Penn Engineering Graduate Monthly Newsletter

2025 March Issue

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Announcement for the Month|  Grants, Scholarships, & Fellowships |Events| Career & Networking|Previous Issue

Important Dates:

Date	Event
March 8th -16th	Spring Break (No Classes)
March 24th	Summer 2025 registration begins
March 24th – April 7th	Advance Registration begins for Fall 2025
March 31st	Last day to withdraw from a course for Spring term

 

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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.

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Announcements for the month

Important information regarding Immigration Policies and International Travel

International Students:

We’ve included two important links to offer guidance regarding immigration policies and international travel.

Immigration Policy Updates and Resources

This site includes the latest immigration policy updates, announcements from ISSS, resources to help navigate changes in federal policy, and contact information for further assistance. It is regularly updated, and as a reminder, it is PennKey protected.

Navigating U.S. Ports of Entry & Secondary Inspection

This site provides guidance for international students about navigating U.S. ports of entry and secondary inspection.

Penn’s Public Interest Technology Initiative

The Fire PIT chat series is an opportunity for Penn students to participate in discussions with individuals who have worked at the forefront of technology policy. These discussions explore the relationship between law, technology, and the humanities, with a focus on how these disciplines work with and can learn from each other. Below is the information about two upcoming virtual Fire PIT chats.

-Matt Perault, Head of AI Policy, Andreessen Horowitz. Matt has worked in senior policy positions at Meta and directed technology policy centers at Duke and the University of North Carolina. In the fall, he joined Andreessen Horowitz as their Head of AI Policy, where he leads AI policy initiatives with a focus on Andreessen Horowitz’s “little tech” vision.

Wednesday, March 5th
At 12:00 pm
Click here to register

-April Chen, Director of Responsible AI Measurement at Microsoft; Former Assistant Director for Data, White House Office of Science & Technology Policy. April is currently the Director of Responsible AI Measurement at Microsoft. Prior to starting this position, she was the Assistant Director for Data in the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy. In that role, she advised on the development and implementation of the Biden Administration’s policy priorities, including racial and economic equity, climate change, and infrastructure.

Monday, March 31st
At 12:00 pm
Click here to register

i care Training for Students

Wellness at Penn is excited to offer an i care training for STUDENTS on Sunday, March 30th from 1-4 PM in Hall of Flags, Houston Hall. Undergrad/grad/professional students are welcome to join. This is a great opportunity for students to learn skills and resources to help their peers in moments of stress, distress, and crisis. Lunch will be provided, and prizes will be raffled!

Sunday, March 30th
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Houston Hall
Click here to register

Strategies for Success in Graduate Studies

Check out the great resources offered by the Grad Center and Weingarten Center! There are many workshops to discuss the strategies for success in Graduate studies. Learn more and register!

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Grants, Scholarships & Fellowships

Identifying Funding Opportunities – Pivot Information Session

The OVPR is now providing a powerful new resource to help researchers identify funding opportunities. PIVOT-RP is a funding opportunity database that easily allows researchers to customize their search for funding based on discipline, career stage, interest, location, and other categories. This information session will walk the Penn research community through how to access and search the database and leverage additional tools like customizing automatic notifications for relevant funding opportunities.
Thursday, March 6th
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm (Virtual)
Click here to register

Funded Research Opportunities for Faculty and Students

Interested in getting to know more funded Research opportunities? The Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships connects faculty and students in support of these transformative experiences through three signature funding opportunities for undergraduates:

Jumpstart for Juniors Program
Provides funding to both a student and a faculty mentor for a research project in the summer between a student’s third and fourth years
Applications due Monday, March 17, 2025

While these programs require the involvement of a standing faculty member, we welcome proposals from collaborative teams that include non-standing faculty.

Questions about any of these programs can be addressed to Ann Vernon-Grey in the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.

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.

2025 Call for proposals-PPA Research Support

As part of its commitment to a carbon-neutral campus by 2042, the University of Pennsylvania entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with energy company AES to develop solar arrays that would generate enough energy to fulfill 70% of the campus and health system electricity needs. Under the PPA, AES is generously supporting related educational efforts at Penn through the PPA Renewable Energy Research Program run by the Environmental Innovations Initiative.

Now through March 15, 2025, we are accepting proposals for grant support for education and/or training associated with the technical, operational, and economic aspects of renewable energy and energy storage. Funded projects may include research directly related to the AES solar energy project or projects and activities focused more broadly on education and training related to renewable energy in all its aspects.

