To those outside academic research, the investigative process can seem opaque. So, for undergraduate students deciding the direction of their studies, understanding what goes on behind the closed doors of a research lab can be an eye-opening—and life-changing—experience.
Beyond the Research at Penn Engineering
Students connect to research and community through the Rachleff Scholars Program
Spring 2024
When Chaitanya (Chad) Karimanasseri, ENG’24, applied to Penn, he had no idea that he would be pursuing bioengineering. “Actually, I applied and was accepted into the School of Arts and Sciences,” he admits with a smile. Not that he had any doubts about his future plans. “I’ve always wanted to be a physician-scientist,” he clarifies, “but I realized that I really enjoy applied sciences.”
With characteristic decisiveness, Chad redirected his studies to bioengineering and transferred to Penn Engineering. Simultaneously, he sought out the Rachleff Scholars Program, established in 2007 through a gift from Andy Rachleff, W’80, PAR’14, and Debbie Rachleff, PAR’14.
The 2023 cohort of Rachleff Scholars.
Well into its second decade and counting 200 veteran members, the program continues to offer students summer research experience, structured honors coursework, and a community of scholarly peers.
That community of peers includes Hana Matsuda, ENG’25, who credits the program with her budding interest in science communication. For Hana, the ability to dive deeply into research, then present it through symposiums and seminars, has shifted her desire from doing benchwork to communicating science’s results and potential impacts. “It’s challenging, and I’ve realized it’s one of my favorite parts of the process,” she notes.
Beyond their research pursuits, the relationships that both Chad and Hana have formed with their peers have made a lasting impression. While their interests have grown and changed, as Chad puts it, “The Rachleff Program was the first time I met 20 people who were all in engineering and wanted to do research. Some of my closest friends have come from that cohort, so I’m really grateful.”
