at penn Calendar May 2026

20        May Storytime at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens; reading of Give Bees a Chance by Bethany Barton; children can learn why bees are our friends through this interactive story and receive a bee-related craft to take home; 10:30 a.m.; outdoor classroom, Morris Arboretum & Gardens (Morris Arboretum & Gardens).

29        Pop Spirit Hunters: A Global Adventure Night; children aged 6-12 and fans of K-Pop Demon Hunters are invited to step into a world where music meets myth and embark on a high-energy, family-friendly adventure inspired by stories, spirits, and traditions from around the globe; 6-8:30 p.m.; Penn Museum; tickets: $35/general, $30/members; register: https://www.penn.museum/calendar/1628/pop-spirit-hunters (Penn Museum).

Philadelphia Children’s Festival

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

3          Bill Blagg: Family Magic; illusionist Bill Blagg’s mind-blowing magic will keep the whole family on the edge of their seats with jaw-dropping illusions, laugh-out-loud comedy, and plenty of audience participation; 2 p.m.; Zellerbach Theater, Annenberg Center.

            Tim Kubart and the Space Cadets: Free Outdoor Concert; packed with sing-along songs, tap dancing and joyful pop music, Kubart’s high-energy performances invite kids and grown-ups alike to sing, move and celebrate being themselves; 3 p.m.; Annenberg Plaza.

            TheatreWorksUSA: The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System; when the bus gets lost on the way to the planetarium, Ms. Frizzle saves the day by blasting into outer space for an epic interplanetary field trip; 4 p.m.; Harold Prince Theater, Annenberg Center. Also May 4, 10 a.m. and noon.

4          Bill Blagg: The Science of Magic; illusionist Bill Blagg takes students behind the curtain to reveal how science makes the impossible possible; 10 a.m. and noon; Zellerbach Theater, Annenberg Center. Also May 5 10 a.m. and noon.

            Literature to Life: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter; Julia is anything but perfect—that was always her sister Olga’s role; but when tragedy strikes, Julia is left to pick up the pieces of her family and soon learns Olga might not have been quite who she seemed; 10 a.m.; Bruce Montgomery Theater, Annenberg Center. Also May 5, 10 a.m.

5          Hangin’ with the Giants: JazzReach; staged as an interactive TV talk show, explore the groundbreaking music and enduring legacies of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk; 10 a.m. and noon; Harold Prince Theater, Annenberg Center.

1          2026 Penn Wharton Mini-Conference on Economic Theory; location TBA; 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; info and schedule: https://tinyurl.com/econ-conf-may-1 (Economics).

            The Novel and Labor; 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; room 202, Kelly Writers House; info and schedule: https://www.english.upenn.edu/events/2026/05/01/novel-and-labor (English). Also 5-7 p.m.; room 401, Fisher-Bennett Hall; May 2, 10 a.m.-noon; room 222, Fisher-Bennett Hall.

            Imagining and Securing Better Futures for Children and Families: A Symposium in Honor of Vivian L. Gadsden; will honor the work of Dr. Gadsden, Graduate School of Education, by engaging participants in group discussions aimed at identifying pathways to promote quality educational experiences for children and families and ensure that they thrive in school, at home, and in life; 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; room 261, GSE; register: https://tinyurl.com/gse-conf-may-1 (Graduate School of Education).

            SNF Paideia Capstone Dialogues; a gathering marking the culmination of a year of sustained inquiry, reflection, and shared work from undergraduates in the Paideia program; 1-5 p.m.; room 200, College Hall (SNF Paideia Program).

4          Feminisms Against Authoritarianism; all day; the Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street; info and schedule: https://tinyurl.com/gsws-conf-may-4 (Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies).

8          Beyond the Benchtop: A Workshop on Reimagining STEM Graduate Education in Energy & Sustainability; will give faculty and students engaged in energy and sustainability work across disciplines the opportunity to network and build resources to reshape graduate training; 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Glandt Forum, Singh Center for Nanotechnology; register: https://tinyurl.com/cbe-conf-may-8 (Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering).

12        Quattrone Center 2026 Spring Symposium; conference examining how technology and new practices are changing what we know to be true of our criminal justice system and how new advancements are helping create a system that is more accurate, accountable, and just; all day; Penn Carey Law; info, schedule, and registration: https://tinyurl.com/quattrone-conf-may-12 (Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice).

20        Philadelphia Drug Discovery Forum; will connect scientists from academia, biopharma, and government to advance drug discovery from target identification to clinical candidates; 4-6 p.m.; Caplan Auditorium, Wistar Institute; info: https://www.wistar.org/events/philadelphia-drug-discovery-forum/ (Wistar Institute).

