Penn Engineering

Farnia Fresnel (ENG’98) built a career on understanding how people and systems connect. Her journey, from overcoming her fear of public speaking to coaching global audiences, was shaped by her start in systems engineering at Penn.

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Renewable Energy is Not Just for the Grid: Supercharging Carbon Removal with Geothermal Energy Increases Carbon Abatement Energy policy research from the University of Pennsylvania

New research from kleinmanenergy.bsky.social reveals that pairing geothermal with direct air capture (DAC) can boost carbon dioxide abatement by up to 757%. Geothermal energy provides the consistent heat crucial for DAC systems, offering a reliable, 24/7 renewable power source.

bit.ly/4mbzQYA

This year's Engineering Summer Academy at Penn (ESAP) recently wrapped up, offering motivated, high school students hands-on experience in cutting-edge fields like AI, Biotechnology, Computer Science, and Robotics.

The research team from left to right: Elizabeth Bhoj, Kyle Vining, Kei Katusra, Nir Badt and Yuchen (Tracy) Jiang.

Penn engineers & dentists are collaborating to map how teeth hold key info for understanding rare craniofacial disorders.

blog.seas.upenn.edu/what-ever-gr...

In Singapore, Theertha Vannemreddy (CBE'27) balances catalyst research with cultural discovery. She notes, "true discovery doesn’t always happen in a lab." Her Penn Abroad journey highlights this firsthand.

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Emily Han, a doctoral student in BE and co-author of the paper, and Dongyoon Kim, a postdoctoral fellow in the Mitchell Lab and co-first author of the paper.

Fewer side-effects, more effectiveness. Michael J. Mitchell's lab redesigned mRNA lipid nanoparticles using olive oil-inspired chemistry. Adding phenol groups reduces inflammation, making mRNA therapies safer & more effective. "It's a win-win," says Mitchell.
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Meet Shoji Hall, Associate Professor in Materials Science & Engineering. His research focuses on electrocatalysis, or using electricity to drive chemical reactions to improve the efficiency of fuel cell catalysis, a critical step towards viable hydrogen energy.

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Penn Engineering Professors Benjamin Lee, Lei Gu and Troy Olsson showcased technologies in energy, AI, and computing at the PA Energy & Innovation Summit. #EnergyInnovation

Close-up image of an atomic force microscope, where mechanochemical reactions take place in controlled gas environments under the stress applied between a nanometer-sized tip (invisible to the naked eye) and a flat surface.

Researchers, Cangyu Qu & Lu Fang, from Robert Carpick's lab, developed a model predicting how mechanical stress drives chemical reactions. This advances greener manufacturing & better lubricants.
@meam-penn.bsky.social

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Three Penn Engineering students/alumni received 2025-26 Fulbright grants. Nova Meng (BE'24) researches bee foraging & Theresa Haupt (BE'25) focuses on osteoarthritis kinematics in Australia. Paul Lin (GEng'21) studies AI & evacuation routes in Seoul.
penntoday.upenn.edu/news/penn-af...

Ralph Teetor presents his Speedostat technology to engineers in 1957. Cadillac later branded the technology “cruise control.” (Photo: Jack Teetor)

Discover the story of Ralph Teetor, a blind @meam-penn.bsky.social Penn alumnus who invented cruise control. His life of innovation is now featured in the documentary film "Blind Logic," brought to life by Jeff Daniels.
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In June, Penn Engineering hosted the Xplorlabs Educator Fellowship Summit. Teachers explored safety science via workshops on sprinklers, burn scenes & Li-ion fires and heard talks by Chris Callison-Burch & Rob Ghrist.

Congratulations to George Pappas on receiving the 2025 IEEE Leon K. Kirchmayer Graduate Teaching Award. With over two decades of educating at Penn, Pappas is recognized for his "inspirational mentoring" of graduate students.

blog.seas.upenn.edu/george-pappa...

Same Towne building, new generation of engineers

🎥 Photo: ca. 1960, Courtesy of the University Photograph Collection.

Shu Yang is the Joseph Bordogna Professor of Engineering and Applied Science and chair of the Materials Science Department in the School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Penn engineers and designers, led by Shu Yang (@pennmatsci.bsky.social) & Masoud Akbarzadeh have developed a 3D-printed concrete solution that enhances carbon capture, is more resilient, and uses fewer materials like cement. Read the full story today: penntoday.upenn.edu/news/penn-en...

