2026 Penn Engineering News
The Future of AI, Data Centers and the Energy Transition
AI is transforming the world, but at what cost to our energy systems? As demand for computing power surges, data centers are becoming one of the most consequential frontiers in the energy transition. Dr. Chan’s talk will unpack how emerging technologies, smarter design, and bold innovation can redefine data centers as engines of efficiency, sustainability, and progress.
Class of 2026 President’s Engagement and Innovation Prize winners announced
Four prize-winning teams will design and implement post-graduation projects that make a positive, lasting difference here in Philadelphia and beyond.
Mapping catalyst failure to advance clean hydrogen fuel production
A new study co-led by computational Penn engineering professor Aleksandra Vojvodic and collaborators offers an unprecedented view of the complicated degradation process of a material based on one of the rarest elements, iridium. Their findings, which show how this catalytic agent breaks down at the atomic scale, pave the way for better hydrogen fuel production.
Beating the heat: Designing cooling for bodies in motion
Dorit Aviv, director of Weitzman’s Thermal Architecture Lab, studies how humans, technology, and design intersect, paving the way for the development of novel approaches to cooling people efficiently.
Powering AI from space, at scale
A new design for solar-powered data centers reduces weight, power consumption, and overall complexity, making large-scale deployment more feasible.
Decarbonizing New England: Clean Fuels for a Gas-Heavy Grid
New England states rely heavily on natural gas power plants—many of them aging turbines that are expensive to replace and hard to retire. But new opportunities are emerging. Renewable natural gas, hydrogen co-firing, and carbon capture with utilization or storage can accelerate power-sector decarbonization while supporting waste management, agriculture, and industrial innovation across the region.
2025 Penn Engineering News
Penn Engineering Launches New Master’s in Energy and Sustainability
Penn buildings achieve LEED certifications, showcasing commitment to sustainability
Three recent building projects at the University of Pennsylvania have earned LEED Platinum, Gold, and Silver certifications, underscoring Penn’s ongoing commitment to sustainable design and construction.
How one student’s experience is helping to shape renewable energy education
Third-year mechanical engineering student Ngaatendwe Manyika spent the summer working with practice assistant professor at Penn Engineering Lorena Grundy developing a new class, the Renewable Energy Technologies Lab coming to Penn next fall.
2021 SEAS Sustainably
No battery? No problem. At Penn, a mini-electric car draws energy from its surroundings.
New Funding Supports Milestone Initiative to Advance Solar Energy Research
Treeswift’s Autonomous Robots Take Flight to Save Forests
Robots Made of Ice Could Build and Repair Themselves on Other Planets
Design for Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology Approved
Sustainability News
Green Academics
Expanding opportunities for teaching, learning, and researching sustainability among students, staff and faculty.