In the Dean's Office

George J. Pappas
Deputy Dean and Joseph Moore Professor
Electrical and Systems Engineering;
Computer and Information Sciences;
Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

As Deputy Dean, George is in charge of the research enterprise of the School. He oversees the school's centers and institutes, and works to increase collaborative research activities across departments within Penn Engineering as well as across the University. He is also responsible for fostering interactions with industrial and corporate partners as well as commercialization opportunities. He coordinates with the university's Vice Provost for Research to develop and implement research-related policies at Penn Engineering. George's own research focuses on developing methods for the control of next-generation hierarchical, hybrid, and distributed systems such as fleets of unmanned aerial vehicles and multi-robot systems.

Personal Webpage | Publications | Full Profile

Questions relating to research at Penn Engineering can be directed via email to George or to:
Tara Betterbid
Assistant to the Deputy Dean
313 Levine Hall
Phone: 215.898.8241

Research Philosophy & Mission

The School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) is a world-class research institution that deeply embraces the Penn Integrates Knowledge principle of the Penn Compact, President Amy Gutmann’s vision for the University of Pennsylvania. In the spirit of our founder, Benjamin Franklin, the research mission of Penn Engineering is not only to have the highest scholarly standards within disciplines, but also to be an international leader in interdisciplinary research across fields.

This challenging mission is achieved by our stellar, highly honored faculty bringing their disciplinary excellence to collaborative research teams across departments and schools, resulting in cutting edge research centers and institutes.

In addition to innovative interdisciplinary research, we deeply care about the broader impact of our research. Our research enterprise constantly evolves in order to focus on initiatives that will not only advance science and engineering, but will also dramatically impact society as a whole.

Penn Engineering is now pushing the boundaries in the areas of Nanotechnology, Information Systems and Biological Engineering. The impact of our research is measured by enjoying one of the highest scholarly productivity indexes, numerous faculty and student awards, the placing of our students in the highest positions in academia, industry, and government, and the dramatic growth in our corporate relations.

As the interdisciplinary research of today defines the educational disciplines of tomorrow, at Penn Engineering we continuously pursue the integration of our research excellence with novel educational programs. Some of our recently launched programs, such as our Bachelor's in Digital Media Design or our Master's degree in Robotics, challenge traditional departmental boundaries, expose students to modern and future scientific and technological challenges, and offer exciting research opportunities at all levels, including undergraduate research. This integration between research and education is fundamental in educating the engineering leaders of tomorrow.