\Noteworthy\

Alumni Notes

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  • Penn Affiliations

    At Penn, all alumni have an affiliation, or series of letters and numbers, following their name to indicate their degree, school, and year of graduation. A master’s degree from Penn GSE is represented as GED and an education doctorate as GRD. A philosophy doctorate from any school at Penn is represented as GR. An undergraduate degree offered by the School of Education until 1961 is represented as ED. The two numbers following the letters represent the year in which that degree was completed.

  • 1970s

    Gregory Blake, W’76, GED’22, is working on his licensed professional counselor (LPC) certification, and is treating 18 individuals and one couple. He got engaged in February.

  • David Hill, C’79, GED’14, returned to Taiwan after graduation and joined a university language center jointly managed by the Chinese Culture University and the University of Buffalo (SUNY). He recently began a new position as an English teaching fellow in a program established by the Ministry of Education and the Foundation of Scholarly Exchange (Fulbright Taiwan) to support university teaching staff in using English as the medium of instruction.
  • Susan Marcus, CW’71, GED’73, retired from the NYC Department of Education and teaches advanced English part-time to students in Tel Aviv.
  • Vivian McIver, GED’73, since retiring from the School District of Philadelphia, works with youth at Mt. Olive Holy Temple and via the Christian Campers summer program. She wrote a children’s book, The Story of Ida Robinson, which tells the story of the founder of Mt. Sinai Holy Church of America. After having an experience with cancer, she wrote a poem to encourage others who are dealing with the disease, “Cancer Patient.”
  • Carol Parlett, GED’78, returned to Philadelphia after 20 years of being a restaurant owner, entrepreneur, and real estate investor in St. Michaels, Maryland. Her work there as a board member of Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence continues, as does recruiting for The League of Women Voters of the Mid-Shore. She spends time with the Cosmopolitan Club, the Philadelphia Ethical Society, Friends in the City, MANNA, and her nine grandkids while finishing her novel.
  • Diane Waff, C’76, GRD’07, was the recipient of the 2023 Women of Color at Penn (WOCAP) Helen O. Dickens Award.
  • Shelley Wepner, GED’73, GRD’80, coauthored “What Might We Learn from 25 Years of Research on Education Deans?” in the Journal of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies; “Academic Deans’ Perceptions of Factors Contributing to Longevity in their Positions” in the Journal of Higher Education Management; and “Factors Chief Academic Officers Consider in Deciding Whether to Remain in their Positions” in The ACAD Leader. After 19 years as dean of the School of Education at Manhattanville College, she will return to teach in the doctoral program in educational leadership.

  • 1980s

    Donna James, C’86, GED’90, has been the executive director of Computer CORE since August 2019. To help close the digital divide, CORE teaches adults basic computer skills and gives away free refurbished computers.

  • Antoinette Nottingham, C’81, GRD’20, leads the award-winning leadership development and DEIB efforts at a leading health and social services nonprofit in the greater Philadelphia area.
  • Cynthia Weill, GED’87, published her eighth bilingual children’s book, Vámonos: Mexican Folk Art Transport in English and Spanish (Cinco Puntos Press/Lee & Low Books), in which Mexican folk art animals take different transportation devices to the library. The book received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews.

  • 1990s

    Annette Campbell Anderson, GED’97, GR’06, works at the Johns Hopkins Center for Safe and Healthy Schools and received the Outstanding Public Communication of Education Research Award.

