Penn Engineering
Penn Engineering 2030, the School’s strategic plan, is moving from vision to action. Since its launch, Penn Engineering has advanced its priorities and established four key committees designed to harness the creativity, ambition and collaborative spirit of our community toward the plan’s implementation. These committees recently presented their progress to the Dean’s Council and Advisory Boards, generating strong enthusiasm and support for the next phase of development.
The four Strategic Planning Committees — comprising faculty, staff and students — have been meeting regularly to refine goals, shape initiatives and identify “Lift-Off Ideas,” which are opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration. Each committee is led by Penn Engineering Committee Champions who are guiding discussions around the School’s core priorities, from advancing research and innovation to strengthening education, community and impact.
Students are a vital part of this process, bringing fresh ideas and new energy to the table. Students are active co-creators of Penn Engineering 2030. Undergraduates, through the Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board (EDAB), are leading an exploration on Student Study Spaces (Pillar D3) and a Hybrid Learning Deep Dive (Pillar A2), grounding recommendations in real student data and experience. Graduate students, via the Master’s and Doctoral Advisory Boards, are contributing ideas across all pillars, informing near-term Lift-Off actions and longer-range investments in graduate education, research partnerships, student well-being and data-informed operations.
Across our classrooms, laboratories, ventures and partnerships around the world, Penn Engineering has continued to advance its mission with purpose. This increased momentum, driven by our strategic plan, positions the School to leverage the exciting opportunities that will define the future of engineering and higher education. Specific progress on the implementation of Penn Engineering 2030 includes:
New Degree Programs
Penn Engineering launched several important new academic programs, including the Master of Science in Engineering in Energy and Sustainability, the Master of Science in Engineering in Software Systems and Cybersecurity and a new Online Accelerated Master’s pathway that expands opportunities for Penn undergraduates to pursue advanced engineering education. In addition, the next evolution of the Master of Computer and Information Technology (MCIT) is underway, with the program transitioning to the Master of Applied Science in Computer Science.
Ph.D. Curriculum and Training Modernization Ph.D. curricula across Penn Engineering’s six departments are being modernized to improve research efficiency, reduce time-to-degree and better prepare students for academic, industry and entrepreneurial careers. Enhancements will include streamlined coursework requirements, standardized teaching practicum requirements across departments, integrated master’s-to-Ph.D. pathways and the creation of research master’s off-ramps for Ph.D. students. Upcoming initiatives will further expand opportunities for industry engagement, translational research, entrepreneurship and technology transfer within doctoral education.
Corporate Engagement Office A new centralized Corporate Engagement Office coordinates Penn Engineering’s relationships with industry to create strategic partnerships that include activities such as industry sponsored student projects, research endeavors, mentoring and internships. This hub helps corporate partners navigate the broader Penn ecosystem and to align with school-level activities that are synergistic to a company’s priorities.
New Model for Industry-Funded Research A revised licensing and talent engagement framework will make Penn Engineering a more attractive partner by offering clearer and more competitive terms for licensing IP generated through corporate-sponsored research and by deepening opportunities for engagement with faculty and students. The model increases transparency for both faculty and industry partners while enabling a broader range of collaborative research and commercialization pathways.
Live Our Values Campaign Penn Engineering’s full Values Statement details the School’s shared values, but to make them more accessible, the Live Our Values campaign captures them in three guiding principles: Excellence, Respect and Impact. Launched in spring 2026, Live Our Values uses visual reminders (posters, digital displays and takeaways) throughout the Penn Engineering campus to invite faculty, staff and students to reflect on how they can commit, both individually and collectively, to living our shared values in ways that strengthen our community and extend the School’s positive influence in the world.
Futures Fund Partnership For Innovation Building on the Big Ideas from our faculty, the Penn Engineering Futures Fund Partnership for Innovation is a philanthropic initiative that provides early investment in transformative education programming and research that addresses major societal challenges. Notably, this partnership will catalyze high-impact research and innovation by turning early ideas into major external successes, including large grants, research centers, startups and partnerships to accelerate breakthroughs in health, intelligence and sustainable infrastructure.
Penn Engineering is making steady progress on a broad set of initiatives designed to strengthen education, research, community and long-term resilience across the School. Together, these efforts reflect our commitment to innovation, student success and living our values in meaningful ways. We have begun work on 22 different initiatives focused in the following areas:
In education, we are expanding experiential and industry-connected learning, modernizing undergraduate and graduate curricula, and piloting new approaches that thoughtfully integrate AI into advising and instruction. These initiatives aim to deepen student engagement, improve instructional quality and better prepare students, at every level, for a rapidly changing world.
In research, Penn Engineering is investing in bold, interdisciplinary work through the Big Ideas initiative, strengthening partnerships with industry, and updating frameworks that support collaboration, commercialization and real-world impact. New models for corporate engagement and industry-connected doctoral training are helping position our research for greater societal relevance and external support.
Across our community, we are intentionally operationalizing our core values of Excellence, Respect and Impact. New campaigns, recognition programs, surveys and shared events are helping make our values visible, actionable and embedded in daily work, all while strengthening belonging, well-being and professional development for faculty, staff and students.
Finally, to ensure institutional resilience, we are improving how we make decisions and deliver services, through better data foundations, streamlined research and administrative workflows, centralized service support and flexible funding mechanisms that allow us to respond quickly to emerging priorities.
Collectively, these initiatives represent a coordinated, multi-year effort to move Penn Engineering forward, supporting our people, amplifying our impact and building the systems needed to thrive now and in the future.
Chambrel Jones and CJ Taylor
Boon Thau Loo and Robert Ghrist
Vanessa Chan and George Pappas
Mike Matthews and Kristofor Varhus
Rebecca Hayward and Eleni Rengepis Koumenis
We continue to welcome ideas and feedback from across the Penn Engineering community. The strategic planning process is designed to evolve, incorporating input and inspiration from all corners of the School.
We’re building momentum. In the months ahead, we’ll continue expanding our Lift-Off Ideas portfolio, share regular updates on our progress, and spotlight new initiatives and early successes as they take shape.
Updates will be provided on this page on an ongoing basis.
