LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

As a child and teenager, I loved to design and make things: clothes, lamps, tree houses… the medium was not as important as the sheer joy of seeing something that I created be used. I also enjoyed math, science, and solving puzzles. However, I knew very little about what
engineering was. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the activities I loved were the essence of engineering!

Engineers are innovators and problem solvers. We design products
and tools that improve people’s lives and extend the boundaries of what they can do: Computers, MP3 players, mobile phones, social networking environments, animations, roller coasters, space shuttles, Mars Rovers, prosthetic devices, artificial tissues, miniaturized drug
delivery systems, $2500 cars, light emitting diodes for traffic lights, fabrics for bulletproof vests, and fabrics that breathe for active wear (to name just a few). We help make the world a better place by finding alternate energy sources and designing highly fuel efficient cars to
combat global warming.We also communicate, negotiate, and are always learning new things as we work with people across a variety of fields.

Since engineering is not typically taught in middle or high school, many students — like me (many years ago) — do not understand what it is about, and therefore they hesitate to pursue it in college. This hesitancy is especially common for female students, given the historically low numbers of women in engineering. At Penn, we have therefore developed the Advancing Women in Engineering (AWE) program to share our excitement with students like you and to encourage women to pursue engineering, a discipline that turns science — math, chemistry, physics, and biology — into reality. We are committed to developing and supporting initiatives to increase awareness of and interest in engineering, to enhance the overall academic experience of our female students, and to create social and networking opportunities for women in engineering. 

There’s a new face to engineering. Whether you are drawn to Bioengineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Computer and Information Science, Electrical and Systems Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering and Applied
Mechanics, come join us to turn ideas into reality!

DR. SUSAN B. DAVIDSON
Weiss Professor and Department Chair, Computer and Information Science
Chair, Advancing Women in Engineering

What is AWE?

The Advancing Women in Engineering (AWE) Program is dedicated to recruiting, retaining, and promoting women in Penn Engineering. Since AWE is new as of Fall 2007, we have only just begun our work but our goals are to:

• Develop and support initiatives to increase the number of women interested in studying engineering at Penn and elsewhere.

• Enhance the overall academic experience of female students in Penn Engineering via targeted curricular development and increased research and professional opportunities.

• Create and support social and networking opportunities for women in engineering.

AWE provides opportunities for:

• Getting to know other women in engineering students

• Networking with professional and alumnae engineers

• Personal and professional development

• Roundtable discussions, panels, and guest speakers

• Mentoring

AWE Advisory Board

Under the leadership of Dr.Susan Davidson, the faculty and student advisory boards have committed their time and expertise to AWE.

Faculty and Staff Advisory Board:
Dr. Susan Davidson, Chair, Weiss Professor of Computer and Information Science

Michele Grab, Director, Advancing Women in Engineering Program

Dr. Sampath Kannan, Professor of Computer and Information Science, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Dr. Katherine Kuchenbecker, Skirkanich Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics
Dr. Susan Margulies, Professor, Bioengineering
Dr. Wen Shieh, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Joseph Sun, Director of Academic Affairs
Dr. Santosh Venkatesh, Associate Professor of Electrical and Systems Engineering
Dr. Karen Winey, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering

 

Student Advisory Board:

Adrienne Arndt, Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics
Jin Chung, Computer and Information Science
Kristi Chakrabarti, Bioengineering

Danielle DeSilvio, Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

Bethany Garber, Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

Evelyn Jawarski, Curriculum Deferred

Yiping Li, Bioengineering

Qian Liu, Computer and Information Science

Tim McKenna, Electrical Engineering
Thomas Mather, Electrical and Systems Engineering

Shaina Oake, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Pia Ramchandandi, Systems Engineering
Kim Richards, Material Science Engineering
Victoria Schwanda, Computer and Information Science
Brynn Shepherd, Digital Media Design, Computer and Information Science

Sonal Uban, Biotechnology

Lucy Wang, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Sadie White, Material Science Engineering
Julie Williams, Material Science Engineering
Esther Yu, Bioengineering
Ava Yiyan Zhang, Material Science Engineering
Moshe He Zhao, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

If you have questions about the AWE board or ideas for future AWE programs, please contact Michele Grab at mgrab@seas.upenn.edu