  • Barbara Anne Caruso, GR’92, created a workshop, “Spirituality Across One’s Lifecycle,” which aims to assist participants in focusing on their spiritual well-being through reflection of their lifecycles, up to and including the present stage.
  • Ron DeFeo, GED’98, is CEO of the Center for Family Guidance, which he was initially connected to during his time at Penn. The company’s mission is to provide care to those most in need, develop services in areas they are lacking, and identify creative alternatives to access to mental health care.
  • Susan DePhilippis, GED’91, is professor of ESL and chair of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence at Atlantic Cape Community College. This year, she was named one of four finalists for the Faculty of the Year Award of Excellence and was the recipient of one of the 2023 Dale P. Parnell Faculty Distinction Awards from the American Association of Community Colleges.
  • Carladenise Edwards, C’92, GED’93, was recently appointed as an independent director to the boards of Clover Health, CancerIQ, Mae, and Sound Physicians.
  • Michelle Emery, GED’92, was selected to attend the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) Leadership Academy at its annual conference in Québec, and was elected president of the Vermont/Western Massachusetts Chapter of AATF. She has been teaching all levels of French (grades 1–6 and beyond) at Burr and Burton Academy in Vermont for the past 13 years, leading student trips to France, Québec, Morocco, and Martinique. She also established an exchange with a school in Pau, France.
  • Jennifer Glynn, GED’99, GR’03, works as an independent consultant and was selected to be part of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute’s National Working Group on Advanced Education tasked with developing a national policy and research agenda to advance high-potential students, especially those from disadvantaged communities.
  • Gail Foster Lewis, GED’92, GED’95, works for Go Forward Education Foundation, Inc., which is celebrating its 12th anniversary with its inaugural White Tie Ball and Fundraiser for Scholarships on June 30 in Princeton, New Jersey.
  • John McArdle, G’97, GED’98, GRD’14, associate professor at Salem State University, was awarded a Fulbright grant to go to Kosovo in October, where he assessed academic programs and developed recommendations for program accreditation at University Isa Boletini in Mitrovica.
  • Shawn McCaney, GED’97, executive director at the William Penn Foundation, was invited to give this spring’s commencement address at the Temple University College of Liberal Arts.
  • Lisa Morenoff, GED’98, is in her second year as a special education case manager for the lower school at Capital City Public Charter School. She develops high-quality IEPs for students in preK–fourth grade and helps train special education teachers who work directly with students.
  • Christine Kerlin Nasserghodsi, GED’97, is the founder of education consulting firm Verdant. She has been asked to serve as the division director for education improvement overseeing school improvement across 250-plus charter and private K–12 and early childhood institutions in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
  • Denise Raimondo, CGS’92, GED’94, is a consulting partner at Bayer Pharmaceuticals, working in global medical affairs for oncology.
  • John Roche, D’92, GED’92, writes: “Always grateful for the opportunity to achieve my master’s at Penn GSE while earning my dental degree. It has been a source of pride and motivation to give back to the academic side of orthodontics.”
  • Susan O’Malley Stephan, GED’97, teaches AP Spanish and serves as the world language department chair at Oxford Academy, a public school for grades 7–12 in Anaheim Union High School District. This past year, she served as the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) chair, guiding the faculty and staff in the self-study accreditation process. She co-authored the ethnic studies course, “Spanish III Latinx Studies,” which will be offered at her school next year. She serves as an advisor to the school’s international club, mentor for the school’s robotics team, and coach for the junior high track team.
  • Laura Zaharakis, GED’92, has been a school counselor in the Allentown School District for almost 20 years, working to create a data-driven program. She led the school to earn the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) designation in 2020. She and her husband created SCUTA, the widely used and comprehensive School Counselor Use of Time Analysis tool. She is earning a Pennsylvania Department of Education certificate in supervision of school guidance services through Millersville University.

  • 2000s

    Antoinette Brown, GED’05, started a new position as assistant dean of administration and strategic initiatives for the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in February.

  • Theodore Burnes, GED’01, a professor at the University of Southern California, recently published Essential Clinical Care for Sex Workers: A Sex-Positive Handbook for Mental Health Practitioners (North Atlantic Press).
  • Sarah Daly, GED’09, is a senior consultant and visiting scholar at SUNY Oswego. Since earning her PhD in criminal justice from Rutgers University-Newark, she conducted research examining mass violence in the US as well as gender and online communities. She has published in Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, Journal of Qualitative Criminal Justice and Criminology, Forum: Qualitative Social Research, and Journal of Crime and Justice. Daly is also the co-founder and co-editor of the Journal of Mass Violence Research.
  • Pamela Felder-Small, GRD’05, published a book review in Teachers College Record on the experiences of marginalized doctoral students during the pandemic.
  • Kourtney Grant, GED’07, serves as principal of Imago Dei Neighborhood School in Richmond, Virginia. As an advocate for social justice, she’s committed to opening access to first-rate academics for students of all ethnicities and income levels.
  • Heidi Horton, GED’08, is a foreign affairs specialist and country manager for the Department of Defense, managing the training pipelines and training programs for foreign military students. She recently managed the training for Bahrain’s F-16 program and is transitioning into a role in the private sector that focuses on research and quality analyses.
  • Rachel Isenberg, GED’09, teaches ESL at Temple University and raises her three-year-old daughter, Madeleine, and her dog, Bernie, with her partner, Adam.
  • Meredith Newman, GED’02, published her debut children’s book, The Lost Umbrellas of Lexington (Ethos Collective), with NYC-based artist Carly Beck.
  • Megan Penrice, GED’04, teaches in Colonial School District and recently opened a mental health clinic, Ellie Mental Health, in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, which offers outpatient care for all ages with a specialty in creative arts therapies.
  • Oswald Richards, GR’01, is a retired professor of business and associate dean of faculty at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. He led study abroad students to Ireland, South Africa, Namibia, and Spain, where he taught as a visiting professor of business. He also completed a Fulbright assignment in Namibia.
  • Rob Sapp, GRD’01, has been named dean of the School of Technology and Engineering for National University following its merger with Northcentral University.
  • Karla Silvestre, GED’00, was elected president of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools’ Board of Education. She is serving a second term as an elected member in the 14th largest school system in the country.
  • Mark Teoh, GED’04, joined the Raikes Foundation as a program officer in education. He was previously the vice president of learning, research, and impact at Teach Plus.

