\Noteworthy\

Alumni Notes

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  • At Penn, all alumni have an affiliation—a 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.
    book icon Denotes alumni authors whose latest book is featured on the alumni bookshelf.

  • 1970s

  • Joanne Linowes Alinsky, GED’71, was inducted in Marquis Who’s Who in America. In January 2026, she was awarded the first Dorwin Thomas Lifetime Service Award to honor her extraordinary dedication, leadership, and long-standing service to Design-Build Institute of America New England and the design-build community.
  • Bonnie Botel-Sheppard, CGS’74, GED’76, GRD’81, is delighted to still be contributing part time to the Penn Learning Network (PLN) with special emphasis on PLN faculty support and early childhood education.
  • Leticia C. de la Rosa, GED’74, retired after teaching social science for 27 years in the Philippines. She recently celebrated her 100th birthday.
  • Cecelia Evan, GED’76, GRD’85, age 92, enjoys drawing and spending time painting (watercolor and acrylics) abstracts with her daughter, granddaughter, grandson, and two great-grandsons.
  • Laurence Kahn, C’69, GED’71, founded the nonprofit Help Now! Advocacy in 2004. The organization’s nationally unique services assist individuals and families, free of charge, in resolving a myriad of life-altering crises. Since its inception, its advocates have assisted approximately 13,000 individuals and families.
  • Carol Parlett, GED’78, received an Award for Excellence from the Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence for 22 years of board service.
  • Shelley Wepner, GED’73, GRD’80, received the American Association of University Administrator’s 2025 Neuner Award for Excellence in Scholarly Professional Publication (with Bill Henk and Heba Ali) for their article, “Examining Chief Academic Officers’ Reasons for Remaining or Exiting their Positions,” which was published in the Journal of Higher Education Management, Volume 1.

  • 1980s

  • Albert Giovenella, GR’87, gave a presentation at the University of Pennsylvania Geriatric Medicine Grand Rounds on “Bacterial Resistant Infections in Older Patients,” attended by 43 physicians associated with the Division of Geriatric Medicine.
  • Annie Taylor, C’87, GED’87, retired last spring after teaching for more than three decades at her alma mater, Shenandoah Valley High School. Besides teaching, she served as an advisor to various graduating classes, advised the school yearbook for 20 years, and helped with numerous other activities. She plans to keep close ties to her community by volunteering with the school, the Greater Shenandoah Area Historical Society, and Downtown Shenandoah, Inc, an active local community revitalization group.
  • Cynthia Weill, GED’87, and her books were written up in “The Cultural and Educational Benefits of Bilingual Books” by Michael Woodson in the November/December 2025 issue of Writer’s Digest.

  • 1990s

  • Anna Beresin, GR’93, published her new book Make/Unmake: Play at the Centre of Culture Change as a free download via Open Book Publishers.
  • Sally Burrell, GED’91, is thrilled to celebrate her 10th year as co-founder and co-editor of digital, nonprofit literary journal The Sunlight Press. She finds it rewarding and thrilling to meet artists and writers worldwide.
  • Edmund Hamann, GR’99, is taking early retirement after 21 years at the University of Nebraska and moving to the University of Georgia to become their inaugural Donna Alvermann Professor for Social Change.
  • Stefani Hite, GED’95, GRD’05, after 15 years, is closing her consulting business to run a small philanthropic foundation called Tigris Foundation. She wants to focus on supporting young people in the Philadelphia and Montgomery County areas.
  • Linda Thatcher Raichle, GR’92, is an elected member of the Board of Trustees of Holy Family University in Philadelphia and co-chair of the Bold Vision Campaign, shaping the future of the university.

