Update: January AT PENN
Conferences
30 The University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law Symposium: Whose International Law? Power, Accountability, and Inequality in a Changing World; expert panels will explore how international law is adapting to three critical challenges: climate regulation, evolving trade and tariffs, and governance of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence technologies; 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; room 100, Golkin Hall; register: https://tinyurl.com/jil-conf-jan-30 (Penn Carey Law School).
Exhibits
31 A World in the Making: The Shakers; explores the design legacy of the Shakers, a religious group whose values of community, labor, and equality shaped their furniture, architecture, and everyday objects; through works by contemporary artists influenced by the Shakers, alongside original Shaker-made pieces, the exhibition considers how their design principles remain relevant today; Institute of Contemporary Art. Through August 9.
Fitness & Learning
28 Summer Research RPA Mixer; event for undergraduate students who are thinking about summer research opportunities, have questions about summer research applications, or are curious about getting started in research; 7 p.m.; Bodek Lounge, Houston Hall (Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships).
29 Our Faculty Voice: Understanding Shared Governance at Penn; Kathy Brown, chair of the Faculty Senate, will discuss the work of the Faculty Senate and the role of every faculty member in shared governance at Penn; noon; Zoom webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/pfwf-webinar-jan-29 (Penn Forum for Women Faculty & Gender Equity).
30 PAACH Mandala Coloring & Welcome Event; a mindfulness mandala coloring event to welcome the spring 2026 semester; mandalas created during the event will become part of the upcoming PAACH Mural; students will reflect on the cultural significance of mandalas and what they mean in their own lives; donuts and hot drinks will be provided; 3-4:30 p.m.; room 108, ARCH; register: https://www.tinyurl.com/paachmandala (Pan-Asian American Community House).
31 Migrating Lives: Mural Painting Session at Penn; a participatory art initiative that highlights the vital role of immigration in shaping Greater Philadelphia; brings together community voices through murals that reflect the history, culture, and lived experiences of immigrant and refugee communities; 1 p.m.; 3rd floor, Addams Hall (Asian American Studies, Sachs Program for Arts Innovation, Center for Latin American & Latinx Studies).
Morris Arboretum & Gardens
In-person events at Morris Arboretum & Gardens. Info and to register: https://www.morrisarboretum.org/.
28 Dancing in the Winter Light: An Embodied Movement Experience; hybrid indoor/outdoor class ideal for all fitness skill levels; chance to keep moving, warming ourselves from the inside out, combining elements of Open Floor Dance, Nia Technique and mindfulness practices; fee for three sessions: $80/general, $70/members. Also February 4, 11.
Penn Libraries
Various locations. Info and to register: https://www.library.upenn.edu/events.
28 Print Your Own Postcard: Learning How to Set Type and Letterpress-Print; learn and practice the basics of letterpress printing and typesetting while creating your own postcard; 1-4 p.m.; Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library.
Community Study Session: New Year, New You—Get Help with Goal Setting; a focused, supportive study environment with snacks and a librarian on hand to answer questions or help you get unstuck; 3-5 p.m.; Weigle Information Commons, Van Pelt Library.
29 Coffee with a Codex: Statutes of Vigliano d'Asti; Kislak Center curator Dot Porter will discuss Ms. Codex 55, a 15th century copy of the Statutes of Vigliano d'Asti; noon; online webinar.
Learn How to Use CAD and CAM Technologies; session regarding CAD and CAM technologies and its applications; 2 p.m.; Education Commons.
30 AI in the Classroom; explore ways to support student learning by integrating AI into teaching, setting expectations, and encouraging open dialogue around student AI use; 10 a.m.; room 223, Van Pelt Library.
Reinterpreting the Declaration: A Creative Typesetting Workshop; in this creative typesetting workshop, the Declaration text will be split amongst registered participants, and each participant will have the freedom to choose to include, edit, or redact the words in their segment; noon-5 p.m.; Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library. Also January 31, noon-5 p.m.
On Stage
31 Penn Raas Presents: Heist; premier garba/raas (Hindu folk dancing) team, composed of both undergraduate and graduate students; plans the heist of the year; 6 p.m.; Iron Gate Theater; tickets: $10-$12 (Platt Performing Arts House).
Penn Dhamaka Presents: DhaBron's Legacy; Penn Dhamaka, Penn’s premier competitive all-male fusion dance troupe, presents an explosive fusion of the LeBron James’s legendary career with high-octane South Asian fusion dance; 8:30 p.m.; Iron Gate Theater; tickets: $6-$8 (Platt Performing Arts House).
Readings & Signings
29 Roots to Routes; Judd Kessler, Wharton School; noon; room 1, College Hall; register: https://tinyurl.com/kessler-reading-jan-29 (SNF Paideia Program).
Talks
27 Taming High Energy Intermediates with Macromolecular Catalysis; Cole Sorensen, Princeton University; 10:30 a.m.; Carolyn Hoff Lynch Lecture Hall, 1973 Chemistry Building (Chemistry).