Upcoming

2          Arthur Ross Gallery Tours with Penn Students; join student guides for an engaging and informative tour of Collecting the New Irascibles: Art in the 1980s; explore, ask questions, and connect with the lived experiences and social forces that shaped this pivotal period; noon-3 p.m.; Arthur Ross Gallery, Fisher Fine Arts Library.

16        Public Dedication: Native Futurism; as the United States marks its 250^th anniversary, multidisciplinary artist Holly Wilson, Delaware Nation Lenape and a descendent of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, was commissioned to transform the Penn Museum’s east entrance lobby with a large-scale mixed-media installation called Native Futurism; 2:30 p.m.; east entrance, Penn Museum; register: https://www.penn.museum/calendar/1629/public-dedication-and-artist-talk.

Now

            Celebrate or Demonstrate: Philadelphia and Bicentennial Discontent; as the nation prepares to commemorate America’s 250^th, this exhibit will look back on the bicentennial, sharing perspectives from the groups who raised their voices in protest and critiqued a wholly celebratory approach to American history; 1st floor, Van Pelt Library. Through May 15.

            Phil Parmet: Haitian Revolution; contains a selection of photographs by Academy Award-winning cinematographer and Penn alumnus Phil Parmet, who documented life in Haiti after the fall of Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier in 1986; 5^th floor alcove (east elevator bay), Van Pelt Library. Through May 22.

            2026 Weitzman Fine Arts MFA Exhibition; features the work of eight artists completing the University of Pennsylvania’s Fine Arts program; working across sculpture, installation, moving image, and interdisciplinary practices, these artists engage urgent topics with sensitivity, experimentation, and formal command; Gordon Gallery, Weitzman Hall. Through May 30.

            Re/Make History: Crafting the Past with 21^st-Century Technologies; demonstrates how technologies in the Education Commons and the Bollinger Digital Fabrication Lab can be used to investigate and/or draw creative inspiration from the rare books in its library and artifacts in the collection of the Penn Museum; Penn Museum Library. Through June 19.

            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; Institute of Contemporary Art. Through August 9.

            Entryways: Xenobia Bailey; continues the collaboration between ICA and New York-based textile studio Maharam, which invites artists to reimagine the windows of ICA’s façade; Philly-based artist Xenobia Bailey creates a design characterized by her “Funktional” aesthetic and rooted in her decades-long fiber arts practice; Institute of Contemporary Art. Through August 9.

            Penn in the Field: Student Fieldwork Photography; experience fieldwork and research travel of current undergraduate and graduate students as documented through their own lenses; Penn Museum Library. Through August 30.

            The Time to Right all Wrongs: France, Haiti, and Philadelphia in a Revolutionary Age; surveys the revolutions that shook the Atlantic world in the 1790s, and the profound changes that resulted, from France to Haiti to Philadelphia; Goldstein Family Gallery, Van Pelt Library. Through September 4.

            Nursing the Revolution; challenges the widespread belief that nursing began in the 19^th century with Florence Nightingale by displaying rare evidence of a world of nursing and caretaking that thrived before, during, and after the American Revolution; floor 2U, Claire Fagin Hall. Through November 20.

            Mavis Pusey: Mobile Images; the first major museum survey dedicated to the work and life of Jamaican-born artist Mavis Pusey (1928-2019), an important figure in geometric abstraction, featuring over 60 artworks from her prolific 50-year career; Institute of Contemporary Art. Through December.

            Allison Zuckerman: Remixed and Reclaimed; a selection of recent paintings by Penn alum Allison Zuckerman, C’12, that exemplify her exuberant, layered approach to image-making; using paint and collage; Annenberg Center grand lobby, Penn Live Arts. Opening reception: April 12, 2-4 p.m. Through March 28, 2027.

7          Woodlands Walk with Nurses Tour; celebrate National Nurses Week with a walking tour through the Woodlands’ grounds where participants will learn about the lives of some of Philadelphia’s most prominent figures in of nursing and public health; 4:30 p.m.; register: https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/calendar/event/woodlandswalk2026 (Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing, Penn Libraries).

9          Spring Blossoms Tour; celebrate the joy of spring as the garden and trees bloom at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens; vibrant flowers change on a weekly basis as the season unfolds, bringing bursts of color and fragrance; 11 a.m.; Welcome Center, Morris Arboretum & Gardens; free with arboretum admission (Morris Arboretum & Gardens).  

12        Working Dog Center Tour; see firsthand what it takes to train leading detection dogs; watch as the Working Dog Center staff explains the step-by-step process to preparing a dog to serve in explosive detection, search & rescue, cancer detection, and more; 10 a.m.; Penn Vet Working Dog Center; register: pvwdcoutreach@vet.upenn.edu (Penn Vet Working Dog Center).

