Wikipedia:Visiting Scholars/Participating institutions/University of Pennsylvania

Wikipedia Visiting Scholars

About the University of Pennsylvania[edit]

The University of Pennsylvania (commonly referred to as Penn or UPenn), is a private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia. Established in 1740, it is one of the oldest higher education institutions in the United States. The College of Philadelphia, as it was known until 1791, was one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution as well as one of the founding members of the Association of American Universities.

About the Department of Classical Studies[edit]

The Department of Classical Studies is one of Penn's oldest, providing undergraduate and graduate programs for more than 200 years. Its roots are in the Latin School, one of three divisions comprising the College of Pennsylvania in colonial America. When it was rechartered at the end of the 18th century, the Department was part of the Faculty of Arts. Latin and Greek instruction were a fundamental element of education, and candidates for admission had to pass an exam demonstrating they already had a strong grasp of the languages. The university began to grow as a research institution in the late-19th century, and awarded its first Ph.D. in Classical Studies in 1894. Today, the Department encompasses all aspects of the field, and fosters interdisciplinarity and collaboration in both teaching and research.

Department of Classical Studies

About Penn Libraries[edit]

Penn's first library was created in 1750 with a donation of books from cartographer Lewis Evans. University founder Benjamin Franklin was another early donor, and ensured funding to grow its collection. The library system today includes 15 libraries with 6.19 million book and serial volumes, 4.23 million microform items, 1.11 million ebooks, and 68,000 print serials and electronic journals. The Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center (commonly referred to as Van Pelt) is the main library in the Penn Libraries system. It is the primary library for social sciences and humanities, and houses a number of smaller libraries and collections.

Penn Libraries website

Overview of library resources[edit]

The Penn Visiting Scholar will have full access to the university's considerable online library resources, including 1,180 databases, 1.11 million ebooks, and a wide range of other electronic resources like digitized content available through the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts and DigitalPenn, a project funded by the NIH, Mellon Foundation, and Pew Charitable Trusts which provides access to a variety of unique media in the Penn collections.

Current Visiting Scholars[edit]

Gen. Quon[edit]

Gen. Quon (talk · contribs) has been a Visiting Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania since 2017, improving Wikipedia's coverage of Classics topics. In addition to the highlights below, Gen. Quon keeps track of his Visiting Scholar work here.