Update: October AT PENN
Conferences
24 Scaling Stories: A Media & Entertainment Conference; brings together industry leaders from CAA, BCG, NBCUniversal, etc. to discuss how streaming, artificial intelligence, and evolving production models are shaping the future of entertainment; 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Huntsman Hall; register: https://cglink.me/2cz/r122509 (Wharton UME; Cinema & Media Studies).
Films
26 The Rocky Horror Picture Show Watch Party; screening of the Halloween cult classic film; 7:30 p.m.; lobby, Platt Student Performing Arts House (Platt House, LGBT Center).
Fitness & Learning
22 Garden Mindfulness Meetup Sponsored by Nature Sacred; connect with the garden surroundings through a 30-minute intentional journaling exercise, then mingle and enjoy a small treat underneath the colorful fall trees; 2 p.m.; Warden Garden, Penn Museum; register: https://tinyurl.com/museum-garden-oct-22 (Penn Museum).
Master of Communication and Media Industries Info Session; learn about the Annenberg School’s newest master’s program offering; 6 p.m.; room 500, Annenberg School; register: https://tinyurl.com/mcmi-info-oct-22 (Annenberg School for Communication).
24 Laser Ablation Workshop; learn about the use of Nd:YAG laser systems to clean architectural materials, including a lecture on how laser cleaning works and descriptions of both low frequency (fixed optic) and high frequency (scanning optic) systems and a short practicum where students can test both types of system on sample materials; 9 a.m.; Center for Architectural Conservation, 42nd and Locust Streets; fee: $350; register: https://tinyurl.com/laser-ablation-oct-24 (Historic Preservation).
26 Sunday Reset with Coach Shay; invites participants to unplug and connect with their senses through a meditative experience inspired by current ICA exhibition Mavis Pusey: Mobile Images; 2 p.m.; ICA; register: https://icaphila.org/events/programs/sunday-reset-with-coach-shay-2/ (Institute of Contemporary Art).
28 Texas Firm Fair; learn more about a variety of firms with offices in Texas as they recruit for their 1L summer classes, and join their attorneys for a networking happy hour after stopping by the different tables available; 4:30 p.m.; Levy Conference Center, Silverman Hall (Penn Carey Law).
Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships
In-person events in room G08/09, College Hall. Info: https://curf.upenn.edu/events.
22 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Writing Workshop; undergraduate students applying for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) are invited to participate in this two-hour interactive writing workshop; 10 a.m.
Penn Libraries
Various locations. Info: https://www.library.upenn.edu/events.
21 Free Open Access Publishing Through Penn Libraries’ Agreements With Publishers; will provide an overview of some of the most common open access publishing models and the Penn Libraries' current agreements with publishers; 11 a.m.; online webinar.
Intro to the Academic Publishing Lifecycle; learn how to identify suitable publication venues, comply with submission guidelines, navigate the review process, and get published; 3 p.m.; Research Data and Digital Scholarship Exchange, Van Pelt Library.
22 History of Letterpress Printing and Typography: A Tour and Demonstration; guided tour and demonstration of letterpress printing and typography, including the history of letterpress printing, type and books from 1000 CE to now; noon; Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library.
Making Sense of the Creative Commons Licenses and the New CC Signals; will discuss what the Creative Commons licenses are, how they work, and why you may select one over another; 2 p.m.; room 241, Van Pelt Library.
Research Poster Design; will show students and professionals how to effectively condense their work, communicate their findings in a visually appealing way, and more; 4:45 p.m.; online webinar.
23 Coffee with a Codex: Sephardim in England; Judaica special collections cataloging librarian Louis Meiselman will discuss CAJS Rar Ms. 534, a manuscript written by Moses Gomez de Mesquita documenting his administration and institution of prayer customs for the Sephardim in England; noon; online webinar.
Open Source Geospatial Data and Tools; learn how to access, analyze, and use these open-source tools for mapping, spatial analysis, and decision-making; 4 p.m.; Research Data and Digital Scholarship Exchange, Van Pelt Library.
27 Intro to Molding/Casting: Candle Making Workshop Part 2; turn your 3D-printed objects into beeswax candles using the process of molding and casting; 2-4 p.m.; Education Commons Makerspace.
28 Studio Use Training: Letterpress Printing; learn and practice the basics of letterpress printing and typesetting; 11 a.m.; Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library.
Lippincott's Snack Stop: Destress & Discover; unwind and sample exciting food creations from Penn’s student entrepreneurs; 4-5:30 p.m.; room 242, Van Pelt Library.
