Penn Engineering Weekly 03-02-26
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Announcement for the week| Events (Engineering)| Registrar Reminders|Events (Penn)| Scholarships & Grants Opportunities| Career & Networking Opportunities| Clubs & Organizations| Engineering Entrepreneurship| View Previous Issue
| Date | Event |
| March 7th-15th | Spring Term Break |
| March 16th | Classes resume |
| March 23rd | Grade Mode Change Deadline |
| 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 18th | Commencement |
Announcements for the week
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 20 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.
Registrar Reminders
–The May 2026 Bachelor’s degree graduation application closes March 6. Emails were sent out on 1/21, 2/17, and 2/27 with application instructions and FAQs. No applications will be accepted late. Please apply to graduate on time!
Note: Please do not apply to graduate unless you are graduating in May 2026. Information on walking in the May 2026 ceremonies will go out in the near future. Walking in a ceremony and graduating from the degree are two very different things.
–Students may begin to submit Summer 2026 CPT requests on Monday, March 16th.
–Grade mode change period runs through Monday, March 23rd.
–Advance Registration for Fall 2026 begins Monday, March 23rd, and runs through Monday, April 6th.
–Summer 2026 registration opens on Monday, March 23rd.
–Spring 2026 Accelerated Master’s course form for students whose primary undergrad home school is Engineering is due Friday, March 27. Information was sent out to these students.
–The last day to withdraw from a course is Monday, March 30th
Events (Engineering)
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. Anyone interested in performing should complete the form.
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
2026 FemmeHacks Hackathon
Join FemmeHacks in our 12th hackathon! After forming teams, attendees build a variety of web and mobile applications, learn from workshops, and attend speaker events. FemmeHacks welcomes trans and cis women, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people of all levels of experience.
Saturday, March 28th
8:00 am – 10:00 am
Click here to register
Advancing Women in Engineering (AWE) Undergraduate Summer Research Opportunity at Penn Engineering
AWE is pleased to offer an initiative that supports undergraduate students pursuing summer research experiences. Applicants are required to submit a personal statement, a resume, and a faculty recommendation letter. The deadline to submit all application materials has been extended to March 30, 2026. For additional details or questions, interested students should contact Nita Guzman Del Vecchio at ngdv@seas.upenn.edu
Orientation Peer Advisor Applications Open
Applications are now open to become an Orientation Peer Advisor (OPA).
OPAs are a group of engineering upperclassmen who volunteer to guide incoming students over the summer, during NSO, and their first semester to help them get acclimated to Penn. OPAs understand the concerns of incoming students and provide advice and referrals to various campus departments. They are excellent resources for campus organizations, majors, and campus life.
This is a volunteer (unpaid) position. However, perks include exclusive OPA merch, sponsored early move-in, and enhanced leadership skills.
Application link: https://upenn.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4MmwIJluK72KVi6
Applications close on Monday, March 30th, 2026. For questions, please contact Marina Ceneviva at mceneviv@seas.upenn.edu.
Events (Penn)
iCare Training
“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
Click here to learn more and register
Researcher Cold-Emailing Workshop
Join Research Peer Advisors (RPAs) for a Cold-Emailing Workshop designed for students looking to get started in research, especially those hoping to secure a summer research position. Learn how to identify labs, reach out to professors, and craft compelling cold emails. We’ll cover how to position yourself even with no prior experience, what faculty look for in summer students, and how to follow up effectively. Whether you’re unsure where to begin or just need guidance on writing that first message, this session will give you the tools to take concrete steps toward landing a research opportunity. Perfect for students exploring research for the very first time. No experience needed. Click here to learn more.
Monday, March 2nd
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
JMHH (Huntsman) Room F60
Registration is not required
Research Peer Advisor Data Science Workshop: R
Join the CURF RPAs for a series of data science workshops to learn essential coding skills for modeling, data analysis, and visualization. Whether you’re new to programming or looking to refine your skills, these workshops will introduce key tools in scientific research. No prior experience is required – attend all sessions or choose the ones most relevant to your research area of interest! This session will focus on R. Click here to learn more.
