Letter from the Dean

Dear Alumni and Friends,

It feels surreal to be here, at the end of a journey that started almost nine years ago when my husband and I sat at our kitchen counter in Palo Alto, California, listening to Mark Knopfler’s “Sailing to Philadelphia,” as we pressed send on our emails to accept our respective positions at Penn: his in the Office of General Counsel and mine as dean of the Graduate School of Education.

With that keystroke, everything changed. I went from suburban to urban, West Coast to East Coast, professor to administrator. But there was something about the potential of Penn GSE to become the kind of professional school I believed in that drew me here. And I’m so glad we made that leap. I’ve found wonderful colleagues at both Penn GSE and the University, inspiring students and alumni, an incredible board, and a new city that I loved learning about and exploring.

As a lifelong educator—I began as a teaching assistant when I was 16 and haven’t left the classroom since—I was worried that I would miss teaching when I became dean. Little did I know that I would find similar joy and satisfaction from working with our community to build a stronger Penn GSE. Together, we’ve expanded the work of the School, both in Philadelphia and across the world. We’ve created a more cohesive community, and transformed our physical footprint by building a building that matches our grand ambitions.

As the end of my deanship has approached, I’ve been asked the same two questions repeatedly: “How are you feeling as you face this transition?” And “What will you miss most?” The answer to the second question is easy—it’s the people. From the staff and the faculty to the students and the alumni, the people at Penn GSE are very special to me, and I will miss my daily interactions with them. The answer to the first question is more complicated. I’m feeling so many feelings. But the primary one is an overwhelming sense of gratitude for having had the opportunity to serve as dean.

This is definitely the hardest job I’ve ever had. I could not have known when I pressed send on that job acceptance email that I would be leading the school through a global pandemic, enormous political polarization, and an ongoing reckoning over racial injustice. But outside of teaching high school, this has definitely been the most rewarding job I’ve had as well. We’ve navigated these turbulent times together, and I’m so grateful to everyone who helped keep us on course.

I’m also feeling excitement because I know Penn GSE’s best days are still ahead. So many seeds that we’ve planted are just now starting to bloom. I’m looking forward to coming back to campus and seeing students using the innovative new spaces in the building expansion and experiencing the new McGraw Center for Educational Leadership in action. I can’t wait to see what else is next.

Thank you for welcoming me into the Penn GSE community, and thank you for making it so hard to say goodbye.

All my best,