Logo of the Lipman Family Prize featuring stylized lines and the text "Lipman Family Prize" on a black background.

About Us

The Barry & Marie Lipman Family Prize is made possible through a generous gift from Barry and Marie Lipman and reflects their strong commitment to socially responsible organizations and action. The Prize is administered by the University of Pennsylvania through the Wharton School and engages faculty, staff, and students from across the University.

The work of the Prize resides within the McNulty Leadership Program and is conducted with the support of other university institutes and centers, such as the Wharton Social Impact Initiative, the Center for Leadership & Change Management, the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, the Center for High Impact Philanthropy and the Master of Science Program in Nonprofit/NGO Leadership.

“Our goals for the prize are to expand the benefits of social impact organizations using competition to identify and reward excellence, to inspire Penn students to enter the field, and to facilitate the transfer of successful methods of operation to other organizations.”

Barry Lipman, W ’70

A woman and a man in formal attire are seated, smiling, and clapping at an event, with others applauding in the background.

Barry & Marie Lipman

Barry and Marie Lipman have served their San Francisco community as philanthropists, board members, and volunteers deeply involved in the social sector for more than 25 years. With sweat equity and strategic leadership they both have contributed directly to the sustainable growth of several nonprofits in the Bay Area. The Homeless Prenatal Program and San Francisco Zoological Society are just two groups benefitting from the Lipmans’ generous support.

A commitment to the greater social good is what led Barry, W’70, and Marie to create this prize. The global nature of the prize and its focus on knowledge dissemination align perfectly with the institutional assets and goals of the University of Pennsylvania. It is here, at Barry’s alma mater, they are building a lasting legacy of societal contribution through collective learning.

A bronze statue of an individual in historical attire sitting on a bench, holding a cane and a large sheet of paper, against a brick wall backdrop.

Penn’s Tradition of Service

The Barry & Marie Lipman Family Prize takes its place in a rich tradition of innovative leadership and service at Penn — a tradition rooted in the founding visions of both the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School.
In 1740, Benjamin Franklin founded the College of Philadelphia, which subsequently became the University of Pennsylvania, as an institution dedicated to education for citizenship and service. The development, “of an inclination joined with an ability to serve” was, for Franklin “the great aim of an end of all learning,” as well as the mission he set for Penn.

In 1881, Joseph Wharton founded the world’s first collegiate school of business at Penn with a similar focus. Graduates of the Wharton School would become “pillars of the state, whether in public or private life.”

Both Ben Franklin and Joseph Wharton also believed that knowledge was to be useful and produce, in Wharton’s words, “solutions to the social problems inherent to our civilization.”

Through the Lipman Family Prize, the University of Pennsylvania continues to realize its potential to promote dialogue and discovery across disciplines and to “bring the benefits of Penn’s research, teaching, and service to individuals and communities at home and around the world.

Steering Committee & Staff

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee for the Barry and Marie Lipman Family Prize includes Barry Lipman, the founder of the Prize, as well as faculty and staff from across the University of Pennsylvania, chosen for their expertise and experience in the areas of business and non-profit leadership and cross-sector collaboration. They are deeply invested in thinking carefully about how best to activate the University of Pennsylvania’s vast resources in service of change-makers, and how to meaningfully partner with the broader social sector at large.

They represent the Center for High Impact Philanthropy, the Center for Leadership and Change Management, the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, the School of Social Policy & Practice, and the Wharton School.

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Barry Lipman

Former Partner, Goldfarb & Lipman
Founder, Lipman Family Prize

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Barry began his professional career in 1975 as an attorney. In 1981, he was a founding partner in Goldfarb & Lipman. His area of expertise was real estate, particularly housing. His clientele included developers and non-profit sponsor organizations, and he was a pioneer in creating and employing unique legal structures to make housing available and affordable to families, the disabled, seniors, and low-and-moderate income owners and tenants. Among the legal structures were the limited equity cooperative, the multi-use vertical subdivision, the live-work unit, and the tax-free or tax-deferred transfer of a residence to housing that included life-care.

