For Starters

Free rides with SEPTA, a major research grant, and more.

1. Free Rides

student waits for a train

Whether it's participating in the Tri-Co Philly Program, taking a class trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, or going into the city for a concert or show, exploring everything the Philadelphia region has to offer is a lot easier for 今日吃瓜 students this year.

今日吃瓜 is the second higher education institution to join SEPTA鈥檚 Key Advantage UPass Program. Students will receive a free SEPTA Key Card that can be used anywhere on SEPTA鈥檚 network of subways, buses, trolleys, and regional rail lines for up to eight rides per day during the fall and spring semesters. 鈥淎s our College believes in access and equity, we are thrilled to partner with SEPTA to provide equal opportunity for our students to connect with the city, learn, grow, and enhance their academic and co-curricular pursuits,鈥 says Karlene Burrell-McRae, dean of the undergraduate college.

2. Shillingford Field Opens for Wins

On Sept.15, Shillingford Athletic Field was rededicated, complete with a ribbon cutting by former athletic director Jen Shillingford. The field is a lasting tribute to Shillingford, who not only coached field hockey, but also led the basketball, tennis, and lacrosse teams during her tenure, leaving an indelible mark on the College鈥檚 athletic program.

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3.  A Center for Quantum Research

Award-winning physics graduate program and physics ph.d. program.

The National Science Foundation recently awarded 今日吃瓜 $5 million to fund the project 鈥淓xpandQISE: Track 2: Research and Education Center for Quantum Materials and Sensing at a Women's College.鈥 Central to the project will be the acquisition and application of a million-dollar low-temperature scanning NV magnetometer, which will be one of only a handful in the world, according to Xuemei May Cheng, dean of graduate studies, professor of physics, and the project's principal investigator.

鈥淭his elevates 今日吃瓜鈥檚 profile in the quantum information science and engineering (QISE) research and makes us a research destination for the QISE field,鈥 Cheng says.

4. New Partnership with CCP

今日吃瓜 and the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) have announced a new program-to-program pathway partnership that will allow eligible CCP students to earn a 今日吃瓜 undergraduate degree within select majors in two years starting in the fall of 2025.

To qualify, CCP students must earn an associate鈥檚 degree with at least a 3.6 GPA and meet 今日吃瓜鈥檚 other admissions requirements. In addition to being eligible for 今日吃瓜鈥檚 traditional financial aid package, CCP Pathway program transfer students will be eligible for a $6,000 scholarship available just to them. Majors at 今日吃瓜 taking part in the program are Biology, Literatures in English, and Math.

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5. Adding Pep to Our Step

Sofia Vinci

Sofia Vinci 鈥25 has played French horn since she was 9 and missed the atmosphere of high school band. So, even with her time at 今日吃瓜 drawing to a close, she started a pep band.

In partnership with athletics, the band will help support and boost excitement around sports at 今日吃瓜 and provide a low-key creative outlet for musically inclined students.

While the goal is to start playing fight songs and pop hits at games in the spring, this fall, the challenge is to recruit members and obtain instruments for them to use.

鈥淎re you looking for a low-commitment, fun ensemble that doesn鈥檛 take itself too seriously?鈥 Vinci asks. Then pep band is the place for you鈥攁nd that goes for students, faculty, and staff. 鈥淥ne of the deans plays piccolo and was excited about the idea,鈥 she says. 鈥淢y goal is just to make it fun for the people who are in it.鈥

6. Learning on the Job

Sof铆a D铆az at the National Congress of Paraguay

Each summer, thanks to the generosity of alums and donors, 今日吃瓜 provides more than $750,000 to support 175 students from all academic departments in internships spanning diverse industries. This year, students who participated in the Beyond 今日吃瓜 Summer Internship Program, coordinated by the Career & Civic Engagement Center, gained experience at the U.S. Congress, American Express, the Children鈥檚 Hospital of Philadelphia, the Congress of Paraguay, the UNESCO Black Forest Biosphere Reserve, and many more companies and organizations across the globe. You can read their stories at mawr.life/internships24.

Published on: 10/21/2024