Faculty Master:
Prof. Michael Gamer
Associate Professor of English,
School of Arts & Sciences

Associate Master:
Elise Bruhl

College House Fellows:
Nicola Gentili
Lecturer in Romance Languages (Italian),
Associate Director, Cinema Studies Program,
Associate Director, Center for Italian Studies,
Associate Director, Penn-in-Florence Program

Dr. Rob Nelson
Associate Director, Office of the Provost

Scholar-in-Residence: Dr. Todd Nothstein

House Dean: Dr. Frank Pellicone

House Coordinator: Jennifer Hook

Harrison regularly brings Penn home to its residents. The Dinner and Conversation series hosts approximately 40 faculty members each year, engaging in topics ranging from applying mathematical formulae to Fantasy Baseball, prostitution in antiquity, Dante’s influence on popular culture, and the politics of poverty. Front Row Theater, Harrison’s residential theater group, performs in the Heyer Sky Lounge; residents also enjoy opera, theater, sporting events and shopping trips. Harrison Saturday Night guarantees engaging social events every weekend; partnerships with the Penn Art Club, the Penn Cinema Club and various campus groups ensure diversity of programming. Harrison’s impressive website provides information about the latest programming, while the student-run Café Prima offers coffee, DVDs, and snacks. Harrison’s Faculty Master and Associate Faculty Master Michael Gamer and Elise Bruhl meet students each week to provide assistance in applying for grants or writing cover letters, and House Fellow Rob Nelson meets weekly with residents about writing papers. About 70 freshmen made Harrison their home last year.

Five Unique Things about Harrison

• The only high rise that promises The Freshman Experience
• Café Prima, the best coffee house, commissary, and DVD library on campus
• The home of Front Row Theater
• Harrison Saturday Night offers social events every weekend
• Dinner and informal conversation with 35-40 faculty members each year

Residential Programs at Harrison

Contemporary Culture and Visual Arts
This program challenges students to explore various exhibits on and off campus. Members plan trips to museums and galleries not only in Philadelphia but also in New York, Washington D.C. and the surrounding areas. Partnership with the Penn Art Club brings artists back to Harrison to discuss their work over dinner, and the student sponsored Art-In hosts a marathon session of artistic creativity with the Harrison community as the beneficiary of the artistic outpouring of the participants. Members also show their own work and exhibit it to the wider Harrison audience.
[Comprises 8% of House population.]

Freshman Experience
Through the Freshman Experience program, first-year Penn students live alongside mentors from the sophomore, junior and senior classes. With the benefit of apartment style living, first-year students enjoy a supportive transition to university life. Members also participate in all aspects of life in the House and have programs and resources devoted specifically to them. One of the most popular events is Restaurant Week, in which freshmen dine out with staff, participate in cooking contests, and participate in regularly-scheduled tutoring sessions.
[Comprises 13% of House population.]

Health and Fitness
This program addresses some of the needs and concerns of those students who incorporate athletics with academic pursuits. Living together, Penn’s student athletes share space and find solidarity in their pursuit of intellectual and physical excellence. Members organize activities such as Pilates, yoga, cycling trips, kayaking, soccer, ultimate Frisbee, and lead the charge to integrate intramurals within the College House system.
[Comprises 9% of House population.]

Politics, Law and Society
Home to students who have interests in law, public policy, and politics, this program organizes events which complement the social and academic programs of the House such as Dinner and Conversation, movie screenings and field trips.
[Comprises 4% of House population.]

World Cinema
Students interested in the making, the marketing, and the watching of films suggest specific works and topics and attend screenings inside and outside of the House to explore the ways that filmmakers project their aesthetic, social and political views onto their audiences. Each year the program hosts several film series and participates in the College House Film Festival.
[Comprises 8% of House population.]

Number of Residents 797 (excluding RAs and GAs)
Number of Freshmen 66
Number of GAs 12
Number of RAs 12

Room Types
Singles; 1- and 2-bedroom doubles; 3-bedroom triples; 3- and 4-bedroom quads; suite and apartment style; carpeting; seasonal air conditioning

House Amenities
Heyer Sky Lounge with kitchen and baby grand piano, Robinette Lounge, TV lounges on even-numbered floors (2-16, 20), Café Prima, 24-hour
computer lab, exercise room, multimedia classroom, ATM, DVD/video library, wide screen TV, music practice room with several upright pianos. Conveniently located near Freshgrocer, The Bridge, post office and a variety of restaurants.

Dining Location:
Class of 1920 Commons, Lower Level "Center Square"

Click here to view room layouts

My favorite part of Harrison is the endless amount of opportunities that can be found right inside the House. Everyday there seems to be a movie playing, a professor speaking, a discussion going on — all just a one-minute elevator ride away.

— James Liu, Wharton '10

View the College Houses brochure