LPS Student Awards for 2025

Presented annually by the College of Liberal Professional Studies Alumni Association to a graduating LPS student who displayed unusual motivation and dedication in the pursuit of an undergraduate degree.

Erica Adhikary balanced pursuit of her BAAS degree in Organizational Studies while parenting a child with a rare lung disease and traveling for specialized treatments. She also served as a Healthcare Section Intern in the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and volunteered as a Certified Sexual Assault Counselor with YWCA. In previous professional roles, Erica gained experience in the healthcare system, supported employment discrimination investigations, and contributed to trauma-informed policy initiatives. Erica’s exposure to systemic challenges shaped her interest in organizational leadership and public policy. She credits the program with strengthening her abilities to analyze and present legal issues, interpret complex data sets, communicate findings clearly in reports and presentations, and allow her to contribute more meaningfully to her team. Erica is considering law school in the near future. 

In recognition of outstanding academic achievement in science studies and dedication to a career in the sciences.

Taylor is a curious and driven lifelong learner who earned her degree in Physical and Life Sciences. She is passionate about wildlife conservation and animal care and is an aspiring zoological professional. She has hands-on experience caring for aquatic life at the Kemah Aquarium, where she ensured the health of the animals, maintained the facilities, led educational tours, and reported to marine biologists. At Lykan Fabrication, she collaborated on replicating natural environments using innovative fabrication techniques and animal safe materials and was able to combine her love for animals with her creativity and problem-solving skills. Stand out projects included the creation of an 80-foot shark reef for the Houston Zoo’s Galapagos expansion, and designed training platforms that mimic the surface of the moon for NASA’s astronaut training program. Taylor also runs a blog called Milk and Holly, where through social media platforms, she shares nutrition tips and advice that help pet owners make informed decisions.

Awarded annually to the College of Liberal and Professional Studies student whose scholarship and personal qualities of leadership are regarded as being the most outstanding.

Katie is a transfer student from Bergen Community College, where she earned her Associate of Science in education, was a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and Class of 2022 valedictorian. At Penn, Katie is the recipient of a Bread Upon the Waters Scholarship and the Association of Alumnae Continuing Education Award. Katie’s career inspiration began when she volunteered for the Special Olympics. She has since served as a dedicated administrative professional and behavioral therapist, supporting individuals with significant intellectual and developmental challenges through innovative programming and leadership. She has successfully led initiatives that enhance community engagement, digital literacy, and support services, fostering individual agency and self-advocacy. Katie is incredibly proud that her son, Elijah, was also inducted into Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society this year, after telling her, “I want to do what you did, Mom!” Katie plans to continue her education in the fall, pursuing a Master of Public Administration at Penn. 

For the student who best exemplifies the uncompromising commitment to scholarship, hard work, and the life that the late Ronald J. Caridi embodied and shared with so many.

Scott lives in the Hudson Valley with his husband and their dog. He was a curious kid who enjoyed learning, playing the French horn, and participating in Boy Scouts, attaining the rank of Eagle. He continued learning as an adult, largely on the job. Scott worked his way up from part-time barista to leading operations teams of up to 450 employees at Whole Foods Market. He inspired top-tier business performance while cultivating exceptional employee engagement, ranking second out of 100 stores on both the balanced scorecard and the annual employee morale survey. He successfully led a rapid hiring support pilot and a job transfer of 3,000 employees from Amazon to Whole Foods Market. During the height of the pandemic, Scott enrolled at Orange County Community College before transferring to Penn. He credits his husband for encouraging the transition, outlining the value proposition of obtaining a rigorous education from a globally recognized brand with a vast alumni network and for supporting him throughout his academic journey. The online modality enabled him to attend school while working. The Leadership and Communication concentration enabled him to bring concepts and interventions from courses directly into the workplace. What Scott will remember most is that leadership is about building trust; communication is about understanding others; strategy is specific; persuasiveness is an art; logic is empowering; and well-being matters… but most of all, that he is capable of realizing his potential. Scott plans to continue his studies in the Cornell Executive MBA program this summer.

Presented annually to School of Arts and Sciences students who exhibit exceptional academic performance and intellectual promise.

