In this episode of Penn Engineering’s Innovation & Impact podcast, host Vanessa Chan, Vice Dean of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Jonathan and Linda Brassington Practice Professor in Materials Science and Engineering, sits down with three faculty members who were recently named Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), one of the highest distinctions for academic inventors whose work has made a measurable impact on society.

Chan is joined by Boon Thau Loo, RCA Professor in Computer and Information Science and Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Global Initiatives, André DeHon, Boileau Professor of Electrical Engineering in Electrical and Systems Engineering, and Haim Bau, the Richard H. and S.L. Gabel Professor of Mechanical Engineering in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics. Together, they share the stories behind the inventions that have shaped their fields, from cloud infrastructure and AI hardware to point-of-care diagnostics, and discuss the mindset that drives transformative innovation.

Beyond the technologies themselves, the conversation explores the habits and perspectives that shape great inventors. The guests discuss questioning the status quo, embracing interdisciplinary thinking and learning from failure, lessons that echo Benjamin Franklin’s spirit of invention at the founding of the University of Pennsylvania.

From childhood curiosity and unconventional research paths to the realities of turning ideas into real-world impact, this episode offers an inside look at how Penn Engineering innovators translate research into technologies that improve lives around the world.

Listen to Episode 10 of Penn Engineering’s Innovation & Impact podcast to hear how these NAI Fellows approach invention and what their experiences can teach the next generation of engineers and entrepreneurs.

Subscribe to Penn Engineering’s Innovation & Impact podcast on Apple Music, Spotify or your favorite listening platforms, or find all the episodes on our Penn Engineering YouTube channel.

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In the latest episode of Penn Engineering’s Innovation & Impact podcast, Vijay Kumar, Nemirovsky Family Dean of Penn Engineering and Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, sits down with Tsu-Jae Liu, President of the National Academy of Engineering and a pioneering force in semiconductor technology. From co-developing the FinFET transistor that powers today’s most advanced chips and smartphones to leading one of the nation’s most influential engineering bodies, Liu brings a rare perspective shaped by decades in academia, industry and innovation leadership.

This wide-ranging conversation explores the critical challenges and extraordinary opportunities facing engineering today. As the United States navigates a rapidly evolving technological landscape shaped by AI, microelectronics and a renewed global space race, Liu outlines her vision for strengthening the nation’s engineering talent pipeline and safeguarding long-term prosperity and national security. In the near term, she emphasizes closing the growing engineering talent gap; in the long term, she underscores the essential role engineers play in ensuring a secure, prosperous and peaceful future.

The discussion also examines engineering’s responsibility to serve the public good. Liu reflects on how institutions can cultivate “inclusive excellence,” broadening participation in engineering while upholding rigorous standards, and why empathy, adaptability and communication are as vital to future engineers as technical mastery. In this episode, Liu reminds listeners that engineers are, by nature, problem solvers equipped to shape a better world.

Subscribe to Penn Engineering’s Innovation & Impact podcast on Apple Music, Spotify or your favorite listening platforms, or find all the episodes on the Penn Engineering YouTube channel.

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In the eighth episode of Penn Engineering’s Innovation & Impact podcast, host Vijay Kumar, Nemirovsky Family Dean of Penn Engineering and Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM), sits down with one of the most influential figures in modern engineering, Kurt Petersen, widely recognized as the father of MEMS (microelectromechanical systems). From pioneering research at IBM to founding six startups and mentoring countless others, Petersen has not only helped define the MEMS field, but continues to shape its future.

Fresh off receiving the 2025 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Electrical Engineering, Petersen shares the serendipitous moment that sparked his interest in MEMS: an ink-stained hallway and a leaky lab experiment. That curiosity led to a groundbreaking 1982 paper, “Silicon as a Mechanical Material,” which catalyzed an entire industry. Today, MEMS is everywhere — embedded in smartphones, drones, medical diagnostics and more. Yet, as Petersen makes clear, the field is far from saturated.

Listen to the full episode to gain insights into the evolution of MEMS, from the slow-burn research culture of early IBM and Bell Labs to today’s agile, impact-driven academic startups. Petersen and Kumar highlight the importance of bridging academia with industry and mentoring founders who can navigate both science and commercialization. Petersen’s reflections on timing, teamwork and translational research are a masterclass for anyone navigating the complex intersection of engineering and entrepreneurship.

Subscribe to Penn Engineering’s Innovation & Impact podcast on Apple Music, Spotify or your favorite listening platforms, or find all the episodes on our Penn Engineering YouTube channel.

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