            The Nuts & Bolts of Retirement; practical advice for the transition to retirement from Laura W. Perna​, senior vice provost for faculty​; Erin Rossello​, director of faculty administration in PSOM; and Sue Sproat, executive director of human resources; 3:30 p.m.; Zoom webinar; register: https://pp.events/bdp9RbLV (Penn Association for Senior & Emeritus Faculty).

20        The Pursuit of Happiness: Finding Joy in Nature; join environmental neuroscientist Marc Berman and psychologist and neuroscientist Emily Falk for a conversation on the science behind nature’s restorative effects and an optional therapeutic forest bathing session; noon; online webinar; registration: $15/general, $10/members; register: https://experience.morrisarboretum.org/info.aspx?ActivityID=1912 (Morris Arboretum & Gardens).

African American Resource Center

Info: https://aarc.upenn.edu/events.

20        R.E.A.L. TALK Lunch Series: Unleased: The Joy of Creating Freely; noon; Penn Women’s Center.

21        Men of Color (Monthly Huddle Meeting); 1 p.m.; location TBA.

College of Liberal & Professional Studies

Online webinars. Info: https://www.lps.upenn.edu/about/events.

4          Penn LPS Online Certificates: Meet Us Mondays; 12:30 p.m. Also May 11, 18.

5          Master of Environmental Studies Virtual Drop-in Hour; noon.

6          Global Master of Public Administration Virtual Information Session; 6 p.m.

Graduate School of Education

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

1          Penn GSE Tour; 11 a.m.; 3700 Walnut Street. Also May 4, 6.

5          Education Entrepreneurship, MSEd Virtual Information Session; 7 p.m.; online webinar.

6          School Leadership, MSEd Virtual Information Session; 7 p.m.; online webinar.

7          Youth Writing Festival; 5-7 p.m.; Caster Courtyard, Stiteler Hall.

14        Health Professions Education Certificate: Virtual Information Session; 5 p.m.; online webinar.

19        Urban Teaching Residency, MSEd Virtual Information Session; 7 p.m.; online webinar.

21        Penn Chief Learning Officer Virtual Information Session; noon; online webinar.

            Executive Doctorate in Higher Education Management, EdD Virtual Information Session; 3 p.m.; online webinar.

26        Learning Analytics & Artificial Intelligence (Online) MSEd Virtual Information Session; 7 p.m.; online webinar.

Human Resources

Online webinars. Info: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/.

1          30-Minute Guided Meditation; noon. Also May 8, 15, 29.

            Benefits Open Enrollment Session; noon. Also May 7, 11:30 a.m.

4          30-Minute Chair Yoga Plus Core; noon. Also May 11, 18.

5          Restorative Practices 101; noon.

6          Using Your Bright Horizons Benefit to Bridge the Summer Childcare Gap; noon.

            Conducting Performance Appraisals for Supervisors; 12:30 p.m.

7          Resilience Series: Joy Multiplier; 11:30 a.m.

            WebMD Webinar: Women’s Hormonal Health; noon.

            Participating In Performance Appraisals for Staff; 12:30 p.m.

            Job Architecture Webinar; 1 p.m. Also May 27, 10 a.m.

12        MetLife Workshop: Tax Strategies; noon.

13        Lunchtime Chair Yoga; noon. Also May 27.

            Pathways to PSLF Success; noon.

14        Supporting Mental Health at Work and Beyond: Recognizing, Responding, and Connecting; noon.

19        Cognitive Flexibility; 12:30 p.m.

21        Ramp Health: Tips For Restaurant Dining; noon.

27        Thinking About Retirement: Penn Retiree Benefits and Medicare; noon.

28        Maintaining Your Cognitive Fitness; 10 a.m.

            PNC Bank: Credit Scores and Reports: Understanding and Improving Your Score; noon.

Penn Libraries

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

1          Papermaking on Weitzman Plaza; the Common Press will demonstrate hand papermaking, including pulling sheets of paper from its vat of cotton and linen fibers; 1-3 p.m.; Weitzman Plaza.

7          Coffee with a Codex: Canon Law in Verse; Kislak Center curator Dot Porter will discuss Ms. Codex 741, a verse summary of Raymond of Peñaforte’s Summa de poenitentia et matrimonio that deals with canon law on marriage, simony, usury, luxury, bigamy, etc.; noon; online webinar.

14        The 12-Hour Declaration of Independence: Community Typesetting; a 3-day community typesetting event during which all are invited to hand-set metal type to help create a historically accurate replica; all day; Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library. Through May 16.

