60-Second Lectures

Every spring and fall, Penn Arts and Sciences faculty take a minute out by the Ben Franklin statue in front of College Hall to share their perspectives on topics ranging from human history and the knowable universe to fractions and fly-fishing. 


The lectures have been a Penn Arts & Sciences tradition since 2003. More recently, the series has provided a platform for Penn and its experts to address the unprecedented challenges faced by our society, including the global COVID-19 pandemic, the enduring legacy of racism, and the ever-present threat of climate change. 

60-Second Lectures 10.7.20

Look for past 60-Second Lectures in our Vimeo Library. 

Upcoming Lectures


60-Second Lectures - Alumni Edition 2020

60-Second Lectures

Join us for a special Homecoming at Home edition of Penn Arts & Sciences’ 60-Second Lectures. The lectures, given by Penn Arts and Sciences’ alumni, prove that a world of knowledge can be condensed into just one minute.Go to event

Featured Lectures

David Garizan 60-Second

New York City in the Time of Covid-19

David Grazian, Professor of Sociology and Communication, Faculty Director of Urban Studies
Geoff Goodwin

Why Can’t We Agree?

Geoffrey Goodwin, Associate Professor of Psychology
Frank Diebold

Entering the Pandemic: The Joint Progression of COVID-19 and Economic Growth in the U.S.

Francis Diebold, Paul F. Miller, Jr. and E. Warren Shafer Miller Professor of Social Sciences and Professor of Economics, Finance, and Statistics
Mary Frances Berry - 60 Seconds Racial Injustice

Show Not Tell That Black Lives Matter

Mary Frances Berry, Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and Professor of History and Africana Studies
Margo Crawford - 60 Second Racial Injustice

Unapologetic Blackness

Margo Natalie Crawford, Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Professor for Faculty Excellence, Professor of English, and Director of the Center for Africana Studies
Sarah Tishkoff

Genetic Risk Factors for Susceptibility to COVID-19 in Global Populations

Sarah Tishkoff, David and Lyn Silfen University Professor of Genetics and Biology

Browse the Archives

David Garizan 60-Second

New York City in the Time of Covid-19

David Grazian, Professor of Sociology and Communication, Faculty Director of Urban Studies
Frank Diebold

Entering the Pandemic: The Joint Progression of COVID-19 and Economic Growth in the U.S.

Francis Diebold, Paul F. Miller, Jr. and E. Warren Shafer Miller Professor of Social Sciences and Professor of Economics, Finance, and Statistics
Geoff Goodwin

Why Can’t We Agree?

Geoffrey Goodwin, Associate Professor of Psychology
Chaz Howard - 1.5 Minute Climate Lectures

Care for the Planet as Spiritual Practice

Charles “Chaz” Howard, Vice President for Social Equity and Community and University Chaplain
Katie Barott - 1.5 Minute Climate Lectures

Living on Borrowed Breath: We’re Pushing the Ocean to Its Limit

Katie Barott, Assistant Professor of Biology
Maris Jones - 1.5 Minute Climate Lectures

Ain’t I a Student? Fieldnotes From the Frontline

Maris Jones, Ph.D. Student in Anthropology and Africana Studies