Faculty Expert

  • Katharine O. Strunk

    Dean, Graduate School of Education

    Policy, Organizations, Leadership, and Systems Division

Philadelphia, PA — November 20, 2025 — The University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE) is proud to announce the establishment of the Usdan Family Professorship for Special Education, a newly endowed faculty chair made possible through a generous gift from Andrea Pollack, C’83, L’87, GED’17, and Adam Usdan. This landmark endowment will support innovative research, teaching, and leadership in the field of special education.

The announcement was made today by Dean Katharine O. Strunk, who emphasized the significance of the Usdan Chair in advancing Penn GSE’s commitment to inclusive education and evidence-based practices that support learners with diverse needs.

“This extraordinary gift will allow Penn GSE to recruit a leading scholar whose work will shape the future of special education,” said Dean Strunk. “We are deeply grateful for the Usdan family’s vision and generosity, which will have a lasting impact on our students, our research, and the communities we serve.”

The search for the inaugural Usdan Chair will begin in 2026, with the goal of appointing a distinguished expert whose scholarship and advocacy reflect Penn GSE’s values of equity, excellence, and innovation.

The Usdan Chair will join a dynamic academic community at Penn GSE, collaborating across disciplines to address urgent challenges in education and improve outcomes for students with disabilities.

The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE) is one of the nation’s premier research centers for education. Its faculty address pressing challenges across the globe through scholarship, practice, and policy. 

Media Inquiries

Penn GSE Communications is here to help reporters connect with the education experts they need.

Kat Stein

Executive Director of Penn GSE Communications

(215) 898-9642

katstein@upenn.edu

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