Campus Events

The Penn Museum Library’s 8th annual student fieldwork photography exhibit will feature photos taken by Penn students conducting fieldwork and research across the world. Contributors include student photographers from Penn’s departments of Ancient History, Anthropology, Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World (AAMW), Classics, East Asian Languages & Civilizations (EALC), History of Art, and Middle Eastern Languages and Civilizations. Free and open to Penn students, faculty, and staff.

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.

Part of America 250 at Penn programming, this exhibition surveys the revolutions that shook the Atlantic world in the 1790s—and the profound changes that resulted—from France to Haiti to Philadelphia. The books, documents, objects, and images on display will challenge visitors with the questions posed during that revolutionary era. Free and open to the public.

On view for the first time in the U.S., this exhibition—blending arts with archeology—features century-old watercolors documenting Egyptian tomb paintings. Created by Egyptian artist Ahmed Yousef during Penn Museum excavations in the early 1920s, these paintings vividly record elaborately decorated funerary chapels from Dra Abu el-Naga, a key burial ground of elite officials and priests during Egypt’s New Kingdom (ca. 1550–1070 BCE). Included with Museum admission.

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.

On August 18-19, new students can visit the annual New Student Resource Fair to learn about dozens of University resources, services, and programs. Attendees will have an opportunity to win prizes and enjoy light refreshments and entertainment throughout Houston Hall.

New Student Orientation between Aug. 19-24 offers incoming undergraduate students a comprehensive introduction to academic and campus life at Penn. Throughout the week, students can enjoy enrichment programs designed to support their growth, engagement, and leadership development throughout their undergraduate journey. Free and open to Penn students.

This presentation will chart the pathway from the February 2025 National Library of Medicine’s Yellow Fever Panel Exhibit and Discussion to an evolving partnership in support of Department of History and Sociology of Science associate professor Rana Hogarth’s undergraduate interdisciplinary scholars within Holman Biotech Commons and Penn Libraries. The session will explore how this collaboration has flourished, and how experiences with students surfaced critical questions about AI and historical research. Free and open to the public. Register to attend either virtually or in person.

During New Student Orientation, transfer students can join this tour of University City District and surrounding West Philadelphia neighborhoods. Open to Penn transfer students.

This program invites students to check out the Penn Libraries, grab a few treats, and view some treasures. Participants can dance at a silent disco, try their hand at Quizzo (Philly Trivia), make a postcard, and more. Free and open to Penn students.

New students are invited to use this dedicated time to take a self-guided tour across campus and discover the locations of Penn’s multitude of services. A tour map is available on the New Student Orientation website.

Part of New Student Orientation, attendees will learn from the Penn Traditions and Alumni Relations teams about Penn’s traditions and history, as well as play games and enjoy snacks.

In this immersive session at the historic Palestra, new students will be welcomed to the Class of 2030. Learn about the University values that guide the community and meet people here to help. Attendees receive their New Student Orientation wristbands upon entry. Penn ID is required. No bags are permitted.

Part of New Student Orientation, first-year students can head over to Franklin Field to receive their class shirt and take their class photo.

New students can get acquainted with Penn’s comprehensive bookstore—a central hub to shop and hang out—during this New Student Orientation program. Visitors can enjoy music, desserts, and raffle drawings in the second-floor café.

Students are invited to kick off the year with Penn Campus Recreation. Attendees can explore all five floors of the Pottruck Health and Fitness Center and learn about the numerous amenities, resources, and activities that Campus Recreation has to offer. Activities include a live DJ, photobooth, smoothie bar, free T-shirts (as supplies last), a canoe competition for second-years in Sheerr Pool, and a Super Smash Bros. tournament hosted by TAP Esports on the 4th floor. Participants can also learn about student employment opportunities. Free and open to Penn students.

New students can join their fellow classmates during New Student Orientation for free guided tours throughout Philadelphia and discover more about their new home.

This program during New Student Orientation provides an opportunity to discover people, places, and programs at the University. Participants can explore Houston Hall and the ARCH, meet representatives from campus and student organizations, and discover resources that support Penn students academically, socially, and professionally. Attendees can ask questions, enjoy food, connect with students, and discover everything from academic tutoring, wellness services, and campus recreation to safety resources, leadership opportunities, and cultural communities. Free and open to the Penn community.

Meet some of the funniest student-led groups on campus during New Student Orientation. On view are five of Penn’s premier comedy groups and their bands, including Bloomers, Simply Chaos, Penn Six, Without a Net, and Mask and Wig, performing everything from sketch comedy to improv. Free and open to the Penn community.

This formal ceremony inducts the Class of 2030 and new transfer students into the Penn community, with a music and a dessert reception afterward. Penn ID is required. No bags are permitted.

Penn graduate and professional students are invited to attend this guided walking tour of green spaces on campus. Participants can explore known and hidden gems for recharging, relaxing, and exercising. Attendees will also learn about on- and off-campus events and things to do in Philadelphia. Sunscreen and water bottles are encouraged. Registration is required. Meet in the Welfer Common Room at the Graduate Student Center. Must have a Penn graduate ID to attend.

