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.

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

No upcoming lectures at this time. Please check back later.

Featured Lectures

New York City in the Time of Covid-19

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

Why Can’t We Agree?

Geoffrey Goodwin, Associate Professor of Psychology

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