SEAS Weekly 03-31-25

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Announcement for the week| Events (Engineering)| Events (Penn)| Scholarships & Grants Opportunities| Career & Networking Opportunities| Clubs & Organizations| Engineering Entrepreneurship| View Previous Issue

 

Important Dates:

Date	Event
March 31st	Last Day to withdraw from a course
April 30th	Last day of classes
May 1st – 4th	Reading Days
May 5th – 13th	Final Examinations
May 13th	Spring Term ends
May 17th	Alumni Day
May 19th	Commencement

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Announcements for the week

SEAS Study Space

Have you ever wished to have a quiet study space in engineering to work on your problem sets?
Penn Engineering Study Space in the Towne Building is located on the second floor, west side (rooms 295-299)! Available to all engineering students and their study partners from all schools.

Key Details: Open 24/7; Available to any Penn Engineering student and their study groups; Food allowed (but it is not intended as a meal space); Two large open work tables in each room; Whiteboards are installed in all rooms; Digital suggestion box for you to share ideas for the space

Coming Soon: Additional chairs to accommodate larger study groups; More whiteboards

Teaching Assistant for the ESAP 2025 program

The Penn Engineering OAS office would like to invite you to apply to work as a Teaching Assistant for the ESAP 2025 program. The expected start date is Monday, June 30th, with the expected last date being Friday, July 25th. TAs are paid $3000, or $25 per hour, over the course of this period. Please review and complete the TA Application by 04/18/25 in order to be considered for a position. For more information about ESAP, please visit its official website. We look forward to potentially working with you.

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.

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Events (Engineering)

Penn Engineering Innovation Forum

Calling all innovators! The Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board presents the Penn Engineering Innovation Forum — your chance to showcase your engineering and pitch skills! Work individually or in teams to tackle a given prompt, craft a pitch deck, and present to deans, industry experts and faculty for prizes and expert feedback. Click the link to register!

Friday, April 11th
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Location TBD

Orientation Peer Advisor (OPA) Application is extended to April 6th!

The 2025 OPA Applications will open for students to apply by Sunday, April 6th, 2025. OPAs are essential to new student orientation and help our new students feel welcome. OPAs are Engineering upperclassmen who are trained to mentor incoming students and assist with course selection and general questions. This is a great opportunity to get involved!
Click here to apply

 

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Events (Penn)

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 the upcoming virtual Fire PIT chats.

-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

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

Community Co-Working Sessions

Looking for a supportive environment to gain more focus, structure, and accountability in getting your work done? Join us for weekly co-working sessions (two 60-minute independent study sessions with snacks, goal sharing, and short breaks) at the Weingarten Center in Stouffer Commons.
Tuesdays and Fridays starting on February 4th
2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Weingarten Center in Stouffer Commons
Click here to register

Hands-On Workshop

From Data to Discovery: Exploring AI with a Patent Case Study, ChatGPT and Generative Models

Take a deeper dive into AI applications with our interactive WiDS @ Penn workshop. This workshop, centered on a patent-approval case study, will introduce students to the full pipeline of solving real-world problems using AI and data science.

Led by:

Linda Zhao, Professor of Statistics and Data Science, Wharton
Xinyu Xie, Ph.D. Student, University of Pennsylvania

Friday, April 4th
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Jon M. Huntsman Hall, Room 340
Click here to register

Fireside Chat with Dr. Julie Gilmore (VP and Global Head of Eli Lilly Gateway Labs)

Eli Lilly Gateway Labs is a program between Eli Lilly’s resources and early stage biotech companies. Dr. Gilmore will be speaking about her life experience in biotech and drug development, as well as her experience looking at indicators for success among biotech startups.

Monday, April 7th
At 6:00 pm
Zoom link

Health Hacks+

In partnership with Venture Lab and PennSEM, PennApps is thrilled to announce HealthHacks+, an interdisciplinary hackathon where coding meets strategy to tackle real-world healthcare challenges! Participants will team up to develop innovative solutions that combine cutting-edge technology with viable business models.

Whether you’re a coder, designer, healthcare expert, business strategist, or someone interested in solving pressing challenges, this event is your chance to collaborate, create, and make an impact in the healthcare space. Workshops, mentorship, and prizes will guide and reward your journey from idea to execution. Let’s build the future of healthcare together!

Open to Penn undergraduate and graduate students from all academic backgrounds.

April 4th – 6th
Tangen Hall
Click here to register

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Scholarships & Grants Opportunities

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.

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Career & Networking Opportunities

Teaching Assistant for the ESAP 2025 program

The Penn Engineering OAS office would like to invite you to apply to work as a Teaching Assistant for the ESAP 2025 program. The expected start date is Monday, June 30th, with the expected last date being Friday, July 25th. TAs are paid $3000, or $25 per hour, over the course of this period. Please review and complete the TA Application in order to be considered for a position. For more information about ESAP, please visit its official website. We look forward to potentially working with you.

Penn GEMS Summer Camp

Inspire the Next Generation of Engineers – Become a Mentor!

Are you an energetic and enthusiastic undergrad who loves working with middle schoolers? Join us as a Mentor for our Engineering Camp, where you’ll guide and inspire students eager to explore the world of engineering!

📅 Dates: June 23 – June 27, 2025

⏰ Time: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM

💰 Pay: $15/hour + free daily lunch

🎓 Training: Paid pre-camp session provided

👩‍🏫 Led by: Graduate Engineering Instructors

👥 Your Role: Work with a small group of students all week long

Make an impact, gain valuable experience, and have fun this summer! Apply today!

Graduate Resident Advisor Position

College Houses and Academic Services (CHAS) is currently recruiting for the Graduate Resident Advisor (GRA) position for the ’25-’26 academic year. Scan the QR code below to apply by April 4th.

 

Startup Internship + Founding 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.

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Clubs & Organizations

Distinguished Alumni Dinner: Sean Lambert (’05), Global Head of DV Energy

Penn Engineering Council is thrilled to invite you to dinner with Sean Lambert, Global Head of DV Energy at DV Trading LLC. Dinner will take place on campus on April 2nd from 5:30 -7:30pm. The first 12 RSVPs will be invited, everyone else will be on the waitlist. Spots are first-come first-serve. You will be notified of your RSVP status by Tuesday (4/1) morning.

April 2nd
5:30 pm – 7:30pm
Louie Louie Restaurant
Click here to register

Advanced Registration Coffee Chats with Penn Engineering Council

Join the Penn Engineering Council for personalized class scheduling guidance during Advanced Registration! Sign up for a personalized coffee chat with an experienced student of your choice by clicking the sign-up link . Reach out to your selected upperclassman advisor to schedule a one-on-one meeting and get expert advice tailored just for you, ensuring your ideal semester plan. Our team consists of juniors, seniors, and some sophomores, all here to assist you.

Plus, if you and your mentor decide to meet at Top Hat Coffee Lounge, PEC will cover a combined total of $15 of purchases for you and your mentor! Don’t miss out on this exclusive opportunity!

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Engineering Entrepreneurship

Investing in Penn Founders – Up to $100K

Here is an exciting opportunity for students at Penn who are building AI-driven startups.

1616 Ignite is an 8-week virtual accelerator, powered by 1616 Ventures, designed to help early-stage founders turn their ideas into venture-backed companies. We provide:

$20K in funding (with potential follow-on investment of up to $100k)
Hands-on mentorship from seasoned investors and operators
A structured path to fundraising with a high-caliber founder network
Applications are open on a rolling basis, so early submissions are encouraged.

You can find more details and the application link here: 1616ventures.com/ignite

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.

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