Cindy is a Bread Upon the Waters scholarship recipient, who completed an Individualized Studies concentration focusing on Near Eastern languages and cultures and art history. She has been involved with the Penn Museum since her first semester, contributing to archaeological projects and working as a field team member for the Bat Archaeological Project in Oman and the Lagash Archaeological Project in Iraq. Cindy was one of three students selected by the Student Exhibition Program to work closely with Sarah Linn and Anne Tiballi from Academic Engagement, curatorial adviser Douglas Smit, and the Exhibitions team to create an exhibition focusing on the 50th anniversary of the 1972 United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Convention, “Heritage in Our Hands: UNESCO 50 Years Later,” at the Penn Museum in 2022.

Presented annually to School of Arts and Sciences students who exhibit exceptional academic performance and intellectual promise.

Desra is a Master of Environmental Studies candidate with a concentration in Resource Management, funded by the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education scholarship. Desra came to the MES program with a strong passion to address issues related to deforestation and peatland degradation, inspired by his 5+ years of work in tropical peatland conservation and restoration in Indonesia. His research focuses on forest and peatland ecosystems, with an emphasis on carbon and hydrological cycles, reducing deforestation and peatland degradation, and community-driven conservation strategies. He has interned with the UNFCCC, where he contributed research to a COP29 session related to deforestation in developing countries. Supported by the President Gutmann Leadership Award, Desra has also presented his research at the International Peatland Congress 2024 in China, where he was recognized with the Best Student Oral Presentation Award. In addition to these achievements, Desra has worked to complete six professional certificates during his time in the MES program. He has also been a member of the Society of Wetland Scientists, the Society of American Foresters, and the International Peatland Society.

Chenge graduated from the University of California, Davis, with a double major in history and international relations. She interned with UNDP, where she conducted research on China’s aging problem and its policy implications. In the future, she plans to work as a policy analyst at an NGO and eventually become an expert in demographic and socioeconomic issues.

Zhuang graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong with a major in translation and a minor in linguistics. She interned at multiple international NGOs, like European Chamber of Commerce, UNDP, and UNAI. She cares about structural inequalities and sustainability issues. Next year, she will be studying psycholinguistics at the University of Edinburgh.

Bio coming soon.

Ruiqi graduated from South China University of Technology with a major in business administration. He worked for several research institutes and conducted research on urban environment and education. In the future, he plans to work for a local government or join an international organization.

Hejinnan graduated from Syracuse University with a major in economics. She published research articles on education inequalities in China and the condition of migrant children. She also conducted research on social issues like immigration and unemployment. Next year, she will attend either Oxford or Cambridge for a PhD in education.

This award is named for Christopher Peterson, a leading researcher in positive psychology and a founding instructor in the Master of Applied Positive Psychology program, who taught in word and deed that “other people matter.” It is presented annually to a Master of Applied Positive Psychology student in recognition of service to others, academic merit, economic need, and personal or professional diversity.

Marjorie is a Canadian researcher and clinical psychologist with 25 years of experience working with parents with disabilities. In 2012, she sustained a spinal cord injury in a car accident when her son Thomas was just 16 months old. This personal experience gave her a unique perspective on parenting with a disability.

Together with her family, Marjorie became a solution-finder to create a more accessible world. She now advocates for the representation and consideration of parents with disabilities in services and public spaces.

Marjorie authored "Mom on Wheels: The Power of Purpose as a Parent with Paraplegia" and contributed to "We've Got This: Essays of Disabled Parents." Her TEDx talk, "What we can learn from parents with disabilities," has garnered over 500,000 views.

Recently elected as Chair of the Board of MÉMO-Québec, a community organization representing people with spinal cord injuries, Marjorie continues to bridge her professional expertise and personal experience to create positive change in disability representation and accessibility.

This award is named for Christopher Peterson, a leading researcher in positive psychology and a founding instructor in the Master of Applied Positive Psychology program, who taught in word and deed that “other people matter.” It is presented annually to a Master of Applied Positive Psychology student in recognition of service to others, academic merit, economic need, and personal or professional diversity.

