In the News

The Unexpected Entrepreneurs
For 10 years, the President’s Engagement and Innovation Prizes have equipped a select few graduating Penn seniors with a large cash award and faculty mentorship for post-graduation projects designed to make a “positive, lasting difference in the world.” The prizes, unlike anything else in higher education, have catapulted new social entrepreneurs into the world—and created a “community of changemakers” who are leaning on each other (and other alumni) to take their organizations to the next level.
The Pennsylvania Gazette, August 30, 2024

Shinkei’s humane, quality-preserving fish-harvesting tech could upend the seafood industry
Harvesting fish is an inherently messy business, what with being at sea, the slippery creatures wriggling around and everything else. Shinkei is working to improve it with an automated system that more humanely and reliably dispatches the fish, resulting in what could be a totally different seafood economy.
April 30, 2024 / Tech Crunch

Her Body, Her (Beautiful) Self
The three-year-old Body Empowerment Project has helped students in 17 Philadelphia schools accept — and embrace — their physical selves this year. Support their work at their year-end party on April 25
April 18, 2024 / Philadelphia Citizen

Class of 2023 President’s Engagement, Innovation Prize winners announced
University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill today announced the recipients of the 2023 President’s Engagement and Innovation Prizes.
April 21, 2023 / Penn Today

2022 PIP/PEP winners: Where are they now?
Nearly a year after the winners of the President’s Innovation Prize (PIP) and President’s Engagement Prize (PEP) began their projects, a look at how the work of these eight intrepid alumni has evolved.
March 13, 2023 / Penn Today

Cosmic Writers brings free creative writing education to school-aged children
May graduates Rowana Miller and Manoj Simha lead Cosmic Writers, a project supported by President’s Engagement Prize that provides free creative writing instruction to K-12 students virtually throughout the world.
May 31, 2022 / Penn Today

A one-stop shop for student-founded impact startups
College Green Ventures, a recipient of Penn’s 2022 President’s Engagement Prize, finds and supports student-founded impact startups. The organization aims to be a national hub for social impact on college campuses.
May 25, 2022 / Penn Today

Celebrating the newest President’s Prize winners
Interim President Wendell Pritchett noted at the luncheon that this year’s recipients represent the biggest cohort yet—a testament to the “incredible strength of our applicant pool.”
May 5, 2022 | Penn Today

Class of 2022 President’s Engagement, Innovation, and Sustainability Prize winners announced
Six prize-winning teams will design and undertake post-graduation projects that make a positive, lasting difference in the world.
April 20, 2022 | Penn Today

Seeking justice, support for incarcerated Pennsylvanians
As winners of the 2021 President’s Engagement Prize, Carson Eckhard, Natalia Rommen, and Sarah Simon provide hope for wrongfully convicted people and a roadmap for inmates set for release.
March 28, 2022 | Penn Today

Changing lives in refugee communities through access to clean water
As winners of the 2021 President’s Engagement Prize, May graduates Martin Leet and Leah Voytovich co-founded Maji, a nonprofit organization dedicated to projects that support refugee initiatives in Uganda.
March 21, 2022 | Penn Today

Body Empowerment Project is a health-centered approach to self-care
Supported by the President’s Engagement Prize, two 2021 graduates founded a nonprofit focused on eating disorder prevention, bringing workshops to Philadelphia public schools, taught by Penn student volunteers.
February 28, 2022 | Penn Today

Turning empty spaces into comfortable homes.
Since 2018, the President’s Engagement Prize-winning team behind Chicago Furniture Bank has operated full speed ahead—already furnishing 5,500 homes for more than 14,000 people in need.
July 23, 2021 | Penn Today

Penn seniors target eating disorder risk at Philadelphia public high schools
President’s Engagement Prize-winning project Be Body Positive Philly, led by seniors Christina Miranda and Amanda Moreno, is designed to address eating disorder risk among Philadelphia high school students.
May 6, 2021 | Penn Today

Hope and help for wrongfully incarcerated Pennsylvanians
With Project HOPE, President’s Engagement Prize winners Carson Eckhard, Natalia Rommen, and Sarah Simon will address the lack of support to wrongfully incarcerated people in Philadelphia and across the state.
May 4, 2021 | Penn Today

Empowering refugee communities with access to clean water
With project Maji, seniors Martin Leet and Leah Voytovich will use their President’s Engagement Prize to install a solar-powered water tank and provide agricultural and first aid training for members of the Olua I community.
April 30, 2021 | Penn Today

