News from

School of Engineering & Applied Science

Visit the School's Site
Reset All Filters
1292 Results
Penn announces nine 2026 Thouron Scholars
Recipients of the 2026 Thouron awards are (left to right, top to bottom) Tristen Brisky, Charissa Howard, Jean Kim, Jordan Liu, Caroline Magdolen, Griffin Pitt, Andrew Schmidt, Sriya Teerdhala, and Megha Thomas.

Recipients of the 2026 Thouron awards are (left to right, top to bottom) Tristen Brisky, Charissa Howard, Jean Kim, Jordan Liu, Caroline Magdolen, Griffin Pitt, Andrew Schmidt, Sriya Teerdhala, and Megha Thomas.

nocred

Penn announces nine 2026 Thouron Scholars

Six fourth-year students and three recent graduates will use the scholarship award to pursue graduate studies in the United Kingdom.

6 min. read

The science of winemaking
Students listen to explanation at winery.

Students listened to an information session in a vineyard at Cobos winery prior to a sit-down tasting.

(Image: Kelly Williamson)

The science of winemaking

The Biochemical Engineering of Wine course provides a real-world application of engineering principles, teaching students about the science behind the processes involved with making wine.

3 min. read

Five from Penn elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences
(Clockwise from top left) Mark G. Allen, Sara Cherry, John L. Jackson Jr., Michael E. Mann, and Duncan J. Watts.

(Clockwise from top left) Mark G. Allen, Sara Cherry, John L. Jackson, Jr., Michael E. Mann, and Duncan J. Watts.

(Images: Courtesy of Penn Engineering; Penn Medicine; Eric Sucar; Julian Meehan; and Annenberg School for Communication)

Five from Penn elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences

Mark G. Allen, Sara Cherry, Provost John L. Jackson, Jr., Michael E. Mann, and Duncan Watts are recognized for their contributions to the applied, biological, social, natural, physical, and behavioral sciences.

4 min. read

A new hub for AI-driven RNA research
from left: Drew Weissman, Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research; Vijay Kumar, Nemirovsky Family Dean of Penn Engineering; Daeyeon Lee, Russell Pearce and Elizabeth Crimian Heuer Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the facility’s director; Susan Marqusee, head of NSF’s Biological Sciences Directorate; David F. Meaney, Solomon R. Pollack Professor in Bioengineering and Penn’s Vice Provost for Research; Pennsylvania State Senator Frank A. Farry.

(From left) Drew Weissman, Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research; Vijay Kumar, Nemirovsky Family Dean of Penn Engineering; Daeyeon Lee, Russell Pearce and Elizabeth Crimian Heuer Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the facility’s director; Susan Marqusee, head of NSF’s Biological Sciences Directorate; David F. Meaney, Solomon R. Pollack Professor in Bioengineering and Penn’s Vice Provost for Research; and Pennsylvania State Senator Frank A. Farry.

(Image: Courtesy of Penn Engineering)

A new hub for AI-driven RNA research

Penn’s newest collaborative institution is the U.S. National Science Foundation Artificial Intelligence-driven RNA BioFoundry (NSF AIRFoundry) which uses AI to improve, accelerate, and scale the design, manufacture, and delivery of RNA.

Ian Scheffler

2 min. read

Class of 2026 President’s Engagement and Innovation Prize winners announced
(Top left) Connie Ni, Darlene Leohansson, and Chloe Chang, Darlene Leohansson. (Top right) Justin Wang, Janine Haros, and Eric Lee. (Bottom left) Margaret Zhu; (bottom right) Nhlanhla Mavuso.

The recipients of the 2026 President’s Engagement and Innovation Prizes: (Top left) Connie Ni, Darlene Leohansson, and Chloe Chang. (Top right) Justin Wang, Janine Haros, and Eric Lee. (Bottom left) Margaret Zhu; (bottom right) Nhlanhla Mavuso.

nocred

Class of 2026 President’s Engagement and Innovation Prize winners announced

Four prize-winning teams will design and implement post-graduation projects that make a positive, lasting difference here in Philadelphia and beyond.

4 min. read

A new swarm AI project takes on safety at scale
Ph.D. student, Hongrui Zheng (left), and Rahul Mangaharam (right) flying drones.

Ph.D. student Hongrui Zheng (left), and Rahul Mangaharam, ESE professor and principal investigator of xLAB, with the drones used in this research.

(Image: Courtesy of Penn Engineering)

A new swarm AI project takes on safety at scale

Researchers at Penn’s xLAB are collaborating on a multiyear project to study how large teams of physical AI agents can cooperate, compete, and act safely outside of software and in the real world.

Melissa Pappas

2 min. read

Damon Centola named 2026 Guggenheim Fellow
Damon Centola

As director of the Network Dynamics Group and a senior fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, Centola’s research centers on social networks and behavior change.

(Image: Courtesy of Annenberg School for Communication)

Damon Centola named 2026 Guggenheim Fellow

The Elihu Katz Professor of Communication, Sociology and Engineering, he is among the 223 people chosen for the Guggenheim’s 101st class of Fellows.

1 min. read

Beyond algorithms: Engineering judgment in the age of AI

Beyond algorithms: Engineering judgment in the age of AI

Penn professor Justin “Gus” Hurwitz helps students build “engineering judgment” to better inform AI innovation. This skill involves thoughtfully balancing the trade-offs between technical choices, legal obligation, and moral responsibility.

From Penn Engineering

2 min. read