In the mid-1990s, Barry transitioned from the law to becoming an investor/philanthropist deeply involved in the social sector. He has contributed to the sustainable growth of several non-profit organizations in the Bay Area and other locales, while serving as a board director to three for-profit and four non-profit entities. The Homeless Prenatal Program, the San Francisco Zoo, the UCSF Medical Center, and Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City are among the organizations that have benefited from his support.

In the early 2000’s, Barry wanted to promote and assist those areas of the social sector that found it difficult to attract private capital and governmental assistance. While continuing to support his preferred cultural institutions and his children’s schools, Barry searched for organizations in which neither he nor his family could receive a direct or indirect benefit other than personal satisfaction for having helped them achieve their goals. With that motivation, in 2010 Barry entered into discussions with the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School to create a prize for the benefit of the social sector. The outcome was the Barry & Marie Lipman Family Prize, and the first Honorees were chosen in 2012.

Today, the Lipman Family Prize has evolved to what Barry had originally envisioned. It has become a significant means for rewarding and inspiring positive social impact among social sector organizations worldwide, and faculty, students and many others at Penn. It is fully endowed with the intent to sustain and expand positive social impact for as long as necessary.

Barry and his wife Marie love to travel. According to the Travelers Century Club, they have visited and experienced more than one hundred countries. Their goal is to visit as many more as possible in their lifetimes.

Barry is a 1970 graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and in 1975 graduated from Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, California.

Elyse Lipman

Chief Strategy Officer
Lipman Family Farms

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Elyse currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer for Lipman Family Farms, North America’s largest supplier of tomatoes and fresh produce. In her role, she assesses how emerging technologies and shifting business trends are transforming current and potential markets, and in turn how to position Lipman for growth. She is the fourth generation of Lipman family members to join the company, and the first woman on the Lipman executive leadership team.

Prior to joining Lipman Family Farms, Elyse led the World Economic Forum’s programme on the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Elyse curated projects and content for the Forum’s emerging technology agenda, which included technologies such as blockchain and the internet of things, and mobilized the Forum’s multi-stakeholder community to address the challenges for emerging technologies to benefit society. Her work spanned global markets, concentrating on the US, China, and Europe with the WEF’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland and Annual Meeting of New Champions in Tianjin, China. She was also named a WEF Global Leadership Fellow and a System’s Leader for Public-Private Cooperation.

Previously, Elyse built her career in journalism, most prominently as a Photo Editor for National Geographic Magazine in Washington, D.C. The Lipman Prize has long been an inspiration, and continues to fuel her work to achieve positive social change. Elyse earned her BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and an MA in Journalism from New York University. She earned her MBA in Innovation Management from Wharton.

Umi Howard

Senior Director, McNulty Leadership Program
Former Director, The Lipman Family Prize

The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

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Umi joined the Wharton School in 2011 to establish and serve as Director of the Lipman Family Prize, an annual global competition that celebrates leadership and innovation in the social sector with an emphasis on impact and transferability of practices. As of January 2018, he has taken a new position as Senior Director of the McNulty Leadership Program. Umi is responsible for developing and executing an external strategy for Wharton’s leadership initiatives, in partnership with Wharton Executive Education and Wharton External Affairs.  Key components of the strategy include the stewardship of key donors, development of corporate and foundation partnerships, and the design of executive and public programs in support of the School’s revenue-generating and philanthropic goals.  He also leads our portfolio of civic leadership programs, including the Lipman Family Prize, the Lipman Fellows Program, and the Nonprofit Board Fellows Program.

Prior to joining Wharton, Umi spent fifteen years working in the social impact sector in a variety of roles, including running a social enterprise, organizational consulting, curriculum design and instruction, philanthropy and board service. Umi is a graduate of Vassar College and received his Master’s from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education.

