2025 Grad October Newsletter (2)
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Announcement for the Month| Grants, Scholarships, & Fellowships |Events| Career & Networking| Previous Issue
Important Dates: 
| Date | Event |
| October 27th – Nov 10th | Advance Registration for Spring 2026 |
| November 3rd | Last day to withdraw from a course for the Fall term |
| November 14th | Master’s and Certificate December graduation application closes |
| December 1st | PhD December graduation application closes |
| December 8th | Fall term classes end |
| December 9 – 10th | Reading Days |
| December 11th – 18th | Final exams |
| December 18th | Fall term ends |
| December 18th | Degree conferral date |
Fall 2025 Semester Advising Hours
| Day of the week | Time | Location |
| Mondays | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm (EST) | Virtual |
| Tuesdays | 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (EST) | In-person, Towne 109 |
| Wednesdays | 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (EST) | In-person, Towne 109 |
| Thursdays | 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (EST) | Virtual |
| Fridays | No Advising |
* Information with Zoom links for virtual advising days (Monday/Thursday) is emailed to students throughout the semester. If you are unable to attend scheduled advising hours, additional times may be available by appointment only. Please email to request an appointment.
Announcements for the month
Get Your Flu Shot!
All Penn students, faculty, postdocs, and staff are welcome to drop in for their free flu shot, and must bring a Penn ID.
Wednesday, October 15: 10 am – 6 pm
Thursday, October 16: 10 am – 6 pm
Friday, October 17: 10 am – 4 pm
Pottruck Health and Fitness Center |3701 Walnut Street
The Weingarten Center
The Weingarten Center assesses students’ needs, makes appropriate referrals, and helps students navigate campus resources. They offer expertise in developing effective study skills and strategies as students pursue academic goals and rise to their own potential. They help students develop communication, problem-solving, and self-advocacy skills. They encourage students to prioritize their mental health and well-being and make time for self-care. They strive to destigmatize disability, normalize asking for help, and support accommodations that remove barriers and level the playing field.
We strongly suggest that you visit the Weingarten Center website to check the resources they provide and subscribe to the Weingarten Center Newsletter.
Dual Degree Deadline
Dual-degree master’s programs provide students with the breadth of knowledge and the added flexibility needed to meet the demands of a complex and constantly changing world. Dual degrees are joint programs involving two different degree types. Students receive two diplomas upon completion. Applications must be submitted by December 15, 2025, for spring 2026 admission.
Students in the Master of Science in Engineering degree program can select one of the following majors:
Bioengineering (BE), Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering (CBE), Computer Graphics & Game Technology (CGGT), Computer & Information Science (CIS), Data Science (DATS), Electrical Engineering (EE), Integrated Product Design (IPD), Material Science and Engineering (MSE), Robotics (ROBO), Scientific Computing (SCMP), and Systems Engineering (SE).
Students who are interested in pursuing two of the Master of Science in Engineering majors may apply to expand their program to earn a degree in both majors. These students receive one diploma upon completion.
To apply, students must submit a Dual Major Degree Application.
Applications must be submitted by December 15, 2025, for spring 2026 admission.
Grants, Scholarships & Fellowships
Widjaja Entrepreneurship Fellows Program
The Penn Engineering Widjaja Entrepreneurship Fellows Program offers an immersive tech startup experience like no other. This program provides students with the opportunity to network with startup leadership teams. The Penn Engineering Widjaja Entrepreneurship Fellows Program offers an immersive tech startup experience like no other. This program provides students with the opportunity to network with startup leadership teams. Learn More Here: https://eent.seas.upenn.edu/fellows/
- Duration: January through December
- Eligibility: Juniors, Seniors, First-Year Master’s students
- Deadline to Apply: October 13, 2025
Events
iCommunicate Open Session
This interactive training is designed to spark your intercultural communication skills while connecting you with like-minded peers across campus. This is an opportunity to enhance your intercultural communication abilities and expand your network.
Tuesday, October 14th
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
3935 Walnut Street, 2nd Floor
Click here to register.
Planternoon: Plant Your Own Succulent!
In honor of Climate Week @ Penn, the Grad Center is hosting a Plant Your Own Succulent Crafternoon! Stop by to pot your very own succulent, learn about the benefits it has for the environment, easy tips for caring for it, and take home a plant that’s as sustainable as it is cute!
Thursday, October 16th
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Grad Center, Room 304
Click here to register
Penn Prevention Center (PVP) -Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM)
October is recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), a time to support survivors, raise awareness, and promote resources for prevention and support. In honor of DVAM, Penn Violence Prevention (PVP) is hosting a variety of events to promote education about the issue and share resources available to those impacted.
Our annual “How to Support a Survivor” workshop is a great training for student leaders (board members, student workers, captains) to learn how to support a friend after experiencing violence, know how to effectively respond to someone in crisis, or even improve general interpersonal skills! Dinner will be provided.
Trauma-informed yoga is back! Join us on Fridays in October for yoga with local instructor Nicole Pollard! Sessions are held on October 10, 17, 24, and 31. Beginner-friendly classes are hosted in Pottruck Studio 414. All Penn community members are welcome!
Trauma-informed yoga
Fridays, October 10th, 17th, 24th, and 31st.