  • 2010s

    Sahar Akhtar, GED’15, is a psychotherapist who has been in practice since 2015. She expanded her private practice from Philadelphia to San Francisco and focuses on serving the needs of Asians in higher education and workplace settings.

  • Michael Aumann, GRD’13, is CEO of QualCann, which is, he writes, “setting up school farms in Colombia to grow and export the finest hemp and cannabis flower and extracts, transforming an industry known as a contributor of violence into a viable economic activity, and turning darkness into light.”
  • Aaron Barlin, GED’19, started Emergent Change, a DEI consultancy for schools and organizations with Maris Harmon, GED’19, to “make transformative change in the name of belonging for all.” By taking skills, frameworks, and pedagogy from their classroom teaching experiences and applying them to larger, more systemic contexts, they “backward design” the evolutions that their partners envision for their communities.
  • Melanie Bieber, GED’11, GED’12, published her book, Aaron Daniel Henry Davis: Just Another Day at School, which tells the story of a typical school day through the lens of a child with an ADHD diagnosis. Her hope is that by highlighting the wonderful ways that he thinks and contributes, this message reaches children like Aaron, so they can see themselves in a positive light.
  • Marc Christian, GED’12, GRD’17, founded the research and consulting company IntelliSport Analytics, which specializes in supporting sports leaders by using research to address organizational and team challenges.
  • Carlo Cinaglia, GED’16, is a doctoral candidate in the Second Language Studies program at Michigan State University. He currently works as an editorial assistant for the journal TESOL Quarterly and is part of the American Association for Applied Linguistics 2023 conference planning team.
  • Xavier Cole, GRD’13, became the first Black president of Loyola University New Orleans on June 1. He was previously vice president for student affairs at Marquette University.
  • Dexter Evans, GED’18, recently accepted admission to the inaugural cohort of the Professional Doctorate in Philanthropic Leadership (PhilD) at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
  • Andrea Terrero Gabbadon, GED’14, released her first book, Support and Retain Educators of Color: 6 Principles for Culturally Affirming Leadership (ASCD), which is grounded in empirical research and voices of educators of color and offers practical strategies for school- and district-based leaders to diversify the racial composition of their workforces.
  • Christine Galib, GED’13, is senior director of entrepreneurship and innovation at Ion, Houston’s headquarters for innovation, where she has launched new programs to support startups, entrepreneurs, and investors. Her third book, Eternae (book two in The Knights of the Dagger series) came out in June.
  • Azad Godus, GED’17, is head of continuous medical education at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Saudi Arabia. The hospital recently won the national patient safety award for its interprofessional education training.
  • Toni Gordon, GED’10, transitioned from diversity, equity, and inclusion work into advancement. She is now assistant director of alumni engagement at Bowling Green State University, cultivating relationships with alumni and other constituents.
  • Aman Goyal, GED’13, LPS’20, was recently promoted to director for alumni relations and Penn traditions in the Development and Alumni Relations division at the University, supporting the experience of recent graduates.
  • Deanna Handy, GED’12, is a youth services coordinator at the Salvation Army and self-published her first wellness journal, Walking into Your Purpose: A Handy Wellness Journal, now available on Amazon. This summer, she will be coordinating a therapeutic summer enrichment program for youth, ages 5–17, in one of Philadelphia’s largest emergency shelters.
  • Sonya Somerville Harrison, GRD’12, will become head of school at the School at Columbia University on July 1. She has spent 30 years as an educator, most recently as assistant superintendent in the School District of Philadelphia.
  • Mark Heath, GED’16, recently made the pivot from classroom teaching to working as a consultant for the national nonprofit Education Resource Strategies. He supports school and district leaders in organizing their resources to expand equitable access to—and success through—college and career pathways in high schools. He has also contributed to a series of guidebooks for school and district leaders on leveraging Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds for more strategic schedules, staffing, and spending.
  • Stephan Heuer, GED’13, will become dean of students at Frankford Friends School this fall, after years of being a third-grade lead teacher there.
  • Peter Horn, GRD’14, on his “Point of Learning” podcast, recently interviewed author and educator Jonathan Kozol about Kozol’s forthcoming book, Batter Down the Walls.
  • Nicole Johnson, GED’16, is the capital campaign director at South Chicago charter school EPIC Academy, working to fund a $22 million transformation of the single-site charter school into an institution that spurs economic and community development.
  • Xinyi (Cindy) Liang, GED’18, is the assistant to associate vice president at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, coordinating the smooth running of five colleges (soon to be seven) in the rapidly developing university.
  • Tianyu Liu, GED’19, an English instructor at the Affiliated International High School of Shenzhen University, is proud to have her first class of students graduate this summer.
  • Hang Qin, GED’18,, successfully organized the TEDxSanya 2023 Standard Event with his team on April 15. More: penng.se/tedxsanya
  • Callista Regis, GED’17, is a final-year PhD candidate at Cambridge University, specializing in adolescent literacies. As an education analyst and consultant, she works on teacher training projects funded by organizations including the World Bank, USAID, and UNICEF. With a focus on select regions of Africa and the Caribbean, these projects are designed to drive meaningful change and empower educators to make a profound impact on the lives of young learners.
  • Melissa Reynolds, GED’15, recently celebrated five years at the Walton Family Foundation.
  • Abbey Sangmeister, GED’10, created and launched coaching programs to help high achievers, professionals, and parents prevent and heal from burnout. She also founded a company, Evolving Whole, that hosts workshops and retreats for the same purpose.
  • Kelsey Schroeder, GRD’18, is joining Georgetown Day School as middle school principal, where she will have the opportunity to work alongside her Penn GSE classmate, Cara Henderson, GRD’18.
  • Teresa Stebner, GED’13, is teaching classroom guidance and providing online therapy in the evenings on two different platforms.
  • Jessica Downes Stuebner, GED’13, started a pandemic educational services company, The Pupil Pod, originally focused on pandemic podding, after spending the better part of a decade as an early elementary school teacher and an adjunct professor of education at both Montgomery County Community College and Cabrini University. The company has now grown to provide other educational services, such as pop-up playschools and aftercare programs.
  • Susan Thomas, GR’13, published her book, Indebted Mobilities: Indian Youth, Migration, and the Internationalizing University (University of Chicago Press).
  • Kimberly Truong, GR’10, chief equity officer at MGH Institute of Health Professions, was elected to the board of directors of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. Truong is the second Asian American to be elected to the board in its history.
  • Daphne Valcin, GED’10, pursued and attained the highest-level credential of International Coaching Federation-certified coaches as a master certified coach (MCC) in late 2022, after attaining over 2,500 coaching hours.
  • Zora Wolfe, GRD’13, was appointed associate dean of Widener University’s College of Health and Human Services. She is also the director of the K–12 educational leadership and instructional technology programs and an associate professor in the Center for Education.

