Conferences

31        The Scales of Suffering: Neo-Lachrymosity and the Writing of Jewish History; will examine how scholars have balanced the weight of suffering with accounts of creativity, adaptation, and joy in Jewish life; 9 a.m.-6:45 p.m.; Penn Museum; register: https://tinyurl.com/katz-conf-mar-31 (Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies).

Exhibits

26        Brodsky Gallery Opening: Student Exhibit; will feature visual art by Philadelphia college students; Brodsky Gallery, Kelly Writers House. Opening poetry reading: March 26, 6 p.m.

Films

25        The Beautiful Summer; Ginia, seventeen, experiences the ecstasy and turmoil that characterize the mysterious journey into adulthood; 6 p.m.; room 543, Williams Hall (Cinema & Media Studies).

Fitness & Learning

26        Cyanotype Workshop with Yannick Lowery; will teach participants how to assemble and develop unique and personal cyanotype prints; 3-6 p.m.; Institute of Contemporary Art; register: https://tinyurl.com/ica-cyanotype-mar-26 (Institute of Contemporary Art).

27        Careers in the Art and Creative Industries; special panel that explores the career paths of individuals working in the art and creative industries, including artists, art administrators, and creatives working at the intersection of contemporary art, publishing, community engagement, and more; 5-8 p.m.; Institute of Contemporary Art; register: https://tinyurl.com/ica-careers-mar-27 (Institute of Contemporary Art).

30        Sunday Reset with Coach Shay; invites participants to unplug and connect with their senses through a combined meditative yoga and sound bath experience; 2-4 p.m.; Institute of Contemporary Art; register: https://tinyurl.com/ica-sunday-reset-mar-30 (Institute of Contemporary Art).  

31        Summer Housing Info Session; students staying in Philadelphia for summer break who need to find housing are invited to a session that will explain the different options for summer housing and offer tips and tricks to find a place that’s right for you; 7 p.m.; Ben Franklin Room, Houston Hall (Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships).

Graduate School of Education

Various locations. Info and to register: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/news/events-calendar.

26        Navigating Excellence and Uncertainty: Supporting Chinese International Students; Yingyi Ma, Syracuse University, will direct a session for faculty and staff; noon; rooms 355-357, 3700 Walnut Street. Student Session: March 27, 11:30 a.m.; rooms 355-356, 3700 Walnut Street.

27        Learning Analytics and Artificial Intelligence MSEd Virtual Information Session; 7 p.m.; online webinar.

Penn Libraries

Workshops open to the Penn community. Various locations. Info and to register: https://www.library.upenn.edu/events.

25        An Introduction to Machine Learning; information session for people interested in machine learning who don’t know where to begin; 11 a.m.; RDDSK Space, Van Pelt Library.

26        Weave Your Own Bookmark; learn how to weave your own bookmark using a laser cut frame loom; 2:30 p.m.; seminar room level B, Fisher Fine Arts Library.

27        Shop Talk: Iron Handpress & Book Imposition; participatory demonstration of the use and operation of our 19th century iron handpress, and how books were set and printed on the press; 5 p.m.; Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library.

28        Turn Research Into Action: Library Tools for Entrepreneurs; smart founders do their research — learn how to use Penn’s library tools to find market data, validate ideas, and gain a competitive edge; 3 p.m.; room 706, Tangen Hall.

31        Introduction to Bookbinding: Saddle Stitch, Accordions and Single Page Books; explores the fundamentals of hand bookbinding, including basic sewing and paper-folding skills, vocabulary, and the use of bookbinding tools; noon; Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library.

Music

28        Dischord Presents: The Oschords; Penn’s premier pop and R&B a cappella group presents a night of unforgettable performances and award-worthy music; 8:30 p.m.; Iron Gate Theater; tickets: $11-$13 (Platt Performing Arts House). Also March 29, 8:30 p.m.

            PennSori Presents “Sori Game 2”; an intense Squid Game-esque battle for survival with the greatest Korean acapella group on campus; 8:30 p.m.; Class of 1949 Auditorium, Houston Hall; tickets: $9-$13 (Platt Performing Arts House). Also March 29, 8:30 p.m.

29        Penn K-Beats Presents “You Can’t Sit With K-Beats”; Penn K-Beats brings the drama, the glam, and the killer moves straight from the K-POP stage; 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; Iron Gate Theater; tickets: $12-$15 (Platt Performing Arts House).

