Our campus was founded by Benjamin Franklin, the nation’s foremost engineer. Franklin believed that education and research were joint efforts, so it’s no surprise the School of Engineering and Applied Science has continued his legacy. Since we received the first computer in 1946, Penn Engineering has maintained a tradition of leadership in advanced research across various fields, including autonomous robotics, computer vision and cybersecurity.
The School of Engineering and Applied Science educates and empowers students to make an audacious impact. Our programs and course offerings are all rooted in understanding humanity’s greatest challenges and preparing the next cohort of minds to tackle them.
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Graduates of Penn Engineering use their interdisciplinary education to influence various sectors on a global scale, including engineering, industry and commerce. All students, regardless of program or degree, benefit from a strong alumni network that provides ongoing mentorship and access to opportunities long after graduation.
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With the launch of its School of Mines, Arts and Manufactures, the University founded one of the country’s pioneering engineering schools, solidifying its long-standing reputation in professional education. In just a few years, the School grew to include four professors and 22 students.
As enrollment in the Towne Scientific School surged, the University established the Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, accompanied by the construction of two new campus buildings. Additionally, it introduced a chemical engineering program, which remains the oldest continuously operating course of its kind.
Founded in 1914, the Department of Electrical Engineering was later renamed the Moore School of Electrical Engineering, in recognition of its benefactor, electrical wire manufacturer Alfred Fitler Moore.
Engineers installed the New Deal-funded differential analyzer in the basement of the Moore School, a mechanical computing machine capable of solving in minutes problems that previously had taken months by hand. Measuring roughly 30 feet long and 10 feet wide, the analyzer consisted of 37,761 parts. During World War II, women programmers operated the machine, which ran almost continuously, calculating ballistics tables.
For the first time, women were admitted as undergraduates to the Schools of Engineering. In 1957, Doris Kuhlmann-Wilsdorf became the first female faculty member, hired as a Research Associate Professor of Metallurgical Engineering.
Following the award of a Department of Defense grant to study materials for the space race, the University founded the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter (LRSM). In 1964, a new LRSM building opened, which became the hub for materials science research at Penn.
Richard Wexelblat earned a Ph.D. in computer science from Penn, making him the first individual to receive a doctorate from a recognized graduate program in the field. Penn introduced a separate undergraduate program in computer science in 1972.
When Ruzena Bajcsy was promoted to Associate Professor of Computer Science, it marked the first time in the University’s history that women held tenured faculty positions in every school at Penn.
Under the leadership of Dean Eduardo Glandt, several new buildings were constructed, highlighting the increasing prominence of engineering at Penn: Melvin J. and Claire Levine Hall opened in 2003, followed by Skirkanich Hall in 2006, and the Krishna P. Singh Center for Nanotechnology in 2013.
Our team of faculty and advisors are leaders in their field, proudly preparing students to become the next generation of scholars while working diligently on their academic pursuits.
Our leadership team consists of advisors, deans and staff members who are responsible for moving the mission of the School forward.
The Board of Advisors works alongside the School and its dean. It’s made up of thought leaders, innovators and experts in engineering and related fields, and its members provide valuable guidance and insight relevant to the School’s activities.
Our faculty are the heartbeat of our program. In addition to being advocates and mentors for students, our instructors are renowned as visionaries in their fields. View all faculty members across our six departments.