Penn GSE Celebrates Centennial Year in Four Cities

November 20, 2014 — Following a lively on-campus kickoff in September, Penn GSE’s Centennial celebration went on the road to four cities this fall, bringing together alumni, friends, faculty, and prospective students in Boston, Miami, Chicago, and San Francisco.

In honor of the School’s first 100 years, the event programming and festive banners highlighted the themes of GSE’s Centennial year: 100 Years of Leading in Education, Innovative Ideas, Passionate People, and Making a Difference.

In keeping with these themes, presentations by GSE faculty illustrated GSE’s leadership and innovative ideas. At the gathering in Chicago, Dr. Rand Quinn of GSE’s Teaching, Learning, and Leadership Division shared his research on civic engagement of students, urban school reform, and the impact of community-based institutions, organizations, and action in education. In San Francisco, Dr. Martin Ihrig, associate professor at GSE and adjunct professor at the Wharton School, spoke about GSE's new M.S.Ed. in Education Entrepreneurship program, which he co-designed.

Also in keeping with the Centennial themes, the events provided an opportunity for over two hundred passionate alumni of GSE and Penn to make a difference by sharing their insights and advice with the prospective GSE students who attended.

Passionate leaders and alumni of GSE played key roles in the events. In Miami, GSE Board of Overseers member Allison Weiss Brady, C'93, gave a special welcome, as did former GSE Board of Overseers member Nancy Rothstein, CW’75, in Chicago. In addition, several alumni and friends of GSE generously hosted the events: Scott Nichols, GRD’77, in Boston; Michelle Goldman Eisenberg, C’87, GED’88, in Miami; Susan Keiffer-Barone, C’84, GED’84, in Chicago, and Libby Tyree-Taylor, GED’73, and her daughter Alexandra Taylor Belonick, C’04, in San Francisco. GSE thanks all of the speakers and hosts for helping to make the events a success.

You can catch a glimpse of the Centennial excitement through photos of the Chicago, San Francisco, and Miami events, and find more opportunities to connect with GSE by checking our Centennial events calendar throughout the 2014-2015 year.

Photo credits: Chicago photos by Tanya Velazquez Photography, San Francisco photos by Eli Zaturanski Photography, Miami photos by Allison Weiss Brady, C'93.