Jeff Klein

Executive Director, McNulty Leadership Program
Lecturer, Management Department
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

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Jeff Klein is the director of the Wharton Graduate Leadership Program and the Wharton Leadership Ventures and a lecturer in the Management Department of the Wharton School. In this role, he is responsible for the portfolio of curricular and co-curricular leadership development programs available to Wharton MBA students and for the leading the creation of the Wharton Global Leadership Institute. Jeff works with hundreds of MBA students and executive clients every year. As a lead Venture Instructor, he supports multiple expedition-based experiential leadership programs each academic year.

Recently, Jeff’s passions and interests have led him to the study of cross-sector collaborations that create sustainable economic and social wealth. He teaches two graduate-level courses at the University of Pennsylvania — Transformational Reasoning and The New Leadership Frontier — which examine the historical and current context of cross-sector collaboration. Jeff has also begun a doctorate in Educational Leadership to further ground his studies and these practice-based courses in interdisciplinary theory.

Jeff graduated with honors from both the Wharton School (MBA, Entrepreneurial Studies) and Penn State University (BS, Finance; BA, Media Studies).

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Katherina Rosqueta

Executive Director, Center for High Impact Philanthropy
University of Pennsylvania

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Katherina M. Rosqueta is the founding executive director of the Center for High Impact Philanthropy at the University of Pennsylvania. Before accepting her appointment at the Center in the Spring of 2006, Kat was a consultant with McKinsey & Company. Prior to joining McKinsey, Kat worked in community development, nonprofit management, and venture philanthropy. She has held numerous volunteer and civic leadership positions including board president of La Casa de las Madres (San Francisco’s oldest and largest shelter for battered women and their children); chair of the United Way’s Bay Area Week of Caring; and co-founder and executive committee member of the Women’s MBA Network. She currently serves as an advisor to Charity Navigator, America’s largest charity evaluator, and on the University of Pennsylvania’s Social Responsibility Advisory Committee.

Her work and comments have been cited in numerous publications including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, BusinessWeek, and Miami Herald. She has lectured at the Wharton School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, University of California Haas School of Business, and the University of San Francisco’s Institute for Nonprofit Organization Management.

Kat received her BA cum laude from Yale University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

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Mike Useem

William and Jacalyn Egan Professor of Management
Director, Center for Leadership and Change Management
Editor, Wharton Leadership Digest
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

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Michael Useem, the William and Jacalyn Egan Professor of Management, is director of the Center for Leadership and Change Management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. His university teaching includes MBA and executive MBA courses on leadership and change, and he offers programs on leadership, teamwork, governance, and decision making for managers in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. He also works on leadership development and governance with many companies and organizations in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors.

He is the author of The Leadership Moment; Investor Capitalism; andThe Go Point: When It’s Time to Decide. He is also co-author and co-editor of Learning from Catastrophes, and co-author of The India Way: How India’s Top Business Leaders Are Revolutionizing Management.

Staff

The Prize is managed by a staff with extensive experience in the nonprofit and leadership sectors.

Euria Min

Director, The Lipman Family Prize
McNulty Leadership Program
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

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Euria is the Director of the Barry & Marie Lipman Family Prize and Lipman Fellows Program. She oversees the strategy and execution of the annual global social impact competition and partnerships with the wide Lipman Prize community of honorees organizations, nonprofit partners, philanthropic partners, reviewers and selection committee and steering committee members, fellow alumni, and University partners. She also leads the interdisciplinary year-long Lipman Fellows program which engages graduate students from across the University in a learning community immersed in the social sector through the philanthropic process, and in their individual leadership development.

Euria previously served as the Director of Operations for the Fels Institute of Government, Penn’s Master of Public Administration program. Prior to that role, she served as the Director of Operations for the Robert. A. Fox Leadership Program in the School of Arts & Sciences at Penn, helping students identify, develop, and apply their unique skills and passion through developmental research or public service fellowship opportunities and learning trips, both domestically and internationally.

