Contact Us
Weingarten Center
Hamilton Village, 220 S. 40th Street, Suite 260, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6027
Office hours: Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT
We have temporarily moved to Hamilton Village. Our entrance is on 40th Street, between Last Word Bookshop and Ben & Jerry’s.
Once inside Hamilton Village, take the elevator to the second floor and proceed to Suite 260.
Our Team
Jane F. Holahan, Ed.D., Executive Director, Weingarten Center
Key Responsibilities:
- Create initiatives that integrate the services of the Weingarten Center to strengthen programs for students
- Serve on University committees to promote the Weingarten Center mission and collaborate with campus stakeholders to advertise the services of the Weingarten Center
- Incorporate the University Life mission and goals within the Weingarten Center services
- Facilitate Weingarten Center Advisory Board meetings, participate in planning for the Annual Disability Symposium, and support professional development activities for Weingarten Center staff
Operations Team
Sheryl D. Warfield, MBA, Associate Director of Operations
 Key Responsibilities:Â
- WorkDay – Hiring, approve timesheets, job changes, terminations, requisitions, etc.Â
- BEN Financials – Manage, track, and reconciled division ProCards. Create and manage purchase orders, process accounts payables and accounts receivables
- Concur – Process reimbursements for travel and employee purchases
- Manage all financial accounts – Financial management of business activity; run reports, monitor account activity, prepare and reconcile budget accounts
- Manage operations in Stouffer Commons
Lauren Swain, B.A., Operation Supports Coordinator
Key Responsibilities:
- Process payroll
- Process new student accommodation requests
- Assist in building maintenance
- Triage support to students, parents, and faculty
Jaclyn Weisser, B.A., Administrative Coordinator
Key Responsibilities:
- Answer incoming calls from students, parents, and faculty
- Provide information, namely navigating the website, requesting/renewing accommodations, and sharing general information regarding the Weingarten Center services (SDS, LR, and Tutoring Services)
- Work collaboratively with the Operations team
Learning Specialists
Ryan Miller, Ed.D., Director, Academic Support
Key Responsibilities:
- Coordinate Academic Support workshops and other programs, ensuring that all relevant assessment and attendance data is documented
- Support Executive Director with respect to staff development, hiring, budget priorities, external communication, and reporting
- Meet with a limited number of students for individual appointments and facilitate and co-facilitate workshops for a wide variety of Penn students.
- Serve as a pre-major advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences and an advisor for the Office of Student Conduct
Rashmi Kumar, Ed.D., Associate Director and STEM Specialist
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop active learning and technology-driven learning programs for Penn students in STEM fields
- Guide students towards developing feasible goals and unpacking any misconceptions
- Co-create learning templates and study plans in collaboration with studentsÂ
Julianne Reynolds, M.A., Associate Director and Learning Specialist for International Students
Key Responsibilities:
- Provide individual learning consultations and group workshops on a variety of study, academic writing, and time management topics
- Coordinate and co-facilitate the signature Academics Plus workshop series for new undergraduate and graduate international students.
- Serve on the Weingarten Center Leadership Team, the Program Coordination Team and the Assessment Working Group
- Serve as a pre-major advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences and an advisor for the Office of Student Conduct
Gabriel Angrand, M.S.Ed., STEM Learning Specialist
Key Responsibilities:
- Facilitate individual consultations and workshops for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students on a variety of study and time management topics, with special attention to approaching STEM courses
- Support the development and maintenance of the Weingarten Center’s online materials (website, social media, Canvas)
- Work with campus partners to facilitate study group support programing (faculty, FGLI Program Learning Communities, Peer-Guided Study Groups) and effective STEM learning (Organic Chemistry Workshop, faculty)
- Coordinate the Weingarten Ambassadors Program
Pete Kimchuk, B. A., Senior Learning Specialist
Key Responsibilities:
- Design and facilitate workshops
- Maintain availability for student appointments
- Collaborate with campus colleagues in areas of student support
- Serve as a resource to Center colleagues
Jen Kobrin, M.S.Ed., Learning Fellow and Learning Specialist
Key Responsibilities:
- Meet with students to provide individualized study skills support
- Teach study skills workshops
- Coordinate programming with the Graduate Student Center and customizes programs and services for graduate and professional students
Daris McInnis, M.A., Learning Fellow and Learning Specialist
Key Responsibilities:
- Support undergraduate, graduate, and professional students through one-on-one consultations to strengthen adult students’ academic reading, writing, and time management skills by utilizing strategies and techniques tailored to individuals’ needs
- Develop and conduct differentiated workshops and seminars for students and organizations throughout the UPenn campus
Jordan Yanoshik, M.S.Ed., Learning Specialist for Students with Disabilities
Key Responsibilities:
- Discuss student progress and take recommendations for strategies from Student Disabilities Services staff to ensure needs are being met.