Class of 2021 President’s Engagement and Innovation Prize winners announced
The Prizes enable students to take on post-graduation projects that make a positive, lasting difference in the world.
April 19, 2021 | Penn Today

A pivot, from financial literacy to restorative justice
Collective Climb won a 2020 President’s Engagement Prize as a West Philadelphia-based financial literacy project, but shifted their focus to engage with young people around the issue of community violence.
March 24, 2021 | Penn Today

Increasing access to life-saving, unused medicines in India

Aarogya, a social-enterprise organization, is led by three President’s Engagement Prize winners. Since receiving the award, they’ve started delivering otherwise-unused medicines that save lives and money.
March 10, 2021 | Penn Today

The impact of providing hands-on, interactive projects
With inventXYZ, President’s Innovation Prize winner Nikil Ragav has created a high-tech curriculum for high school to motivate future problem-solvers.
March 3, 2021 | Penn Today

The joy and power of improvisation
With The Unscripted Project, President’s Engagement Prize winners Philip Chen and Meera Menon create an improv curriculum and bring teaching artists to Philadelphia public school students.
February 24, 2021 | Penn Today

August 7, 2020
Primary care, delivered
Penn Today

May 12, 2020
PEP winners connect patients with the medicines they need
Penn Today

May 1, 2020
A ‘Collective Climb’ to combat poverty
Penn Today

April 29, 2020
Improv with an impact
Penn Today

April 20, 2020
Nine Penn students win 2020 President’s Engagement and Innovation Prizes
The Daily Pennsylvanian

April 15, 2020
Penn alum Shadrack Frimpong awarded Gates Cambridge Scholarship
Penn Today

April 1, 2020
From Economic Empowerment To Waste Management, These 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs Are Making An Impact In Asia
Forbes

January 21, 2020
Meet Two University of Pennsylvania President’s Engagement Prize Winners: José Maciel and Antonio Renteria
Independence Blue Cross Foundation

PODCAST: Katlyn Grasso W15 - Connecting Women across GenHERations
December 2, 2019 / Momentum 2020: The Power of Penn Women

Homeward Initiative takes on the challenge of supporting homeless LGBTQ youth
November 18, 2019 / Penn Today

Cultivando Juntos takes shape in Kennett Square
October 23, 2019 / Penn Today

A Brush With Death Propelled A 9-Year-Old To A Muhammad Ali Award
September 13, 2019 / NPR

New Philly ‘Host Home’ program aims to slash LGBTQ youth homelessness, shelter costs
July 25, 2019 / Philadelphia Gay News

These three young African immigrants are changing the game for girls in Liberia
June 27, 2019 / Generocity

Meet Princess Aghayere, One of the Seniors Who Won The President's Engagement Prize
April 29, 2019 / 34th Street Magazine

For Kennett Square’s mushroom farmworkers, healthy interventions come directly to the workplace
April 24, 2019 / Penn Today

Building literacy and leadership through basketball
April 19, 2019 / Penn Today

Safe haven
April 12, 2019 / Penn Today

Cocoa360 Is Doing Business In Africa For A Great Purpose
March 29, 2019 / Modern Ghana

Going plastic neutral
March 14, 2019 / Penn Today

2018

November 22, 2018
Living libraries: Nurse integration in interprofessional homeless health care team
Public Health Nursing

November 13, 2018
Shadrack Frimpong Named to Forbes "30 Under 30" Social Entrepreneurs
Forbes

October 18, 2018
‘Healthy Pequeños’ teaches young children about hygiene, germs, and food safety
Penn Today

September 7, 2018
Chicago Furniture Bank is up and running, serving the community
Penn Today

August 23, 2018
From village icon to global acclaim, this promising young Ghanaian leader keeps soaring while saving lives
Face2Face Africa

September 2, 2018
Three college grads — with a truck — want to send your old couch to the needy
The Chicago Tribune

April 23, 2018
Simple solutions help children in Mexican orphanage fight infectious disease
Penn Today

April 11, 2018
A ‘furniture bundle’ for those who need it most
Penn Today

2017

December 15, 2017
Launching Leaders in the Latino Community
Penn Nursing Science

December 2, 2017
How GenHERation and Global Companies Support Millennial Education
Forbes

November 17, 2017
These Penn graduates are working to provide health care for Philadelphia's homeless
The Daily Pennsylvanian

October 2, 2017
Building a Model of Sustainable Education in Senegal
Penn Current

September 28, 2017
Following Hurricane Irma, Penn Nursing Alum and PEP Prize Winner Volunteers with the Red Cross
Penn News