            Penn Masala Presents “Spring Show”; experience Squid Games with Penn Masala, the world’s first South Asian a cappella group, performing a live show featuring Bollywood and Western pop mashups; 7 p.m.; Irvine Auditorium; tickets: $10-$13 (Platt Performing Arts House).

On Stage

28        Front Row Theatre Company Presents “The Wolves”; a portrait of conflict, strength, and the love and friendship that bring people together through their toughest times; 6 p.m.; Class of 1949 Auditorium, Houston Hall; tickets: $5-$10 (Platt Performing Arts House). Also March 29, 1 and 5 p.m.

            Sparks Dance Company Presents “Howdy, Sparks!”; get ready to boogie and throw down with Sparks Dance Company; 6 p.m.; Iron Gate Theater; tickets: $8-$10 (Platt Performing Arts House). Also March 29, 6 p.m.

            Penn Singers Presents “Sunday in the Park with George”; based on Georges Seurat’s painting “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,” this production explores an artist’s creative process, beginning with a blank canvas, and the relationships that emerge; 7 p.m.; Harold Prince Theater, Annenberg Center; tickets: $5-$10 (Platt Performing Arts House). Also March 29, 1 and 7 p.m.

Penn Live Arts

In-person events. Info and tickets: https://pennlivearts.org/events/.

27        Wharton Dance Studio Showcase 2025; a premier dance performance event that brings together MBA students and the broader Penn graduate community to celebrate movement, music, and artistic expression; 8 p.m.; Zellerbach Theater, Annenberg Center; tickets: $30.

29        TEDxPenn 2025: Volta; the largest student-run TEDx conference in the world explores the capacity in each of us for the Italian concept of “volta,” a moment that reshapes how we see the world and ourselves; 10:30 a.m.; Zellerbach Theater, Annenberg Center; tickets: $35-$55.

Readings & Signings

27        Faux Feminism; Serene Khader, City University of New York; Enemy Feminisms; Sophie Lewis, scholar; 5 p.m.; room 110, Annenberg School; register: https://tinyurl.com/khader-lewis-mar-27 (Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies).

            Power, Politics and Territory in the “New Northern Ireland”; Vincent Reina, Weitzman School of Design; Elizabeth DeYoung, School of Social Policy & Practice; 5:30 p.m.; room 403, McNeil Building; register: https://tinyurl.com/iur-reading-mar-27 (Penn Institute for Urban Research).

Talks

25        Cyber-Physical Security Through the Lens of AI-Enabled Systems; Zhiyuan Yu, Washington University in St. Louis; 3:30 p.m.; room 414, Amy Gutmann Hall (Computer & Information Science).

            A Transformational Approach to Gesture in Shō Performance; Toru Momii, Harvard University; 5:15 p.m.; room 101, Lerner Building (Music).

            Painting the Human Face in Classical Greece; Dimitris Plantzos, University of Athens; 6:30 p.m.; Penn Museum (Penn Museum).

26        Building Resilience Against Poverty: Examining Socioeconomic Strengthening and Mental Health Outcomes Among Young Women in Kampala, Uganda; Monica H. Swahn, Kennesaw State University; 9 a.m.; room 701, Blockley Hall, and Zoom webinar; join: https://pennmedicine.zoom.us/j/96442998641 (Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics).

            Controlling Language Models; Xiang Lisa Li, Stanford University; noon; room 414, Amy Gutmann Hall, and Zoom webinar; join: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/93867005722 (SEAS ASSET Center).

            Multiferroic MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS): Tiny Devices That Sense, Communicate, and Harvest Energy; Troy Olsson, electrical & systems engineering; noon; room 506EW, Jordan Medical Education Center; register; https://tinyurl.com/olsson-talk-mar-26 (PSOM Deans’ Distinguished Visiting Professorship Seminar).

            Presidential Endorsements: A Dying Journalistic Practice? Margaret Sullivan, Guardian U.S.; David T. Z. Mindich, Temple University; Caitlin Petre, Rutgers University; noon; room 500, Annenberg School (Center for Media at Risk).

            Harnessing Physical Intelligence for Collective Motion in Robotic Matter; Danna Ma, Cornell University; 3 p.m.; room 307, Levine Hall, and Zoom webinar; join: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/98540261772 (GRASP Lab).

            How Is Trump 2.0 Reshaping the Administrative State?; panel of speakers; 3 p.m.; Zoom webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/carey-talk-mar-26 (Carey Law School).

            Motility Regulation as a Self-Organization Principle; Julien Tailleur, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; 3:30 p.m.; room A8, DRL (Physics & Astronomy).

