diaspora of Ukrainian artists around the world. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

Faculty, staff, postdocs, and their friends and family are invited to Shoemaker Green and historic Franklin Field for games, sports, ice skating, cultural activities, and more. Employees can order up to four free tickets for the 11:30 a.m. Tailgate Party and the 1:00 p.m. football game. Additional tickets are $8 each.

Participants in this Free Community Day hosted by the Penn Museum are invited to honor the nation’s first inhabitants and celebrate the vibrant cultures and enduring traditions of Indigenous communities rooted in Philadelphia. Attendees will explore Indigenous art, history, and contemporary perspectives through free programming for all ages, including artist presentations, film, hands-on activities, and more. Free and open to the public. Reserve tickets in advance.

This specialty tour at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens investigates many native plants and trees in the natural areas near Wissahickon Creek. It includes a brief history of the area and describes the nature of the ecosystem. Participants will learn how wetlands provide vital resources—water, food, shelter—for plants, trees, and wildlife, creating an abundant native habitat. This tour will take place off paved pathways, and visitors are advised to wear walking or hiking shoes. Attendees will meet in the parking lot to the left of the entrance kiosk. Free with Penn ID.

The Weitzman School of Design’s MFA program will host open studios in the interdisciplinary graduate fine arts department in partnership with Philadelphia-based organization The Center for Emerging Visual Artists. Free and open to the public, these open studios offer a chance to mingle with MFA students and view their current work. Studios are located at Weitzman Hall and the Franklin Building.

Attendees will hear Adam Grant, Saul P. Steinberg Professor of Management and professor of psychology at Penn, in conversation with a special guest regarding Grant’s newest book, “Vibe: The Secrets of Strong Connections in a Lonely World.” Attendees can show their Penn ID for a copy of Grant’s book (while supplies last). Free and open to the public. Seating is first-come, first-served. Register to attend.