Caroline Angerer
Caroline is a master’s student in Materials Science and Engineering with a passion for energy capture and storage systems and sustainability. In 2023, she graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry with a Bioscience concentration and a minor in Physics from the University of Pittsburgh. With a background in academic and industrial research, she has a deep appreciation for the technical nuances of product design and production. Looking forward, Caroline hopes to be part of a fast-paced, mission-oriented team that devises innovative technologies to assist in the transition to electrification. In her free time, she enjoys running, skiing and playing Scrabble.
David Bakalov
Originally from Los Angeles, David is now pursuing a master’s in Bioengineering. He is specifically interested in medical devices and their application to treating neurological disorders and elucidating mechanisms of human cognition. He has extensive experience in human clinical trial research, neural data analysis and machine learning. After his master’s, David plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. program to follow his passion for clinical research and to gain the expertise needed to be a leader in the neurotechnology industry. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, attending standup shows and screenwriting.
Franco Canova
Originally from Argentina, Franco holds a bachelor’s degree in Business and Systems from ITBA; he came to the U.S. as a first-year M.S.E. student in Data Science. He has actively participated in various volunteer initiatives with nonprofit organizations, taking on diverse roles such as fundraising for a student organization (SABF), teaching coding to students in Thailand, and assisting in the growth of low-income businesses in Argentina. He honed his technical skills as a backend developer at an Edtech startup, where his interest in entrepreneurship grew. Beyond coding, Franco enjoys discussing new business ideas, going to the gym and traveling the world.
Ashley Cousin
Ashley is a senior from Florida, pursuing bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with a concentration in pharmaceutics and biotechnology concentration, and a minor in statistics. She has benefitted from a variety of experiences, including genetic engineering in an academic research setting, corporate R&D (RFID and environmental sensing products) where she was part of a team that filed 3 invention disclosures, and statistical data analysis. On campus, Ashley is co-president of the Engineering Honors Society, a research peer advisor and an engineering economics teaching assistant. In her free time, Ashley enjoys playing tennis, golf and spending time with friends.
Caleb Gupta
Caleb is pursuing both undergraduate degree in Computer Science and master’s degree in Robotics, researching artificial intelligence and studying its applications in various fields. He is at Penn following nearly a year at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab working on simulation for the Perseverance Mars Rover. Previously, he published NLP work through U.C. Berkeley SPAR and interned at ML startups/analytics firms. When not in the lab or meeting new people, you’ll likely find Caleb writing music with his band of 11 years or learning about his Indian and Jewish cultures.
Ondrej Gonzor
Ondrej is a junior in Computer Science. He is originally from Prague, Czech Republic. His love for languages took him to Buenos Aires for a semester. His passion for puzzles led him to programming when he was 11, and since then, he and his friends have embarked on various ventures, from developing a platform against bullying to providing a tool for constructive feedback in schools. Their current venture, Ensayador, has been used by more than 50,000 users so far. When not working, you can find Ondrej hiking, exploring our beautiful planet or cultivating his mango trees.
Ahmad Hammo
Ahmad is a junior international student from Amman, Jordan, majoring in Bioengineering, with minors in Chemistry and Engineering Entrepreneurship. At Penn, he is involved in clinical and wet lab research groups aiming to alleviate chronic pain. His academic pursuits are complemented by a keen interest in brain-computer interfaces, reflecting a passion for neurosurgery and understanding the brain. He aspires to a future in the medical field. In his free time, you will find him playing sports, listening to techno or volunteering at various NGOs within the Arabic community.
Vani Kanoria
Vani is a master’s student studying Data Science, with a focus on natural language processing and artificial intelligence. Born in India, she studied Applied Mathematics and Economics at Colgate and worked as a Product Data Analyst at a software unicorn before starting her master’s degree. She is passionate about innovation, and the harnessing of emerging technologies to create true economic value. Looking forward, she hopes to build impactful products that apply data science methods with transparency and explainability. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, playing badminton and reading both fiction and non-fiction.
Emily Oh
Emily is a senior from Demarest, NJ, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics with a minor in Art History, concurrently with an accelerated master’s in Systems Engineering. Her journey showcases practical application, from founding the Raspberry Pi club in middle school to modeling efficiencies for a defense contractor. Thriving in dynamic, collaborative spaces, Emily excels in strategic problem solving and crafting innovative solutions across disciplines. Beyond academics, Emily is captain of the Haverford College women’s tennis team. In her free time, she loves to bake, travel and solve jigsaw puzzles.
Xuanhao (Shawn) Ong
Shawn is a master’s student studying Robotics. He is from Singapore, where he worked as a defense technology project manager, driving the digitalization of UAV systems and transition of commercial research for potential defense use. He is also a reservist Chief Operations Officer in the Army, where he leads the overall planning and execution of operations and training for his tank battalion. Having deployed and utilized advanced technologies in safety-critical settings, Shawn is passionate about autonomous systems and also advocates that adequate measures be implemented to employ them safely and securely, through technology and policies. Shawn enjoys spending quality time with his family on road trips, snowboarding, movies and board games.
Lindsay Park
Lindsay is a junior from the suburbs of Philadelphia, studying Systems Science and Engineering. Her favorite courses are World History and Human Systems Engineering, which reflect her passion for merging global affairs with technology to improve engineering accessibility for underrepresented groups. On campus, she leads Penn’s Chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and is currently developing policy-oriented solutions addressing STEM education inequity for young girls through her work with the Perry World House. In her free time, Lindsay enjoys camping in the great outdoors, knitting scarves for loved ones and passionately cheering for Philly sports teams alongside her family (go, Eagles!).
Sofia Segalla
Sofia is a junior from Miami Beach, Florida studying Computer Science. Having been a member of Team USA in sailing prior to college and now an All-Conference skipper on the Penn sailing team, she has a strong passion for all forms of racing. Her recent work involved exploring weather modeling research and AI-driven race strategy for McLaren’s IndyCar and Formula 1 teams — a perfect intersection of her love for racing and engineering. Sofia’s main interest lies in artificial intelligence, specifically its potential for strategic improvement and ethical implementation. In her free time, she enjoys soccer, photography, motorsport and board games.