University of Pennsylvania Podcasts

Podcast coverage of the University of Pennsylvania is thin. The institution rarely commands a whole episode; it usually enters through one department, one local controversy, or a guest’s affiliation.

The closest thing to a dedicated series

Perspectives on Science offers the strongest sustained treatment, narrowing its attention to scholarship within Penn’s history and sociology of science department. The sequence moves through technology, medicine, formal presentations, and departmental origins in 50+2 years of Scholarship: UPenn Dept of the Hist and Soc of Sci - History of Technology, 50+2 years of Scholarship: UPenn Hist and Soc of Sci - History of Medicine, 50+2 years of Scholarship: UPenn Dept of the Hist and Soc of Sci - Plenary Presentations, and 50+2 years of Scholarship: UPenn Dept of the Hist and Soc of Sci - Dept Founder Arnold Thackray. For the intellectual life of a particular Penn department, rather than a broad portrait of the university, this series is the best choice.

Penn in the local-news cycle

For a sharper, more immediate angle, The Week in Philly from KYW Newsradio places Penn inside a brisk regional roundup. Birthright citizenship explained, UPenn ordered to give lists of Jewish staff and students, and a time-honored Center City classic returns treats the university as one consequential Philadelphia story among several. The format is useful for context and next steps, though the shared billing makes clear that this is a segment, not a full institutional investigation.

Most other appearances are passing references inside science, medicine, entrepreneurship, and Philadelphia-focused conversations. They may be worthwhile on their own terms, but they do not add up to reliable University of Pennsylvania listening.

Where to start

Start with 50+2 years of Scholarship: UPenn Dept of the Hist and Soc of Sci - Plenary Presentations for the broadest departmental entry point. Follow with 50+2 years of Scholarship: UPenn Dept of the Hist and Soc of Sci - History of Technology for a tighter scholarly focus. Choose the The Week in Philly from KYW Newsradio episode when the local-news angle matters more than institutional history.

Featured shows below are part of the PlayNext catalog. Updated weekly.