  • 2000s

  • Annemarie Ameia, GED’01, launched Catalyzed Impact over the past year, a consulting firm focused on strengthening nonprofit organizations through strategy, leadership, and revenue growth. In its first year, the firm has partnered with organizations ranging from $60,000 to $100 million in annual budgets across education, workforce development, healthcare, technology, and transportation sectors.
  • Heidi Brescher, GED’00, graduated from the University of Louisiana at Monroe in December 2025 with her Ph.D. in marriage and family therapy. Her dissertation was “A Phenomenological Exploration of the Recovery Experience Among Medication-Assisted Treatment Clients.”
  • Melisa Cahnmann, GR’01, Meigs Professor of Language and Literacy Education at the University of Georgia, is the co-author of Arts-Based Research in Education: Foundations for Practice. Her poems, translations, and essays have appeared in Georgia Review, The Bitter Southerner, Lilith, American Poetry Review, Poet Lore, Barrow Street, Mom Egg Review, Plume, Tupelo Quarterly, Rattle, Hawai‘i Pacific Review, and elsewhere. A recipient of six National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read grants, a 2023 NEA Distinguished Fellowship, Hambidge Residency Award, and the Beckman Award for Professors Who Inspire, she was appointed in 2020 as Fulbright Scholar Alumni Ambassador. She and Kuo Zhang are the exclusive translators for Nianxi Chen, China’s labor poet laureate.
  • Kevin Cato, GED’05, earned his Ph.D. in curriculum studies from DePaul University in June 2025. He is now working as a graduate advisor and licensure officer at St. Xavier University in Chicago.
  • Kevin Collins, GED’04, finished an executive M.B.A. at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis in April.
  • David Corvi, GED’09, published Fix Your Tier 1 Instruction: Applying the Science of Good Teaching to the Art of School Leadership(Routledge).
  • John Craig, GRD’08, was recently named president-elect of the National Organization for Student Success. He is also the founding editor of The Journal of Access, Retention, and Inclusion in Higher Education, a peer-reviewed publication focused on student success that has been published annually since 2018.

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  • Pamela Felder-Small, GRD’05, launched the Newly Minted series with Black Doctorates Matter to honor the 100th anniversary of Black History Month.
  • Deborah Gilchrist, GED’03, works part time as a real estate agent and property manager.
  • Kimberly Guyer, GED’05, GRD’13, recently began the role of vice president for college life at Muhlenberg College.
  • David Hanson, GRD’09, founded Winthrop and Associates eight years ago as a part-time consulting practice. Since then, it has grown so much that he is leaving “in-house” work for full-time consulting.
  • Hilal Isler, GRD’05, is publishing a debut short story collection, Har Mar (Northwestern University Press), this summer. The collection explores women’s lives in the in-between—between countries, languages, and selves. One of the stories takes place just off campus, in West Philly.
  • Jeffrey Jenkins, C’95, ENG’95, GED’00, is teaching at Archmere Academy and helped to restart the FIRST Tech Challenge team after a four-year hiatus, coaching them to a state championship.
  • Caroline Kries, GED’03, is excited and proud to have been asked to author a chapter on school administration in the American Montessori Society’s newest book, School Management Guide: Practical Strategies for Leading with Vision and Purpose.
  • Lara Paparo, GED’06, GRD’24, was honored with the Education Impact Award in recognition of exemplary leadership and outstanding contribution to advancing women’s leadership, global cooperation, and sustainable development from the World Women’s Organization’s Global Women’s Leadership Summit at the United Nations. She also spoke on a panel, “Global Women Leadership: Advancing the SDGs Towards 2030,” during that summit.
  • Oswald Richards, GR’01, is currently completing a doctor of letters degree and conducting historical research in Latin America and the Caribbean, which will result in the publication of several books.
  • Suzzette Rink, GED’05, is the founder of Ashe Holistic Health, where she serves as a holistic wellness coach and womb steam practitioner supporting women in restoring balance in their bodies. She works with women across life stages including mothers, professionals, and those navigating reproductive and hormonal challenges.
  • Priscilla Sands, GRD’06, retired from leading the Marlborough School in Los Angeles in 2022 and is in her fourth season hosting the podcast So, Mom with her daughter, novelist Adele Griffin, C’93.
  • Trey Smith, GED’09, was a 2025–2026 Teach Plus Pennsylvania Fellow and, as part of that fellowship, helped author a recently released report on reimagining the teaching role. Laura Boyce, GED’09, who directs Teach Plus Pennsylvania, led the publication of the report.
  • Bokyung Son, GED’06, currently serves as a volunteer coordinator for Peniel, a local youth music community volunteer group in West Lafayette, Indiana.
  • Grace Sussman, GRD’02, is studying to become a personal trainer specializing in senior citizen care after decades of teaching at all levels from kindergarten to higher education.
  • Carol Thompson, GR’06, recently published a paper with two colleagues on Alpha-gal syndrome (a red meat allergy caused by ticks) in The International Journal of General Medicine.
  • Jan Tokarczyk, GGS’05, GED’06, has taken a new role as an academic advisor with SAI Academy after 18 years as a secondary school counselor with the Easton Area School District.
  • Gregory Vincent, GRD’04, of Gregory J. Vincent Law and Vincent Strategies LLC, will return to his alma mater, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, this fall as a distinguished practitioner in residence faculty. He will teach a course, “Current Issues in Higher Education.” He was also appointed to the graduate faculty at Kansas State University for a five-year term that started in 2025.