Euria graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a B.A. in Communication Studies and minor in Global Studies, and received her Master’s in Public Administration from Cal State Long Beach. Euria grew up in Chicago and Los Angeles, and now calls Philadelphia home. She aims to be active in the Philadelphia community with her broad range of interests and passions, and has engaged in various volunteer capacities such as serving as judge of elections for her neighborhood polling place, an associate board member for Covenant House PA, community panelist with the district attorney’s office juvenile justice diversion program, and the American Red Cross disaster action response team. She also currently serves as a deaconess at her church in Chinatown. Euria currently lives in the East Kensington neighborhood with her husband, daughter, and rambunctious cat.

Sara L. Mierke

Associate Director, The Lipman Family Prize
McNulty Leadership Program
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

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With over 25 years of experience, Sara brings to the Barry & Marie Lipman Family Prize and Lipman Fellows Program a deep commitment to advancing community-driven change and elevating leaders who are shaping a more just and sustainable world.

Prior to joining Wharton, Sara founded AnchorEd, a purpose-driven education and community development consulting firm that supports schools, universities and NGOs globally to become powerful local anchors where students thrive and communities flourish.

Sara has designed and led programs at the intersection of education and social justice in the U.S., Central Asia, South and East Africa, China, and Southeast Europe. Her varied leadership roles include lead consultant on a youth climate entrepreneurship initiative for the World Bank in Central Asia, Global Programs Director at African Leadership Academy in South Africa, Director of the Sally & Bob Gries Center for Experiential and Service Learning at Hawken School in Ohio, and Regional Technical Advisor and Education Network Leader for Catholic Relief Services/Europe in North Macedonia.

In recognition of her dedication to grassroots leadership and local impact, in 2015 Sara received the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Neighborhood Leadership Award from University Circle, Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio.

Sara has also served on the Board of Directors of the Independent Schools Experiential Education Network (ISEEN) and the International Advisory Board of International Partners in Mission (IPM). She holds a BA with honors in Anthropology from Amherst College, an MA in International Development and Social Change from Clark University, and an MSEd in Education Entrepreneurship from the University of Pennsylvania.

Tunisia Meek

Program Manager, The Lipman Family Prize
McNulty Leadership Program
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

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Tunisia co-manages the logistics and operations for the Lipman Family Prize and Lipman Fellows Program. Prior to joining Wharton, Tunisia worked at the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, where she provided administrative and operational support for the Education Team in the Impact Department, reviewed grant applications and handled reporting. She also served as a Special Projects Coordinator at The Philadelphia Tribune where she co-run special events.

Born and raised in West Philadelphia, Tunisia stayed in her hometown for higher education receiving her Bachelor’s degree in English from Temple University. She is a founding Steering Committee member of the Philadelphia Black Giving Circle and hopes to continue her professional journey along the philanthropic path.

Kimberly Leichtner

Program Manager, The Lipman Family Prize
McNulty Leadership Program
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

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Kim manages the relationships and partnership benefits for the Lipman Family Prize winner community. Her experiences are in nonprofit management and leadership development. Kim is a trained facilitator and moderates civic dialogues with undergraduate students and adults through Keystone Civic Ventures. She has been a High Performing Team Facilitator for Wharton undergraduates, observing and coaching them on effective teamwork. Previously, Kim has led research on the role of State Chief Administrators and worked with hospital physician leaders on medical workforce issues.

Kim grew up outside of Boston and received her B.A. from Harvard College in Biological Anthropology, and her Master’s in Public Administration from the Fels Institute of Government. She was an inaugural Lipman Family Prize fellow and is thrilled to support the winner community that has grown since she was a fellow!

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Kate FitzGerald

Marketing Director
McNulty Leadership Program

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Kate FitzGerald is a Director of Marketing & Communications for the McNulty Leadership Program and has been with Wharton since 2007. Kate is responsible for all marketing and communications activities across the Center, McNulty Leadership Program, and the Lipman Family Prize. This includes development and implementation of a strategic marketing plan and overall brand identity. She oversees the ongoing maintenance of multiple media channels, including the Center and Program websites, the McNulty Leadership and Lipman Prize social media presences and the photography and video creation needed to promote the brand and programs..

