DATE: Friday, May 16, 2025
TIME: 10:00 A.M.
LOCATION: Irvine Auditorium (3401 Spruce St. Philadelphia, PA 19104)
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Michael E. Mann
GRADUATE STUDENT SPEAKERS: Felipe Barbieri,Dr. Jessica Wojick,Youngbin Yoon
The 269th Penn Commencement ceremony will take place on Monday, May 19, 2025 at Franklin Field (33rd and Spruce Streets).
The Graduate Division is pleased to announce that our keynote speaker for graduation 2025 will be Professor Michael Mann.
Professor Mann has received many honors and awards, including NOAA's outstanding publication award in 2002 and selection by Scientific American as one of the fifty leading visionaries in science and technology in 2002. He contributed, with other IPCC authors, to the award of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
He received the Award for Public Engagement with Science from the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2018 and the Climate Communication Prize from the American Geophysical Union in 2018. In 2019 he received the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement and in 2020 he received the World Sustainability Award of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation. He was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 2020. He received the Leo Szilard Award of the American Physical Society in 2021 and was named Humanist of the Year by the American Humanist Association in 2023. He was elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Society in 2024. He is author of several books including Dire Predictions, The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars, The Madhouse Effect, The New Climate War and Our Fragile Moment.
Felipe Barbieri was born in Rio de Janeiro and raised in Italy and France. He earned his BA and MA in Economics from Sciences Po Paris and completed a pre-doctoral fellowship at Stanford. He is graduating with a PhD in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, where he focused on transportation and housing markets. His research explores optimal public transit pricing and the role of institutional investors in single-family housing. He also examines homelessness and rental assistance policy. This fall, Felipe will join the Economics Group at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College as an Assistant Professor.
Dr. Jessica Wojick is graduating with a PhD in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied the cellular and behavioral neuroscience of pain. Her research focused on emotional brain changes during the shift from acute to chronic pain and identifying cell targets to reduce suffering. She earned an NIH F31 fellowship, a teaching certificate, and won the 2024 Penn Grad Talks natural sciences category. She holds a BS in Biology and Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. Jessica is now a postdoctoral fellow at UNC-Chapel Hill studying serotonin’s role in Alcohol Use Disorder. She’s passionate about science, teaching, and her newborn son.
Youngbin Yoon is originally from Ridgewood, NJ, and studied mathematics and philosophy before pursuing a PhD in the latter. His research centers on ethics and aesthetics, especially love, sex, friendship, beauty, and art. In 2024, he received the Dean's Award for Distinguished Teaching and was named a Marc Sanders Media Fellow. Outside of academia, he enjoys writing fiction, Sunday runs, casual chess, and long conversations over tea—with friends or friendly strangers. He finds joy in the little things, deep questions, and catchy bridges. Most importantly, he is a proud, passionate Swiftie.
The Graduation Application will be available for Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Master of Arts (MA), and Master of Science (MS) students as follows:
PhD students who are also completing MA or MS degrees and unable to apply via the Path@Penn graduation application should complete the Add Masters for PhD Student form.
For more information about graduation for PhD and Research Master’s students, visit https://provost.upenn.edu/graduate-degrees.
Academic regalia is required for degree candidates at Commencement. All candidates who do not possess regalia must obtain their regalia from the Penn Bookstore, located at 36th and Walnut Streets. Detailed information is available on Grad Express.
Custom doctoral regalia is typically chosen by doctoral candidates who plan to frequently participate in academic ceremonies requiring such attire. Please keep in mind that doctoral candidates are not required to purchase custom regalia and may find it more economical to choose the standard doctoral regalia. Custom doctoral regalia can only be obtained by having it shipped directly to you. You must place your order by March 7, 2025, to receive the regalia by Commencement. Shipping fees apply. To order regalia, visit Grad Express.
SAS Master's and PhD Recipients who graduated in August 2024, December 2024, or have applied to graduate in May 2025 will receive email communications from SAS in early March. This will include information regarding the Graduate Division's graduation ceremony, including guest tickets and how to RSVP.
Students attending the SAS Graduate Division ceremony for their degree will have their name individually called on stage, receive a “diploma,” and pose for a photo with the Graduate Dean. Students attending the University ceremony on Monday will join all graduates from across Penn and will not be individually recognized.
Yes. Registration is required for participation in the Graduate Division's graduation ceremony on May 16. You will receive an email within a week of applying to graduate inviting you to register and how to receive tickets for your guests.
Academic regalia is required for degree candidates at Commencement. All candidates who do not possess regalia must obtain their regalia from the Penn Bookstore, located at 36th and Walnut Streets. Detailed information is available on Grad Express.
Custom doctoral regalia is typically chosen by doctoral candidates who plan to frequently participate in academic ceremonies requiring such attire. Please keep in mind that doctoral candidates are not required to purchase custom regalia and may find it more economical to choose the standard doctoral regalia. Custom doctoral regalia can only be obtained by having it shipped directly to you. You must place your order by March 7, 2025, to receive the regalia by Commencement. Shipping fees apply. To order regalia, visit Grad Express.
The 2025 SAS Graduation Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 16, 2025 at 10:00 AM, in Irvine Auditorium.
It is imperative that graduating students arrive at Irvine Auditorium dressed in academic regalia promptly by 9:00 a.m. Staff will help direct you to the check-in area downstairs split by graduate groups.
Irvine Auditorium is ADA accessible and accessibility information can be found here. If any of your guests need accommodations, please reach out directly to the Graduate Division team at grad-dean@sas.upenn.edu.
No. Every guest (including children) must have a ticket to gain entrance. All seating is general admission, outside of the graduates section.
The Department of State accepts invitation letters written by students as a supplemental document for their visitors to apply for a visa to come to the U.S. You do not need a separate support letter from ISSS in order to invite a family member to visit the United States. ISSS has conveniently prepared a template to help craft your invitation letter here.
The School of Arts and Sciences does not distribute official diplomas at the graduation ceremony. The Office of the University Secretary will begin to mail diplomas approximately eight to ten weeks following the official degree conferral date. Additional information about diplomas is available here.