Penn’s 287th academic year formally kicked off with Convocation, where Penn President J. Larry Jameson declared the start of the Class of 2030’s “Penn odyssey.”
For rising first-years, transfer students, and returning students, building community at Penn can take shape in myriad ways. Three undergraduates share how they’ve developed their sense of belonging at the University, offering empowered perspectives on finding one’s place on campus.
A broadside of “An Ode for the Fourth of July,1788,” written by Francis Hopkinson. The copy, which previously belonged to Benjamin Franklin, is part of the Francis Hopkinson Collections at the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts.
(Image: Courtesy of Penn Libraries)
A historic ode to the Fourth of July—in the Penn Libraries
“An Ode for the Fourth of July, 1788” is a songsheet by 1757 graduate and Declaration of Independence signer Francis Hopkinson held in the Kislak Center. It represents an early celebration of a new nation and a reckoning with what patriotism in a burgeoning democracy should look like.
Mark Trodden, dean of the School of Arts & Sciences.
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Dean Mark Trodden on what’s next for Penn Arts & Sciences
Dean Trodden reflects on his first year on the job, how the School of Arts & Sciences is supporting students’ futures through curriculum innovation, the new Physical Sciences Complex, and other initiatives.
The Center for Civil Rights will bring together three existing offices into a single team designed to strengthen Penn’s reporting, prevention, education, and response efforts related to civil rights.
From left to right: Penn President J. Larry Jameson, Hamsa Bastani of the Wharton School, and César de la Fuente of Penn Medicine at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.
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Applying AI to accelerate discovery, foster learning
At an Alumni Weekend panel moderated by President J. Larry Jameson, Presidential Associate Professor César de la Fuente of Penn Medicine and Hamsa Bastani of the Wharton School highlighted how research at Penn is putting AI insights and tools into practice.
The HAVEN team with Liz Donaghue, assistant shelter director, in Jane Addams’ Bright Spaces room.
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Reimagining a shelter as a supportive space for childhood
HAVEN, a winning project of the 2026 President’s Engagement Prize developed by three fourth-year undergraduates, will launch an after-school program for K-5 children at Jane Addams Place, a homeless shelter in North Philadelphia.
Gabrielle Fine, left, leads a Kite & Key campus tour for prospective students and their families.
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How the Quaker Commitment empowered one student to create her path at Penn
Gabrielle Fine, a fourth year in the Wharton School and recipient of financial aid from the Quaker Commitment, will graduate in May with an interdisciplinary skillset and new perspectives from a global adventure and local engagement.