  • 2010s

  • Sahar Akhtar, GED’15, opened Studio By Live Better, a San Francisco boutique yoga studio.
  • Danielle Bicknell, GED’15, founded MCert, with funding support from Pivotal, a philanthropic network of organizations founded by Melinda French Gates. MCert is a nonpartisan, collaborative initiative focused on creating better standards and education around adopting sub-clinical youth digital mental health and well-being tools.
  • Shay B. Brice, GED’13, released her debut novel, A Singular Perspective: Cari’s View (Colossal Dreams Publishing) in May. It is described as a sprawling family saga interwoven with poignant coming-of-age themes and romance. A Chicago native, Brice now resides in the Washington, D.C., area.
  • Steve Bristol, GED’14, has been appointed as permanent head of school at the Chapin School in New Jersey, following his service as interim head since July 2025.
  • Yao Chen, GED’16, is now working as a high school vice principal at Beijing Huijia Private School, after being a program coordinator and International Baccalaureate (IB) teacher for 10 years.
  • Daniel Chinburg, GED’10, founded Lionheart Tutoring.
  • Carlo Cinaglia, GED’16, completed his Ph.D. in second language studies at Michigan State University and is now assistant professor of second language education at Florida State University.
  • Mahesh Daas, GRD’13, is the eighth president of the Boston Architectural College (BAC). He is pleased to report that, according to the Department of Education’s latest College Scorecard data, his school ranks No. 1 nationally in median earnings for bachelor’s architecture graduates, and that Niche has placed BAC among the top 10 architecture schools in America for the last two years. It has also been recognized in 2026 as a Hispanic-Serving Institution for the first time.
  • Rita DiBenedetto, GED’19, was promoted to assistant principal of student affairs in October 2024 after serving as English language arts department chair at Archbishop Ryan High School in Philadelphia.
  • Scott Dougherty, GED’10, is pursuing his doctoral degree at St. Andrews University in Scotland. His research centers on lifelong learning, particularly with older learners in the additional language classroom.
  • Will Eger, GED’14, GRD’23, has been announced as the next superintendent of Newark Unified School District in California. He starts in July.
  • Arthur Ernst, GED’11, GED’21, spoke at the SXSW EDU Conference and Festival on “Deferred Mattering,” a framework examining what happens when young people receive the message that their contributions count only in the future, not now. He is currently developing a trade book, a measurement tool, and educator resources for building mattering literacy in schools.
  • Kimberly Field-Marvin, GRD’16, founded Two Shoes LLC to support emerging women leaders in independent schools. Two Shoes helps individuals strengthen their voice, decision making, confidence, organization, and vision, resulting in steadier leadership at moments of transition and builds out the leadership ecosystem of a school.
  • Ahrin Gibbons, GED’13, recently transferred to Odyssey Charter School as a school counselor and works in Philadelphia as a mental health therapist at the Joseph J. Peters Institute and Merakey. She has received multiple awards, including the ETS Praxis Recognition of Excellence, the Social Justice Award from Thomas Jefferson University and Temple University, and the Valaida S. Walker Award from Temple University.
  • Azad Godus, GED’17, was nominated and selected for an Excellence in Healthcare Award in Dubai. He recently served as a faculty member and panelist at the 18th European CME Forum in Manchester, England. He was also a panelist for the 2026 Learn to Thrive Summit in Chicago, Illinois.
  • Margaret Hadinger, GRD’14, assumed the role of vice president of academic success at Archer Review (formerly OnlineMedEd), supporting nursing, medical, and health professions’ education partners as they integrate online resources into curricula.
  • Kara Hammond-Freeman, GED’19, has been nominated for and won the Alumni Award of Merit from the Girard College Alumni Association.
  • Christine Hernandez, GED’10, was honored by the City of Westminster, California, as one of five Women of Distinction during Women’s History Month in March 2026. The annual award recognizes women who positively impact the community through leadership, activism, volunteerism, and service.
  • Nicholas James, GED’12, is now the director of racial equity storytelling and community impact for the City’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity in Philadelphia. Their mission is to provide leadership on issues of economic justice by advancing racial equity and inclusive growth for all Philadelphians.
  • Christopher Jenkins, GED’18, serves as a Planner II with Prince George’s County Public Schools in facilities planning and design, supporting districtwide, long-range capital-planning initiatives. He is in the process of defending his Ed.D. dissertation in education administration and leadership at the George Washington University.

