Penn Engineering Graduate Newsletter 03-16-2026
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Announcement for the Month| Registrar Reminders |Grants, Scholarships, & Fellowships |Events| Career & Networking| Previous Issue
Important Dates: 
| Date | Event |
| March 23rd – April 6th | Advance Registration for Fall Term |
| March 23rd | Registration for Summer Session Begins |
| March 30th | Last Day to Withdraw from a Course |
| April 29th | Last day of Classes |
| April 30th – May 3rd | Reading Days |
| May 4th – 12th | Final Exams |
| May 12th | Spring Term Ends |
| May 14th | Ph.D. Ceremonies |
| May 15th | Master Ceremonies |
| May 18th | Commencement |
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 107 |
| Wednesdays | 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (EST) | In-Person, Towne 107 |
| 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
TIME TO GET YOUR CAP AND GOWN!
The Penn Bookstore is pleased to serve as the University’s academic regalia provider for all current and alumni graduates, as well as participating faculty, marshals, and trustees. If you choose to order online, it’s recommended to do so by March 20th to ensure delivery prior to Commencement ceremonies. If the above deadlines pose significant challenges for you, please call the Bookstore at 215-898-7595 or email capandgown@upenn.edu as soon as possible to explore alternative options.
iCare Training Session
“i care” is an interactive training for students, faculty, and staff that builds a caring community with the skills and resources to intervene when someone is dealing with stress, distress, and crisis.
Sunday, March 29th
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Houston Hall|Hall of Flags
Click here to learn more and register
2026 Engineering Summer Academy at Penn (ESAP)
The Penn Engineering OAS office would like to invite you to reapply to work as a Teaching Assistant for one of our courses in the ESAP 2026 program. The expected start date is Wednesday, July 8th, with a 2-hour training, with the expected last date being Friday, July 31st. TAs are paid $3000, or $25 per hour, over the course of this period. Please review and complete the 2026 ESAP TA Application for more details on this opportunity. For more information about ESAP, please visit our new ESAP site. Please complete this form as soon as possible. The deadline to apply is April 24th. If you have any questions, please contact esap@seas.upenn.edu. We look forward to potentially working with you.
Registrar Reminders
-Students may begin to submit Summer 2026 CPT requests today, March 16.
-Advance Registration for Fall 2026 begins Monday, March 23, and runs through Monday, April 6. Summer 2026 registration opens on Monday, March 23.
-The last day to withdraw from a Spring 2026 course is Monday, March 30.
Grants, Scholarships & Fellowships
The 2026-2028 Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service
The Obama Foundation is looking for current college sophomores and community college transfer students interested in pursuing a career in public service. If you are seeking a transformative leadership development and scholarship program that includes financial aid to ease the burden of college debt, an immersive work-travel experience, and access to a powerful network of mentors, then this program is for you! The application closes on March 17, 2026, and we need your help to spread the word! Click here to learn more and apply.
2026 ShanghaiTech Summer Lab Program
This non-credit and tuition-free program is designed exclusively for international undergraduates from our partner institutions. It offers a unique opportunity for participants to join a research lab of their choice, utilizing world-class facilities and national science platforms rarely accessible to external students. Application Deadline: April 30, 2026. Click here to learn more and apply.
Events
Important Federal Loan Changes Effective July 1st
Beginning July 1, new federal student loan regulations will take effect, and it is important that you understand how these changes may impact the financing of your graduate degree at Penn.
To help you prepare, we will be hosting a variety of information sessions—both virtual and in person—designed to ensure you are well informed before these changes go into effect. These sessions will cover what’s changing, how it may affect your eligibility and borrowing limits, and what options are available to you.
Students who will continue their program past May 2026 and have borrowed loans are required to attend one session. Attendance will be taken. Registration can be found here.
For those who do not currently borrow student loans, we strongly encourage you to register for a session that fits your schedule so you can feel informed if you need to consider loan funding in the future.
Food will be provided at all in-person sessions.
TIME TO GET YOUR CAP AND GOWN!
