By: Yastika Singh I had the amazing opportunity to interview Dr. LeAnn Dourte, a professor in the Bioengineering Department at Penn (and my current professor!) about her background in biomechanics, her unique teaching philosophy, and her challenges as a woman in engineering. Dr. Dourte teaches BE 2000 (Biomechanics), BE 2700 (Bioengineering Lab Principles), and BE 5700 (Biomechatronics). Read below about her fascinating work on active learning and her sound advice. career tra

By: Yastika Singh I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Dr. Erin Berlew, professor and researcher in the Bioengineering Department at Penn (and my professor last semester!) regarding her unique career trajectory from AmeriCorps to Brian Chow’s lab, her experiences as a female engineer, and her time at Penn. Dr. Berlew teaches Engineering 1050, a Python class centered around data analysis, as well as Senior Design for Bioengineering seniors. Below you can learn about th

A resource compilation and bits of advice for Penn students! Updated November 9, 2025 By the Advocacy Committee Scheduling Penn Course Review: https://penncoursereview.com/ Penn Course Review is a website that provides ratings for different Penn courses and professors. Think of Rate My Professor, but specific to Penn! Penn Course Review ranks a bunch of factors like course quality, difficulty, and instructor quality out of 5 to give you an idea of what to expect. It also prov

A Conversation with an alumni working at Five Rings March 5, 2025 By Ngaatendwe Manyika, MEAM '27 Students engaging with the Five Rings alum during the event Last week, I had the opportunity to attend an engaging talk with a Penn alum currently working at Five Rings, a proprietary trading firm known for its quantitative approach, dynamic atmosphere, and emphasis on teamwork. He shared invaluable insight into the world of algorithmic trading and software engineering, as well a

March 23, 2025 By Ngaatendwe Manyika, MEAM '27  Arduino programming with DC motors and Rocket Launcher project with 3D printed parts. What is Mechanical Engineering? I would define it as the discipline which allows you to visualize and create projects from start to finish. This is a combination of mathematics, physics, programming, material science, fabrication, 3D modelling, imagination and grit. The introduction courses from freshman to sophomore year teach concepts that re

A Recap of the SWE Information Event March 19, 2025  By Namrata Pradeep  How often do you think about the role of gases in your life?  Besides the air you breathe and or stream of steam that you might occasionally notice along Spruce Street, you might not think of them as much as you should.  From the life-saving oxygen sustaining patients in the Penn Hospital to the semiconductors that power your computer, Air Liquide is providing gases that build the world as we know it. La

SWE members at TBTN 2025 “Take Back the Night”. I had never heard this phrase before joining SWE yet the second I heard it, I had a gut...

March 23, 2025 By Chantal van Dongeren, BE '28 Like many high school students in public schools, I was not given access and immediate...

By: Yastika Singh https://facilities.upenn.edu/maps/locations/college-hall College is a curious paradox of a large amount of “free time” yet too little time to do everything you want to do. Time management is an essential skill in college, especially in engineering, where you can find yourself delving deep into one physics problem and look up and see that two hours have passed (sorry that was a little too close to home). As a freshman in bioengineering, I’m still learning the

Reflecting on the 5th Annual Sit Down with Startups (SDWS) February 28, 2025 By Ngaatendwe Manyika, MEAM '27 SWE board members in charge...

Women and ethnic minorities remain underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math fields. To help underrepresented...