What is the Pennsylvania Triangle?

In a nutshell, the Pennsylvania Triangle is a student-run science and technology publication of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania. The Triangle has been around since 1899, making us the oldest continuously-published periodical at Penn. We're convinced that if you have the slightest interest in anything to do with science or technology, you'll find something that fascinates you here.

“The Triangle” originally stood for science, engineering, and architecture – the three main arms of the engineering school in the early 1900s, and has gone through as many names, from starting off as being the journal of the Whitney Society (1899), to the Towne Scientific Journal (1913), to its current name, the Pennsylvania Triangle (1924). Obviously, engineering and the nature of science and technology have changed since 1899, and so have we.

How have we changed?

In the past, the Triangle has somewhat limited both its staff and audience to SEAS students. Beginning with this issue, future Triangle magazines will be written by students from three main groups including engineers, scientists, and anyone else interested in science and technology. We’d love to have you join us even if you’re not in SEAS.

We’re also expanding our intended audience from just engineering students to three main groups: students, faculty, and the outside community (alumni, visitors, prospective students, etc.). The issues we address will not be limited to SEAS or even Penn topics but also interesting events and news that happen outside our campus.

(Articles that have been written or are in the development stage include an exposition on the relationship between science and religion, the nature of stem cell research, the politics of science/technology, biographies of famous scientists, and profiles of the technology used in museums and stadiums, to name a few.)

Whether you’re a professor reading this magazine while proctoring a final, a student skimming through before (ok fine, during) lecture, or a prospective student trying to get a taste of Penn, welcome to the new Pennsylvania Triangle.