For Starters

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

1. Free Rides

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 Bryn Mawr students this year.

Bryn Mawr is the second higher education institution to join SEPTA’s Key Advantage UPass Program. Students will receive a free SEPTA Key Card that can be used anywhere on SEPTA’s network of subways, buses, trolleys, and regional rail lines for up to eight rides per day during the fall and spring semesters. “As 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,” 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’s athletic program.

3. A Center for Quantum Research

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

The National Science Foundation recently awarded Bryn Mawr College $5 million to fund the project “ExpandQISE: Track 2: Research and Education Center for Quantum Materials and Sensing at a Women's College.” 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.

“This elevates Bryn Mawr’s profile in the quantum information science and engineering (QISE) research and makes us a research destination for the QISE field,” Cheng says.

4. New Partnership with CCP

Bryn Mawr College 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 Bryn Mawr undergraduate degree within select majors in two years starting in the fall of 2025.

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

5. Adding Pep to Our Step

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

In partnership with athletics, the band will help support and boost excitement around sports at Bryn Mawr 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.

“Are you looking for a low-commitment, fun ensemble that doesn’t take itself too seriously?” Vinci asks. Then pep band is the place for you—and that goes for students, faculty, and staff. “One of the deans plays piccolo and was excited about the idea,” she says. “My goal is just to make it fun for the people who are in it.”

6. Learning on the Job

Sofía Díaz at the National Congress of Paraguay

Each summer, thanks to the generosity of alums and donors, Bryn Mawr 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 Bryn Mawr Summer Internship Program, coordinated by the Career & Civic Engagement Center, gained experience at the U.S. Congress, American Express, the Children’s 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.