Tanya Jung

Tanya Jung grew up in the Midwest, moved to Philadelphia in the early 2000s, and has lived in West Philadelphia ever since. She has been part of the Penn community for over two decades. Trained in the history of art, her interests range from medieval liturgical objects to the visual culture of Elvis Presley, united by a curiosity about how images carry meaning across time—an approach she brings to her Visual Studies courses alongside her work as an Assistant Dean.

In her advising and teaching, she emphasizes close looking, curiosity-driven exploration, and critical engagement with complex questions, along with the value of learning from mistakes—she’s happy to admit she got a couple of C’s in college, and everything turned out just fine.

Outside the classroom, Tanya paints and creates intricate dioramas, plays a range of stringed instruments, and enjoys horror films and open-world RPGs. She also enjoys spending time with her family and her short dog, Pearl, who is a friendly and familiar presence in the College office.