Energy and Sustainability Engineering
The MESE program is built on a foundation of personal connection, collaboration, and mentorship. Faculty are drawn from departments across Penn, including Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Materials Science and Engineering, Electrical and Systems Engineering, Earth and Environmental Science, Chemistry, Physics, the Weitzman School of Design, and the Wharton School.
Structured social events and mentorship opportunities enable students to build an interdisciplinary network of faculty, peers, alumni, and professionals across the energy and sustainability space. Workshops, ample advising opportunities, and dedicated staff ensure that students have the support they need to make the most of their time at Penn.
Lorena S. Grundy is a Practice Assistant Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. She earned her BSE from Princeton University in 2017 and PhD from the University of California, Berkeley in 2022, both in Chemical Engineering. Her PhD research investigated ion transport and morphology in polymer electrolytes for lithium metal batteries. After graduate school, she transitioned to engineering education research with a postdoc at Tufts University supported by the American Society for Engineering Education. At Penn, she is developing curriculum and programming in energy and sustainability for undergraduate and graduate students, combining her interests in sustainable energy technologies and engineering education.
Broadly, Professor Grundy is interested in expanding and improving undergraduate and graduate education in energy and sustainability, particularly through the implementation of active learning pedagogies. To that end, she has pursued research in student epistemologies, particularly their ideas and values about knowledge, and in instructor decision-making around pedagogical innovation. She plans to continue to explore how to teach energy and sustainability topics in an engaging and effective way and to help others do the same.
Dasha received her BA in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience from the University of Michigan in 2019 and MSEd in Higher Education at the University of Pennsylvania in 2022. Dasha’s experience includes experiential learning, professional development, and employer relations. She also serves as the Director of Education for Interdisciplinary Training in Data Driven Soft Materials Research and Science Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, Dasha led the Center for Student Professional Development in Temple’s College of Science and Technology and worked as a Career Development Specialist in Penn’s Graduate School of Education. Dasha is a member of the Strategic Advisory Board for the University of Michigan’s Center for Positive Organizations in the Ross School of Business.
The MESE council is an elected group of student leaders chosen to represent the program’s diverse student constituencies. They are charged with mentoring junior students, coordinating social, networking, and professional events, and collecting feedback and advocating for changes to ensure that the program effectively serves student needs.
Elan Youngstrom
Bachelor of Science in Environment and Sustainability Sciences – Cornell University, 2024 MESE degree expected 2028
Alexander M. Vitovitch (working professional representative)
Sr. Energy Engineer & Certified Energy Manager (CEM) – Evolution Sustainability Group, 2023-Present B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Concentration in Design – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Class of 2015 MESE degree expected 2028
Shuwan Xu
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science & Geography & GIS – University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2025 MESE degree expected 2028
Makenna Damhorst (accelerated master’s representative)
Bachelor of Arts in Earth and Environmental Science – University of Pennsylvania, expected 2028 MESE degree expected 2028
Kaiden Carey (accelerated master’s representative)
Bachelor of Science in Economics, Concentration in Business, Energy, Environment, and Sustainability – University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, expected 2027 MESE degree expected 2027
Vagelos Institute for Energy Science and Technology
Kleinman Center for Energy Policy
Environmental Innovations Initiative
Environmental Building Design
Water Center
Plant Adaptability and Resilience Center
Climate Action and Resilience for Extreme Urban Heat (CLIMATE-CARE)
Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media
Wharton Climate Center
Wharton Impact, Value, and Sustainable Business Initiative
