A ‘Vibrant Nexus’ for Research and Discovery in the Physical Sciences

Researchers at Penn play a key role in the fundamental science that supports ground-breaking discoveries. Highlights of Penn’s achievements in the fields of physics, astronomy, and mathematics include Eugene Mele and Charles Kane’s 2019 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. Their theories inspired a new generation of physics research, progress in mapping dark energy and dark matter, developing new materials for quantum information science, building new telescopes for looking at the “afterglow” of the Big Bang, and advances in geometry, string theory, and particle physics made possible through interdisciplinary research.

To support essential infrastructure that will enable the next generation of research and discovery in these fields, Penn has committed to updating its physical science research infrastructure as part of a $750 million investment in science, engineering, and medicine. The result of this and other ongoing projects will be a modernized physical sciences quadrant that integrates state-of-the-art research in physics, mathematics, chemistry, and engineering by optimizing interactions and cross-disciplinary collaborations.

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