Penn GSE Career Paths

When Andrew Biros, C’10, GED’12, undertook his student-teaching assignment in Penn GSE’s Teacher Education Program, he found that too many of his pupils at University City High School in Philadelphia did not expect to be active participants in the classroom.

It was a passion for educating children that brought together Penn GSE Overseer and Education Alumni Association (EAA) Board member Matthew V. O’Malley, GED’95, and Jennifer Isom O’Malley, GED’98, nearly two decades ago, at a time when both were teaching in schools. 

Kelly (Franquemont) Shiohira, GED’12, travelled to Johannesburg, South Africa, for her internship with the Molteno Institute for Language and Literacy, a nongovernmental organization that operates literacy projects throughout Africa.

Christopher Bradie, W’92, G’04, GRD’12, was five years old when he attended his father’s college commence­ment ceremony. Captivated by the graduates marching in academic regalia as their families beamed with pride, he vowed right then that he too would go to college.

For Norrizan Razali, GR’92, a modest upbring­ing in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur underscored the im­portance of education, especially English fluency, in opening doors to eco­nomic prosperity. Her path to leadership in business and technology at Microsoft and Apple began with curiosity about English language acquisition in her native city.

Penn has approximately three hundred thousand graduates spread around the world. Hoopes Wampler, GRD ’13, wants to engage all of them—a goal he acknowl­edges is a tall order. As associate vice president of alumni relations, Wampler oversees alumni outreach efforts University-wide.

Seven years into her work as a college career counselor, Barbara Hewitt, GRD ’02, sought to deepen her knowledge of higher education institutions and the ever-evolving trends that affect them. She applied to Penn GSE’s Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration program to achieve just that.

Every day, Stacey Lopez, GRD ’11, comes to work and uses data to tell stories. As Penn’s associate vice president for institutional research and analysis, Lopez heads the office that collects and distills infor­mation on anything and everything related to Penn students, faculty, and staff.

Before entering corporate leadership, David DeFilippo, GRD’13, drove a UPS truck. The nine-month stint in 1992 was the starting point to management for the former Spanish teacher, a way of learning on the front lines to really understand the business.

Throughout his career, first as an educator and now as a developer of international social-impact programs, Christopher Ashford, GR’00, has wanted to improve the lives of children.