2025 May Graduate Monthly Newsletter
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Announcement for the Month| Grants, Scholarships, & Fellowships |Events| Career & Networking|Previous Issue
Important Dates: 
| Date | Event |
| May 1st – 4th | Reading Days |
| May 5th | Thesis due for May 2025 graduates |
| May 5th -13th | Final Examinations |
| May 13th | Spring Term ends |
| May 17th | Alumni Day |
| May 19th | Commencement |
| May 26th | Memorial Day observed (no classes) |
| May 27th | Session I Classes begin |
| June 19th | Juneteenth (no classes) |
| July 2nd | Session I Classes end |
| July 3rd | Session II Classes begin |
| July 4th | Independence Day (no classes) |
| August 8th | Session II end |
Spring 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
Now Open: NASA’s Computing Challenge
The NASA Beyond the Algorithm Challenge: Novel Computing Architectures for Flood Analysis is now open! All information for the challenge can be found at the challenge website here.
The NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) seeks solutions to complex Earth Science problems using transformative or unconventional computing technologies such as quantum computing, quantum machine learning, neuromorphic computing, or in-memory computing.
The challenge is to provide solutions or potential solutions to improve flood water analysis by using one or more unconventional computing methods. In Phase One, participants will submit a short 5-page white paper and a 2 to 3-minute video of their idea. Up to 10 Finalists will be selected to present their ideas to a panel of judges at a live Pitch Event in September 2025.
Up to three 3 winners will be chosen, with each winner being awarded a $100,000 prize! Deadline: July 25th, 2025
Grants, Scholarships & Fellowships
Internships & Volunteer Work
- Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships (CURF) – supports summer research opportunities for undergraduate students
- Center for the Advanced Study of India (CASI) – supports independent research related to contemporary India as well as summer internships in India.
- Civic House Community Engagement Internship – funding to support academic year-long undergraduate internships at selected community partner organizations
- Penn Global Research & Internship (GRIP) Award – provides outstanding undergraduate and graduate students opportunity to intern or conduct research abroad over the summer
- Platt Performing Arts Internship Award – provides one Penn undergraduate with funds to support a summer internship in professional performing arts or related entertainment organization
- Real Arts@Penn Internship Prize – offers internship prize specifically designed to help with costs associated with unpaid & underpaid internships in a creative field
- Summer Research & Internship Funding for Highly Aided Students – Highly Aided students are eligible to receive up to $5,000 in funding for unpaid or underfunded opportunities for two summers
- Startup Internship Award – Venture Lab – to support students interning with startups over the summer
- Penn Wharton Innovation Fund – offers funding for students in support creating a new startup venture
- Weingarten Center Scholarships – scholarships for internships or work experience that relate to academics and career goals for students with disabilities
- Annenberg School for Communication –Communication majors interested doing a public service internship this summer have an opportunity to apply to Annenberg in Public Service (AIPS), which provides financial support for students doing un- or under-paid Comm related public service internships up to $5,000.
- Penn Emergency & Opportunity Fund – Students can seek and receive support for needs including, but not limited to: academic or pre-professional opportunity, such as conference participation or travel to reach an internship/job, graduate school exam prep or application fees and more.
University Research Foundation Award
The University Research Foundation (URF) is an intramural funding program that provides up to $75,000 for research projects and up to $5,000 for conference support. The URF provides seed funding for up to one year for research activities that are expected to lead to external sponsorship and/or peer-reviewed research publications. Conference support grants are faculty-developed events that take place on Penn’s campus.
During Fall 2024, the OVPR reviewed 83 applications (over $4.2 million in requests) from across campus. Four review panels consisting of 33 faculty reviewers assessed proposals in four categories: Humanities, Social Sciences and Management, Natural Sciences and Engineering, and Biomedical Sciences. A total of 56 new projects were recommended for funding, totaling $2,595,003.
The next cycle for the Fall 2025 URF program will open in late August, with a proposal deadline of October 9, 2025.
