Learning through service: How MAPP students created a roadmap to resilience for public servants
During the Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program, students work in small groups to partner with organizations from around the world and put their positive psychology expertise to work. Each service learning project studies the organization's structure, mission, and goals and develops an actionable plan to make an immediate impact and advance the mission.
For this instructor, sustainability involves a detailed view of the big picture
“The world of sustainability is so vast. If you really want to have influence, it’s so important that you understand all of its interconnections,” says Dr. Swati Hegde, a sustainability research specialist and instructor in Penn’s Master of Environmental Studies (MES) degree. At Penn, Dr.
Organizational Dynamics Programs candidate Adam K. Thiel named Managing Director for the City of Philadelphia
Penn’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies congratulates Adam K. Thiel, who was recently named Managing Director for the City of Philadelphia by Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker. Thiel previously served as the Fire Commissioner for the Philadelphia Fire Department and Director of the Office of Emergency Management for the City of Philadelphia.
Penn LPS in representation at COP28 in Dubai
The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and Perry World House led a delegation of more than two dozen Penn people at COP28, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Dubai. They shared knowledge on the energy transition, climate finance, China, health, food systems, and more. Penn LPS is proud to recognize our colleagues who attended, including Kleinman Center Executive Director Cory Colijn (MSAG ’14), Organizational Dynamics Programs instructor Steve Finn, and Master of Environmental Studies adjunct professor Lolita Jackson.
LPS alum Ramanan Raghavendran named Chair of the Penn Board of Trustees
On January 4, 2024, Penn announced the naming of Ramanan Raghavendran (ENG ’89, W ’89, MLA ’15) as the new Chair of the University’s Board of Trustees. In addition to his thirty-year career in venture capital and growth equity, Ramanan has held a plethora of volunteer leadership positions with his alma mater leading up to this prestigious role.
Alex Shpenev, PhD
Not long after he started working at Penn, Dr. Alex Shpenev discovered he still had a lot to learn. “I was asked to teach a graduate statistics class in the new behavioral sciences degree program as part of my postdoc work,” he begins. “And while the expectation is that once you get your job as an academic, you're supposed to teach, very quickly I realized the thing that they don't teach you during your doctoral studies is how to teach.”
Liz Wimberg
“Dentistry was a childhood dream of mine,” says Liz Wimberg (Pre-Health Programs, University of Pennsylvania ’23). “I wanted to either be the president of the United States, or a dentist.” As a college student and graduate, however, Liz was drawn toward creative studies and social justice: she pursued an interdisciplinary undergraduate curriculum, worked in immigration law, and apprenticed in the kitchen of a fine dining restaurant.
Spring 2024 Penn LPS events and information sessions announced
The faculty and staff of the College of Liberal and Professional Studies invite you to join us for our upcoming spring information sessions and program events. Join us to learn about our undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, graduate, and certificate programs.
Meet program directors and recruitment staff to get your questions answered about curricula, advising, and how our programs can help you reach your personal and professional goals. We look forward to answering your questions and helping you get started on the application process.
Nicholas Parenti
Although he graduated college as a pre-med, Nicholas Parenti (MCS ’23) discovered a passion for virology when he went to work for a pioneering Penn Medicine lab that has been studying coronaviruses for decades. “I just immediately knew working in the lab was for me,” he recalls. “I really enjoyed the lab work and thinking about molecular biology, and I knew that I wanted more education.” As a lab technician, Nick helps the lab run smoothly and supports his colleagues’ research.
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