SEAS Weekly 03-10-25

SEAS Weekly 03-10-25

SEAS Weekly 03-10-25

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Important Dates:

Date	Event
March 17th	Classes resume
March 21st	Grade Type Change Deadline
March 24th – April 7th	Advance Registration for Fall Term
March 24th	Registration for Summer Session Begins
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

Announcements for the week

23rd Annual Weingarten Center Disability Symposium

That simple question, “Who am I?” creates a variety of reactions, but let’s focus on disability and what has been unfolding in higher education since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. A one-person disability office has evolved into an office of ten or more staff members who specialize in addressing accommodations for students to eliminate barriers and obstacles to programs and facilities. One course on the history of the disability movement evolves into a disability studies program. Disability cultural centers represent a space for students to meet with peers and professional staff and develop programming that creates community.

Friday, March 14th
8: 30 am – 4:00 pm
Houston Hall

Events (Engineering)

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

Cora Ingrum Center Wellness Workshops

The Cora Ingrum Center is thrilled to bring back its Wellness Workshop series! Representatives from Financial Wellness and the Weingarten Center will discuss investing 💸 and STEM study strategies/exam prep 💻📚

Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees, and there will be a Zoom option as well. Please register if interested and spread the word to your undergraduate networks. You may contact André Marston (amarston@seas.upenn.edu) with any questions.

March 20th – Financial Wellness: Introduction to Investing
March 27th- Weingarten Center: STEM Study Strategies and Exam Prep
12: 00 pm -1:00 pm
Cora Ingrum Conference Room | Enter through Towne 211

Click here to register.

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

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

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

Virtual Survivor Support Space for Spring

Penn Violence Prevention and the Penn Women’s Center are collaborating to create a virtual space for survivors and allies to receive support and community. We are starting the Virtual Support Space back up for the Spring semester! I’m reaching out to ask for your support in sharing the attached flyer about our Virtual Survivor Support Space with your communities via your newsletters, social media, and physical spaces.

Tuesdays 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm, Starting on January 28th
Zoom Sessions
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

Scholarships & Grants Opportunities

Career Services Summer Funding program

Career Services has funds to allow select students to pursue unfunded or under-funded summer opportunities. Awards are intended to cover travel expenses, living expenses, and/or other expenses related to the summer experience up to $5,000.
The round 2 application deadline is March 23rd. Click here to learn more about this opportunity.

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

Career & Networking Opportunities

Summer Job – Penn GEM

It’s that time of year again. Penn GEMS is happening this summer: June 23 – June 27, 2025, and we need counselors.
Counselors are needed from 8:30 am -4:30 pm each day and will be paid for their time and provided lunch.
We are looking for energetic, enthusiastic, creative and fun students who like working with preteens and teens. The middle school students who are coming to this camp really look up to you and are intrigued and excited about engineering.

Please send in your resume and complete the form as soon as possible. A resume is required. Please upload to the Google form. Once the form is received, I will be in touch with you to set up a meeting to discuss GEMS. This opportunity is open for ALL engineering undergrad students. Please circulate within your community and contact penngems@seas.upenn.edu with any questions.

For more information about the Penn GEMS program, check out Penn GEMS

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.

Clubs & Organizations

There are many Engineering Student Clubs and Organizations besides ESAC, EDAB, and Penn Engineering Council. Check here to find more groups for specific interests and disciplines.

Engineering Entrepreneurship

Engineering Entrepreneurship 25th Anniversary Event

2025 Cleantech Open Northeast Philadelphia Kickoff Party

Come join Cleantech Open Northeast for an evening of food, drink, celebration and opportunity at Baker Tilly in Philadelphia, PA!

Since 2005, more than 74% 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.

Tuesday, March 18th
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Click here to register

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.