The 2026 Venture Expo, hosted by Venture Lab, enables current Penn students to explore co-curricular programs, discover entrepreneurship clubs, and learn how to take the next step in their entrepreneurial journey. The Expo offers pathways for skill-building, mentorship, funding, and more. Free and open to Penn students, faculty, and staff. Entry is first-come, first-served. Register to attend.

Marking Perry World House’s first public event of the academic year, this panel will focus on the most pressing challenges facing the world today. From international conflict to climate change, several experts will unpack the issues and opportunities expected to impact global policy this year, and explore how we might respond.

This program brings together dozens of student performing arts groups for a series of short, get-to-know-you performances. Organized by the PAC Executive Board with support from Platt Student Performing Arts House and the PAC Shop, this event invites all students to get a taste of the various performing clubs at Penn.

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.

This annual program offers an opportunity to learn about student-led Writers House activities and initiatives, including magazines, writing groups, film production, and more. Attendees will have a chance to meet student leaders and representatives from numerous campus groups. Free and open to the Penn community.

Mask & Wig and Bloomers Comedy’s annual Free Show is an annual tradition featuring comedy and music to kick off the academic year. Content warning: strong language; adult content; prop gun and sound effects. Reserve tickets in advance.

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.

During New Student Orientation, the Platt Student Performing Arts House’s Theater Arts Council will host a short concert musical production, followed by a “meet and theat” for students to meet and interact. Free and open to the Penn community.

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.

Led by Marilyn Howarth, adjunct associate professor in the Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics at the Perelman School of Medicine, this Penn Climate seminar will focus on how the changing climate interfaces with existing environmental challenges, including the health impacts that particularly affect already-vulnerable populations. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

This informal reception will provide a chance to get to know the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and opportunities at the Center for students, meet faculty and staff, and share insights. The program will take place in the Kleinman Center’s Energy Forum, located on the 4th floor of the Fisher Fine Arts Building. Light refreshments will be served. Free and open to the Penn community.

The Rotunda will host a free screening of science fiction thriller film “Sisters of the Shattered Moon.” The movie follows the story of a teenage girl who discovers the hidden corruption behind her idyllic, high-tech society in the clouds, and is cast out into a shadowy, perpetual-night underworld. To save her sisters from tyrannical overlords, she must navigate environmental collapse and unite with unlikely allies in a high-stakes battle for freedom.

This monthly student-run open mic night welcomes all kinds of readings and performances. With a sign-up sheet on arrival, participants will have three minutes to perform. Bring your poetry, your guitar, your dance troupe, your award-winning essay, or your flash fiction to share—or just visit to celebrate the work of classmates, colleagues, and fellow writers. Free and open to the Penn community.

To celebrate the opening of the exhibition “To Secure These Rights: 150 Years of Women at Penn,” recognizing the 150th anniversary of women officially enrolling in courses at the University of Pennsylvania, a panel of women—alumnae, faculty, and administrators—will discuss the place of women at Penn, reflecting on the past, considering the present, and imagining the future. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

During this Kelly Writers House conversation, participants will be invited to explore films from the mid-20th century from the perspective of the 2020s. Three scholar-teachers will reckon with the current decade by considering the 1950s and 1960s, two crucial turning-point decades. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

Penn has more than a dozen special collections libraries, featuring thousands of rare books, manuscripts, artworks, and artifacts. Five curators from several different Penn collections will share insights into navigating the rich set of resources available. Lunch will be served. Registration is encouraged.

This opening reception will mark the launch of the Arthur Ross Gallery’s fall exhibition “At Liberty: Life in the City of Brotherly Love During the Early Republic,” which will explore Philadelphia during the nation’s formative years through paintings, sculptures, and works on paper drawn from major regional and national collections. Guests can enjoy special remarks from the curator and distinguished guests, themed refreshments inspired by the era, and a live performance by the Penn Shabbatones, the University’s premier Jewish a cappella group. Free and open to the public. Reserve tickets in advance.

A practice called “democratic listening” has shown promise when used by Penn students on multiple trips to communities across Pennsylvania. Having trained and led students on those trips, Lia C. Howard, a political scientist and fellows director for the SNF Paideia Program, will share some early findings that magnify how to reduce current political polarization in the U.S. This event is part of America 250 at Penn programming. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.

During this Kelly Writers House panel, award-winning short story author Isabel J. Kim and TechCrunch senior writer Amanda Silberling—both co-hosts of “Wow If True,” a podcast about internet culture—will facilitate a conversation themed around “Predicting the Future: Real and Imagined Technologies.” Free and open to the Penn community.

This University-wide career fair covers a range of industries, including consulting, consumer products, education, finance, government, healthcare, insurance, marketing/communications, manufacturing, nonprofits, real estate, retail, and more. Open to all on-campus students, postdocs, and alumni served by Career Services.