Kate holds a B.A. in Communications from the University of San Diego and an M.A. in Marketing and Advertising from Emerson College. She is graduating in May of 2020 with a Masters in Science of Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. Kate comes from a 20+ year career in corporate marketing, with a focus on identity branding and messaging. Prior to coming back to her home base of Philadelphia, she spent several years living in Europe and Asia. Kate lives outside of Philadelphia and cherishes her time with her two children, Erin and Brendan. In her “free time”, Kate is an avid runner, having completed five marathons and many sprint triathlons.

Lipman Fellows Program

Lipman Fellows are invaluable members of the Lipman Family Prize community. Through the year-long fellowship, the Lipman Family Prize invests in nurturing the next generation of social impact leaders. We believe that direct experience getting immersed in learning about those driving innovative change on the frontlines will enable students to better understand and uproot complex social problems throughout their professional lives. Our commitment to student learning and leadership is setting the stage for future innovation. Our student fellows are building a network of relationships and resources that they’ll take with them wherever they go, and apply to whichever cause they champion next.

THE 2026 LIPMAN FELLOWS PROGRAM APPLICATION IS CLOSED.

A Unique Opportunity for Students

 Organizations applying to the Prize are working on universally experienced social challenges in public health, educational equality, economic development and beyond. Each year, students have opportunities to help refine the execution of the Prize and its ability to leverage the many Penn resources to support the work of world-class social sector organizations. Lipman Fellows support the selection of the Prize winners and develop their leadership skills while learning about the social sector. With the guidance and support from Penn staff and key partners, student fellows from across the University review applications, analyze data, prepare materials for the Prize Committee, meet with the leaders of winning organizations, and participate in the annual awards ceremony

Commitment

The 12-20 fellows participate for a full academic year between late September and May. This is an intensive learning community experience that requires on average 5-7 hours of work per week, several mandatory weekend trainings, and weekly meetings throughout the year. The months of October, November, February and March are typically the busiest.

Eligibility

Any current graduate student who is studying at the University of Pennsylvania’s Philadelphia main campus is eligible, including students in one-year programs and first and second year MBAs. We do not require previous experience with nonprofits, philanthropy or social enterprises. Regardless of past work experience, fellows must demonstrate a current interest in the social sector and in their personal leadership development.

The Experience

The goals of this fellowship is for students to learn about the social sector through the philanthropic process, immerse themselves in a learning community, and invest in their leadership development. The Lipman Fellows’ team structure offers students the chance to explore the leadership dimensions of communication, teamwork, group decision-making and emotional intelligence while employing technical skills like data analysis and project management. The multidisciplinary composition of the Lipman Fellow community allows students to collaborate and challenge themselves in a safe learning environment.

Lipman Fellows Experience Series

Get to know some of our Lipman Fellows in the videos below!
View the rest of the Lipman Fellows Experience Series HERE!

2025 Lipman Fellows Experience

Jenny Kim | 2019 Lipman Fellow

Adamseged Abebe | 2018 Lipman Fellow

Cynthia Degros | 2019 Lipman Fellow

Meet our 2026 Lipman Fellows

Burak Cem Balci

The Wharton School, 2027

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Burak Cem Balcı MBA’27 is a first-year student at The Wharton School studying Finance and Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Previously, Burak worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, where he advised clients in the finance and consumer sectors across five countries. His projects included launching digital businesses that expanded financial inclusion for small enterprises. Burak holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science from Koç University, where he also led the Volunteers Club, coordinating awareness campaigns, fundraising initiatives, and community projects in partnership with NGOs to support disadvantaged groups across Türkiye.

