How American English has evolved since the country’s founding
In honor of the 250th anniversary of America, Penn Today spoke with linguist Gareth Roberts about some of the ways that accents have emerged and word meanings have shifted since colonial times.
The birth of a child can cause one member of a couple to specialize more in paid work and the other in childcare, but sociology and demography Ph.D. student Emily Curran found that female same-sex couples specialize less than different-sex couples or male same-sex couples.
In her new book, Annenberg School for Communication professor Sarah J. Jackson traces how historical and contemporary writers, journalists, and filmmakers have strengthened the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Consulting for a more sustainable future in Philadelphia and beyond
The undergraduate and graduate students involved in Penn Sustainability Consulting provide pro bono services to business, nonprofit, and government clients around the globe.
Penn researchers identified two competing visions of nonprofit news, a restorationist vision and a transformational vision, and calculated the cost of implementing each vision.
The new book “Side Effects: The Social Ecology of Adverse Drug Reactions,” by sociologist Jason Schnittker and former Ph.D. student Duy Do, makes the case that side effects are a product of social, cultural, and institutional forces.
The grass beneath the American dream: Exploring the many facets of lawns
Jay Kirk’s Xfic Nonfiction Workshop this past semester focused on the American lawn—which students approached through the lenses of environmental studies, history, gender and media, veterinary medicine, and more.
Student filmmakers Harper Prentice and Hosaena Tilahun interviewed Alisha Davis, a former history teacher who has served as the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Hyperlocal Heritage archivist since August 2025. As part of America 250, Davis has been surveying collections held at Parkway Central Library and identifying archival materials for digitization, use in programming, and preservation.
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Penn filmmaking class shares the stories of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods
Graduate and undergraduate students in Alissa Jordan’s course partnered with community organizations to create five short films that touch on education, archiving, and grassroots organizing in Germantown, Northeast Philadelphia, and West Philadelphia.
Celebrating Penn’s 270th Commencement at a historic moment
Reflecting on the 250th anniversary of the United States, speakers invoked American traditions and provided guidance on building a meaningful life in a fast-changing world. Graduates, cheered on by family and friends, celebrated their part in Penn’s storied history.