  • 2020s

    Kelly Bird, GRD’22, launched her business, Making Space, LLC, after 28 years working in schools. It provides coaching and strategy for impactful leadership, the building of belonging, and project-based making.

  • Esther Cho, GED’20, teaches high school English in Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, and recently published her research, “Bringing indexical orders to non-arbitrary meaning: The case of pitch and politeness in English and Korean” in Laboratory Phonology, the journal of the Association for Laboratory of Phonology.
  • Morgan Congdon, GED’22, has been applying the principles learned in Penn GSE’s medical education master’s program to her new role as director of medical education scholarship for the Division of General Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
  • Matthew Dandola, GED’21, will become the next middle school head of Rocky Hill Country Day School in Rhode Island in July.
  • Leo Greenberry, GED’20, is chief of staff in the office of Pennsylvania State Representative Nancy Guenst.
  • Nneka Ibekwe-Okafor, GR’20, is an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin. She was awarded the NORC Diversity, Racial Equity, and Inclusion Fellowship at the University of Chicago and the Institute of Mixture Modeling for Equity-Oriented Researchers, Scholars, and Educators training grant from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is the principal investigator of a multi-year grant, funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, that aims to promote racial equity in state policies and racial empathy through virtual reality.
  • Peter Loper, Jr., GED’20, is the new residency director for the Tri-County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Psychiatry Residency Program, a community-based residency program created to educate, train, and increase psychiatric physicians in South Carolina to address inequities in access to mental health services for rural communities in the state.
  • Shanta Smith, GRD’21, joined the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education as an associate professor of clinical practice and teaches courses for preservice educators in educational equity and applications of math and science.
  • Mark Spradley, GRD’21, was elected as a public member of the board of the Plastic Surgery Foundation. He is committed to expanding access to reconstruction surgery for wounds, burns, and congenital conditions in several countries, and in that work, has collaborated with Anne Arnold, GRD’20, Smile Train’s senior director, who leads their surgical team.
  • Submissions have been edited due to space constraints and magazine style guidelines.
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