Student Involvement

Wharton's technology works for students because it is developed in conjunction with students. New versions of Wharton's SPIKE student intranet and the MBA Course Auction are built based on feedback from current students.

In addition, Wharton's student-run clubs and conferences let students engage with industry leaders and learn first-hand about emerging technology trends.

Student Technology Conferences, Clubs, and Organizations

Beyond the classroom, Wharton students get involved in the business of technology – and the technology of business – through clubs, student-organized conferences, and other Wharton and Penn resources.

For MBA students, the Technology Club is a focal point for sharing professional interests and exploring career opportunities. The annual Wharton Technology Conference, organized and run by Wharton MBA students, brings more than 50 senior executives and technology leaders to campus each year to discuss emerging trends and business models. Recent speakers at the Wharton Technology Conference have included:

  • Robert Carter, Executive Vice President and CIO, FedEx
  • Tom Malloy, Chief Software Architect, Adobe Systems
  • Dr. Bernard S. Meyerson, IBM Fellow, VP Strategic Alliances and Chief Technology Officer, Systems and Technology Group, IBM

Wharton's speaker series, such as the Leadership Lecture Series, frequently bring information technology business leaders to campus for presentations to students, interactive question and answer sessions, and intimate dinner conversation. Past technology leaders visiting Wharton students have included:

For undergraduates interested in business and technology, the Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology – a joint degree program offered by Wharton and Penn Engineering – hosts related events and activities.

The University of Pennsylvania's Weiss Tech House encourages and supports students who share an interest in the creation, development, and commercialization of innovative technologies.

Student IT Representatives

Wharton's student organizations, the Wharton Graduate Association (WGA) for MBA students and Wharton Council for undergraduates, work closely with Wharton Computing and other School administrators to continuously evolve Wharton's computing environment. The WGA has two executive directors dedicated to working with the School to enhance information technology at Wharton. Recent initiatives have included helping to shape the next generation of Wharton's SPIKE student intranet and enhancing the MBA Course Auction, including integrating the student-developed "insider's guide" to Wharton's elective classes into the Auction.

Wharton Computing Student Advisory Board

In addition to representatives from the WGA and the Wharton Council, a student advisory board helps Wharton Computing staff keep in touch with the expectations of our globally engaged and technologically savvy student community.




Student Involvement

"When I was in Silicon Valley, a lot of my friends started their own companies. For every success, there were ten failures. I attribute a lot of that to a lack of formal education and the right network of people. I thought that business school would teach me how to start my own company and develop the network I need. The clincher for me about Wharton was the extracurricular activities and the amount of student involvement."

Balaji Krish, WG'07