2026 Alumni Bookshelf

various books
various books
  • Anise Johnson, GED’14, is a therapist who has owned her private practice since October 2018, located in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. She focuses on helping children and families of color work through various mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and trauma and conducts individual, family, and group counseling sessions.
  • Lauren LaRusso, GED’11, has published her first book, Beyond Infidelity: How to Turn the End of Your Relationship Into the Beginning of Your Life (Penguin Random House).
  • Catherine Lawrence, CGS’02, GED’12, self-published her first book, A Few Moments in Time: 100 stories in 100 words, Flash Non-Fiction, in November 2025.
  • Emily Li, GED’19, is excited to share that her debut picture book, Mr. Chow’s Night Market (Penguin Workshop/Penguin Random House), published in April. The story follows a night-owl grocer who struggles with running a daytime supermarket until, with help from his grandchildren and a touch of magic, he transforms it into Taiwan’s first night market. Illustrated by Yu-Ting Cheng, the book celebrates Taiwanese culture, food, and community. Kirkus Reviews called it “a visual delight” and vindication for night owls.
  • David Low, GR’15, is the winner of the 2026 Luis Moll Book and Creative Work Award from the American Educational Research Association, Division G.
  • Ujjwala Maharjan, GED’18, created a poetry-musical performance, Apwoh Misa: Marching On. Developed collaboratively with predominantly women and queer artists, the project seeks to subvert the language and culture of misogyny in the Nepali context by reclaiming women’s narratives through multilingual songs and musical monologues centered on women’s liberty, freedom, and sexuality.
  • Sharee Mercado, GED’16, is a school psychologist in the Camden City School District, serving students in grades K–12. She is also the founder of The Scholarís Garden, Inc., a trauma-informed educational initiative dedicated to empowering historically marginalized students and families. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in educational psychology at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, with an anticipated graduation date of April 2027.
  • Shristi Mishra, GED’19, co-founder of Yak9 Chews, has been named to Inc.’s 2026 Female Founders 500 list, recognizing some of the most dynamic and inspiring women entrepreneurs in the country. She has helped grow Yak9 Chews into a multimillion-dollar pet wellness brand focused on functional nutrition, sustainability, and ethical sourcing.
  • Shivani Mody, GED’18, was promoted to vice chair of academics at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, in October 2025. In this role, she leads educational strategy and drives innovative approaches to teaching and learning, supporting trainees and faculty in delivering high-quality, forward-thinking medical education.
  • Donna Sabella Monheit, GR’10, GNU’12, is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner who teaches at University of Massachusetts Amherst in their graduate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program and provides outpatient therapy to clients at New Beginnings Therapeutic Services in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. One of her specialties is working with human trafficking survivors.
  • Jessica Prach, GED’11, founded Bright Beginnings College Coaching, a college-advising practice supporting students through the college search and application process. Leveraging more than 15 years of experience in college admissions, she helps students develop strong applications and compelling personal narratives while also assisting scholars with dissertation editing.
  • Jamie Schissel, GR’12, received the 2026 American Educational Research Association Second Language Research SIG Mid-Career Award.
  • Jenna Tait, GED’10, was recently promoted from editor of the diversity studies series to operations manager at the educational publisher Gibbs Smith Education. She also launched a community school collaborative in her town to support student outcomes in their local schools. They are hosting their first major event this spring.
  • Lawrence Ward, GRD’11, was named to the board of directors at the Tuition Exchange and looks forward to advancing their commitment to making higher education more affordable.
  • Carl-Anthony Watson, GRD’18, co-authored a working paper on lessons for educators attempting to recruit schools to participate in studies, “Recruiting Schools for a Rubric Validation Study: Strategies and Lessons Learned.” He also published a toolkit for helping schools manage polarization in their contexts, Leading Successfully When Viewpoints Differ.
  • Lilly Yu, GED’15, continues to advance her work in education and innovation through her role at IEG Inc. (formerly InAmerica Education), where she focuses on expanding access to global learning opportunities.
  • Fatima Zahra, GED’12, GR’18, is an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee. She leads the Artificial Intelligence, Race and Evaluation (AIRE) Lab, where she designs AI-assisted interventions to strengthen higher order thinking in classrooms and support employment in marginalized communities, from the university campuses in the U.S. to refugee camps in Bangladesh.
  • Yuanyuan Zhang, GED’11,, is a realtor at Keller Williams Realty.

