It’s accolades season for Penn GSE students, faculty, and staff
As the school year comes to a close, the School is celebrating a wide array of awards and honors. From distinguished research opportunities to commencement awards, members of the Penn GSE community are being recognized for the important work they do. Here are some highlights (in no particular order):
Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher, Associate Director of the International Educational Development Program, has been elected to the Board of Directors for the Comparative and International Educational Society, a society with over 2,500 members around the world.
Professor Howard Stevenson is the recipient of the GSE Excellence in Teaching Award. Stevenson is the Constance Clayton Professor of Urban Education and executive director of the Racial Empowerment Collaborative. His students have noted his genuine and supportive approach, his balanced perspective, and his devotion to matters of racial literacy and racial empowerment.
Student Ufuoma C. Abiola is receiving the Penn GSE Award for Excellence in Promoting Diversity and Inclusion. In 2012, Abiola founded We Support Diversity of Mind (WSDM), and has since served as its president. She also serves on the Penn GSE Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board. In addition to the Penn GSE award, Abiola is receiving the President's and Provost's Citation for Exceptional Commitment to Graduate and Professional Student Life.
Abdul-Qadir Islam is being presented with the William E. Arnold Award for Outstanding Contributions by a Student. Islam is president of the GSE Student Government, and his nomination cited his kind and knowledgeable leadership in this role.
Two students, Nathan Castillo and Yunning Wang, have been selected by the University to receive the Dr. Andy Binns Impact Award for Outstanding Service to Graduate and Professional Student Life.
Staffer Jason Cronk is receiving the Outstanding Service to Students Award. Cronk is Associate Director of Admissions and Financial Aid. In this role, he assists students in understanding how the admissions process works and how to navigate financial aid options.
Vikas Joshi is the recipient of the AERA SIG Workplace Dissertation Award 2017 for his dissertation The Coevolution of Technology Firms and Founders. Joshi received his Doctorate of Education from the Penn CLO Executive Doctoral Program in August 2016.
Lloyd Talley is receiving the Penn Prize for Excellence in Teaching by Graduate Students. Talley is a doctoral student in Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Development and a graduate researcher with the Racial Empowerment Collaborative.
Allyson Volinsky is also receiving the Penn Prize for Excellence in Teaching by Graduate Students. Volinsky is an alumna of Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Development master’s degree program.
Anna Drabek has won a David L. Boren Fellowship, awarded annually to graduate students to support specializations in country/region-specific study, language proficiency, and research that is critical to U.S. national security. The IEDP student’s Boren Award to Benin will allow her to deepen her knowledge of Bariba, the language she learned while serving there as a Peace Corps Volunteer. She will also spend time interning at a well-reputed local NGO that works to further women's and girls' equality in Northern Benin.
Doctoral student Wendy Castillo has received a Distinguished Summer Fellowship for Self-Directed, Issue Oriented Research from Mathematica Policy Research.
If we have missed any awards, our apologies! Please use this form to notify us of a new or missed award, and we are happy to add it to this page!