Kelly Rebmann Shepperson

After two decades of success in the pharmaceutical industry—in various customer-facing and business roles at Sanofi—Kelly Rebmann Shepperson (Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics ’22) was ready to pivot. While the vaccine company’s mission of prevention is deeply meaningful to her, she admits realizing that solving business problems was not her passion. “I love strategy and tactics; I'm good at those things,” she says, “But I like solving people and leadership problems a little bit better.”

Ebighe Emafo

By 2020, Ebighe Emafo (Master of Philosophy in Organizational Dynamics `22) had a portfolio of human resources initiatives that he was proud of. “Throughout my career, I always focused on trying to understand what the employee's expectations were, how we as an organization or team were meeting up with those expectations, and what we needed to do to close the gap between expectations and actual experience,” he says. “You can have the best strategy, the best technology, the best tools and resources, and every other organization can copy or improve upon that.

Adele Yang

Adele Yang (Post-Baccalaureate Studies, University of Pennsylvania ’22) has always wanted to study neuropsychology—particularly neuropsychopharmocology. “50% of patients on antidepressant medication are treatment-resistant, and the side effects are terrible,” says Adele. “That’s ultimately why I decided on drug research rather than clinical psychology.

College of Liberal and Professional Studies announces the 2023 graduation speaker

Dr. Brighid Dwyer, Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Penn Arts and Sciences, has been selected to address the College of Liberal and Professional Studies Class of 2023 at the graduation ceremony on Sunday, May 14. “LPS students are phenomenal,” says Dr. Dwyer. “One of the many ways I have been impressed by LPS students is how they remain connected and committed to Penn. It is clear that students have gained so much from their time at LPS and they remain connected to the community.”

Applied Positive Psychology student Valerie Averia wins at this year’s Penn Grad Talks

The College of Liberal and Professional Studies is pleased to recognize the LPS students selected to participate in the Professional Master’s program category of this year’s Penn Grad Talks. The competition, which took place at the Penn Museum on February 24, features TED Talk-style presentations by Penn Arts and Sciences graduate students from the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and professional master’s programs.

MBDS student group uses behavioral science to develop BETR solutions

Whether you work with clients, customers, patients, or students, you’ve likely heard of behavioral science—or wondered how it can improve outcomes in your field. The Behavioral Economics Theory and Research (BETR) Collective, an emerging student group focused on applying behavioral insights to create community impact, wants to help Philadelphia area students and organizations find answers. “The behavioral science toolkit is great for problem-solving across industries,” remarks Ravenn Triplett (MBDS `23), one of the co-founders of BETR Collective.

Pre-Health Programs student group UPenn AMWA wins 2022-2023 AMWA Premedical Outstanding Branch Award

The Pre-Health Programs team is thrilled to announce that UPenn AMWA has been presented the 2022-2023 AMWA Premedical Outstanding Branch Award. The award recognizes the group for hosting a series of events that serve the premed community in the Philadelphia region and for fulfilling the missions of the national AMWA organization.

Organizational Dynamics course on sustainability allows students to collaborate, take a stand, and be creative

Fundamentals of Sustainability, a course offered through the Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics program, provides students with a broad and deep introduction to sustainability concepts and challenges through the lens of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs).

Fashioning Gender: a course that goes beyond our love affair with clothes

“It doesn’t matter who you are or where you live; everybody wears clothing or some sort of embellishment,” says Jacqui Sadashige. “For most of us, what we wear is our way of announcing to the world who we are.”

Sadashige teaches the Penn LPS Master of Liberal Arts course Fashioning Gender, which covers how various subjects intersect with fashion, like class, sustainability, and identity.

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