Dr.

As a junior undergraduate, Kaylin Tsukayama - like many college students - wasn’t sure what direction she wanted to take in her career. She was a neuroscience major and had already spent nearly three years studying the subject and working in labs; yet, she was starting to question whether she wanted to continue in a natural science field.

The 2021-2022 school year marked a series of welcome returns for the 1,200 students, faculty, staff and community partners who participated in Bass Connections. Our 61 year-long project teams resumed their in-person work on campus, many teams participated in their first fieldwork since 2019 and we were once again able gather together in Penn Pavilion to celebrate the year through our annual Fortin Foundation Bass Connections Showcase.

Since 2013, the Education & Human Development theme of Bass Connections (EHD) has engaged students and faculty in interdisciplinary research exploring the range of factors contributing to positive life outcomes from personal and communal health to social and familial connections to income and employment to happiness.

Three new Bass Connections project teams starting this fall will address issues related to democracy and the challenges of sustaining strong democratic institutions in a polarized world.

Among the 2022 Ph.D. graduates are numerous students who took advantage of the Bass Connections program to strengthen their dissertation research, coauthor publications and hone career-enhancing skills. Many students also engaged in other interdisciplinary opportunities across campus.

Check out these doctoral student pathways.