Research and Teaching Opportunities

Engineering Ambassadors

The Penn State Engineering Ambassadors is an outreach program providing opportunities for outstanding Penn State engineers to gain meaningful communication experiences both on and off campus. Ambassadors travel to high schools all over Pennsylvania to give short presentations on engineering topics to encourage the interest of these students in science and engineering careers. Ambassadors have many leadership opportunities and often give presentations and tours to prospective students and families, alumni, and industry representatives.

To be eligible to participate, students must first enroll in a special section of Effective Speech, CAS 100A for Engineers (look for sections that are controlled for only engineering students). Students who perform well in this course will have the opportunity to apply to become an ambassador.

Undergraduate Teaching and Research Experiences

Undergraduate Teaching and Research Experiences in Engineering (UTREE) is an organization dedicated to providing undergraduate students with teaching and research experiences in preparation for graduate school. UTREE students are undergraduates who have excelled in their technical and communication classes. UTREE students regularly go into undergraduate classrooms and teach classes on special topics such as making presentations and working in teams. UTREE students also run college-wide meetings on how to obtain and prepare for undergraduate research experiences.

The Leonhard Center Learning Assistants Program

The Leonhard Center's Learning Assistants Program provides undergraduate students, typically in their fourth year and beyond, with valuable teaching experience. If selected by the department, students will be matched with a faculty mentor and assigned to work with them in the classroom. The workload is about 10 hours per week, and students will receive a stipend. The goals of this program are to improve communication skills, develop interest and firsthand experience in teaching, and gain a better understanding of basic concepts through teaching.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates

There are several opportunities for undergraduate students to gain research experience outside of the University as well. The National Science Foundation keeps a database of Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) on its website.

ME Scholars Programs

The goal of these programs is to give undergraduate students the opportunity to conduct a long-term research project. The Shuman Scholars program is for mechanical engineers and was initiated with a gift from Clyde W. Shuman Jr., a 1968 mechanical engineering graduate. Top second-year students are invited to apply to this program, which provides funding for students to complete research during their third and fourth years.