  • 2020s

  • Ariana Baez, GED’24, has been working as an international education consultant for Chinese students who want to pursue higher education in the United States. This year, her company created a branch in Hanoi, Vietnam, where she is excited to work with Vietnamese students to support their transition to higher education internationally.
  • Daniel Blake, GR’20, professor of higher education at Georgia State University, published an article, “Minimizing Marginalization: Black Disabled Faculty Non-Disclosure,” in The Review of Higher Education. He also gave a public lecture, “Counternarratives of Black Disabled Faculty in U.S. Higher Education,” for Emory University’s James Weldon Johnson Institute’s Race and Difference Colloquium Series. He received the 2026 American College Personnel Association Coalition for Disability Intersectionality Award, which “is given to a scholar and/or practitioner who promotes awareness of the intersectionality between disability and other identities.”
  • Bliss Chang, GED’25, graduated from a cardiology fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. He will begin working in Albany, New York, as a cardiologist for half the year while pursuing his entrepreneurial dreams the other half of the year.
  • Lourdes Cossich, GED’21, is associate head of lower school at the Chapin School, where she has worked to reimagine their associate teacher program over the last three years. The redesign introduced structured feedback and coaching cycles, expanded in-house professional development, and built a highly individualized support model grounded in research-based best practices. “I’m especially proud that former associate teachers are now current Penn GSE students.” she said.
  • David Dausey, GRD’23, has been named the 14th president of Duquesne University.
  • Edward Epstein, GRD’20, published the book Race, Real Estate, and Education: Inventing Gentrification in Philadelphia (Temple University Press) in September 2025. He has since given talks on the book at the Rotunda, Penn’s Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy, Temple University’s Charles Library, and the Penn Bookstore. He is also currently director of Penn’s Teachers Institute of Philadelphia.
  • Camila Acosta Fernandez, GED’22, currently serves as a special education teacher at Philadelphia Hebrew Public Charter School, where she had the opportunity to develop and launch a specialized low-incidence program for students called RISE: Resourceful Interventions for Social and Educational Growth.
  • Annabella Vizcardo Goshen, GED’25, has been able to elevate her independent college-counseling business by enhancing its systems, sharpening its strategic foundation, and broadening its reach as she helps students pursue admission to colleges and universities around the world.
  • John Ilagan, GED’24, was recently welcomed as a new member to the Virginia Apgar Academy for Medical Educators at the Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. He serves as the director for the sub-internships for OB-GYN electives and subspecialties in addition to being the medical director for the antepartum and postpartum units.
  • Joseph Kemp, GED’21, recently appeared on the business reality TV show 60 Day Hustle, streaming exclusively on Prime Video, in which entrepreneurs compete for a chance to win $100,000 to grow their ventures. He is the founder of Games That Matter, a game-publishing company focused on creating fun, engaging experiences that make important knowledge more accessible.
  • Xiaowei Li, GED’20, GED’21, founded Bioduct, a science-rooted mental health and performance practice. Through Bioduct, he provides “shark” therapy for clients in New Jersey and Pennsylvania (and via telehealth in South Carolina) while also working globally with high-performing professionals and organizations navigating complexity, burnout, and behavioral change.