            Coffee with a Codex: An Exciting New Acquisition; Kislak Center curator Dot and Schoenberg Center curator Nicholas Herman will discuss a very special and exciting new acquisition of the Schoenberg Center; noon; online webinar.

18        Print the Declaration of Independence; print a copy of the Declaration of Independence for yourself; all day; Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library. Time slots available through December 18.

7          May First Thursday Meeting: Summer Programming at Penn; meeting featuring remarks by Glenn Bryan, assistant vice president; 4:30 p.m.; Tangen Hall (Office of Government & Community Affairs).

8          Arturo O’Farrill: Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble; known for impeccable ensemble playing and showstopping soloists, these multi-Grammy Award-winning musicians will perform works from across the Latin jazz canon as well as Arturo O’Farrill’s own compositions; 7:30 p.m.; Zellerbach Theater, Annenberg Center; tickets: $71-$91; register:  https://pennlivearts.org/event/ArturoOFarrill (Penn Live Arts).

Penn Live Arts

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

9          The Lady Hoofers Tap Ensemble: Spring Concert Series; Philadelphia’s own all-women tap company puts on a program including innovative choreography by Lisa LaTouche and Caleb Teicher, company repertoire, and a world premiere by New York-based guest choreographer Dre Torres; 2 and 7 p.m.; Harold Prince Theater, Annenberg Center; tickets: $29-$44.

16        Second Chance Dance: Rhythm, Roots & Revolution; rhythm carries memory, movement holds history, and the stories of generations unfold across the stage during a powerful recital exploring the decades, eras, and cultural moments that shape how we move, who we become, and how we find one another through dance; 6 p.m.; Zellerbach Theater, Annenberg Center.

29        Martha Graham Dance Company; the iconic Martha Graham Dance Company presents a performance featuring Night Journey, offering a new perspective on the Greek myth of Oedipus, and the Philadelphia premieres of Frontier, a tribute to the vision and independence of the pioneer woman, and Hope Boykin’s En Masse, a new work set to Leonard Bernstein in honor of America’s 250^th anniversary; 7:30 p.m.; Zellerbach theater, Annenberg Center; tickets: $73-$119.

14        She Wrote, He Wrote: A New York Love Story; Ashley Wren Collins and Jordan Rockwell, directors and actors; 5:30 p.m.; 2^nd floor conference room, Penn Bookstore (Penn Bookstore).

4          Pennsylvania Spring Voter Registration Deadline.

8          Lavender Ceremony; celebrate the graduating LGBTQIA+ community around campus and honor their accomplishments, celebrate their achievements, and be in community with the broader Penn student body; the event is open to the entire Penn community and celebrates both undergraduate and graduate students; 4 p.m.; Hall of Flags, Houston Hall; register: https://bit.ly/lgbtlavceremony26 (LGBT Center).

12        Pennsylvania Mail-In Ballot Request Deadline.

15        Alumni Weekend; reunite with classmates at Franklin Fest, stroll down Locust Walk during the Parade of Classes, enjoy the Alumni Picnic, attend panel discussions, and raise a toast to dear old Penn at reunion celebrations; full schedule of events: https://tinyurl.com/penn-alumni-weekend-2026 (Penn Alumni). Through May 18.

19        Election Day in Pennsylvania.

Home games only. Info and tickets: https://pennathletics.com/calendar.

1          Baseball vs. Brown; 2 p.m.; Tommy Lasorda Field, Meiklejohn Stadium.

2          Baseball vs. Brown; 11:30 a.m.; Tommy Lasorda Field, Meiklejohn Stadium.

            Baseball vs. Brown; 3 p.m.; Tommy Lasorda Field, Meiklejohn Stadium.

1          Medicaid After HR1: State Challenges and Policy Tradeoffs; Patricia Boozang, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP; Lanhee Chen, Hoover Institution; Benjamin Sommers, Harvard University; noon; online webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/ldi-talk-may-1 (Leonard Davis Institute).

4          Health Communication in Complex Information Environments: Convergence, Misinformation, and Strategy; May Lwin, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; noon; room 500, Annenberg School, and online livestream; register: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/7uVjHRtLyt (Annenberg School for Communication).

            Mitochondria Give Rise to Proto-Organelles During Infection; Lena Pernas, University of California, Los Angeles; 3 p.m.; Austrian Auditorium, Clinical Research Building (Pennsylvania Muscle Institute).

5          Beyond X-Rays: The Future of Equine Imaging; Kathryn W. Bills and Alexandra Scharf, large animal diagnostic imaging; 6:30 p.m.; Zoom webinar; register: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu/firsttuesdaylectures2026 (Penn Vet).

