Penn Graduate School of Education

06/02/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Alumni Weekend!

From reconnecting with friends and celebrating award-winners to exploring AI’s growing role in education during a wide-ranging panel discussion, we had an inspiring time together.

Catch the highlights:

Every year at Alumni Weekend, Penn GSE welcomes graduates back to campus to reconnect with one another and engage in conversations around some of the most pressing issues facing education today. This year's featured panel, “AI in Education: What Parents...

06/01/2026

Congratulations to Professor Yasmin Kafai on receiving the 2025 Karl V. Karlstrom Outstanding Educator Award!

This honor recognizes her groundbreaking contributions to creative computing and her leadership in reimagining how young people learn, create, and collaborate through technology.

Read the full story:

Yasmin B. Kafai, the Lori and Michael Milken President's Distinguished Professor of Learning Sciences, has been recognized by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) with the prestigious Karl V. Karlstrom Outstanding Educator Award.

05/30/2026

Jo Pittman, GED'25, is a relatively recent alum of our School and Mental Health Counseling program. Today, as part of our ongoing coverage of , we shine the spotlight on her work as both a school counselor in the District of Columbia Public Schools (at Janney Elementary) and as a mental health counselor at Otter's Landing, LLC.

"I get to help kids find their voice when things feel invisible for them," she said. "Penn taught me to look beneath the surface. My time at GSE gave me the clinical foundation and courage to engage in healing work—a journey that led me to start Otter’s Landing LLC and write my first book!"

Jo's children's book, "Sandy Writes Her Story," a bibliotherapy tool for kids navigating invisible illness and big feelings, is out next month!

05/29/2026

For , we are checking in with Erika Dajevskis, GED'13, GED'14, an elementary school counselor for the School District of Philadelphia.

"My favorite part of my job is that it is never boring!" she said. "Being a school counselor means having a lot of plates spinning at once. Ten years in, it's still interesting and challenging. I appreciated my Penn GSE program's focus on urban education, trauma-informed practices, and the needs of historically marginalized students."

05/28/2026

Haoyan Lin, GED'22, GED'23, says that " Penn GSE was instrumental" in her journey to becoming a licensed mental health counselor and private practice owner in Boston.

"What I find most rewarding is the constant growth required to balance clinical excellence with ethical business leadership," she said. "Transitioning from a clinician to a private practice owner involves navigating complex legal and regulatory landscapes, and I take great pride in building a sustainable system that prioritizes both high-standard, trauma-informed care for clients and the professional well-being of my clinicians. In a diverse state like Massachusetts, my own multicultural background allows me to lead with a unique perspective, fostering an environment that is as inclusive as it is clinically rigorous."

05/27/2026

Our alumni spotlight continues with Chaoran Sun, GED'19, (shown here with a super-cute quokka in Australia) who is now a post-doctoral fellow at City University of Hong Kong.

"My current job is a great combination of research and mental health–related practice," she said. "Penn GSE has a strong reputation that helped me succeed in applying for the prestigious Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme, and my education and practice background in counseling have given me valuable insights into research on flourishing."

05/26/2026

For , we are highlighting the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students. Ashley Eaches, GED'23, GED'24, is one such counselor, serving grades 3 through 5 at Octorara Intermediate School.

"My favorite part of being a school counselor is building meaningful relationships with the students every day and watching their growth and successes from our time working together. School counselors wear many hats to AMPLIFY SUCCESS for students in many areas of their lives," she said. "Penn GSE gave me opportunities for real, hands-on experiences that I could discuss and learn from with classmates and mentors, which are essential to my current role."

05/25/2026

A recent panel discussion—the kick-off for a series of upcoming events marking America's 250th birthday—covered the future of higher ed through the lens of its past and tumultuous present. The panel featured university leaders including Dean Katharine Strunk, McGraw Center for Educational Leadership Executive Director John Silvanus Wilson, and Penn President J. Larry Jameson.

(From left) Mark Yudof, former president of the University of California and the University of Minnesota; Elaine Maimon, former president of Governors State Universi

05/22/2026

Our series continues with Pearl Pandya, GED'23, GED'24, who works at a group private practice in Calverton, Maryland.

"I love humanizing the therapy process," she said. "My focus is 'Relatable Professionalism'—helping people navigate things like relational boundaries and career growth in a way that actually feels grounded. Beyond clinical sessions, I also make videos for my company’s Instagram page to translate complex mental health concepts into accessible, everyday insights. Penn GSE was huge in helping me find that balance. My degrees gave me the clinical rigor and the confidence to take high-level psychological theories and turn them into real-world content that resonates with my community."

05/21/2026

Join us in welcoming Jess Jones, the next director of Penn GSE's Chief Learning Officer (CLO) Program! Jess, a CLO alum who currently serves as a leader and instructor in the program, becomes director effective June 1, following a national search.

The CLO Program prepares senior executives to lead learning and talent development at the highest levels of their organizations. Designed for working professionals, the three-year executive doctoral program blends research, leadership, and business strategy, equipping graduates to drive organizational performance and innovation across industries.

Learn more: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/news/penn-gse-appoints-jess-jones-director-chief-learning-officer-program