Wednesday, March 4th
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
JMHH (Huntsman) Room F60
Registration is not required
RPA Data Science Workshop: Python
Join the CURF RPAs for a series of data science workshops to learn essential coding skills for modeling, data analysis, and visualization. Whether you’re new to programming or looking to refine your skills, these workshops will introduce key tools in scientific research. No prior experience is required – attend all sessions or choose the ones most relevant to your research area of interest! This session will focus on Python, a language commonly used in machine learning, AI, and data analysis. Click here to learn more.
Wednesday, March 18th
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
JMHH (Huntsman) Room F65
Just Show Up at the Event (No Action Needed)
RPA Data Science Workshop: MATLAB
Join the CURF RPAs for a series of data science workshops to learn essential coding skills for modeling, data analysis, and visualization. Whether you’re new to programming or looking to refine your skills, these workshops will introduce key tools in scientific research. No prior experience is required – attend all sessions or choose the ones most relevant to your research area of interest! This session will focus on MATLAB, a numeric computing platform often used in computational engineering and also other fields such as neuroscience. Click here to learn more.
Wednesday, March 25th
4:00 pm -5:00 pmm
JMHH (Huntsman) Room F65
Just Show Up at the Event (No Action Needed)
The Peking Acrobats
The Peking Acrobats push the limits of human ability, wowing audiences with spellbinding trick-cycling, precision tumbling, juggling, somersaulting, and gymnastics. With a three-decade legacy of elite talent, this world-record-setting troupe takes ancient Chinese traditions to new heights, pairing artful athleticism with live music and festive pageantry. Bring the whole family–these masters of agility and grace are, quite literally, defying gravity. Student ticketsare only $10.
Sunday, March 15th
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Annenberg Center| 3680 Walnut Street
Global Health at Penn
This year marks the 10th anniversary of PSOM’s Center for Global Health (CGH). Over the past decade, CGH has built a vibrant global health community at Penn grounded in partnership, rigorous scholarship, and a shared commitment to health equity. Today, our faculty, staff, and trainees are engaged in research, clinical care, and capacity-building in more than 80 countries.
To celebrate this milestone, the CGH Penn Global Health Day will be held on March 6, 2026, 8:00 am – 2:30 pm, Rubenstein Auditorium. The event will highlight the breadth and impact of global health work across Penn with a look toward the future of our field.
We are honored to welcome Jim Yong Kim, MD, PhD, as our keynote speaker. A co-founder of Partners In Health, Dr. Kim’s leadership roles include President of the World Bank Group and President of Dartmouth College. Dr. Kim is currently Chancellor of the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda and Vice Chairman of the Board of Global Infrastructure Partners. His career reflects a deep commitment to equity and systems-level change.
Friday, March 6th
8:00 am -2:30 pm
Rubenstein Auditorium
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
Scholarships & Grants Opportunities
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 17th, 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 30th, 2026. Click here to learn more and apply.
Career & Networking Opportunities
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
Knight-Hennessy Scholars at Stanford University Information Session
Join us for an information session with a representative from Knight-Hennessy Scholars.
Knight-Hennessy Scholars fully funds up to three years of a graduate program at Stanford. Scholars will be part of a cross-disciplinary community of Stanford graduate students dedicated to finding creative solutions to the world’s greatest challenges. Scholars may pursue their graduate education in any of Stanford’s graduate programs (and must be admitted to that graduate program in a separate but parallel application process).
Monday, March 23, 2026
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
College Hall G08/09
Just Show Up at the Event (No Action Needed)
Clubs & Organizations
Engineering Entrepreneurship
More information about Engineering Entrepreneurship
- Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, & X/Twitter.
- Tag on these platforms @PennEngEntrep with your own posts.
- Join their subscription-based semi-monthly email to notify you of entrepreneurship-related events, competitions, opportunities and more. If you wish to receive this type of information, please visit https://groups.google.com/a/seas.upenn.edu/g/pennengentrep/ and then click on “ask to join the group” (Image). You have the option to unsubscribe at any time as well, and this is completely optional. Emails will be sent on the second and last Wednesday of every month.
