Category Archives: GAN

May 25, 2012 · 3:52 pm

The Global Alumni Network and the Class of 1992

Author:  Kiera Reilly, C’93 (@KieraReilly)

Alumni Weekend and Commencement is one of the happiest times at Penn. As usual, the entire Alumni Relations staff is ready to welcome the thousands of alumni, family, and friends returning to Penn to reconnect. I was especially excited to meet up with my class president Lisa Nass Grabelle and vice president Chrissy Bass Hofbeck to party hop on Saturday night so we could start planning for our 20th reunion (yikes) next year (follow us @Penn1993 or join our Facebook group Penn Class of 1993).

On Friday, I started recognizing a pattern that I hadn’t noticed before. I bumped into Sean Kelly, ’92, and his wife on Locust Walk. I didn’t know Sean at Penn, but met him after we graduated when I started working in Penn’s western regional office in Los Angeles and Sean was the president of the Penn Club of Seattle. I still remember the delicious fresh salmon he brought to barbecue at the club’s annual picnic in September. We chatted and mentioned Alexa Chiang, also ’92, who became president of the club after Sean. Alexa recently relocated to Hong Kong after several years in Shanghai, so she couldn’t attend the reunion.

Later that afternoon, I saw Phil Crosby, also ’92, returning to campus for his 20th reunion with his wife and daughters. Like Sean and Alexa, Phil too is a former club president – of the Penn Club of Northern California. While chatting with Phil, Deirdre Abramson ,’93, walked up. Phil, Deirdre, and I all know each other from the Penn Irish Club, so it was a happy Irish Club reunion. Then, yet another ’92 graduate and former club president came by, Carine Blanchet. Like Sean, Alexa, and Phil, Carine is also a former club president…like Phil, Carine was also president of the Penn Club of Northern California until last year. On Saturday, I bumped into Robby Koepel Foss .’92, at the CVS with her husband and son. Like Sean, Alexa, Phil and Carine, Robby too is a former club president – of the Penn Club of Austin. Unlike Sean, Alexa, Phil and Carine, Robby is also a current Penn Club President. Since last year Robby has led and revitalized the Penn Club of San Diego.

Penn Irish Club Reunion

So, I’m not sure what happened when the Class of 1992 (@UPenn92) was at Penn, but many of them moved west and are active and engaged alumni…and leading our regional alumni clubs! Hurrah, Hurrah for the Global Alumni Network and the leadership in the Penn Class of 1992!

If you are a member of the Class of 1992, or any class at Penn, I encourage you to join the Global Alumni Network…don’t let ’92 have all the fun!

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Alumni Weekend, Clubs, Commencement, GAN, Kiera R., Penn Clubs, Reunions

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March 26, 2012 · 6:24 pm

My Top Penn List: Favorite Pictures from Visits to My Penn Club Cities

I fancy myself to be a very amateur photographer. My tool is the iPhone. So, armed only with a willingness to contort and a gigs of memory, I go out and snap a few photos while I have a free moment in my Penn Club cities.  Here are my 10 favorite pictures that I have taking along my travels in the last year (since the start of this blog.)

10. Washington, DC

Something about the black marble of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the foreground and the line of sight being drawn up through the Washington Monument under the dusky sky made me pause and wanted this picture. For club information, visit the Penn Club of Washington, DC’s webpage.

9. Austin.

Here is a vista of the neighborhood of East Austin. For more information about alumni activities in the area, please contact our alumni representative for Austin.

8. Hampton Roads

The unusual juxtaposition of a church from New England, deep in the Tidewater city of Norfolk, VA was a curiosity. For more information about alumni activities in the area, please contact our alumni representative for Hampton Roads.

7. Boston

This is view of Beantown from Cambridge is so quintessentially Boston. For club information, visit the Penn Club of Boston’s webpage.

6. Denver

On the steps leading to the entrance of the State Capitol, one is marked as a mile above sea level. While I don’t think that the iPhone is best for night pictures, I found this to be a fun image to take.For club information, visit the Penn Club of Denver’s webpage.

5. Dallas

While for most Americans Dealey Plaza is known as the backdrop to JFK’s assassination, I found it to be a charming tribute to the pioneer spirit that forged Dallas.For more information about alumni activities in the area, please contact our alumni representative for Dallas and Fort Worth.

4. Baltimore

Usually, I think of Camden Yards or the Bromo Seltzer Tower as typical Baltimore building. So the drama of lines of the building drawing you up to the American flag at the top was a favorite of mine to photograph. For club information, visit the Penn Club of Baltimore’s webpage.

3. Richmond

The beauty in the massive brickwork in this theatre couldn’t go unnoticed and it caught my attention. For more information about alumni activities in the area, please contact our alumni representative for Richmond.

2. San Antonio

I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking about James Bowie, Davey Crockett, William Travis, and the like as well as remembering the Alamo when someone mentions San Antonio. However, did you know that San Antone has stunning Japanese Tea Garden? This charming foot bridge looks inspired by other gardens’ moon bridges and immediately provides me with a sense of calm. For club information, visit the Penn Club of San Antonio’s webpage.

1. Houston

Twenty miles outside the traffic of Space City stands this monument commemorating Texas’ Independence from Mexico in 1836.  Almost 12 feet taller than the Washington Monument, the San Jacinto Monument is this world’s tallest monumental column. It stands at the site of the Battle of San Jacinto and today, commends a grand command over the state park. For club information, visit the Penn Club of Houston’s webpage.

For alumni club activities and more information for our other 110 clubs, please visit the Global Alumni Network main page.