Patrice Francis, born in The Bahamas, has had a storied career in broadcast journalism (including hosting and producing television shows and documentaries) and human development, where she's worked as a guidance counselor, interventionist, strengths coach, and organizational consultant. As an actor and playwright, Patrice remains active in the theater. She currently divides her professional focus between writing, teaching, and studying human behavior, with the goal of guiding others toward strengths-based living.

Patrice plans to leverage her positive psychology degree to create opportunities for students to transform their interests into strengths through deliberate practice, and to apply flourishing concepts in storytelling, athletics, the arts, media, fundraising, and village strengthening.

Bio coming soon.

Bio coming soon.

Bio coming soon.

Bio coming soon.

The MCS Capstone Awards annually recognizes the capstone conducted during the completion of the MCS program that significantly adds to the body of knowledge in their concentration.

Honghao Zhang is a Master of Chemical Sciences candidate with a focus on biological chemistry. At the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute for his Penn MCS Capstone Research, Honghao works on a project for the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) covalently closed DNA (cccDNA) formation from double-stranded linear DNA (dslDNA) for a novel hepatitis therapy.

The MCS Capstone Awards annually recognizes the capstone conducted during the completion of the MCS program that significantly adds to the body of knowledge in their concentration.

Tingkai Zhang works with Professor Daniel Mindiola in organometallics chemistry, specifically on exploring ligand scaffold of a titanium complex in cyclic polymer catalysis and the reactivity of a square planar V(II) complex. This work relates to polyacetylenes that have been extensively studied for their properties for metallic semiconduction and are called “synthetic metals.” Advances in macromolecular chemistry and the design of new catalytic systems have greatly expanded the field of cyclic polymers in recent decades, with the potential for applications in new energy sources.

The MCS Capstone Awards annually recognizes the capstone conducted during the completion of the MCS program that significantly adds to the body of knowledge in their concentration.

At the University of Pennsylvania, Anlan Zhao works in biological chemistry. Currently, she is working on capstone research addressing antibiotic resistance by identifying peptides with promising antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties using computational screening techniques that utilize deep learning models. Peptides were synthesized and validated for efficacy against pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus showing superior inhibitor properties compared to traditional antibiotics such as polymyxin B and levofloxacin. The implications of these studies are significant, offering potential pathways to combat the growing challenge of antibiotic-resistant infections and to enhance the efficacy of immune responses in clinical settings. Anlan is the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA) representative for the Liberal and Professional Studies Government (LPSGov), and she is active with Women+ in Chemistry (W+iC) and the Penn Graduate Consulting Club (PGCC). These roles have greatly enhanced my graduate experience by fostering leadership skills and community engagement.

The MCS Leadership Award is awarded in grateful recognition of a student’s time and dedication to being a leader to the MCS community.

Simeng has shown great leadership potential as the LPSgov MCS representative. She has been active in planning events and managing student funds for scholarly activities. She also works on computational study of the geochemistry and carbonation thermodynamics of mineral oxides materials to study CO2 interactions with mineral oxide materials, specifically the adsorption processes taking place on different terminating surface facets for predicting the shape of mineral oxides nanoparticles that may be used for energy applications. Simeng has a great way of positively encouraging students, providing a good environment.

Awarded to a graduating Master of Environmental Studies (MES) student who has not only contributed to the field of environmental studies but has also helped the MES program and/or the Earth and Environmental Science Department in a significant way.

Shrey is a Master of Environmental Studies candidate with a concentration in Sustainability and a particular passion for energy. His capstone research focuses on advancing grid flexibility in New England and investigates how cost-effective energy storage can supplant fossil-fuel peaker plants and foster higher renewable penetration. Outside of the classroom, Shrey serves on the student council board of the Kleinman Center, the Wharton ESG Initiative Student Leadership Advisory Board, and as co-chair of Climate Leaders at Penn, forging collaborations with stakeholders across Philadelphia on localized projects that advance climate action. Shrey was selected as the 2024 Kleinman Birol Fellow, completing the fellowship at the International Energy Agency. He was also selected for the inaugural Perry World House and Penn Global Climate and Security Policy Fellows Program. Alongside these many accomplishments, Shrey also works as a research assistant at the Climate Decisions Lab at Wharton and has recently published a paper as part of a research team there. Shrey has used these experiences to also mentor and guide fellow MES peers and undergraduate students during his time here at Penn.