PARCC Announces Partnerships with AHEAD, NVIDIA and more
Penn Advanced Research Computing Center (PARCC) has reached a major milestone toward opening its high-performance computing cluster. PARCC is pleased to announce contracts with AHEAD to build an NVIDIA SuperPod backed by VAST Data Storage and powered by NVIDIA Blackwell. The cluster will be hosted by Flexential, offering an integrated on-campus research computing experience. Further updates on PARCC can be viewed on the OVPR website.
Events
End of Semester Picnic
GIC, UMC, and NAP will be hosting our annual end-of-semester picnic in the GIC garden and backyard. There will be BBQ food, picnic blankets, and yard-games. All students and campus partners of GIC are welcome to attend!
Thursday, May 1st
4:00-6:00 PM
GIC Patio and Lawn | 3708 Chestnut Street
Study Break @ Houston Hall with Coffee and Sweets
Bring your books and study with your friends in Houston Hall to prepare for final exams. Free coffee, tea, hot chocolate and tasty sweets will be provided in Houston Hall Lobby. Tutoring Services will be available from 7:45 pm-10:30 pm in the Market Cafe on the lower floor of Houston Hall as well.
Thursday, May 1st
7: 30 pm – 10:30 pm
Houston Hall Lobby
STUDY BREAK! Create Your Own Butterfly: Artmaking, Community, and Transformation
Create your own Butterfly: Artmaking, Community, and Transformation
Facilitated by Mariya Keselman-Mekler
This workshop uses the butterfly as a symbol of transformation, helping participants overcome challenges through art, creativity, and community. Through artmaking, reflective writing, and dialogue, participants will identify personal obstacles, connect with their inner strengths, and leave with a butterfly to represent their journey of transformation.
Friday, May 2nd
12:00 pm – 2:00 p.m.
Greenfield Intercultural Center (3708 Chestnut Street)
Penn Violence Prevention (PVP) has a new home!
PVP is now located at 3935 Walnut St, Suite 400. Our drop-in hours are still 10 am-5 pm on weekdays! Come visit PVP’s new space!
Virtual Housing Fair
Virtual Housing Fair, starting March 27, 24×7. Students can search for off-campus living opportunities. Click here to learn more about off-campus services.
March 27 – July 26, 2025
Click here to register
Penn FoQuS 2025: The 2nd Penn Forum on Quantum Systems
On behalf of the University of Pennsylvania’s QUIEST Center, we are excited to announce that registration is OPEN for our second annual Forum on Quantum Systems: Penn FoQuS 2025!
Penn FoQuS 2025 will build upon the success of last year’s inaugural event by once again bringing together quantum experts from academia, industry, and government to speak and engage with participants. This year’s program will include a featured panel discussion, more time for open-ended conversations amongst attendees, and an optional exclusive group outing to the Science History Institute. The Center hopes this event will build connections between researchers, raise awareness about regional, national, and international efforts in QUIEST, and help guide ongoing research and education priorities for the QUIEST Center moving forward.
Quantum enthusiasts of all levels in the Penn community are welcome to participate. Registration will remain open until in-person attendance reaches capacity – we encourage you to register sooner rather than later to ensure you are able to participate. We will also offer an option to view talks remotely if you are unable to participate in-person.
If you are interested in sharing your research as part of the FoQuS Poster Session during this conference, please submit your poster abstract here.
Monday, May 5th and Tuesday, May 6th. More information, click on this link.
Career & Networking
PVP (Penn Violence Prevention) is hiring temporary student workers!
PVP is seeking students passionate about preventing interpersonal violence to facilitate Consent Circles during New Student Orientation.
This position is a temporary student worker position for up to 16 hours of work – ending after Consent Circles. Students must be available all day on Thursday, August 21 and Friday, August 22. We are also hosting Consent Circles for transfer students on Monday, August 25.
Becoming a Consent Circles Facilitator is a great way to get involved with violence prevention efforts and provide support to incoming students, while earning $15/hour.
This position is open to both work-study and non-work study students and early move-in may be available! Applications are due BEFORE May 10, and interviews are on a rolling basis. Follow the instructions below to apply and email Julie, PVP Associate Director, at julmill@upenn.edu with any questions.
