As Director of the Graduate Student Center, Meredith (she/her) oversees the strategic direction and management of the Center, advises graduate student organizations, and provides the University administration and partners with advice and advocacy related to the graduate and professional student population. She manages a number of grant programs for graduate students, including the PhD Insurance Grants, Graduate Emergency Fund, and Community Impact Fund. Meredith also coordinates programming and support for the Fontaine Society and is responsible for developing and implementing special initiatives to improve the graduate student experience at Penn.
In addition to her regular duties at the Grad Center, Meredith is a an Anti-Violence Advocate, co-convenes the Graduate and Professional Working Group, advises the SAS Graduate Division Faculty Wellness Partners, and serves on the Title IX Advisory Committee, ISSS International Partners Outreach Group, Student Health Insurance Advisory Board, Food Insecurity Task Force, and the Provost's Return to Campus Working Group. Meredith has been honored twice (2022 & 2024) as a Penn Model of Excellence, the University's highest staff honor, including in recognition of her work the cross-functional Emergency and Opportunity Fund team in distributing emergency funding in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and throughout the year.
Meredith earned her doctorate in Political Science at Penn and served as a Grad Center fellow throughout most of her graduate academic career. At the Grad Center, Meredith worked in several different program areas, including Personal Development and PhD Student Support, during which time she created Dissertation Boot Camp and assisted with launching programming for student parents and the Family Resource Center. As a graduate student, Meredith also served as a representative on the Graduate Student Associations Council (GSAC).
After graduating, Meredith held a faculty appointment at Haverford College. She then joined the Pennoni Honors College at Drexel University, first serving as Assistant Director and then Director of the Fellowships Office, after which she became Founding Director of the Center for Scholar Development. In that capacity, Meredith worked with partners across the university to offer skills-based workshops, programs, and resources designed to help students make more intentional choices about their educational and professional paths. She has also taught at Drexel, Bryn Mawr, Rutgers, and Penn.
Meredith is a proud first generation college graduate and is deeply committed to advancing equity, access, and inclusion within academia, particularly as they relate to graduate mentoring and training. Outside of work she enjoys painting, yoga, going to baseball games, and traveling to see friends, family, and nature near and far.
