Celebrating Educators 2022 Highlights Educational Access

Deputy Dean and Board of Advisors’ Chair of Education Matt Hartley (center) with some of the honorees (from left) Aizhan Kul-Mukhammed, Ufuoma C. Abiola, Melissa Calvert, and Robert  Asante.

On a day filled with celebration and meaningful conversation, Penn GSE honored six alumni and highlighted the importance of college access during Penn’s Alumni Weekend at the Penn GSE’s annual Celebration of Educators on May 14, 2022.

The program’s panel, Voices in Education: Addressing College Access, included discussions about how to build and support diverse and inclusive institutions, how to increase access to higher education, and how to meet the evolving needs of educators and learners. The discussion featured Sarita Brown, cofounder and president of the national nonprofit Excelencia in Education—which is dedicated to accelerating Latino student success—and two Penn GSE associate professors in higher education, Rachel Baker and Amalia Daché. Deputy Dean and Board of Advisors’ Chair of Education Matt Hartley moderated the panel.

The discussion was followed by the Education Alumni Awards, which annually recognize the extraordinary impact made by members of Penn GSE’s global community.

2022 EDUCATION ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS 

Penn GSE Educator of the Year Award
Ufuoma C. Abiola, GED’12, GRD’17

Helen C. Bailey Award
Cecilia Orphan, GR’15

William B. Castetter Alumni Award of Merit
Melissa Calvert, GED’00

Ethel and Allen “Buddy” Carruth Sustained Leadership in Education Award
Kristin Clark, GRD’12

The Penn GSE Recent Alumni/Early Career Award of Merit
Aizhan Kul-Mukhammed, GED’19

The Kwame Nkrumah Distinguished Alumni Award
Robert Asante, GRD’19

This article appeared in the Fall 2022 issue of The Penn GSE Magazine.