Professional Biography
For 34 years, Myrna Cohen provided the leadership, management, and supervision of Penn’s services and programs for instruction in postsecondary academic literacy, including academic reading, writing and study strategies. From 2004-2019, she held the position of inaugural Executive Director of Penn’s Weingarten Learning Resources Center where she also worked closely with both undergraduate and graduate students who seek to improve their academic skills. Until January 2019, Dr. Cohen oversaw the University’s services and programs for students with disabilities. In addition, she served as Director of Learning Resources for Penn’s College of Arts and Sciences and a member of their Senior Staff, partnering with the advising staff and faculty to develop innovative programs for excellence in teaching and learning. Throughout her career, Dr. Cohen has been committed to teaching and mentoring graduate students who are interested in postsecondary academic literacy and teaching in higher education.
Dr. Cohen began her career in education as a junior high school English teacher, followed by several years as a reading specialist at the elementary school level, working with students, classroom teachers, and parents. At Rutgers University in Camden, NJ, she taught education courses and supervised student teachers.
Dr. Cohen’s areas of interest and focus include academic resilience, first-generation college students, discipline-specific academic literacies, and the development and management of postsecondary academic support. She is a founding member of the Resilience Consortium, an association of faculty, professionals, and students in higher education interested in understanding and promoting student resilience. She hosted the first international Symposium on Academic Resilience in Higher Education at the University of Pennsylvania in November 2018 which attracted over 200 participants. Dr. Cohen has presented her research and shared her practice at conferences, including AERA, AAC&U, and NASPA.