6          The Veil of Wealth: The Origins of Early Internal Debt; Mingzhuo Deng, economics; noon; room 200, PCPSE (Economics).

            Searching for New Particles and Astrophysical Phenomena with CMB and Large-Scale Structure Surveys; Sam Goldstein, Columbia University; 3:30 p.m.; room 4E19, DRL (Physics & Astronomy).

            Banks’ Stock Prices and Deposit Flows; Mahdi Shahrabi, economics; 4 p.m.; room 100, PCPSE (Economics).

            Rediscovering a Royal Necropolis; Josef Wegner, Middle Eastern languages and cultures; 7 p.m.; Penn Museum; tickets: $15/general, $9/members; register: https://www.penn.museum/calendar/881/archaeology-in-action (Penn Museum Archaeology in Action Series).

8          Visualizing Knowledge: Manuscripts, Medieval Diagrams, and Premodern Pedagogy; Nicholas Herman, Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies; noon; online webinar; register: https://libcal.library.upenn.edu/calendar/kislak/may2026fks (Penn Libraries).

11         Anna Karenina and the Genetics of Schizophrenia; Mary-Claire King, University of Washington; 4 p.m.; Joseph & Loretta Law Auditorium, 5^th floor, Smilow Center (Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics).

12        On the Importance of Coalitional Feminism to American Jewish History; Lana Dee Povitz, Middlebury College; noon; Zoom webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/povitz-talk-may-12 (Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies).

            What Good Are the Arts? The Value of Access; Napoleon Gladney, Ensemble Arts Philly; Erlina Ortiz, Power Street Theater; Martha Lucy, Barnes Foundation; Tim Rommen, Vice Provost for the Arts; 5 p.m.; the ARCH; register: https://tinyurl.com/pla-talk-may-12 (Penn Live Arts, Office of Social Equity & Community, Sachs Program in Arts Innovation).

13        Using AI to Discover Meaningful Knowledge from Multimodal Representations of Longitudinal Maternal/Fetal Health; Joseph D. Romano, biostatistics, epidemiology, and informatics; 1 p.m.; Zoom webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/romano-talk-may-13 (Philadelphia Regional Center for Children’s Environmental Health).

14        Special Briefing on Boosting Infrastructure Investment for Global Cities: Lessons from the $4 Trillion U.S. Municipal Bond Market; panel of speakers; 11 a.m.; online webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/iur-talk-may-14 (Penn Institute for Urban Research).

19        The Past, Present, and Future of Public Research Funding; Wen-Ying Sylvia Chou, Mosaic Research Fund; 11 a.m.; Austrian Auditorium, Clinical Research Building; register: https://tinyurl.com/chou-talk-may-19 (Leonard Davis Institute).

26        A German-Jewish Guide to the American Discourse on Race: Schocken Books and its Publications on Black-Jewish Relations, 1964-1974; Markus Krah, Leo Baeck Institute; noon; Zoom webinar; register: https://tinyurl.com/krah-talk-may-26 (Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies).

Chemistry

In-person events at Carolyn Hoff Lynch Lecture Hall, 1973 Chemistry Building. Info: https://www.chem.upenn.edu/events.

5          New Methods for Simulations of Disordered Materials From Amorphous Graphene to DNA Aptamers; Lena Simine, McGill University; noon.

6          Nucleophilic Probes to Tag Electr Enzyme Cofactors and Develop Drugs; Megan Matthews, chemistry; noon.

8          Pebbles/Kamushki: The Commonalities and Divergences of Art and Science; Roald Hoffmann, Cornell University; 5 p.m.

12        Ancillary Ligand Effects on Metal Nitride Reactivity; Tim Storr, Simon Fraser University; noon.

13        Building Molecular Complexity Through Visible Light Photocatalysis: Spotlight on Undergraduate Research; Emily McLaughlin, Bard College; noon.

Medical Ethics & Health Policy

Various locations. Info: https://medicalethicshealthpolicy.med.upenn.edu/events.

5          The EMA’s Approach to Supporting Rare Disease Drug Development; Caroline Pothet, European Medicines Agency; noon; Zoom webinar.

12        Ethics of Palliative Care Trials; Katherine Courtright, medicine; noon; room 11-102AB, 3600 Civic Center Blvd.

14        Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Cardiovascular Health; Sameed Khatana, medicine; 10 a.m.; room 08-031, 3600 Civic Center Blvd, and Zoom webinar.

19        Organ Diversion or Match Run Deviation? Ethical Considerations in Allocation Out of Sequence; Andrew M. Courtwright, University of Utah; noon; Zoom webinar.