10:00 am
Pottruck Studio 414|3701 Walnut St, Philadelphia
Click here to register
“How to Support a Survivor” workshop
Wednesday, October 15th
6:00 pm -8:00 pm
3935 Walnut St, 2nd Floor
Click here to register
Poster Session Climate Week 2025
The research poster session, hosted by the Environmental Innovations Initiative, aims to showcase how faculty, staff, and students are advancing knowledge for the sake of our future and our planet. By situating the session in a central campus location, under a tent on College Green, we aim to reach a broad audience and spark interdisciplinary collaborations across campus. If you wish to participate, please email xime@upenn.edu
Wednesday, October 15th
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Under the tent in front of College Hall
2025 Penn Healthcare Case Competition
The Penn Biotech Group (PBG) and Penn HealthX Executive Boards bring together graduate and medical students interested in consulting, entrepreneurship, venture capital, and business.
This year’s case competition offers graduate-level students the opportunity to tackle a real-world healthcare problem, showcasing their problem-solving and entrepreneurial skills to judges from top-tier consulting firms, biotech/pharmaceutical companies, and venture capital firms. All advanced degree candidates and postdoctoral fellows are welcome to apply, including but not limited to PhDs, MDs, JDs, Dental, MS/MA, and MBA programs. We highly recommend forming a team with diverse educational backgrounds.
Competition Details:
Final Round Date: Saturday, November 22nd (virtual event)
Team Size: 4–6 members
Rounds: One industry-sourced healthcare prompt, with two rounds of evaluation
Networking: Engage with judges and industry leaders in consulting, biotech, pharma, and VC
Prizes: Cash awards + premium CaseCoach memberships
Application Closes: October 16th
Final Round Competition (Virtual): Saturday, November 22nd
Please feel free to reach out with any questions at ramaraju@seas.upenn.edu or kadiyas@seas.upenn.edu.
Part II: Tour of the Eastern State Penitentiary
Later in the month, the history lesson moves beyond the classroom with a daytime guided tour of Eastern State Penitentiary. Students will step inside the prison’s abandoned cellblocks and echoing corridors, seeing firsthand the spaces that inspired centuries of ghost stories and chilling myths.
NOTE: *Students who attend PART I will receive a free ticket and SEPTA pass to PART II, which includes the tour of Eastern State Penitentiary*. Click here to learn more about this event.
Monday, October 27th
1:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Eastern State Penitentiary
Tickets will go on sale on Tuesday, October 21, at 10 am.
Click Here to Register
Career & Networking
Penn Engineering AI Industry Days
Are you a Penn Engineering student interested in a potential career in artificial intelligence? Whether you’re a student in the BSE: AI program or a bioengineer, if you’re curious about pursuing professional opportunities in AI, you’re invited to join us!
Our events will offer you the chance to learn about career opportunities in AI; connect with alumni and industry reps; and pursue open and future internship and full-time opportunities.
Events will take place across two days, October 22 & 23, some on campus and some virtually. Events and employers are still being added, so make sure to regularly check our Linktree and Handshake for updates!
Separate registration for the Virtual Company Showcase will open on Monday, October 13th, at 1 pm.
Wednesday, October 22nd and Thursday, October 23rd
Location: Virtual and in person
Click Linktree and Handshake to register
Penn Engineering Career Forum
This program features Penn Engineering alumni who will provide valuable information on their career paths in technology, finance, consulting, bioengineering, human resources, robotics, as well as startups and entrepreneurs.
The Penn Engineering Career Forum is an excellent opportunity to build your Penn network, position yourself for success at industry-leading employers, and ask questions of our Penn Engineering undergraduate, graduate, and PhD alumni.
Career Forum 2025 Schedule
Wednesday October 15
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Pallavi Vaidyanathan (Electrical Engineering) ENG11
Senior Manager for Product Management Technology, Amazon
Via Zoom – https://forms.gle/n5FCxQgHY1DqJBJd8
Friday, October 17
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
David Sun GEE14 GR20 (Grad & PhD)
Senior Engineering Manager at Apple
Via Zoom -https://forms.gle/jMfmc3yJJKMrKNMYA
Friday, October 17
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Anshuman Srivastava (Computer Science) ENG04
Senior Director of Engineering at Axon
Via Zoom- https://forms.gle/hWdFH52axvd5L5PL9
Careers in the Water Industry
Now in its fourth year, The Water Center at Penn’s annual Careers in the Water Industry event, held during Climate Week at Penn, brings together professionals across the water sector, academics, and students interested in water-related careers to explore current trends, pressing challenges, and emerging opportunities in the water sector.
The event is presented in partnership with PennClubH2O, Penn’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Penn’s Environmental Innovations Initiative, Penn Career Services, and Wharton MBA Career Management, with thanks to our generous sponsors — Aquatech, Bentley Systems, Solenis, Veolia, Aqua Essential Utilities, and American Water.
The event will feature distinguished speakers, expert panels, and networking opportunities with leaders from across the industry. It will also showcase presentations from finalists of the Student Water Innovation Award, which recognizes forward-thinking solutions to pressing water challenges. See more details and learn how to apply here
Thursday, October 16th
11:30 am – 5:30 pm
Quorum| 3675 Market Street
Click here to register
