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President's Engagement Prizes

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Empowering high school youth through immersive art mentorship
Fourth-years Ejun Mary Hong and Jack Nicholas Roney were awarded a 2025 President's Engagement Prize to pursue their PIXEL project. The pair will collaborate to bring art mentorship, creative skill-building, and industry networking opportunities to under-resourced high school students in the greater Philadelphia area.

Fourth-year students Ejun Mary Hong and Jack Nicholas Roney were awarded a 2025 President’s Engagement Prize to pursue their PIXEL project. The pair will collaborate to bring art mentorship, creative skill-building, and industry networking opportunities to under-resourced high school students in the greater Philadelphia area.

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Empowering high school youth through immersive art mentorship

Penn fourth-years Ejun Mary Hong and Jack Nicholas Roney will use a President’s Engagement Prize to expand their existing initiative dedicated to connecting under-resourced high school students in Philadelphia with art mentorship, creative skill-building, and industry networking opportunities.

6 min. read

Nourish to Flourish
Inaya Zaman, Rashmi Acharya, and Imani Nkrumah Ardayfio.

Fourth-years (from left) Inaya Zaman, Rashmi Acharya, and Imani Nkrumah Ardayfio created Nourish to Flourish, winner of a 2025 President’s Engagement Prize. The trio will work with community partners at the Benjamin B. Comegys School in West Philadelphia and use behavioral economics principals to encourage healthier food choices.

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Nourish to Flourish

Fourth-years Rashmi Acharya, Imani Nkrumah Ardayfio and Inaya Zaman created Nourish to Flourish, winner of a 2025 President’s Engagement Prize. The trio will work with community partners at the Benjamin B. Comegys School in West Philadelphia to encourage healthier food choices.

Louisa Shepard

7 min. read

2024 PEP and PIP winners: Where are they now?
penn pep pip winners

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2024 PEP and PIP winners: Where are they now?

Nearly a year after being awarded the 2024 President’s Engagement Prize and President’s Innovation Prize, the recipients—now alumni—provide updates on their projects.

5 min. read

Celebrating ‘excellence and service in combination’ at PIP/PEP luncheon
pep and pip winners at luncheon

The 2024 President’s Engagement and Innovation Prize winners are (from left to right): Simran Rajpal and Gauthami Moorkanat for Educate to Empower; Catherine Hood, Brianna Aguilar, and Anooshey Ikhlas for Presby Addiction Care Program; and Rahul Nambiar and Yash Dhir of Jochi.

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Celebrating ‘excellence and service in combination’ at PIP/PEP luncheon

Seven graduating students were recognized at an annual luncheon for the President’s Engagement and Innovation prizes.
Educate to Empower aims to break down barriers to breast cancer screenings
Penn fourth-years Simran Rajpal on the left and Gauthami Moorkanatst on the right pose outside Fisher-Bennett Hall on Penn campus.

“In Philadelphia, in particular West Philly, there’s a lot of communities that don’t have the access to health care that they need, even though Penn is right here,” says Moorkanat (right). “Our thinking behind this was that if we can deliver the resources to them, instead of making them come to Penn, maybe we can start to bridge that gap.”

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Educate to Empower aims to break down barriers to breast cancer screenings

With the President’s Engagement Prize, fourth-years Simran Rajpal and Gauthami Moorkanat plan to deliver education and resources directly to community centers in Philadelphia, tackling medical mistrust, health literacy, and more.

Kristen de Groot

Humanizing the hospital experience for people with substance use disorders
Brianna Aguilar, Catherine Hood, and Anooshey Ikhlas.

Brianna Aguilar, Catherine Hood, and Anooshey Ikhlas are recipients of the 2024 President’s Engagement Prize for the Presby Addiction Care Program.

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Humanizing the hospital experience for people with substance use disorders

Anooshey Ikhlas, Catherine Hood, and Brianna Aguilar, winners of a 2024 President’s Engagement Prize, will work with Penn Presbyterian Medical Center to address challenges faced during hospitalization and reduce premature discharges.
Class of 2024 President’s Engagement, Innovation Prize winners announced
penn pip and pep winners 2024

(Top left to right) Yash Dhir and Rahul Nambiar of Jochi; Simran Rajpal and Gauthami Moorkanat for Educate to Empower. (Bottom left to right) Catherine Hood, Anooshey Ikhlas, and Brianna Aguilar for Presby Addiction Care Program.

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Class of 2024 President’s Engagement, Innovation Prize winners announced

Three prize-winning teams will design and undertake post-graduation projects that make a positive, lasting difference in the world.
2023 PIP/PEP winners: Where are they now?
Sonura team

Recipients of the 2023 President’s Innovation Prize, team Sonura, five bioengineering graduates from the School of Engineering and Applied Science, have created a device that filters out disruptive environmental noises for infants in neonatal intensive care units. Their beanie offers protection and fosters parental connection to newborns while also supporting their development.

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2023 PIP/PEP winners: Where are they now?

Nearly a year after the winners of the President’s Innovation Prize (PIP) and President’s Engagement Prize (PEP) began their projects, the winners—now alumni—discuss their progress. 
Act First, a PEP winner, wants to teach Philly students critical first aid—and the confidence to follow through
Kenneth Pham and Catherine Chang pose in business suites.

Catherine Chang and Kenneth Pham are co-founders of Act First and winners of the 2023 President’s Engagement Prize. Their nonprofit teaches Philadelphia high school students how to do CPR, prevent blood loss, and administer Narcan. 

(Image: Eric Sucar)

Act First, a PEP winner, wants to teach Philly students critical first aid—and the confidence to follow through

Kenneth Pham and Catherine Chang, winners of the 2023 President’s Engagement Prize, will teach Philadelphia high school students CPR, Narcan administration, and blood loss prevention.