David Caddle

Stuart Weitzman School of Design, 2027

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David Caddle, MCP’27 is a Master of City Planning candidate at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his B.A. in Urban Policy from Rhodes College, where he served as Student Body President and was inducted into the College Hall of Fame. A Coro Fellow alum, David currently leads Caddle Consulting LLC, where he supports nonprofits with capacity building and strategic planning. He also served as Public Affairs Director for the Community Veteran Justice Project, advancing services for justice-involved veterans. His leadership reflects a strong commitment to strengthening nonprofits and building sustainable community impact.

Corali Francisco-Zelkine

Graduate School of Education, 2027

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Corali Francisco-Zelkine, MsEd’27 is a first-year graduate student pursuing an M.S.Ed in Education, Culture, and Society and an M.S. in Nonprofit Leadership. Prior to Penn, Corali spent 10 months off the coast of Salvador, Brazil as a Hart Fellow, working at an NGO supporting local youth and women through educational, artistic, pre-professional, and nutritional programs grounded in Afro-Brazilian and African culture. Corali holds a B.A from Duke University with majors in Cultural Anthropology and Global Health, and a minor in Sociology.

Elliot Kim

Perelman School of Medicine, 2027

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Elliot Kim MPH ’27 is a first-year Master of Public Health student at the Perelman School of Medicine. Elliot attended the University of Pennsylvania and majored in Anthropology with a concentration in Medical Anthropology and Global Health. At Penn, Elliot has conducted research on epigenetics and cancer care delivery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and HUP, and served as President of the Penn Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program (KDSAP), which brings free chronic kidney disease screenings to communities around Philadelphia. Elliot also serves as an assistant conductor for the Penn Symphony Orchestra.

Ruwayda Mohamed

Graduate School of Education, 2026

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Ruwayda Mohamed MSEd’26 is pursuing a MS in International Education Development at Penn Graduate School of Education. Her focus is on global education policy in technology. Before coming to Penn she was a trainee with Norway’s Permanent Delegation to the OECD and UNESCO as well as the United Nations Development Programme, among other roles. Ruwayda has a decade of grassroots experience in education advocacy in East Africa. She holds a B.S. in Sociology with a specialization in economics from the University of Oslo, as well as studies within applied machine learning.

Emmanuelle (Emma) Murphy

The Wharton School, 2027

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Emmanuelle (Emma) Murphy MBA ’27 is a first-year student at The Wharton School. Prior to matriculating at The Wharton School, Emma worked at Goldman Sachs as a derivatives and structured product specialist. While at Goldman, she was integrally involved in recruiting for her alma mater, firm-sponsored community service opportunities and mentorship initiatives. Emma graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia, earning a B.A. in English with minors in Data Science and Foreign Affairs. She plans to devote her career to leveraging the private sector to effect positive social and environmental change.

Jaymaba (Jay) Ndiaye

Perelman School of Medicine, 2025

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Jaymaba Ndiaye, MPH ’25 is a second-year Master of Public Health (MPH) student on the Generalist track. She earned her undergraduate degree in Health and Societies at the University of Pennsylvania before submatriculating into the MPH program. At Penn, Jaymaba works as a Graduate Assistant with the Wharton Undergraduate Division’s Successful Transition Empowerment Program (STEP) and has also served as a public health facilitator for high school students through Pipeline, a program jointly run by the Netter Center for Community Partnerships and the Center for Public Health.

Kimberly Ogun

Perelman School of Medicine, 2027

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Kimberly Ogun MPH ’27 is a first-year Master of Public Health student at the Perelman School of Medicine. Prior to matriculating at Penn, Kimberly worked at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, where she supported the Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders. In this role, she helped convene stakeholders from government, academia, industry, and advocacy organizations to address emerging issues in neuroscience and public health, fostering collaboration and shaping policies and programs. Kimberly holds a B.S. in Health Science with a minor in Public Health from the University of Miami.

