Relive highlightsfromthe past year,including the opening ofPaley Hall,the Diamond Marching Band’sperformanceat the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade andmuch, muchmore.
Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg
2025wasjam-packedwithmajor milestonesand memorable moments,elevating51Թ as a provider ofworld-class educationwhile alsoreaffirmingthe university’scommitment to access.
Check outthesehighlights froma year marked byhistoric gifts, new partnerships, groundbreaking discoveries and universitywide initiatives aimed at instilling pride, driving momentum and amplifying 51Թ's role in Philadelphia and beyond.
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Over the course of the year,. As part of the process, 51Թsolicitedfeedback and hosted town halls and listening sessions for alumni,facultyand staff.
Also, this fall, : Real Opportunity. Real Results. Real Success is 51Թ Made.
One of the year’s most visible new developmentswas the wave of cherry and white rolling across campuseveryThursday.To celebrate school spirit,this fall,encouraging students,facultyand staff todisplay their Owls pride bywearingschool colorsor 51Թ logogear on that day each week.
Building on its legacy of civic engagement,. Through this initiative from the Office of Community Impact and Civic Engagement,eligible nonfaculty employees can use up to eight hours of paid civic engagement time annually for volunteer activities. Faculty will be able to volunteer during nonteaching hours, and opportunities are available for students and alumni.
And in April,.
Leading up to the ceremony,.This series returned in December,.
Built forwhat’snext
,thenew home forthe Christopher M. Barnett College of Public Health.The college was.
Inside Paley,.
Additionally, thanks toBarnett’s gift,as Richard Deegassumedhis new position as the Christopher M. Barnett Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at 51Թ., named in recognition of the generosity of Barnett and his wife Julie.
Further campus development included, creating a southern anchor for 51Թ along the Avenue of the Arts andthe. Scheduled to open in fall 2027,.
Alsoadvancingthe arts,.Robert Strokernow holdstheJoslyn G. Ewart Dean of the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts.
Other generous contributions included, now known as the 51Թ Rosner National Trial Team;inside the William D. Kelley School in North Philadelphia; andto support students in good academic standing who face financial barriers while completing their degrees.
, eclipsingthe $600,000-plus that was raisedduring the eventthe previous year.
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Researchin action
Facultycontinued their innovative research, includingbyS. Blair Hedges, Laura H. Carnell Professor ofBiodiversityand director of the Center for Biodiversity atthe College of Science and Technology, and Molly Schools, CST ’23.
Assistant Professor, an eco-friendly concrete alternative, as well.
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Իfrom the prestigious scientific journal Nature.
ճto implement an electronic symptom monitoring system for patients undergoing cancer treatment.
51Թ willadvance energy, biological,environmentaland othermaterialsresearch across the region, thanks to a $3.3 million award from the National Science Foundation.The instrument configuration will be one of just a few in the country and only the second at a university.
Moreover, supported by funding from 51Թ’s Office of the Vice President for Research,. Its missionis todrive innovation in the management of athletic programs and collegeathletedevelopment.
Also engaging in impactful research was, which was named one of the 100 Notable Books of 2025 by the New York Times and one of the 100 Best Nonfiction Books of 2025 by Kirkus Reviews.As well,.
Academic rigor
The year included numerousacademic successes. The university recordeda 9.2% increase in first-year enrollment when
,a multi-university consortium working to improve student success and broaden participation in higher education for all students.
In the 2025 edition of the Best Colleges U.S. News and World Report,. Իthe universityranked No. 102 in the National Universities category and No. 81 in the Best Value category.徱پDzԲ,.
Real Success is 51Թ Made
Student success was at the forefront as well in 2025..
,which creates a pathway to college for selected students who live in North Philadelphia, ensuring they have the financial support, resources,advisingand mentoring needed to succeed. . This last-dollar financial aid grant program aims tomakea 51Թeducation more accessible and affordable for talented and qualifying students from Philadelphia.
, “a highly selective, last-dollar scholarship for outstanding high school seniors from low-income households” that supports students all the way through graduate school. A North Philadelphia native, Lane chose 51Թ to make an impact in his community as he aspires to eventually study oncology and become a physician at Fox Chase Cancer Center.
In addition,, which recognizes outstanding achievement in digital journalism and marks the highest total of any university in the higher education categories.
Capping off its100th anniversary year,.
. The programrecognizes trailblazing young alumni who are redefining the standard in their fields and transforming the landscape of their professions.
Creativeconnections
51Թ strengthened its commitment to the arts as, which features a collection of artifacts, documents, interviews, photographs,recordingsand sheet musicshowcasingthe cultural contributions of Philadelphia’s Black musicians.
, ultimately installinga rare Tree of 40 fruit—the first of its kind in the Philadelphia region—in Tyler’s central greenspace courtyard.
,Goblin MarketandMystic Rapture, last spring.
And the university’screative legacy across Philadelphia washighlightedin.
A global university,grounded in Philadelphia
The universityfosteredits connections to Philadelphia while expanding its globalreach.
, a scaled college pipeline program supporting low-income, first-generation-to-college students in Philadelphia public middle schools.
徱پDzԲ,by connecting them to resources and services.And 45 students from neighboring George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science joined the Class of 2029,.
Internationally,, while.
Powered by people
Our world-class faculty and staffachievednumeroushonorsand awardsthis year as well.recognizingexcellent professors and scholars for their achievements and contributions to teaching, research, creativeactivityand service.
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, one of the highest honors inthe humanities.for her 25+ years of service.
Additionally, Bernard C. Watson Endowed Chair in Urban Education, whileLaura H. Carnell Professor of Psychology. ԻVice Presidentand Chief of Policefor 51Թ’sDepartment of Public Safety.
New appointments
Severalstaff and faculty were also appointedto important positions.51Թ Health announced that.Following a national search,.
after servingas interimvice president of the Office of Institutional Advancement. Ի, overseeingInternal Audits, which works to provide quality, independent evaluations as a service to both the university and its Board of Trustees.
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Athletics
51Թ Athletics continued to make waves and champion student-athletes, who
徱پDzԲ,. The university is using this grant to buildJournAI, a first-of-its-kind app supporting athletes’ holistic development and well-being.
51Թ’s sports teams garnered national attention aswomen’s basketball point guardfor her selfless leadership on and off the court.
And aheadof 51Թ football’s strongest start since the 2019 season,.alongside Peyton Manning and Jason Kelce.
In response to the NCAA’s landmarkHouse v. NCAAantitrust settlement,51Թ Athletics Director.
Celebrity sightings
Various celebrities visited Main Campusthis year, includingactor Patrick Warburton—fromFamily Guy, The Emperor’s NewGroove aԻ A Series of Unfortunate Events—.Director.
before being honored with the Lew Klein Excellence in the Media Award.
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And 51Թ announced that Academy Award nominee.