Commencement 2026: Penn President J. Larry Jameson Commencement 2026: Penn President J. Larry Jameson “I see amazing people who will change the world and make it better,” said Jameson at Penn’s 270th Commencement.
Penn’s 270th Commencement Penn’s 270th Commencement The Class of 2026 reflected on the 250th anniversary of the United States while looking ahead to its future.
Class of 2026 Ivy Day Ceremony Senior Honor Awards recipients Avia Weber, Bruno Basner, Sydney Finkelstein, Angele Diamacoune, Dahai Yonas, Remy Rabin, Arnav Dhingra, and Vedika Jawa.nocred Class of 2026 Ivy Day Ceremony Dating to 1873, the Ivy Day Ceremony has celebrated exceptional graduating fourth-year students for their dedication to leadership and service. 2 min. read
Class of 2026: By the Numbers nocred By the Numbers Class of 2026: By the Numbers On May 18, more than 9,000 students are eligible to graduate at the University-wide Commencement ceremony, and Penn will confer eight honorary degrees. 3 min. read
A look back at the Class of 1776 “Upon the Report of the Examiners, the following candidates approved of as qualified by their standing and proficiency to be admitted to the Degree of Bachelor of Arts, are James Abercrombie, John Leeds Bos[z]man, John Clopton, William Cock[e], Thomas Duncan Smith, William Thomas, and Ralph Wiltshire; and a mandate was ordered to be made out for conferring on them their Degree of Bachelor of Arts on the 10th of June next.”(Image: Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania Minute Books, volume 2, 1768-1779; University Archives) A look back at the Class of 1776 At the time, the seven graduates of the class received Bachelor of Arts degrees in a private ceremony open only to faculty, trustees, and graduates—due to what was described as the “unsettled state of affairs.” 2 min. read
Penn students and alumni awarded Fulbright 2026-27 U.S. Student Program grants (Top row) Max Annunziata, Sangeetha Bhuyan, Solange Campos, and Nik Donoughe. (Second row) Preethi Jayaraman, Christine Kim, Enne Kim, Alexander Li, Noa Machover, and Shivek Narang. (Third row) Keanu Natan, Tammy Nguyen, Bedansh Pandey, Sophia Powell, Ana Richardson, and Grant Schatzman. (Bottom row) Andi Sycip, Julian Tash, Hannah Tsai, Zoie Weinsweig, and Claire Zhang.nocred Penn students and alumni awarded Fulbright 2026-27 U.S. Student Program grants The awardees will spend the 2026-27 academic year conducting research, pursuing graduate degrees, or teaching English overseas. 6 min. read
Thinking like a VMD, earlier Penn Vet’s Mary Lyle guides Class of 2026 student David Buckwalter through a successful tracheal intubation.(Image: Courtesy of Penn Vet) Thinking like a VMD, earlier Penn Vet’s graduating Class of 2026 is the first cohort to graduate its revamped four-year program designed to begin shaping their professional identities as animal care practitioners. 2 min. read
Penn receives $20M gift for middle-income student financial aid enhancements The gift from Wharton alumnus Greg Mondre and Alexandra Mondre will establish the Mondre Family Initiative, increasing tuition affordability for more than 1,000 families each year.nocred Penn receives $20M gift for middle-income student financial aid enhancements A landmark gift from Greg and Alexandra Mondre will provide endowed support for Penn’s Quaker Commitment. 3 min. read
‘The Red and Blue’— A primer Sung at all official University occasions, “The Red and Blue” was composed by William J. Goeckel, College Class of 1895 and Law Class of 1896. The words were written by Harry E. Westervelt, Medicine Class of 1898. nocred News ‘The Red and Blue’— A primer A key musical tradition at the University of Pennsylvania Commencement, “The Red and Blue” dates back not quite as far as founder Benjamin Franklin, but rather to two graduates of the 1890s.
Most who meet proposed CTE criteria do not show disease signs at autopsy Image: pangoasis via Getty Images Most who meet proposed CTE criteria do not show disease signs at autopsy New research from Penn Medicine finds proposed traumatic encephalopathy syndrome criteria often don’t match CTE pathology at autopsy, raising concerns about misdiagnosis and potential mental health impacts for at-risk groups. 2 min. read