The Penn Bookstore is pleased to serve as the University’s academic regalia provider for all current and alumni graduates, as well as participating faculty, marshals, and trustees. If you choose to order online, it’s recommended to do so by March 20th to ensure delivery prior to Commencement ceremonies. If the above deadlines pose significant challenges for you, please call the Bookstore at 215-898-7595 or email capandgown@upenn.edu as soon as possible to explore alternative options.
Penn Carey Law International Arbitration Conference
The Penn Carey Law International Arbitration Association (PCLIAA) will be hosting the 8th Annual Penn Carey Law International Arbitration Conference on Friday, April 3, 2026, at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, Levy Conference Center. The conference, titled “Arbitration in an Evolving Geopolitical Environment,” will explore how global geopolitical and economic developments are reshaping international dispute resolution.
As sanctions regimes expand, global M&A markets face geopolitical uncertainty, and third-party funding continues to influence access to justice, international arbitration is adapting in real time. The conference will bring together leading practitioners, academics, and arbitration specialists to discuss these developments through four thematic panels:
- Third-Party Funding in International Arbitration
- Arbitration at the Front Lines of Sanctions
- M&A Arbitrations and Geopolitical Risk
- Enforcement and Sovereign Immunity
The keynote address will be delivered by Professor George A. Bermann of Columbia Law School, Director of the Center for International Commercial and Investment Arbitration. Our speakers include leading arbitrators, academics, and practitioners from across the United States and internationally.
Friday, April 3, 2026
Time: 9:00 am – 5:30 pm
Levy Conference Center, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
Click here to register
Explore. Reflect. Become. Lunch Series with Speaker Areebah Ahmed C’26
PAACH is back with the Explore. Reflect. Become. Lunch Series for spring 2026! Come join us for a catered lunch and learn from our exciting group of speakers.
The Explore. Reflect. The Become Lunch Series focuses on the deep reflection of our personal experiences and the becoming of ourselves. We will invite individuals from Penn and the Philadelphia community to share their intimate histories and backgrounds, and how they’ve explored, reflected, and become the person that they are.
Wednesday, March 25th
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
ARCH Room 108 |3601 Locust Walk
Click here to register
Penn Women’s History Month
Come to attend the session – Find your Voice: Service, Courage, and Making a Difference. The keynote Speaker Dr. Sara Hurley.
Tuesday, March 17th
At 5: 15 pm
Click here to register
2026 Cleantech Open Northeast Philadelphia Kickoff Party
Join us for an evening of food, drink, celebration, and opportunity at Baker Tilly! Come join Cleantech Open Northeast for an evening of food, drink, celebration, and opportunity at Baker Tilly in Philadelphia, PA! Since 2005, almost 60% of Cleantech Open’s reporting U.S. alumni companies are still active and have collectively raised over $2B in external funding.
Learn how the accelerator program can help you develop your cleantech venture and how to apply to the accelerator. We welcome entrepreneurs, students, investors, savvy technologists, and those interested in joining our growing cleantech community.
Thursday, March 19th
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Click here to get tickets
2026 Celebration of Community
This annual event showcases Penn Engineering students, staff, faculty, and alumni in their multi-talented richness. The program will consist of guest speakers, performances, student presentations, and mouthwatering dishes from around the globe. No RSVP is required to be in the audience. You may contact Dr. Ocek Eke (ocek@seas.upenn.edu) and André Marston (amarston@seas.upenn.edu) with any questions. Please keep both of them copied on all correspondence related to this event.
Friday, March 27th
3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Wu and Chen Auditorium, Levine Hall
No RSVP is required to be in the audience
Career & Networking
Job Search & Professional Digital Presence
As the job search moves more and more into the digital space, it is imperative that job seekers not only be aware of their digital presence but also leverage it. Join Career Services staff as they showcase how you can best use platforms like LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Handshake, and more to reach your career goals.
This session is open to the Penn Community and will include students from the Hoesley Fellowship Program. Registration is required to get an accurate headcount for attendance and food.
Friday, March 20th
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Van Pelt Library, Room 124
Click here to register