Carmela Jenckes (BE'28) shares her "misadventures" from Penn Abroad in Montevideo, Uruguay. From language mix-ups to mastering bus routes, her journey proves "some of the best adventures begin with a mistake." #wherewillpenntakeyou #PennGRIP
global.upenn.edu/pennabroad/m...

This summer, Penn Engineering Entrepreneurship Master's grads, Vani Kanoria, Emily Oh & Shreya Chillakuru, took on global semiconductor supply chain risks at the NYC Global Impact Sprint. They developed prototypes & strengthened networks, proving diverse minds lead to extraordinary impact.

Tyler Daniel, at left, a doctoral student in the lab of Professor Sherry Gao, at right. (Credit: Bella Ciervo)

14 million people worldwide suffer from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), an often undiagnosed genetic heart disease. Now, Penn Engineering & ‪@bcmhouston.bsky.social‬ are tackling HCM with a $2.6M NIH grant for a genetic cure. ‪

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Ben Nachod (BE'26) explores autoimmune research in the Mitchell Lab, driven by personal links to disease impact. He uses mRNA tech to engineer T cells. "Through this journey, I discovered my enthusiasm for applying basic science skills to real-world clinical problems."
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At Penn Engineering, innovation doesn't take a summer break. Staff recently assembled a Rubik's Cube mosaic of the Penn crest and crafted keychains in the @meam-penn.bsky.social Precision Machining Lab. #StaffAppreciationWeek @upenn.edu

Penn is at the forefront of research for good, applying over $1.45B in awards to improve lives and solve global challenges. From mRNA tech & cancer therapies to climate solutions & social policy, the work drives tangible impact.
Read the full story: penntoday.upenn.edu/news/penn-re...

A summer program at Penn Engineering can truly open doors. Congrats to Jinwook Chang & Talin Patel, ESAP alums, whose quantum dot research just won a Best Poster Award at IEEE PVSC. They also received internship offers. Learn more: esap.seas.upenn.edu

A fungus once feared as the "pharaoh's curse" has been transformed into a cancer-fighting drug. Led by Sherry Gao and Qiuyue Nie, researchers turned the toxic Aspergillus flavus into a potent leukemia therapy.

Read more: blog.seas.upenn.edu/penn-enginee...

Hasit Nanda (M&T'26) recently spent a semester at IIT Delhi with Penn Abroad. "The highlight of my trip was joining the IIT Debating Society," he wrote. "I found many of my closest friends from IIT [there] and together we explored Delhi...It was an honor to be welcomed so warmly."

Mark Yim, Director of GRASPLab (left) and Jordan Raney, Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (right)

Inspired by nature, Penn Engineers are teaching robots to build like bees. Jordan Raney @meam-penn.bsky.social & Mark Yim @grasplab.bsky.social developed rules for robots to react to their environment as they build, a step towards a new manufacturing paradigm. blog.seas.upenn.edu/no-plan-no-p...

The IoT4Ag Center held its annual retreat at Penn, uniting over 100 members from four institutions. The event focused on sharing highlights, building connections and discussing the Center's mission. Featured were professional development, "Shark Tank" pitches, and 45 trainee talks. iot4ag.us

In a Q&A with Penn Today, Warren Center affiliate Benjamin C. Lee explains what neural processing units are and why they’re showing up in newer consumer electronics like high-end smartphones. NPUs, he says, are the “frontier” for today’s processor designers. penntoday.upenn.edu/...

Welcome, Wensi Wu, Research Assistant Professor in @meam-penn.bsky.social. Driven by a passion for modeling real-world mechanics, Wu uses digital twins to explore the human heart, personalizing cardiac diagnosis & surgery. blog.seas.upenn.edu/wensi-wu-use...

What is an NPU? A Penn expert explains | Penn Today Benjamin C. Lee, a professor of electrical and systems engineering, explains what a neural processing unit (NPU) is and why it matters in the age of artificial intelligence.

In a recent Q&A with Penn Today, Benjamin Lee explains how NPUs are enabling more efficient on-device AI in phones and laptops. He also notes the sustainability tradeoffs as larger chips carry a higher carbon footprint.
penntoday.upenn.edu/what-is-an-N...

An accidental breakthrough creates water from thin air

ABC News features groundbreaking work from Penn Engineering: the discovery of materials that passively harvest water from air. Led by Daeyeon Lee, this breakthrough has immense commercial potential and could lead to scalable water-harvesting systems for arid regions.

Read more: bit.ly/3ZucPqX