On Stage
23 Penn Dance Company & Penn Glee Club Presents After Dark; Penn Dance Company and the Penn Glee Club continue their annual collaboration with a selection of pieces highlighting the allure of nightfall; program features captivating artistry with the Glee Club's choral and instrumental pieces, Penn Dance Company's captivating dance numbers, and a variety of collaborative pieces; 8 p.m.; Iron Gate Theater; tickets: $8-$15 (Platt Student Performing Arts House). Also October 24, 7 p.m.; October 25, 5 p.m.
Readings & Signings
21 America’s Middle East: The Ruination of a Region; Marc Lynch, George Washington University; noon; World Forum, Perry World House; register: https://tinyurl.com/lynch-reading-oct-21 (Perry World House).
Special Events
26 2025 Trot for Trainees; the Wistar Trainee Association’s annual 2-mile fun run/walk; all funds raised will directly support training, education, and the development of our next generation of biomedical researchers; 10 a.m.; starts at the Wistar Institute, ends at the Rocky Statue; registration: $20; register: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/wistartrotfortrainees2025/ (Wistar Institute).
Talks
21 Democratic Repercussions of Media Fragmentation; panel of speakers; room 500, Annenberg School, and Zoom webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/annenberg-panel-oct-21 (Annenberg School for Communication).
Gendered Dimensions of Climate Change: Impacts and Responses in Rural Zimbabwe; Kiriana Dube, Africana studies; noon; room 330A, 3401 Walnut Street; register: https://tinyurl.com/dube-talk-oct-21 (Africana Studies).
The Future of Literary Knowledge as a University Institution; Christopher Newfield, University of California Santa Barbara; 3:30 p.m.; room 401, Fisher-Bennett Hall (English).
The 2025 Honorable Arlin M. Adams Lecture in Law, Religion and the First Amendment; John Fabian Witt, Yale University; 4:30 p.m.; room 100, Golkin Hall; register: https://penncareylaw.cventevents.com/ll11nB (Penn Carey Law).
22 Suspended Education: School Punishment and the Legacy of Racial Injustice; Aaron Kupchik, University of Delaware; noon; room 403, McNeil Building (Sociology).
The Versatility of Perovskite Materials for Optoelectronics; Michael Saliba, University of Stuttgart; 2 p.m.; room 114, Skirkanich Hall (Electrical & Systems Engineering).
Harnessing the Whole Power of CMB Lensing with the Atacama Cosmology Telescope; Irene Abri-Cabezas, Cambridge University; 3:30 p.m.; room 4E19, DRL (Physics & Astronomy).
23 On-Chip Topological Photonics for Terahertz 6G to XG Wireless; Ranjan Singh, University of Notre Dame; 10:30 a.m.; Wu & Chen Auditorium, Levine Hall (Materials Science & Engineering).
Climate Change and Communication; Allie Sinclair, Communication Neuroscience Lab and Annenberg Public Policy Center; 11 a.m.; room 300, Annenberg School; register: https://tinyurl.com/climate101fall25 (Environmental Innovations Initiative).
New Pathways for Energy Efficient Computing Hardwre; Sayeef Salahuddin, University of California Berkeley; 11 a.m.; room 225, Towne Building (Electrical & Systems Engineering).
Building Networks for Urban Wildlife Research: Biodiversity and Disease Across Cities; Mason Fidino, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago; noon; room 130, Hill Pavilion, and Zoom webinar; info: https://tinyurl.com/fidino-talk-oct-23 (Environmental Innovations Initiative).
GovTech Is Policy: The Boring, Complex, Unsolved Underbelly of India’s Governance Challenges; Harsh Nisar, National Highways Authority of India; noon; room 230, PCPSE (Center for the Advanced Study of India).
An Information Geometric Understanding of Deep Learning; Pratik Chaudhari, computer & information science; noon; room 414, Gutmann Hall (SEAS IDEAS Center, PennAI, Statics & Data Science).
2025-2026 Visiting Artist Lecture Series; Carmen Winant, Ohio State University; 6 p.m.; Institute of Contemporary Art (Fine Arts; Institute of Contemporary Art).
24 Creole Formal Syntax/Semantics; Stéphane Térosier, University at Buffalo; 10:15 a.m.; room 110, Annenberg School (Linguistics).
Powering Decarbonization with Modeling and Optimization of Renewables in the Multi-Scale Atmosphere; Michael F. Howland, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; 2 p.m.; room 534, 3401 Walnut Street (Penn Institute for Computational Science).
25 Curating Mavis Pusey: Mobile Images; Hallie Ringle, ICA; Kiki Teshome, Studio Museum in Harlem; 2 p.m.; ICA, and Zoom webinar; register: https://icaphila.org/events/programs/curating-mavis-pusey-mobile-images/ (Institute of Contemporary Art).