- Work with Student Intervention Services, Counseling Center, Office of Student Conduct, Academic Advisors and other campus partners in supporting students
- Discuss with the student the individual way their disability impacts not only their school performance, but their day-to-day life to craft a comprehensive support plan that will provide them not only with academic skills and executive functioning skills needed for their post-Penn life
- Make referrals and recommendations for additional support as needed
Tutoring Team
Valerie Wrenn, M.A., Associate Director, Tutoring Services
Key Responsibilities:
- Collaborate with faculty, student groups and campus partners to improve and develop content support including tutoring and embedded workshops or programs
- Oversee the hiring, training, and quality management of 250+ Peer Educators, as well as the design of a comprehensive training program for them
- Design and implement assessment tools for the monitoring and improvement of tutoring services
- Serve as a member of the Weingarten Center Leadership team and participate in other center wide initiatives
Patricia Briscoe-Cypress, B.A., Administrative Coordinator, Tutoring Services
Key Responsibilities:
- Manage interview process, evaluate student needs, refer students to other campus departments, as needed
- Outreach to other departments for tutors when needed.
- Follow-up with students after tutor assignment during the 3rdweek and end of semester
- Respond to general tutoring questions
Disability Services
Aaron Spector, M.S.Ed., Director, Disability Services
Key Responsibilities:Â
- Direct the total service delivery of Disability ServicesÂ
- Supervise staff in Student Disabilities ServicesÂ
- Serve on the Leadership Team of the Weingarten Center, the scholarship committee, and Disability Symposium planningÂ
- Meet with students who request reconsideration of an accommodation decisionÂ
- Promote disability inclusion and accessibility throughout the Penn communityÂ
Erica Gillaspy, M.A., Associate Director, Disability Services
Key Responsibilities:
- Engage in the interactive process of determining reasonable accommodations by reviewing disability documentation and gathering the students’ self-report
- Maintain records for assigned students in the Weingarten Center database, including session notes and accommodation information
- Oversee the disability-related housing accommodation process for the university; Collaborate with Residential Services to make the process as seamless as possible for students requesting disability-related housing accommodations
- Oversee the Penn Accessible Transit process and keeping in close communication with my colleagues in the Transit Department.
Amrou Ibrahim, B.A., Associate Director for Assistive Technology
Key Responsibilities:
- Responsible for making sure that students with print disabilities (i.e. visual, learning) receive their course materials in accessible formats.
- Oversee the conversion and formatting of texts in accordance with the student’s disability and preferred format.
- Confer with students who need assistive technology software and hardware and provides them with recommendations and training.
- Work closely with faculty, staff, web-developers, and instructional-designers at various schools and offices around campus to address accessibility needs and provide consultation and training
Sabria Kegler, M.A., Associate Director, Disability Services
Key Responsibilities:
- Work with the Disability Services staff to review documentation to determine accommodations on the basis of Disability Services guidelines and University protocol
- Serve as an advisor for students with disabilities by guiding them through the accommodation process and referring them to University resources
- Participate in Weingarten Center meetings and serves on committees
Pam Balkovec, M.S., Learning Disability Consultant
Key Responsibilities:
- Assist students with the identification of a disability, explore resources for documentation/support and work with the student through the accommodation process
- Review submitted documentation and make recommendations for accommodations in conjunction with the documentation review committee
- Consult with parents, faculty, staff and campus partners regarding disability issues and accommodations
- Work with students who are deaf and hard of hearing to identify the necessary
- Supports for access, such as FM systems, technology, captioning, interpreters.
Schyler Ellerbee, B.A., Accommodations Specialist
Key Responsibilities:
- Manage test reservation database to create test schedule, coordinate retrieval of exams from professors, and oversee assigning students to test sites in accordance with established protocol
- Handle note-taking arrangements for students for students with disabilities
- Coordinate the hiring and training of test proctors and note-takers
Kaitlin Molloy, J.D., Disability Specialist
Key Responsibilities:
- Review medical documentation in accordance with established guidelines; conduct interactive consultations with students to determine accommodations
- Advise students through the accommodation process and provide ongoing support to students and recommending University services
- Support the mission of Disability Services and the Weingarten Center by participating in staff meetings and assorted departmental initiatives
Molly Mulhern, B.A., Accommodations Specialist
Key Responsibilities:
- Manage test reservation database to create test schedule, coordinate retrieval of exams from professors, and oversee assigning students to test sites in accordance with established protocol
- Handle note-taking arrangements for students with disabilities
- Handle the hiring and training of test proctors and note-takers
Weingarten Ambassadors
The Weingarten Ambassadors program brings together undergraduate, graduate, and professional students from various disciplines and affiliations to increase student awareness and use of the services and programs of the Weingarten Center.