The Impact of Microplastics—And How to Limit Exposure News / July 14, 2026 Microplastics researchers Samantha McBride and Derek Ho of Penn Engineering and Vijay Bhatia of the Philadelphia Water Department discuss how microplastics get into ecosystems and human bodies, offering practical ways to minimize exposure. Read More
Artificial Versus Real Grass: How the Difference Changes the Game News / June 11, 2026 In conversation with Penn Today, Paulo Arratia discusses what separates natural grass from synthetic turf, and, ultimately, why that difference matters to players and fans. Read More
Dancing Through Life: From Origami Robotics to Sculptural Art News / June 2, 2026 An artist-in-residence collaboration between Penn’s Sung Robotics Lab and The Arts League of Philadelphia shows how origami-inspired robotics can transform contemporary art, resulting in kinetic sculptures that blur the boundaries between engineering, creativity, and public engagement. Read More
Why are Icy Surfaces Slippery? News / January 28, 2026 Robert W. Carpick joins Science Friday host Ira Flatow to explain why ice is slippery, drawing on his research in tribology, the study of friction and surface interactions. Read More
Pedaling Toward a Sustainable Future News / November 12, 2025 A popular course taught by Dustyn Roberts, Practice Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM), is garnering attention for its innovative approach to teaching engineering through the lens of sustainability. Roberts and her course, Bicycles: The Mechanical Advantage, were recently featured in PRISM, a members only publication of the American Society... Read More
Helping Robots Work Together to Explore the Moon and Mars News / September 29, 2025 In early August, the crisp dawn sky above White Sands National Park glows faintly blue, gradually brightening as streaks of marigold and soft pink pierce the clouds with the rising sun. But although the powder-white sand of the 30-foot gypsum dunes is cool at dawn, air temperatures become blistering hot... Read More
How One Student’s Experience is Helping to Shape Renewable Energy Education News / August 29, 2025 In the midst of the complicated landscape of energy, economics, and environmental policy, third-year Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM) student Ngaatendwe Manyika is helping to develop a new course for the next generation of engineers building renewable energy sources. This summer, with the guidance of practice assistant professor in Chemical and Biomolecular... Read More
Turning Bicycles into an Engineering Study Tool News / April 11, 2025 They say you never forget how to ride a bike. Dustyn Roberts hopes that her students never forget how a bike—something everyone has either seen or ridden—is the ideal introduction to engineering concepts like materials, urban design, and stability. Instead of examining something more intimidating or imposing—say, jet engines—“I can bring... Read More
Stentix Wins 2025 Y-Prize Competition News / February 26, 2025 This year’s Y-Prize competition winner is an ambitious team of undergraduates aiming to bring Penn-developed technology to patients suffering with bile duct obstructions. Their proposed product, Stentix, has been awarded $10,000 to get this work off the ground with preliminary research and prototype design throughout the next five years. The Y-Prize, a... Read More
Rivers in a Changing World News / December 3, 2024 he history of Philadelphia’s water lies mostly underground, buried and dormant. Watershed maps show a slow and persistent erasure of the streams that once covered the city, branching capillaries that stretched from Chestnut Hill to South Philadelphia. With 73% of the city’s waterways piped, visible water now exists mostly in large bodies:... Read More