Awarded to a graduating Master of Science in Applied Geosciences student who has not only contributed to the field of applied geosciences but has also helped the Master of Science in Applied Geosciences program and/or the Earth and Environmental Science Department in a significant way.

Margaret is a Master of Science in Applied Geosciences candidate, with a focus on engineering geology. Margaret has worked towards her MSAG degree while also working full-time as a geotechnical project manager. Through the MSAG program, Margaret has also obtained her Geologist in Training licensure and is working towards her Professional Geologist licensure. Margaret’s capstone research focuses on stormwater infiltration and the presence of sinkholes in Pennsylvania. Research is lacking in this area, and her work has provided a cornerstone to future work in this field. In addition to her excellent GPA and academic achievements, Margaret has been integral to building community in the MSAG program since it transitioned online, often initiating online gatherings for the MSAG students and staff. Margaret has also worked as a TA for undergraduate courses during her time here at Penn.

This award is named for the late Penn professor and internationally known British literature scholar who taught in Organizational Dynamics for many years. It is annually awarded to a Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics graduating student who has shown outstanding scholastic achievement in coursework.

Leila Bateman (she/her), candidate for a Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics (MSOD), maintained a 4.0 GPA while in the program. Her capstone project offers an exploratory qualitative study of neurodiverse leaders in organizations. In spring 2025, Leila was selected as a finalist for Penn Grad Talks, one of two students selected from the MSOD program. Leila recently submitted her capstone research to the Academy of Management (AOM), where she served as a reviewer for the Organizational Behavior and Organizational Change divisions and was selected to present her research at the upcoming AOM 2025 annual meeting.

Prior to studying in the MSOD program, Leila received her bachelor's degree in fine arts at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the University of Pennsylvania. She completed a summer internship in the Research Institute Summer Scholars Program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where she designed, conducted, and presented research on coping mechanisms for healthcare providers. Leila has co-authored several dozen academic conference presentations and publications in clinical and behavioral research.

Professionally, Leila is a leader in organizational transformation and change management. Over the past 10 years, Leila has worked at CHOP holding roles in project management, data management, and leadership. She leads digital transformation, process improvement, strategic projects, assessments, and business-case development for large-scale organizational transformation.

This award is named for Lois Ginsberg, community development leader and former Associate Director of Organizational Dynamics. It is presented annually to a graduating student who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and significantly contributed to the Organizational Dynamics community.

Aathrey Chandran is a Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics candidate who has broadened the community in our program and beyond. While a student, he served LPSGov as Vice President of Operations. Beyond these contributions, he has offered vital support for new community initiatives, such as monthly capstone workshops that build bridges among all LPS graduate programs. This award recognizes his dedicated engagement with his fellow peers and his passion for interdisciplinary scholarship.

With seven years of experience in the New South Wales (NSW) Australian State Government, Aathrey has played a pivotal role in shaping processes that drive systemic improvements and long-term societal impact.

Aathrey's capstone focuses on the creation of a novel organizational coaching model that integrates multiple, evidence-based coaching frameworks with Buddhist metaphors to provide holistic development towards the authentic and ideal self.

Whether through his improvements to operational frameworks, his successes in advancing administrative effectiveness, or his dedication to building community, Aathrey embodies the values of excellence, service, and innovation that Penn seeks to recognize.

This award is presented to a graduating student who has completed the best capstone upon recommendation of the Organizational Dynamics faculty

Matthew English, a Master of Science candidate in Organizational Dynamics, is a multifaceted director, artist, scholar, and professional. He holds more than thirty-five years of experience in music, theater, and dance, and ten years of experience in human resources. He currently serves as the Director of Administration in the Department of Space Planning and Operations with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

His capstone explores how creative methodologies, particularly music composition techniques, can enhance organizational leadership and innovation. Matthew seeks to develop interdisciplinary frameworks that inspire leaders to foster collaboration, creativity, and adaptive problem-solving within their teams through a new and creative lens. Bridging the gap between the arts and leadership, he is committed to demonstrating how the principles of music composition can serve as powerful tools for shaping innovative and creative workplaces. As he says, “Leadership, like music, thrives on creative expression—when we compose with intention, we orchestrate innovation.”