Becky Young, a former lecturer and adjunct professor of photography of fine arts in the Weitzman School of Design, died on October 24. She was 85.

Ms. Young earned her bachelor of fine arts in 1961 from the Rhode Island School of Design, focusing on painting. While there, she had an assistantship with the renowned photographer Harry Callahan, which inspired her to take up photography. She worked as a medical photographer for Massachusetts General Hospital while teaching at the Boston Center for Adult Education from 1964 to 1967. During this period, she expanded her expertise in commercial and portrait photography, contributing to various journals and magazines.

Ms. Young joined Penn’s faculty in 1975 and spent 30 years there building Penn’s photography program, making it one of Penn’s most popular fine arts offerings. She attracted students from across the university, inspiring them to “create something out of nothing” and question societal narratives. At Penn, Ms. Young led courses ranging from Photography I to her acclaimed Visual Diary course, where students explored personal themes visually. This transformative course typified her teaching style, which extended beyond the classroom as she hosted students at her home and studio, fostering a deeply connected and inspiring environment. Ms. Young retired from Penn in 2005.

Julie Saecker Schneider, former undergraduate chair of fine arts, reflected on Ms. Young’s impact: “Rarely does a teacher exhibit the magnetism that Becky Young did. Students from all over the University of Pennsylvania flocked to her, regardless of their major. Certainly, her skill as a photographer attracted these savvy students, but so did her warmth, availability, and openness. She accepted whatever visual path a student wanted to pursue, never compromising on craft and demanding conceptual rigor.”

She received the Weitzman School’s G. Holmes Perkins Award for Distinguished Teaching in Undergraduate Programs in 2005.

In addition to Ms. Young’s teaching at Penn, she also taught at the University City Arts League in Philadelphia for several years. After retiring from Penn, she continued to work in many mediums and a wide range of subjects. “Becky never stopped looking deeply into her own soul, processing the world around her and manifesting all and everything in her profound, diverse, beautiful, and prolific output,” said her friend Nancy Hellebrand. In 2006, Ms. Young was honored by the Mid-Atlantic chapter of the Society for Photographic Education with its Teacher of the Year Award.

Several students’ tributes to Ms. Young can be read here.

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