News

Penn GSE professors and programs are engaged in more than 150 international partnerships and projects in more than 60 countries around the globe. The goal? To change the world through education.

As he steps up his role from executive director to assistant dean for teacher preparation and undergraduate education, Sexton is using what he learned completing his executive doctorate over the last two years to “lean into strategic thinking.”

Report commissioned by the Midwestern Higher Education Compact recommends reliable funding and targeted outreach.

Penn GSE welcomed scores of alumni back to campus to celebrate, reconnect, and learn from a timely faculty panel about how educators can facilitate open and constructive classroom conversations during polarized times.

Hartman joins Penn GSE as director of the Executive Doctorate in Higher Education Management and senior fellow, effective July 7.

On May 17, in the Palestra, Penn GSE commemorated the achievements of the roughly 700 master’s and doctoral graduates at this year’s Commencement ceremony.

Weaver examines the broad implications of the evolving role of college athletics and the coming impacts to institutions and students.

From first-time presenters to seasoned scholars, the Penn GSE community showed up big at AERA 2025 with fresh ideas and powerful conversations.

The Penn GSE assistant professor provides actionable advice for institutions striving for a more representative professoriate in Inside Higher Ed.

Penn GSE alumni from across the academic spectrum have advised politicians, worked in the White House and the statehouse, and spurred change in our nation’s schools and universities thanks to their evidence-backed expertise in education policy.

The adjunct assistant professor has been an Olympic-level athlete, a national championship coach, and a university athletics administrator. Now, she teaches higher education leaders what they need to know to successfully navigate their institutions through the serious challenges facing college athletics today.

The subscription-based service is available to families and school counselors and is currently used in several Philadelphia-area schools, a national network of 25 charter schools, and even a school in Qatar.

She seeks a career combining her passions for teaching and research.

Penn GSE higher education scholars Matthew Hartley and Alan Ruby explore how universities around the world are redefining excellence by aligning with their missions and making meaningful impacts on their communities.

The first-of-its-kind program aims to support university presidents and senior higher education leaders in championing transformation and innovation within their institutions.

This year’s theme, “The Leadership Moment,” addressed significant challenges in the field, from the enrollment cliff to school mergers and acquisitions and speech freedom.

Eight Penn GSE faculty feature prominently in the rankings, which celebrate the most influential education researchers in the nation.

The researcher and entrepreneur, who was formerly the CIO for for NASA's Johnson Space Center, gives a tour of her office including her launch photos and neurotech device.

Look back with us at some of the stories that defined 2024 for our community.

Campbell draws on strong educational ties to the Philadelphia region and a depth of experience in educational leadership in his new role.

Julie Wollman emphasized that university presidents now face heightened complexity due to societal shifts, including political polarization and a decline in respectful discourse, and must exhibit strong principles, interpersonal skills, transparency, and a proactive approach to foundational leadership functions rather than reactive crisis management.

Last year’s rollout of the redesigned FAFSA form was disastrous. Laura Perna offers advice to help you get through it this year.

Julee Gard — Vice President for Administration & Finance at the University of St. Francis in Illinois — has gained attention for her model’s ability to provide institutional leaders with actionable insights to enhance financial stability.

Launching Fall 2025, this fully online program prepares professionals to integrate AI and learning science, driving innovation in education globally.

Andrew Porter suggests that elite universities with lower acceptance rates often minimize racial graduation rate disparities by selecting students who are the best academic "fit" and fostering a "sense of belonging" through significant investments in support systems that address both academic and emotional challenges specific to nonwhite students.

Julie Wollman explains how out-of-state recruitment has become essential for Pennsylvania colleges in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, raising questions about access for local students.

Laura Perna highlights that recent FAFSA application delays have caused “confusion and real challenges” for students and colleges but believes the planned modifications will ultimately make the process simpler and more beneficial for students.

Karen Weaver highlights that differing state laws pose a major obstacle to college athletes' unionization within conferences, creating legal disparities and recruiting challenges.

Peter Eckel argues that colleges should adapt chemistry programs to align with current student interests, such as sustainability, rather than closing them, to stay competitive and relevant.

His commentary was cited by "Nature" and "Science."

Jonathan Zimmerman argues that college rankings should prioritize teaching quality, advocating for classroom observations to assess professor effectiveness rather than relying on inadequate metrics like salaries or student evaluations.

Penn GSE is a key partner in a global research project led by WISE, investigating the role of AI in higher education and its impact on equity and student outcomes.

A two-time college president, Wollman emphasizes the need for stronger, more effective mentoring programs to support tenure-track faculty.

Karen Weaver claims that college conference realignments are driven primarily by television revenue, particularly from football, and warns that budget disparities within conferences could widen existing divides between schools.

Federal student loan debt now totals $1.645 trillion across 43.6 million borrowers, according to the Education Data Initiative.

Peter Eckel writes that University presidents must actively collaborate with faculty and faculty governance bodies during a crisis to ensure the best outcome for the institution.

India is the best represented nation in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, which measures universities’ social and economic impact.

Jonathan Zimmerman argues that the push to weaken tenure will hurt all professors, and warns that these efforts can be turned on conservative professors, even though they are being used against progressive professors currently.

Cortes transforms her office into a dynamic cultural hub, where academic insights and personal touches spark conversations and foster a sense of belonging among students.

The Penn GSE professor has co-authored 517 papers and been cited more than 30,000 times.

South Korean higher ed policy officer and Global Higher Education Management student Yangju Yi describes the master’s program as “eye-opening,” while her policy experience has enriched the class experience for her peers.

Diana Wildermuth shares her expertise in the world of recruiting for college athletics.

Peter Eckel says that specialized schools that survive will be those that can find a niche and develop a pipeline of students in the near-term.

Executive Doctorate in Higher Education Management student Keith McIntosh shares his journey to Penn GSE and his experience in the program.

Peter Eckel describes John Fry's previous track record of establishing long-term plans and goals for institutions, and expects that he will do the same for Temple. He also emphasizes Temple's importance in the region and its' need for a competent leader.

Karen Weaver discusses the NCAA settlement agreement and the effect it will have on student-athletes and college sports overall in Penn Today.

Julie Wollman says that most institutions of higher education tend to think they’re the only institution that’s not going to be affected by enrollment problems.

Karen Weaver says that any plan to de-professionalize college athletics could be a hard sell if it looks like it’s emphasizing something other than winning.

Robert Zemsky says that the richest and biggest institutions of higher education will continue to prosper while small and vulnerable schools go out of business.

Laura Perna links declining college enrollment at Triangle Tech to students entering the workforce straight out of high school.