To apply for the Consent Circles Facilitator position:
Log in to Workday@Penn.
In the Workday search bar, type “Find Jobs for Student Employment”, or click on the Career application on your Workday homepage and select “Find Jobs for Student Employment”.
All open and currently posted Student Worker positions will appear.
Search for “Consent Circles Facilitator”
Read about the position and apply before the deadline on May 10.
Summer Training Program for ITA’s
The International Teaching Assistant Summer program emphasizes the development of listening and understanding, fluency in speaking, clear pronunciation, better control over grammatical forms, and skills required for effective lecturing and classroom management in US higher education contexts. The program is a significant commitment that entails two course meetings and out-of-class preparation each day. In addition, participants meet weekly in one-on-one consultations with language specialists to focus on individual pronunciation and teaching needs. Prospective ITAS who plan to enroll in the summer training program will need to complete and submit an enrollment form.
Teach At Penn GEMS Summer Camp
We’re excited to invite PhD and Master’s students in engineering to participate as instructors for Penn GEMS, a week-long summer day camp that brings hands-on STEM experiences to enthusiastic local middle school students.
Penn GEMS will run from June 23–27, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Penn’s campus in the Engineering Quad. With an acceptance rate of just 38%, these campers are highly motivated, curious, and thrilled to be part of this unique opportunity at one of the nation’s leading institutions.
We’re seeking graduate students who are passionate about STEM outreach and interested in designing and delivering a 90-minute interactive lesson—taught twice during the week to two different groups of approximately 24 students. Scheduling is flexible; both sessions can be delivered on the same day or split across two days.
Counselors will be in each classroom to assist with classroom management and provide one-on-one support to students, so instructors can focus on leading engaging, hands-on activities. GEMS provides all necessary materials and can offer guidance on age-appropriate lesson planning.
We welcome instructors from all engineering disciplines and encourage fresh, creative workshop ideas! Past lessons have included balsa bridge building, ArtBots, sunscreen and soap chemistry, reflexology, catapult construction, DNA experiments, and beginner coding challenges.
Instructors will be compensated at $25/hour for both preparation and facilitation time. Faculty across SEAS have been incredibly supportive of their students participating in this meaningful outreach opportunity.
If you’re interested, please email penngems@seas.upenn.edu with your resume and a brief description of one or two potential workshop ideas.
Thank you for considering this rewarding chance to inspire and connect with the next generation of STEM leaders.
Startup Internship + Founding Engineer roles in AI/ML, Computer Vision
🚀 Startup Internship + Engineer roles in AI/ML, Computer Vision
-Sync Labs, a UPenn backed startup, is looking to onboard 1-2 candidates as a Computer Vision AI/ML Engineer.
-The internship would commence in April 2025 and carry on for a paid summer engineer role.
-Must have previous experience with CV (including, but not limited to: tensorflow, MoViNet, PyTorch).
-Applications are on a rolling basis, so apply here ASAP if you are interested!
More about the company:
-Sync Labs was founded in 2023 with a team of graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Pennsylvania.
-Sync Labs is a UPenn based (VIP-X) startup that has developed ‘Alice,’ a privacy-first AI sensor and co-pilot for senior living communities. Using proprietary vision technology, Alice detects key behaviors—like bathroom trips, meal completion, and medication adherence—without recording video. This real-time insight empowers caregivers to provide more personalized and effective care. We’ve launched 5 pilots, with 2 already generating revenue.
12th Annual PhD Online Career Conference
From May 5-9, the PhD Career Training Platform will host its 12th annual Online Career Conference. As a graduate student or postdoc at Penn, you have access to this popular conference series that has helped nearly 20,000 trainees build careers beyond the professoriate. This conference is designed to help you quickly learn how to build a foundation for your job search strategy and successfully transition to a non-academic career.
Topics include:
May 5: What employers actually value about your degree
May 6: How to write a resume
May 7: How to network when you don’t have a network
May 8: Using LinkedIn in your job search
May 9: How to find jobs that will give you stability
All webinars will be held via Zoom and will be recorded. Advance registration in Beyondprof is required.
Click here to register in Handshake
