Society of Fellows in Public Knowledge

Overview

The Society of Fellows in Public Knowledge is a new initiative, linked to SAS Commons, that will bring together a select group of postdoctoral fellows from across the natural, physical, and social sciences, as well as the humanities and arts, who are interested in joining a small interdisciplinary community focused on sharing research in public-facing, non-specialized ways and explaining how their subject or research methods contribute to public knowledge. All interested postdocs in SAS are encouraged to apply!

2026–2028 Fellows

Yintong Chen, Biology PhD, postdoc in the Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine
Amy Funck, Political Science PhD, postdoc with the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Program, Penn Arts & Sciences
Emma Kalb, South Asian Languages and Civilizations PhD, postdoc in the Department of South Asia Studies, Penn Arts & Sciences
Nathan Kong, Cognitive Neuroscience PhD, postdoc in the Department of Psychology, Penn Arts & Sciences
Madeline Lucey, Astronomy PhD, postdoc in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, Penn Arts & Sciences
Sewon Oh, Chemistry PhD, postdoc in the Department of Chemistry, Penn Arts & Sciences
Elizabeth Stippell, Physical/Theoretical Chemistry PhD, postdoc in the Department of Chemistry, Penn Arts & Sciences
Sejin Um, Sociology PhD, postdoc in the James Joo-Jin Kim Center for Korean Studies, Penn Arts & Sciences
Helena Yoo-Roth, History PhD, postdoc at the McNeil Center for Early American Studies, Penn Arts & Sciences
Allan Zheng, Ethnomusicology PhD, postdoc at the Wolf Humanities Center, Penn Arts & Sciences

FAQs

What does a commitment to participate in the Society of Fellows involve?

Active participation in a Friday lunch, five times per semester, in which one fellow will very briefly present their work to the rest of the group, plus any guests they would like to invite, with discussion to follow over food and drink—all within a one-hour (12:00–1:00pm) timeframe. A brief presentation in a public-facing Ideas Festival at the end of the academic year.

What are the potential advantages of participating?

Meeting other postdocs in fields far from your own; learning how to translate your scholarship for a broad public audience by getting experience and feedback presenting your work to non-specialists; learning about and discussing cutting-edge work in fields far from your own; access to invited faculty in an array of fields; potential opportunities to give guest presentations in relevant courses, if interested; and the distinction of having been selected for the honor of being a member of the Society of Fellows in Public Knowledge, in addition to your main position, while at Penn. Fellows will also receive a one-time $500 research award to use in summer 2027 following their participation in the program.