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Rameen Iftikhar, who completed a master’s degree in international education development in January, will pursue a Ph.D. in education at University of Cambridge.

Penn GSE alumni from across the academic spectrum have advised politicians, worked in the White House and the statehouse, and spurred change in our nation’s schools and universities thanks to their evidence-backed expertise in education policy.

These seven graduates have made outstanding contributions to the field of education and Penn GSE, and represent the breadth and depth of the School’s impact.

The recent graduate of Penn GSE’s Urban Teaching Residency shares her classroom at Muñoz-Marin Elementary in North Philadelphia.

The adjunct assistant professor has been an Olympic-level athlete, a national championship coach, and a university athletics administrator. Now, she teaches higher education leaders what they need to know to successfully navigate their institutions through the serious challenges facing college athletics today.

Jeanne Smith puts into practice what she learned in her Penn GSE master's program teaching reading to incarcerated people for the Vermont Department of Corrections.

The subscription-based service is available to families and school counselors and is currently used in several Philadelphia-area schools, a national network of 25 charter schools, and even a school in Qatar.

A look at Penn GSE’s first-of-its-kind master’s program in education entrepreneurship in honor of its recent milestone birthday.

The Practical English for Daily Living (PEDAL) program at Penn GSE provides an opportunity for TESOL students to practice their teaching with language learners across the University and around the world.

He says the program helped refine his leadership practices, and his cohorts were supportive and collaborative.

Dr. Lilian Ajayi Ore has worked with the UN, established a foundation advocating for youth and women’s rights, and now works as a research scholar. She says Penn CLO’s practitioner–scholar approach has had a profound impact on her work.

The researcher and entrepreneur, who was formerly the CIO for for NASA's Johnson Space Center, gives a tour of her office including her launch photos and neurotech device.

As teachers and researchers, Penn GSE alumni are at the forefront of the movement to educate savvy news readers who can parse fact from partisan fiction.

Julee Gard — Vice President for Administration & Finance at the University of St. Francis in Illinois — has gained attention for her model’s ability to provide institutional leaders with actionable insights to enhance financial stability.

The published poet and researcher has a new collection, "HAMPI," out now.

The podcast was recently renewed for a second season after a successful pilot run, and producers are planning an even more engaging and interactive experience for listeners.

Fabiola Lara’s business, tlali•pani, emphasizes providing education to the artisans that they partner with.

Dan Lazar says he constructed the idea of what kind of leader he would be during his time in the educational leadership program at Penn GSE.

Rina Madhani and Sibylla Shekerdjiska-Benatova have each founded literacy nonprofits that put books into the hands of children who need them.

Cortes transforms her office into a dynamic cultural hub, where academic insights and personal touches spark conversations and foster a sense of belonging among students.

Penn GSE’s community reshapes stories for young readers with diverse voices.

Penn GSE’s annual Alumni Weekend event featured a faculty panel discussion on “The Price of Education” and celebrated the winners of the Education Alumni Awards.

A. Brooks Bowden, now a tenured associate professor at Penn GSE, transforms her early passion for psychology into influential educational policy research, driving change and shaping futures from the very institution that once inspired her own.

These seven Penn GSE alumni will be recognized May 18 during the Celebration of Educators, alongside teacher honorees and other annual award recipients.

Gard developed the Financial Viability Index, a color-coded tool designed to help small, tuition-dependent colleges analyze their financial health efficiently and take actionable steps to avoid closure.

Penn GSE alumni are addressing the challenge of climate change across film, finance, communications, education, and more.

Nimet Eren, a Penn GSE graduate and principal of Kensington Health Sciences Academy, blends innovative education with a community focus.

In addition to a chaired professorship in her name and a fellowship she helped establish, Clayton leaves behind a legacy of quality education for students from all backgrounds.

Mark Ziegler-Thayer started out as a part-time kindergarten teacher’s assistant. The experience changed their life. Two master’s degrees later, they are now working to effect change at the national level in a prestigious, two-year Presidential Management Fellows program, where they hope to increase access to high-quality and equitable education for all students.

The annual Alumni Weekend event included a panel discussion, an awards ceremony, and recognition of teachers who have served in classrooms for more than five years.

The 2023 winners, teacher honorees and other annual award recipients will be recognized May 13 during the Celebration of Educators, alongside a panel discussion with Dean Pam Grossman.

The mid-career alum founded Delaware College Scholars, a free college prep program to support under-resourced high school and college students. The organization has a 100 percent high school graduation rate across all the state’s 19 districts.

Show your school pride with T-shirts, sweatshirts, phone cases, and other Penn GSE merchandise. 

Professors Sigal Ben-Porath and Andrea M. Kane discussed current challenges to free speech in K–12 and higher education with Dean Pam Grossman in front of alumni and friends. The challenges aren’t new, but they’re being amplified by increased polarization in our society.

Raghu Krishnamoorthy, Ed.D., was named director of the Graduate School of Education’s Penn Chief Learning Officer (CLO) doctoral program in June 2022. He graduated the month before from the same CLO training program.

Two Penn GSE students share their enriching experiences as interns in Johannesburg, South Africa.

La India Santos runs a social media profile called Flying Phirst Klass, which encourages young people to travel to less popular destinations and connect with local cultures.

Pushups. Pullups. Sprints. Rows. Thirty students and alumni went to America’s preeminent military academy to catch up with their classmates. Along the way, they tried to catch their breath.

The Spring 2022 issue of The Penn GSE Magazine spotlights leadership from preK–12 through the workforce, master’s students expanding opportunities for learners, Penn GSE’s building expansion, and more. 

Responding to the emerging needs of educators and leaders, Penn GSE’s Center for Professional Learning cultivates learning and connections that endure.

New faculty member and former superintendent Dr. Andrea Kane shares her expertise in instructional leadership, access and equity, and more, as she brings her perspective from twenty-five years in public schools to Penn GSE.