For more information and to submit a proposal, visit here

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.

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Events

The Harold Berger Distinguished Award Lecture

The Harold Berger Distinguished Lecture and Award, named in honor of the Honorable Harold Berger, is awarded biennially by the School of Engineering and Applied Science to a technological innovator who has made a lasting contribution to the quality of our lives. Special emphasis is given to the societal and economic significance of an advance.
Wednesday, March 19th
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm, with a reception to follow
Wu &Chen Auditorium, Levine Hall
Learn more about the Berger Lecture here

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

 

AWE Presents Spring Pot Planting Event

Join AWE PhD committee for a rejuvenating evening of potting herbs and decorating pots! Unwind from your research grind by potting beautiful flowers, adding a touch of nature to your workspace. Get artsy as you decorate your pots with vibrant colors and designs, and bring home a personalized flower garden with a beautifully adorned pot. Food will be provided.

Friday, April 11th
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Skirkanich Basement
Click here to register

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Career & Networking

Milwaukee Tool Day at Penn Engineering

Milwaukee Tool is coming to Penn Engineering! We’ll be joined by Penn alumni working at the company as Robotics and Reliability Engineers. Stop by Levine Lobby between 11 am and 2 pm to learn about exciting career opportunities, and return at 5:30 pm for a Tech Talk in Wu & Chen Auditorium. Our alumni will give insight into how machine learning and robotics play a part in their work, and they’ll give us an overview of a day-in-the-life of a reliability engineer.

Tuesday, March 4,
11 am-2 pm and 5:30 pm-6:30 pm,
Levine Lobby and Wu & Chen Auditorium
Click here to register

Lunch & Learn: Making the most of career fairs as a Grad student

Penn Career Services organizes several career fairs each semester, and partners with other institutions for several other consortium career fairs (virtual and in-person). All of these events are open to graduate students, and many employers participate in order to connect with graduate-level candidates. Take advantage of these events to explore different career options, practice your networking with recruiters and alumni, and position yourself for your next internship or job opportunity. Join an advisor from Penn Career Services at this Lunch and Learn to get some quick best practices to help you make the most of the next career fair you attend. Upcoming career fairs include:
GRADUATE CAREER CONSORTIUM PHD & MASTER’S VIRTUAL CAREER EXPO Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Van Pelt Library | 3420 Walnut St | 2nd Floor, Class of 1955 Conference Room 241
Click here to register

STEAM Career Fair

Career Services is available to discuss concerns regarding career planning, job hunting, resume review, and hosting mock interviews. Get to know your Engineering Master’s Career Advising Team and the Doctoral Career Advising Team.

Instructors for FIFE Academy

Are you interested in being an instructor for FIFE Academy? Fife-Penn CS Academy Coding Club for Girls and Boys Coding Clubs are FREE after-school programs for boys and girls in grades K through 8 where students learn how to code and join a group of supportive peers and role models. The club is led by computer science students from Penn Engineering, University of Pennsylvania.

Click here to learn more.

Virtual Career Fair for Penn Graduate Students and Postdocs

You are invited to attend this virtual career fair, held exclusively for graduate students and postdocs! Sponsored by the Graduate Career Consortium (GCC) – an international organization supporting the career and professional development of graduate students and postdocs. This fair works to connect PhD & master’s students, postdocs and graduate alumni from STEM, Humanities and Social Sciences to employers for networking and recruitment.

Wednesday, March 5th
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET
Click here to register and see the list of the employers participating.

Paid Research Study Participation for the Human Motion Laboratory in the Penn Department of Orthopaedics

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery is Conducting a Research Study on Achilles Tendon Pain between Jan 13, 2025 – Jun 30, 2025. This study involves 2 visits (spaced 3 months apart) to the Human Motion Lab, which will include ultrasound imaging, strength and pain tests, motion analysis, and wearable sensors. Each session will take approximately 1-2 hours to complete. In addition, you will be asked to wear take-home sensors which you will wear in your shoes for 24 hours and a wristwatch sensor that you will wear for the time between visits 3 months).

You will be compensated $50 for each lab assessment, plus $12 travel credit for each time you visit the lab. Additionally, you will be compensated $50 after returning the shoe sensor and $150 after returning the wristwatch sensors. Click here to sign up for the research interest form. For more information, visit this link.

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