It is with great excitement and anticipation that I welcome our new and returning Penn Engineers to campus for the 2024-2025 academic year. I trust that everyone had a restful summer break and that you will all join me in my enthusiasm for the yet-to-be-discovered, the coming breakthroughs, and perhaps most importantly, the camaraderie of our community as we work together to address the grand challenges of our time.
I’m especially delighted to welcome our new students to Penn Engineering. These exceptionally talented individuals make up the most selective cohort to date, and they are poised to propel us to even greater levels of success as we develop and implement solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.
In thinking of the future we look to build together, I am reminded of a quote by Isaac Asimov: “Science can amuse and fascinate us all, but it is engineering that changes the world.”
Asimov may be best known for his riveting sci-fi works, but in addition to being a prolific writer, he was a professor of biochemistry who gave us the three laws of robotics, which endure to this day. And he is most correct: it is engineering that changes the world.
It is this desire to change the world, to wield science and innovation in a positive way, that brings each of us here to Penn. It is what unites us as one Penn Engineering.
Together, we will continue to innovate in our mission to address and overcome grand challenges to humanity, including Climate Change and human health. We will expand our world-changing footprint in AI and data science technologies and do so with our ethical responsibilities as engineers at the forefront. Indeed, our mission as Penn Engineers includes both innovation to overcome challenges, and also ensuring that we innovate responsibly, with an eye to the future and the impact of our solutions over the long term.
Penn Engineering’s trajectory of success in overcoming grand challenges will surge even higher as this academic year will see an unprecedented expansion of our physical footprint dedicated to meeting these challenges:
- Penn Engineers working to advance personalized medicine and human health technologies are currently relocating their labs to our new 30,000-square-foot, collaborative space on the 10th floor of One uCity;
- This fall, we will dedicate and open the 116,000-square-foot, six-floor Amy Gutmann Hall, our new hub for data-driven approaches and the responsible implementation of AI;
- Later this academic year, the Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology will open, providing 111,000 new square feet and seven floors of laboratory space that will drive Penn’s aggressive and multifaceted approach to create a secure energy future.
In addition to our ethical responsibilities to the communities we serve, in Penn Engineering we also have a responsibility toward one another. I want to stress our School’s shared values, which unite us as a community of belonging:
- We are a community of scholarship, creativity and curiosity, and we value the pursuit of knowledge and professional development.
- We are a community of integrity and character that values what is honorable and honest.
- We are an inclusive community of diverse people and perspectives that values different viewpoints and styles of thinking.
As we return to our classes, labs and offices, I hope we will all reflect on these values and center our work around them.
For those new to Penn Engineering, I invite you, if you haven’t already, to connect with Penn Engineering on our social media platforms, including LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Facebook. These are wonderful ways to learn more about what is happening in the School and to cheer on your fellow Penn Engineers.
Each year, rapid advancements in innovation bring us significant opportunities and also challenges for social good. Our commitment to our values and to responsible innovation practices means that the 2024-2025 academic year will yield novel ideas, innovative approaches, and groundbreaking solutions for our research and its dissemination and application throughout society.
By keeping our focus on what unites us — our shared desire to come to Penn and change the world through engineering — we will continue to strengthen our community and increase its impact. I for one cannot wait to see the incredible achievements that this year will bring.
Vijay Kumar
Professor and Nemirovsky Family Dean
Penn Engineering