  • Jenna Xiaotong Lu, GED’25, is a Ph.D. student in higher education at the University of Maryland and works at the University Career Center.
  • Taylor Odle, GRW’20, GR’22, was awarded the Association for Education Finance and Policy’s Early Career Award.
  • Jo Pittman, GED’25 is a Washington, D.C.-based school and mental health counselor and music therapist who is releasing her first children’s book in June. Sandy Writes Her Story is a picture book about living with invisible illness and finding healing through creativity. Her website, otterslanding.org, features caregiver, teacher, and counselor guides for reading the book in different settings.
  • Brooklyn Raney, GED’23, GRD’24, released the second edition of her book, One Trusted Adult: How To Build Strong Connections and Healthy Boundaries with Young People this March. It includes research that she conducted as a student at Penn GSE.
  • Sibylla Shekerdjiska-Benatova, GED’23, with her nonprofit, A Book a Day, presented a panel, Artist as Interpreter, at the international Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
  • Jennifer Stimpson, GRD’20, is director of education at the National Aviation Education Center (NAEC), creating STEM opportunities through the lens of World War II planes. NAEC has the largest collection of World War II planes that still fly, and she uses them as the backdrop for all of her education experiences for the community and the public.
  • Aldo Anzures Tapia, GR’20, recently became head of school systems design: early and primary years at the International Baccalaureate. His focus is on strengthening research-informed design, expanding equitable access, and building sustainable partnerships with public and private systems globally.
  • Camile Taylor, GED’22, passed the July 2025 New Jersey Bar Exam with a score high enough to practice in any Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) jurisdiction and is clerking in New Jersey Courts Civil Division.
  • Ivy Taylor, GRD’20, recently completed two years of service at the University of North Carolina (UNC) System and at UNC Chapel Hill. She enjoyed being back in North Carolina and working for one of her alma maters.
  • Joan Taylor, GED’25, is co-founder and CFO of Black Counseling Collective. She made the intentional decision to pause and create space for reflection after her Penn GSE graduation, choosing to spend the remainder of the year traveling and embracing moments of solitude. This time away allowed her to fully process her academic journey and appreciate the depth of her experiences within the program.
  • MarÍa Underwood, GED’24, GRD’25, is the lead professional development advisor at Teachers College, Columbia University. She published a chapter, “Equipping Educators to Nurture Student Civic Advocates” in the National Council of Teachers of English book Building Civic Futures in Teacher Education, Volume 3. MarÍa was appointed as instructor of the “Culturally Responsive Pedagogy” course in GSE’s Urban Teaching Residency program and was invited to speak as part of Teachers College’s New Teacher Network to address early career teachers supporting multilingual learners. She is also a curriculum writer for the Latinidad Curriculum in New York City.
  • Shanika Lavi Wilson, GED’25, is associate chair and associate professor at North Carolina Central University. Her new textbook, Reel Assessments: From Screens to Clinical Practice (Kendall Hunt), published this spring. The book uses visual media and culturally responsive frameworks to train graduate students in social work, counseling, and psychology to conduct bias-aware clinical assessments centering the lived experiences of BIPOC clients often underrepresented in traditional mental health education.
  • Submissions have been edited due to space constraints and magazine style guidelines.
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