August 29, 2017
GenHERation Profile: On Patrol with Penn Police Chief Maureen Rush
GenHERation

May 4, 2017
Honoring the 2017 President's Engagement and Innovation Prize Winners
Penn Spotlights

April 21, 2017
Three Penn President’s Engagement Prize Winners to Create a Support Program for Latino High School Students
Penn News

April 18, 2017
Antoinette Zoumanigui and Selamawit Bekele of Penn to Educate Youth in Senegal
Penn News

April 12, 2017
Marcus Henderson and Ian McCurry of Penn to Connect Homeless With Health Care
Penn News

March 29, 2017
Empowering women to become leaders in business
Fox Business

March 28, 2017
President's Engagement and Innovation Prize Winners Announced at Penn
Penn News

February 24, 2017
Headed by Penn President’s Engagement Prize Winner, Ghanaian Girls’ School Opens
Penn News

April 12, 2017
Two seniors will start a school in Senegal with funds from President's Engagement Prize
The Daily Pennsylvanian

April 10, 2017
Nursing seniors plan to revolutionize the way homeless individuals receive health care
The Daily Pennsylvanian

2016

November 14, 2016
3 Lessons From CNBC’s Make Me a Millionaire Inventor
Philadelphia Magazine

November 10, 2016
Penn grads vie to become millionaire inventors on CNBC show
Philadelphia Business Journal

December 16, 2016
The Perfect Pitch: Linda Rutherford
Wharton Magazine

October 14, 2016
How one young entrepreneur will use a $75 invention to boost access to clean water
CNBC

August 9, 2016
Wharton grad introduces young women to the corporate world
Philadelphia Daily News

July 27, 2016
Using Mobile Technology to Help Farmers in India Boost Their Productivity
Penn Communications

July 12, 2016
GenHERation Aims to Empower Young Women and Girls
NBC DC

June 6, 2016
How GenHERation uses media and events to empower young women
Technical.ly DC

April 14, 2016
Penn’s Melanie Mariano to Turn Public Libraries Into Hubs of Health Information
Penn News

April 11, 2016
A presidential achievement
The Daily Pennsylvanian

April 7, 2016
Penn Senior Kriya Patel to Help Incarcerated Women Access Health Care
Penn News

April 5, 2016
Penn Senior Vaishak Kumar to Launch Agriculture Extension Project in India
Penn News

March 25, 2016
3 Penn students win President's Engagement Prize
The Philadelphia Inquirer

March 24, 2016
Two College Seniors Win 2016 President's Engagement Prize
Penn Arts & Sciences

March 23, 2016
Gutmann announces this year's President's Engagement Prize winners
The Daily Pennsylvanian

2015

October 16, 2015
ConvHERsations
The Huffington Post

July 20, 2015
#WhatsWorking: Mentoring Young Millennial Women
The Huffington Post

June 4, 2015
Water purification plan among President's Engagement Prize winners
The Daily Pennsylvanian

April 30, 2015
Penn senior Matt Lisle: Adapting to climate change through water security
Penn News

April 27, 2015
Something Really Big—and Good—in the World
The Penn Gazette

April 21, 2015
Penn senior Jodi Feinberg to launch cardiac patient in-home rehab program
Penn News

April 21, 2015
Leaving Ghana a student, coming back an activist
The Daily Pennsylvanian

April 21, 2015
The earnest engineer
The Daily Pennsylvanian

April 20, 2015
Penn senior Katlyn Grasso works to empower girls to become leaders
Penn News

April 15, 2015
Penn senior Adrian Lievano to tackle water security in Kenya
Penn News

April 7, 2015
Celebrating the inaugural President’s Engagement Prize recipients
Penn News

March 25, 2015
President Gutmann announces 2015 President’s Engagement Prize winners at Penn
Penn News

March 25, 2015
Penn grads win chance to change the world
The Philadelphia Inquirer

March 25, 2015
Gutmann announces inaugural President’s Engagement Prize winners
The Daily Pennsylvanian

2014

August 22, 2014
Apprizing the Penn ethos
The Pennsylvania Gazette

June 12, 2014
Penn grads: Want to change the world? Now, there’s a prize
The Philadelphia Inquirer

June 12, 2014
At Penn, great project ideas stand to net graduates $150,000
The Chronicle of Philanthropy

June 12, 2014
New Penn award aims to inspire students to change the world
WHYY Newsworks

June 9, 2014
President Gutmann announces President's Engagement Prizes
The Daily Pennsylvanian