Ahead of the Disaster: Turning Prediction into Protection and Prevention; Mami Mizutori, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (2018-2023); Michael Mann, Earth & environmental science; noon; Perry World House and Zoom webinar; info: https://tinyurl.com/mizutori-mann-jan-27 (Perry World House).
28 Consistent Induction of Broadly Neutralizing HIV Antibodies in Rhesus Macaques; Beatrice Hahn, hematology-oncology; noon; Austrian Auditorium, CRB (Microbiology).
Lip Sync for Your Life: The Street Queen and Her Record Acts; Eva Pensis, GSWS; noon; room 344, Fisher-Bennett Hall (Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies).
Shade and the Capture of Light; Pujita Guha, Harvard University; noon; room 330, Fisher-Bennett Hall (Cinema & Media Studies).
What Pandemic-Era Experiments Can Teach Us About the Future of Public Space; Ariel Ben-Amos, Philadelphia Water Department; Jason Brody, Hunter College; Josh Davidson, Oberlin College; Tya Winn, Community Design Collective; noon; Plaza Gallery, Meyerson Hall; register: https://tinyurl.com/iur-talk-jan-28 (Penn Institute for Urban Research, City & Regional Planning).
Toward Task-Informed Robot Codesign; Wei-Hsi Chen, GRASP Lab; 3 p.m.; room 307, Levine Hall, and Zoom webinar; join: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/94772435044 (GRASP Lab).
Molecular Discovery Engines; Nicholas Angello, GlaxoSmithKline; 3:30 p.m.; Wu & Chen Auditorium, Levine Hall (Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering).
Agrarian History Without Boundaries; David Ludden, New York University; 4:30 p.m.; room 402, Cohen Hall (South Asia Studies).
Aoua Kéita, Yugoslav Women, and Global Socialist Feminisms; Alexandra Perišic, Faculty of Media & Communications, Belgrade, Serbia; 5 p.m.; room 623, Williams Hall (Cinema & Media Studies; Wolf Humanities Center).
Designing For, By, and With: Indigenous Voices of the Land: Sovereignty, Architecture, Sacred Land, and Education; Chief Dennis Coker, Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware; Lisa Prosper, ERA Architects; Joseph Kunkel, MASS Design; 6 p.m.; Kleinman Energy Forum, Fisher Fine Arts Library; register: https://tinyurl.com/mcharg-talk-jan-28 (McHarg Center).
The KPF Lecture: The Big Equation; Marcelo Faiden, Adamo-Faiden Studio; 6:30 p.m.; Plaza Gallery, Meyerson Hall (Architecture).
29 Redox-Driven Molecular Editing for Reconfiguring Macromolecular Architectures; Yuting Zhou, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; 10:30 a.m.; Carolyn Hoff Lynch Lecture Hall, 1973 Chemistry Building (Chemistry).
Special Briefing: The Year Ahead for Cities; panel of speakers; 11 a.m.; online webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/iur-talk-jan-29 (Penn Institute for Urban Research).
From Woo to Tangerines: How K-Drama Viewers Create “Glocal” Meanings Across Cultures; Youngji Son, Bryn Mawr College; noon; suite 310, 3600 Market Street (Korean Studies).
Migration and the Origins of American Citizenship-African Americans, Native Americans, and Immigrants; Anna O. Law, Brooklyn College; noon; room 240A, Silverman Hall (History).
Bridging Engineering and Biology: New Frontiers in Ovarian Function Restoration and Fertility Research; Ariella Shikanov, University of Michigan; 3:30 p.m.; Berger Auditorium, Skirkanich Hall (Bioengineering).
Non-Minimizing and Min-Max Solutions to Bernoulli Problems; Dennis Kriventsov, Rutgers University; 3:30 p.m.; room 4C4, DRL (Mathematics).
30 Learning the Dynamic World; Ming C. Lin, University of Maryland, College Park; 10:30 a.m.; Wu & Chen Auditorium, Levine Hall (GRASP Lab).
The Causal Effects of Federal Work-Study Offers on College Enrollment & Program Participation; Judith Scott-Clayton, Columbia University; noon; room 259, Stiteler Hall (Graduate School of Education).
Demographic Drivers: Immigration’s Role in Workforce Sustainability; Matthew Hall, Cornell University; Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes, University of California-Merced; Phillip Connor, Princeton University; Chloe East, University of Colorado-Boulder; Irma Elo, sociology; noon; online webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/psc-talk-jan-30 (Population Studies Center).
Subtle Hands: Women, Sexology, and the Genealogy of Female Same-Sex Love Discourse in East Asia (1910s–1930s); Marina Nascimento, East Asian languages & civilizations; noon; room 330, Fisher-Bennett Hall (Cinema & Media Studies).
This is an update to the January AT PENN calendar, which is online now. The February AT PENN calendar appears in this issue of Almanac. To submit events for future AT PENN calendars or weekly updates, email almanac@upenn.edu.