ODEI Spotlight:
Exposure to Engineering
In 2008, Penn GEMS held its inaugural camp, which was the brainchild of Penn Engineering’s Advancing Women in Engineering (AWE) group. The camp was originally intended to inspire participation in the sciences for middle school girls. Though the target audience has been expanded, GEMS’ mission has remained steadfast: to provide hands-on experience to middle school students who are interested in many engineering disciplines including bioengineering, nanotechnology, computer science, and materials science. The program is overseen by Penn Engineering’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, which prioritizes outreach efforts at the School and K-12 level to expand the pipeline of future engineers who reflect the diversity of the U.S. and the global community. Read More
Kevin Johnson Gives Juneteenth Address
Kevin Johnson, Penn Integrates Knowledge and David L. Cohen University Professor with joint appointments in the Department of Computer and Information Science in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics in the Perelman School of Medicine, gave a Juneteenth address to the Penn Engineering community on Wednesday, June 14. Read More
Penn Engineering’s First Community STEM Field Day
As part of the School’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM, Penn Engineering’s community outreach team hosted its inaugural STEM Field Day on Thursday, April 20. Held at Penn Park, the event served as a culminating activity and end-of-year celebration for students in Penn Engineering’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s Fife-Penn STEM & CS Academy and Heights Philadelphia Middle Grades Academy after-school programs. Read More
'STEM Goes Red' with Penn
On Tuesday, February 7, 2023, Penn Engineering’s Community Outreach Team, under the leadership of Chanda Jefferson, Director of Community Engagement and Outreach, joined the American Heart Association’s STEM Goes Red initiative at Lincoln Financial Field. Hosted by the Philadelphia Eagles, Penn Engineering served as the STEM breakout session sponsor. Read More
Projects for Progress, Two Years In
In 2021, three Projects for Progress (P4P) teams set out to improve the quality of life in West Philadelphia: one by addressing the primary care needs of homeless and underserved people, one by revamping the Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Center, and one by addressing the COVID-induced learning gap in elementary school students and educators. An Oct. 17 event celebrated the work of these teams and their 2022 counterparts. Six P4P groups have received awards since the initiative’s inception. Read More
Bolstering Environmental Education in Cobbs Creek
For the last year, with support from a Projects for Progress (P4P) award, a team from Penn has collaborated with Center staff and the Cobbs Creek community to enhance resources to support similar learning opportunities at the CCCEC. Their goal is to promote equitable access to STEM education for residents of the Cobbs Creek neighborhood. “Now more than ever, our society understands the value of green spaces and of STEM education, and the Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center provides both for West Philadelphia families and students,” says President Liz Magill. Read More
Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Dedicates New Suite to Foundational Figures
On December 3, 2021, ODEI cut the ribbon on its new suite in the Towne Building, featuring a conference room and study space dedicated to two of its foundational figures: Ms. Cora Ingrum, ODEI’s former Director, and Ms. Donna Hampton, the office’s longtime administrative assistant. Read More
Events of Interest
ODEI Events + Programming Spotlight:
Penn Engineering's Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The Penn Compact 2022 affirms Inclusion as a means toward the essential ends of higher education: equalizing opportunity, educating leaders for all sectors of society, and enriching the experience of all members of the University community. Penn Engineering remains strongly committed to initiatives that support the University’s efforts to achieve an educational and employment environment that is diverse in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, interests, abilities and perspectives. We strive to attract a diverse community of students and faculty, to provide an accessible, rigorous engineering education, and to improve our local and global communities through engineering.
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