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September 21, 2026

Penn Engineering Weekly 09-21-26

Fisher Bennett Hall

Important Dates:

DateEvent
October 5thDrop Period ends
October 1st – 4thFall Term Break
October 5thDrop Period ends
October 12thIndigenous People’s Day (Classes in session)
October 23rdGrade Mode Change Deadline
October 23rd – 25thFamily Weekend
October 26th – November 9thAdvance Registration for Spring Term
November 2ndLast day to withdraw from a course
November 14thHomecoming

Announcements for the week

OAS Academic Advising

Academic planning covers a wide range of topics, including choosing a major, registering for classes, and defining career goals. During the Fall semester, in-person walk-in advising takes place Monday–Thursday from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Towne 109. Please visit Staff-Advising Information and Hours for more information.

Weingarten Center – Study Tools and Strategies

Our learning specialists have developed helpful resources to support your learning. We’ve organized these tools and strategies based on their purpose so that you can select the resources that work for you. Read more here.

Registrar Reminders

Important Fall 2026 deadlines:

  • Course Drop deadline: October 5 (11:59 pm ET)
  • The Grade Mode Change Deadline: October 23.

December 2026 Graduation information:

  • The December 2026 Engineering graduation application will open on September 11 for bachelor’s, master’s, and certificates within the Engineering school. Information will be distributed closer to that opening. The December 2026 PhD graduation application opened on August 25. Information will be distributed in the near future.
  • Any students who need to update their expected graduation date can submit that request here. (This is especially important if you are a December graduate and your expected graduation date is incorrectly listed for the future.)

Events (Engineering)

Penn Engineering Council (PEC) Individual Sponsorships

Attending a conference, tech trek or hackathon this semester? The Penn Engineering Council (PEC) offers individual sponsorships of up to $300 per semester to support Penn Engineering undergraduates pursing engineering and STEM-focused professional development and career opportunities. Funding can help cover registration fees and travel expenses for events outside the Greater Philadelphia Area. View Guidelines & Apply here.

Goldwater Scholarship Info Session

Interested in pursuing a research career in STEM? Learn more about the Goldwater Scholarship, which provides up to $7,500 annually to sophomores and juniors with exceptional academic records and research experience who intend to earn a Master’s or PhD in mathematics, natural sciences, or engineering. Learn more via CURF.

September 23, 2026 | 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm | College Hall G08/09

Getting to Know the Penn CRCs

Engineers build systems, but a community ensures connection. Join Penn Engineering and the Cultural Resource Centers (CRCs) for an interactive, dialogue-driven gathering designed to help you navigate campus support, build meaningful connections, and explore the wide array of resources available across Penn’s CRCs. RSVP Here.

Thursday, October 8, 2026 | 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm | Raisler Lounge (Towne 225)

Events (Penn)

Research GPS: Utilizing Work-Study to Conduct Research
Do you have work-study funding and an interest in research? Join CURF staff and Research Peer Advisors to learn about how to utilize work study to engage in undergraduate research! More information here. 

September 29, 2026, 4:00 pm – 05:00 pm | CURF Office, College Hall G08/09

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Writing Workshop
Undergraduate students applying for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) are invited to participate in this interactive writing workshop led by the Science Outreach Initiative and CURF. You will learn basic grant writing skills, information about writing for the GRFP specifically, and have the opportunity to workshop your ideas for your proposal. Students will leave knowing what characteristics the NSF is looking for and how to craft a narrative of their personal experiences that highlights those characteristics. Session participants will also receive instructions on how to get one-on-one essay feedback before NSF deadlines. Space is limited, so make sure to register early.

September 22, 2026, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm | CURF Office, College Hall G08/09
Please RSVP here. 

2026 Frontiers of Energy Poster Session
Join us for the 6th Annual Frontiers of Energy Research Poster Session, co-hosted by the Vagelos Institute for Energy Science and Technology (VIEST) and the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER). Discover amazing energy research  presented by Penn undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers.

Present a Poster: All Penn students and postdocs involved in energy research are invited to share their work, gain valuable feedback, and meet other energy researchers from across campus! Register here by Monday, October 5th to present a poster.

October 20, 2026, 4:30pm – 6:30pm
Singh Galleria, Singh Center for Nanotechnology

Quant Finance Academy
A five-park workshop series led by faculty from Wharton’s Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Master of Science in Quantitative Finance Program (Jacobs MSQF), designed to introduce students to the ideas, tools, and ways of thinking used in quantitative finance. No prior finance background is required.

Five Weekly Sessions | Wednesdays at 6:00 pm | Steinberg-Dietrich Hall 1206 | Please RSVP here. 

Event Dates:
October 21: Dr. Stephan Dieckmann (Fixed Income Securities)
October 28: Dr. Jessica Wachter (Foundations Of Asset Pricing)
November 4: Dr. Jules Van Binsbergen (Investment Management)
November 11: Dr. Winston Dou (Data Science & Ai In Finance)
November 18: Dr. David Musto (Capital Markets)

GEM’s Virtual Philly GRAD Lab
Villanova University is proud to host the next virtual GEM Getting Ready for Advanced Degrees (GRAD) Lab on September 26th. The GEM GRAD Lab offers valuable and timely insight regarding application processes, funding opportunities, and general expectations in graduate school.

September 26, 9:30 am  -12:30 pm | Please RSVP here. 

Career & Networking Opportunities

Google Days at UPenn

Please join Career Services for Google Days at UPenn!
Over the course of two dates, we’re bringing Google engineers directly to campus to share insights, break down technical interview prep, and help you elevate your application for our upcoming internship and full-time roles.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect directly with the Google team and prepare for your next career move. We look forward to seeing you there!

Event 2: Technical Interview Prep
September 22nd, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Demystify the technical interview process as our engineers walk through real problem-solving frameworks and coding strategies. RSVP here.

Grad School OnRamp 2026: Virtual Workshops for STEM Undergrads 
Prepare for the upcoming graduate admissions cycle with Penn Career Services’ targeted virtual workshops this September. Designed for STEM undergraduates planning for advanced degrees, these sessions cover critical components of a competitive application. Register for the upcoming sessions on Handshake.

Clubs & Organizations

ESAC Club

The Engineering Student Activities Council (ESAC) is a student organization at the University of Pennsylvania that serves as the umbrella for all student groups within SEAS at Penn. ESAC coordinates the activities of the various undergraduate organizations and acts as a liaison among undergraduate engineering students, SEAS faculty, and administration. The application to join ESAC will open again in Fall 2025. Reach out to pennesac@gmail.com for questions.

Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board

The Engineering Deans’ Advisory Board at the University of Pennsylvania works directly with deans and faculty from Penn Engineering to implement initiatives that enrich the learning and welfare of Engineers. Want to learn more about the Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board? Check it out here.

Penn Engineering Council (PEC)

The Penn Engineering Council (PEC) is the pre-professional branch of the Engineering student government quad-board at the University of Pennsylvania. PEC’s role is to organize events in the domains of academic mentorship and professional development and to serve as a funding organization to its constituent clubs and pre-professional societies within the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Read more here.

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 their Google Group here and then click “ask to join the group.” 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.

Penn Engineering Weekly – Submissions

Penn Engineering Weekly is published by the Student Affairs Team and the Office of Academic Services. To post an upcoming event or opportunity, complete the SEAS Weekly Request Form before noon on Wednesdays.