            Should Educators Share Their Political Views in Classrooms?; panel of speakers; 5 p.m.; Class of 1978 Orrery Pavilion, Van Pelt Library; register: https://tinyurl.com/gse-talk-mar-26 (Graduate School of Education).

            Connection and Liberation Through Psychedelics: Ayahuasca Ceremonies with Israelis and Palestinians – A Unique Peacebuilding Approach; Leor Roseman, Imperial College London; 5:15 p.m.; room 150, McNeil Building; register: https://tinyurl.com/roseman-talk-mar-26 (Paideia Program).

            The Vietnamese Revolution in Perspective: 50 Years Since the End of War in Vietnam; Peter Zinoman, UC Berkeley; Tuong Vu, University of Oregon; Justin McDaniel, religious studies; 5:15 p.m.; room 261, Stiteler Hall; register: https://tinyurl.com/ceas-talk-mar-26 (Center for East Asian Studies).

            Craniosacral Therapy; Corrie Crowe, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital; 5:30 p.m.; online webinar; register: https://cde.dental.upenn.edu/Course/1601-Craniosacral-Therapy (Penn Dental Medicine).

27        Wavelength-Encoded Nanolaser Particles for Highly Multiplexed Single-Cell Analysis; Sangyeon (Fred) Cho, Harvard University; 11 a.m.; room 225, Towne Building (Electrical & Systems Engineering).

            The Forever Wars and the U.S. Military; Mara Karlin, Johns Hopkins University; noon; Perry World House; register: https://tinyurl.com/karlin-talk-mar-27 (Perry World House).

            The Size of Teachers as a Measure of Data Complexity: PAC-Bayes Excess Risk Bounds and Scaling Laws; Dan Roy, University of Toronto; noon; room 414, Amy Gutmann Hall, and Zoom webinar; join: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/98220304722 (SEAS IDEAS Center).

            Methodological Challenges in the Evaluation of Local Policy Effects on Overdose Outcomes; Samrachana Adhikari, New York University; 1 p.m.; room 701, Blockley Hall, and Zoom webinar; join: https://tinyurl.com/adhikari-talk-mar-27 (Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Informatics).

            Unlocking Scalable Robot Learning in the Real World; Karl Pertsch, UC Berkeley and Stanford University; 3:30 p.m.; room 307, Levine Hall (Computer & Information Science).

            Atheism and Theodicy in Classical Athens; Joshua Billings, Princeton University; 4:45 p.m.; room 402, Cohen Hall (Classical Studies).

28        Perception-Rich Robot Autonomy with Neural Environment Models; Mac Schwager, Stanford University; 10:30 a.m.; Wu & Chen Auditorium, Levine Hall, and Zoom webinar; join: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/98078542805 (GRASP Lab).

            Indigenous Voices in the Archives: Surveying Native Collections in the Kislak Center; Emily Jean Leischner, American Philosophical Society; noon; online webinar; register: https://libcal.library.upenn.edu/calendar/kislak/indigenous_voices (Kislak Center).

            Executive Leadership Dialogue; Jordan A. Harris, House Majority Appropriations Chairman; 1 p.m.; location TBA; info: https://tinyurl.com/harris-talk-mar-28 (Fels Institute of Government).

31        PIT-UN Fire PIT Chat; April Chen, Microsoft; noon; online webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/chen-talk-mar-31 (Paideia Program).

            Deprivatized Emotions, Public Feelings: Kenneth B. Clark and the Psychologization of Antiblack Environments, 1940s–1950s; Kelsey Henry, Princeton University; 3:30 p.m.; room 392, Cohen Hall (History & Sociology of Science).

Economics

In-person events. Info: https://economics.sas.upenn.edu/events.

26        A Double Dose of Reform: Insurance and Centralized Negotiation in Drug Markets; Ashley Swanson, University of Wisconsin-Madison; 3:30 p.m.; room 100, PCPSE.

            Efficient Imperfect Competition; Guido Menzio, New York University; 4 p.m.; room 101, PCPSE.

31        “Small Data”: Inference with Occasionally Observed States; Alexandros Gilch, University of Bonn; noon; room 200, PCPSE.

Mathematics

Various locations. Info: https://www.math.upenn.edu/events.

25        Irregularity in the Multi-D Derivative Martingale; Cole Graham, University of Wisconsin-Madison3:30 p.m.; room 4C8, DRL.

This is an update to the March AT PENN calendar. To contribute events to upcoming Almanac monthly AT PENN calendars and weekly updates, email almanac@upenn.edu.