Professional Biography
David Grossman teaches in the Higher Education division at Penn GSE as well as in the undergraduate Urban Studies program in the School of Arts and Sciences.
Dr. Grossman is the Founding Director of Penn’s Civic House and of the Civic Scholars Program. Since its founding in 1998, Civic House has grown as a center for student-led community service and social advocacy work at the University. Through education, community connections, and other resources, Civic House supports students in responsible and effective civic engagement and leadership and inspires them to serve as lifelong thoughtful citizens and advocates for social change.
The Penn Civic Scholars Program, developed in 2007, builds on Penn’s well-honored record of civic engagement and scholarship through providing a select group of undergraduates a four-year experience that includes civic engagement, enrollment in a select group of courses, and close faculty mentorship. In his role as director, Dr. Grossman is responsible for all aspects of the program, from providing broad vision and planning to teaching the program’s courses and advising individual students.
In addition to presenting at local and national conferences, Dr. Grossman has been an active member of a variety of campus-wide initiatives, including as a member of a University team that has been twice presented with the Presidential Award by the Corporation for National and Community Service. He also led the University’s successful application for Community Engagement Classification by the Carnegie Foundation. Outside of Penn, Dr. Grossman currently is a member of the Board of Trustees at Delaware County Community College.