26 Rescheduled: A Couple of Old Chinese Guys Talking About Art; Ken Lum, Weitzman School; John Yau, poet and art critic; 5 p.m.; Arthur Ross Gallery, Fisher Fine Arts Library; register: https://tinyurl.com/lum-yau-oct-26 (Arthur Ross Gallery).
27 Early Effects of the Inflation Reduction Act on Drug Prices and Use; Aaron Kesselheim, Harvard University; noon; room 109, Steinberg Hall-Dietrich Hall; register: https://tinyurl.com/kesselheim-talk-oct-27 (Leonard Davis Institute).
Courting Uncertainty: Loot Box Gifts on Chinese Livestreaming Platforms; Zhe Wang, Communication University of Zhejiang; 12:15 p.m.; room 300, Annenberg School; register: https://tinyurl.com/wang-talk-oct-27 (Center on Digital Culture and Society).
A Coxiella Burnetii Effector Protein Suppresses Immune Gene Transcription; Jaydeen Sewell, microbiology; 4 p.m.; room 209, Johnson Pavilion (Microbiology).
28 Manipulating Mechanical Wave Propagation with Phononic Materials; Kathryn Matlack, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; 10:15 a.m.; Wu & Chen Auditorium, Levine Hall (Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics).
Sparse View Synthesis; Ravi Ramamoorthi, University of California San Diego; 3:30 p.m.; Wu & Chen Auditorium, Levine Hall (Computer & Information Science).
Private-Publics: Sonic-Spatial Synergies and Ecomusical Stewardship in Bumbu Practice; Obianuju Njoku, University of Mississippi; 5:15 p.m.; room 101, Lerner Building (Music).
Israeli and Palestinian Public Opinion: The People (and the Polling) Behind the War; Dahlia Scheindlin, political and strategic consultant; 5:30 p.m.; room 250, PCPSE (Middle East Center).
Asian American Studies
In-person events. Info: https://asam.sas.upenn.edu/events.
23 Asian American Across the Disciplines; Pooja Raj, Sakhi for South Asian Survivors; noon; room 244, Fisher-Bennett Hall.
28 Creating Educational Programs in Public Musicology; Eric Hung, University of Maryland; 10:15 a.m.; room 3N6, DRL.
Chemistry
Unless noted, in-person events at Carolyn Hoff Lynch Lecture Hall, 1973 Chemistry Building. Info: https://www.chem.upenn.edu/events.
21 Tailoring the Local Electrocatalytic Environment through Molecular Design; Eva Nichols, University of British Columbia; noon.
22 Collaborative Medicinal and Organic Chemistry; Jeff Aubé , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; noon.
Economics
In-person events in various locations. Info: https://economics.sas.upenn.edu/events.
22 Pharmaceutical Advertising in Dynamic Equilibrium; Ariel Pakes, Harvard University; 3:30 p.m.; room 101, PCPSE.
Adapting to Storms in the U.S.: A Spatial Dynamic Analysis; Ji Hwan Kim, economics; 4 p.m.; room 200, PCPSE.
Ballots Over Bullets: The Economic and Political Struggles of Venezuela; Jesús Fernández-Villaverde, Angel Alvarado and Hugo Montesinos, economics; 5:30 p.m.; room 250, PCPSE.
27 Blood and Iron: Political Fragmentation in the Ancient Eastern Mediterranean; Patrick Fitzsimmons, economics; 3:30 p.m.; room 250, PCPSE.
Inference Based on the Continuously Updating Estimator and the Conditional Likelihood Ratio Test; Marcelo J. Moreira, Fundação Getulio Vargas; 4:30 p.m.; room 200, PCPSE.
28 Adapting to Storms in the U.S.: A Spatial Dynamic Analysis; Ji Hwan Kim, economics; noon; room 101, PCPSE.
Auctions as Experiments; Mira Frick, Princeton University; 4 p.m.; room 203, PCPSE.
GRASP Lab
Info: https://www.grasp.upenn.edu/events/month/2025-10/.
22 Scaling Robot Learning with Vision-Language-Action Models; Suraj Nair, Physical Intelligence; 3 p.m.; room 307, Levine Hall, and Zoom webinar.
Mathematics
In-person events. Info: https://www.math.upenn.edu/.
27 Curve Covers of Degree p, the Different and the Hurwitz Moduli Space; Michael Temkin, I.A.S. and Einstein Institute of Mathematics; 3:30 p.m.; room 4N30, DRL.
28 Multiplicative Hitchin Fibrations and Langlands Duality; Guillermo Gallego, FU Berlin; 3:30 p.m.; room 3C2, DRL.
This is an update to the October AT PENN calendar, which is online now. To submit events for a future AT PENN calendar or weekly update, email almanac@upenn.edu.