Wire report
How IEEE Awardee Karen Panetta Became Bewitched by Engineering
When considering the 1960s sitcoms Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie , both of which featured women with supernatural powers navigating life with mortals, most people wouldn’t connect them with pursuing an engineering career. But Karen Panetta did. The sitcoms’ main characters—Samantha Stevens, a witch; and Jeannie, a genie—were “strong, empowered female leads using magic,” Panetta says, and they inspired her to become an engineer, as it was like sorcery to her. Panetta, an IEEE Fellow, is dean of graduate education at the Tufts University engineering school, in Medford, Mass., outside of Boston. Karen Panetta Employer Tufts University, in Medford, Mass. Title Dean of the engineering school’s graduate education Member grade IEEE Fellow Alma maters Boston University and Northeastern University in Boston Like Samantha and Jeannie, Panetta has made magic happen, such as when she helped to in
coverage / Wire report
Get updates, read source context, send useful records, share the story, or support the reporting work from the reading page.
When considering the 1960s sitcoms Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie , both of which featured women with supernatural powers navigating life with mortals, most people wouldn’t connect them with pursuing an engineering career. But Karen Panetta did. The sitcoms’ main characters—Samantha Stevens, a witch; and Jeannie, a genie—were “strong, empowered female leads using magic,” Panetta says, and they inspired her to become an engineer, as it was like sorcery to her. Panetta, an IEEE Fellow, is dean of graduate education at the Tufts University engineering school, in Medford, Mass., outside of Boston. Karen Panetta Employer Tufts University, in Medford, Mass. Title Dean of the engineering school’s graduate education Member grade IEEE Fellow Alma maters Boston University and Northeastern University in Boston Like Samantha and Jeannie, Panetta has made magic happen, such as when she helped to in
Check the original link, updates, and responses when a detail is contested.
Open topic or search related wording such as records, sources, agencies, dates, and locations.
What happened
According to IEEE Spectrum’s linked item, How IEEE Awardee Karen Panetta Became Bewitched by Engineering, When considering the 1960s sitcoms Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie , both of which featured women with supernatural powers navigating life with mortals, most people wouldn’t connect them with pursuing an engineering career. But Karen Panetta did. The sitcoms’ main characters—Samantha Stevens, a witch; and Jeannie, a genie—were “strong, empowered female leads using magic,” Panetta says, and they inspired her to become an engineer, as it was like sorcery to her. Panetta, an IEEE Fellow, is dean of graduate education at the Tufts University engineering school, in Medford, Mass., outside of Boston. Karen Panetta Employer Tufts University, in Medford, Mass. Title Dean of the engineering school’s graduate education Member grade IEEE Fellow Alma maters Boston University and Northeastern University in Boston Like Samantha and Jeannie, Panetta has made magic happen, such as when she helped to in
Context
The development sits in VINI’s Technology coverage for readers following technology, science, product policy, markets, infrastructure, and the public consequences of innovation. The original report is linked so readers can check the source account, follow later updates, and compare new coverage against the first published record. The linked item is dated 2026-06-24T18:00:01+00:00.
What to watch
Open questions include whether primary sources issue follow-up statements, whether local or market impacts become clearer, and whether additional reporting changes the timeline or adds material context.
Source
Primary source: How IEEE Awardee Karen Panetta Became Bewitched by Engineering via IEEE Spectrum. VINI cites and links the source; it does not reproduce the publisher’s full article text without rights clearance.
Keep following
This file can keep developing
vininews.com uses reader tips, public records, right-of-reply requests, corrections, and follow-up reporting to keep important stories current.
Support and subscriptions never buy coverage, placement, suppression, or corrections.
This VINI report keeps the original publisher link available and does not republish third-party article bodies without rights clearance. 1 reference listed.
Source links
- How IEEE Awardee Karen Panetta Became Bewitched by EngineeringIEEE Spectrum - 2026-06-24T18:00:01+00:00
Reader comments
Moderated discussion
Comments are open to authenticated approved accounts, screened for spam and abuse, and published only after newsroom moderation unless editors change the story control.
No approved comments yet.
Substantive, civil comments can be submitted by approved account holders.