11/15
School of Engineering & Applied Science
Penn and KIST Researchers Offer Insights Into Lightweight Material That Expands With Heat
When it comes to taking up room without adding too much weight, the bubble can’t be beat. Because they are mostly air, they’re ultra-lightweight and can expand to fill any given space.
Penn Team Shows How Seemingly Acute Viral Infections Can Persist
Infections caused by viruses, such as respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, measles, parainfluenza and Ebola, are typically considered acute. These viruses cause disease quickly and live within a host for a limited time. But in some cases the effects of the infection, and presence of the virus itself, can persist.
Penn Engineering Launches A. James Clark Scholars Program with $15M gift from the A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation
The A. James Clark Scholars Program has been established in the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania with an extraordinary $15 million gift from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation. It is the largest one-time gift to undergraduate support in the University’s history.
Penn Junior Embraces ‘Trial and Error’ of Chemistry Research
by Erica AndersenWhen University of Pennsylvania undergraduate Kyle Kersey wants to describe his research, he finds it difficult to delve into the intricacies of coordination, solubility and steric effects. So he’s settled on a different tactic.“The word I like to use is ‘humbling,’” says Kersey.
Penn’s Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter Awarded $22.6 Million NSF Grant
The University of Pennsylvania’s Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter has been awarded a six-year, $22.6 million center grant from the National Science Foundation to support LRSM’s work in cutting-edge materials.
Penn Engineers Develop the “WorMotel,” Simultaneously Study the Aging Process in Thousands of Model Organisms
The roundworm C. elegans is one of the most important model organisms in biological research. With a transparent, millimeter-long body containing only about a thousand cells and a lifespan of a few weeks, there is no better way of deciphering the role of a given gene on a living creature’s anatomy or behavior.
Penn Summer Program in STEM Teaches Middle Schoolers to Overcome Communication Barriers
Mark Licurse didn’t know what to expect when he decided to group together middle schoolers from two very different schools for a week-long STEM Summer Science Camp held by the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter at the University of Pennsylvania.
Penn Researchers Discover New Law Guiding the Way Humans Perceive the World
Laws of perception explain why people see the world the way they do.
These small robots are inspired by origami
Through origami-inspired engineering, one researcher hopes to not only create rapidly fabricable robots, but also build intuitive design software that enables others who may not be trained in engineering to create their own personalized robots.
Shrinking Swiss Glaciers Inspire Undergraduate Student’s Energy Research at Penn
By Erica AndersenYann Pfitzer spent the heat of a Philadelphia summer in a lab, designing and testing ultrathin plates that could one day be part of systems that convert extreme heat to electricity.
In the News
Grumpy voters want better stories. Not statistics
In a Q&A, PIK Professor Duncan Watts says that U.S. voters ignored Democratic policy in favor of Republican storytelling.
FULL STORY →
Superhuman vision lets robots see through walls, smoke with new LiDAR-like eyes
Mingmin Zhao of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and colleagues are using radio signals to allow robots to “see” beyond traditional sensor limits.
FULL STORY →
A sneak peek inside Penn Engineering’s new $137.5M mass timber building
Amy Gutmann Hall aims to be Philadelphia’s next big hub for AI and innovation while setting a new standard for architectural sustainability.
FULL STORY →
New building at University of Pennsylvania aims to become hub for AI research
Amy Gutmann Hall, set to open in early 2025, is dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence and data science.
FULL STORY →
First look: Inside Penn’s new Amy Gutmann Hall, the region's largest mass timber building
Amy Gutmann Hall will be a catalyst for groundbreaking artificial intelligence research and collaboration across disciplines, with remarks from Dean Vijay Kumar of the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
FULL STORY →