These eight graduates have made outstanding contributions to the field of education and Penn GSE, representing the breadth and depth of the School’s impact.
We gathered four Penn GSE alumni, now serving as college presidents, to discuss the current state of higher education, the evolving demands of academic leadership, and how the presidency is a calling, not just a career.
A group of Penn GSE alumni recently launched the China EdTech Leadership Network to connect alumni educators, entrepreneurs, and innovators across borders.
On CBS News Philadelphia, alumna Sibylla Shekerdjiska-Benatova and her nonprofit, A Book a Day, were featured for their work helping West Philadelphia children better understand their world through access to books and literacy programming.
The editorial director at Scholastic, Inc. gives us a tour of her Nashville home office and explains how her time as a classroom teacher influenced the two imprints for young readers that she started.
Penn GSE is leading this new era of technological innovation by launching new degree programs, hiring expert faculty, collaborating with school districts on professional development, and conducting vanguard AI-focused research.
Current student Celine Xu and recent alum Jade Peterson brought their startups to the showcase at the Pennovation Center, representing Penn GSE and reflecting how educators are shaping the future of learning through technology, creativity, and community.
Principal Julia Snyder, GED’10, discusses the gains of today and the plans for tomorrow at the Henry C. Lea School in West Philadelphia, one of Penn GSE’s partner schools.
The alum of the Mid-Career Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership founded a social impact firm advancing youth voice and agency in philanthropic practice.
After participating in Penn GSE's Experiences in Applied Computational Thinking (EXACT) professional development program, Nick Pesola transformed his school’s curriculum by launching a computer science program and leading efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into classrooms.
The alum and digital literacy specialist at Philly's Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy gives us a tour of the multidisciplinary makerspace where he works, using its technology and tools to involve students in hands-on learning.
The alum of Penn GSE's Executive Doctorate in Higher Education Management who grew up in a small village of cocoa farmers in Ghana recently built a road to connect children in his village to their education.
A proud graduate of Penn GSE’s Executive Doctorate in Higher Education Management, Hall comes to the School from Penn’s Division of University Life, where she served as assistant vice provost for strategic planning and operations.
They may work outside of traditional school settings, but for the Penn GSE alumni who work in educational media—from public television to podcasts—they are teaching, nonetheless.
Nathan Krebs, a senior producer for PBS Michiana-WNIT, has tackled subjects that include the science of bubbles with a local “bubble-ologist,” a cemetery-preservation workshop, and no-till farming in his program, Education Counts.
The list of 17 Fulbright recipients from Penn so far this year includes two Urban Teaching Apprenticeship alums from the Class of '22: Emily R. Antrilli and Emma Steinheimer.
As he steps up his role from executive director to assistant dean for teacher preparation and undergraduate education, Sexton is using what he learned completing his executive doctorate over the last two years to “lean into strategic thinking.”
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 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.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