Natalia Pacora

Graduate School of Education, 2026

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Natalia Pacora M.S.Ed. ’26 is a master’s student in International Educational Development at the Graduate School of Education, where she is also pursuing a Certificate in Early Childhood and Family Studies. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC). With over eight years of experience in the nonprofit and social innovation sector in Peru and Latin America, Natalia has worked with organizations such as Enseña Perú, Sesame Workshop, Aporta Social Innovation Lab, and Crack the Code.

Maya Patterson

Perelman School of Medicine, 2029

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Maya Patterson MD’29 is pursuing her Doctor of Medicine degree at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She earned her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh. Before Penn, Maya worked as a research study coordinator on an NIH-funded R01 grant, supporting pregnant people with substance use disorders. She also served as president of her university chapter of Bridge Beyond, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that mobilizes college communities to connect people experiencing homelessness with local resources.

Yasieli DeJesus Perez

Graduate School of Educatiom, 2026

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Yasieli DeJesus Perez M.S.Ed.’26 is a master’s student in the Education, Culture, and Society program at the Penn Graduate School of Education. At Penn, Yasieli works as an Admissions Student Assistant at GSE, supports research as an Assistant to Dr. Sigal Ben-Porath, and serves as the Graduate Coordinator for PennCAP’s Graduate School Mentoring Initiative. She earned her B.S. in Sociology with a concentration in Criminology and Criminal Justice and a minor in Political Science from Southern Connecticut State University.

Hannah Posner

Perelman School of Medicine & The Wharton School, 2027

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Hannah Posner MD’27/MBA’27 is a dual-degree candidate at the University of Pennsylvania (Perelman School of Medicine; Wharton MBA in the Health Care Management track). Previously, she was a product analyst on Aledade’s Clinical Innovations team, supporting pilots in behavioral health, advanced care planning, and transitional care management. At Penn, she co-led PennHealthX’s SDoH Accelerator and works with CHIBE on Food-is-Medicine research. She earned her B.A. in History of Science with a minor in Global Health & Public Health Policy from Harvard College.

Reitesh KV Raman

Penn Engineering, 2027

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Reitesh KV Raman MSE’27 is a first-year master’s student in Electrical Engineering, specializing in semiconductor devices, fabrication, and clean energy technologies. Reitesh earned his B.Tech with honors in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, with a Physics minor, from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M). During his undergraduate years, he was active in the National Service Scheme, leading projects from clean-up drives and blood donation campaigns to education programs for children. Outside academics, he enjoys trivia and quizzing, listening to Chopin, cycling, and ice hockey.

Maya Rubin

The Wharton School, 2027

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Maya Rubin MBA’27 is a first-year MBA candidate at Wharton, majoring in Health Care Management. Prior to Wharton she worked in healthcare technology startups; first in business development and technology support for Wellth, a company supporting patient medication adherence, and then in operations at Aledade, a company that partners with independent primary care practices to reduce cost and improve patient care. Maya holds a B.A in Environmental Biology with a concentration in Business Management from Columbia University.

Aysha Siddiquee

Perelman School of Medicine, 2026

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Aysha Siddiquee, MPH ’26 is a second-year MPH candidate at the Perelman School of Medicine, on the Global Health track while pursuing the Health and Human Rights certificate. She is passionate about the intersection of clinical care and public health for vulnerable populations, including refugees, undocumented individuals, and those from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Aysha currently serves as lead of the Penn Global Health Society and as the student representative on the MPH Curriculum Committee. She holds a B.S. in Health Sciences with minors in Global Public Health and Medical Sociology from Drexel University.

Yu-An (Olivia) Wang

Graduate School of Education & School of Social Policy & Practice, 2026

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Yun-An (Olivia) Wang, MsEd’26/MS’26 is a dual degree master’s student, pursuing International Educational Development and Nonprofit Leadership at Graduate School of Education and School of Social Policy and Practice. Prior to Penn, she directed Troy Camp middle school program — a yearlong mentorship program in Los Angeles, and led classes at Harlem Children’s Zone in New York. Olivia holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Southern California.

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