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March 13, 2012 · 2:24 pm

Penn and Wharton Club of Arizona Celebrate Ben’s Birthday

Author: Laura Solie, W’08

In January, forty Penn Alumni from the Wharton Club of Arizona gathered to celebrate the birth of Ben Franklin. The event, an annual tradition within Penn and the Wharton Club of Arizona, brought together alumni both young and old to cheer the birth of Penn’s founder.

After mingling around the catered food and sparkling conversation with friends, our Penn President reined us in for official introductions. As we went around the room introducing ourselves by name, school, graduation yard, and quick life updates, several things became apparent.

First, our experiences after graduation were incredibly diverse.  From creating a thirty-year career as a surgeon after studying art history to flitting around the country trying to make it in the hotel industry, our Penn education led us to success in many different directions.

Second, each and every one of us had an unique Penn story to share. Our older alumni recalled the days of Locust Walk when it was a road, while the younger folk dwelt on somewhat hazy memories of Spring Fling.

Third, and what stood out to me the most, was that someone named Candice Bergen had attended Penn and many people recalled knowing her as a student. Once her name was mentioned, the stories flowed. “She was, in fact, my roommate freshman year,” one alumna fondly remembered.

“Oh, of course! Candice Bergen! I have watched all of her movies,” shared another excitedly.

I found myself wondering who the heck this person was, and why I wasn’t more up-to-date on our Penn celebrities. After references to movies that were released way before my time (The Hunting Party??), I quickly searched for her name on my iPhone. “Oh!” I exclaimed after a moment. “The crazy mom in Sweet Home Alabama and on TV as Murphy Brown! She went to Penn? Awesome!”

And with that, I left another Penn event with pride for our accomplishments and the great feeling of being part of a special group–a group, as I now know, that includes a very famous celebrity.

Penn alumni enjoying conversation and recounting tales of a famous alumna.

For more information about other Penn & Wharton Club of AZ activities, visit the club website here.

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Filed under Clubs, GAN, Guest blogger, Historical, Memories of Penn, Penn Clubs

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February 24, 2012 · 3:24 pm

Snow at Penn

Author: Kiera Reilly, C’93

I work for Penn, but I am based in our western regional office in Los Angeles. For the past few years, I’ve returned to campus in February for the Penn Alumni board and Global Alumni Network retreats. Last year, I flew in from Seattle after a Penn event there the night before, and our flight was delayed due to snow in Philadelphia. My colleagues flying with me were not thrilled, nor was everyone back at Penn, as about a week or so prior there was a huge snowstorm. Snow was still around making everyone miserable, and no one wanted any more.

But for me, I couldn’t have been happier. I love the winter and snow. I was born in New Jersey but moved to Texas when I was 12. When I decided to attend Penn for college, I looked forward to beautiful snow falling on the campus. Sadly, during my four years on campus, we barely had any snowfall. My senior year, as everyone was returning from Spring Break, we finally got some serious snow – enough to cancel flights and delay everyone’s return to campus.

So, when I was on campus two weekends ago, I was thrilled to be in a session with our Global Alumni Network volunteers in Huntsman Hall and see snow falling outside. It wasn’t sticking to the ground though, but it made me smile. Later that night, as I exited the Palestra after watching the Men’s Basketball team eke out a victory over Dartmouth, it was snowing again. I was with Melissa Wu, C’98, of PennClubLA,  and Beth Topor, W’80, of the Penn Club of Northern California. How fitting that three California Penn grads walked out to windy snow…and then desperately tried to find an available cab.

I didn’t get any pictures of that snow, since it was night, but I share with you below some photos from March 2009 that I took. Everything is so pretty when covered with snow!

Locust Walk in front of Van Pelt-Dietrich Library

College Green (not looking so green...)

 

Furness Fine Arts Library

 

Ben Franklin Statue in front of College Hall

 

Shops on Sansom Street, including the now closed Black Cat

 

Birds chirping near the food trucks behind Meyerson Hall

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Campus Life, GAN, Kiera R., Penn Clubs, Philadelphia, Photos

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February 22, 2012 · 9:08 am

Wanted: Newletter Editor

Author: Nicole Oddo, C’05

Have you ever wanted to reach over 2,500 alumni with the click of a button? I’ve had the chance to work on the Penn Alumni Club of Philadelphia newsletter and want to pass on this unique opportunity. It’s a blast to craft the title, first few sentences, and the included events.  I’m looking for a volunteer to help with sending the newsletter – the time commitment is just a few hours a month. Email president@pennclubphilly.org to volunteer.

One of the perks of writing the newsletter is the chance to highlight upcoming events. I thought I’d share this week’s two great events – a Highball Happy Hour tonight (Wednesday, 2/22) and a Family Night at the Palestra this Friday, 2/24. The first is a highly successful event that draws a real crowd of alumni to mix and mingle with happy hour specials at a cool venue. The second is with the Association of Alumnae and a new, family-oriented event that is sure to be a lot of fun! We hope to have a great group of Penn families attend and start a new tradition. See you at an upcoming event!

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January 25, 2012 · 2:34 pm

Connecting Penn Alumni to Each Other

Author: Nicole Oddo, C’05

January brings a new Penn Alumni Club of Philadelphia Board and another year of volunteer leaders planning events connecting local alumni to Penn, Philadelphia, and each other.  As the President of the Penn Alumni Club of Philadelphia, I was determined to start the year energized and worked with one of the board members to plan a kick off retreat.  We did a short survey to learn what was most important to our mission and for the future of the club.  While the responses covered a breadth of interests (a wonderful quality for a board), one thing was common. Everyone wanted the club to help them meet other Penn Alumni.  The motivations varied from looking for professional clients, to making new friends, to networking and career exploration, but the end goal was the same, to meet new people.

Penn people love meeting each other and the Penn Alumni Club of Philadelphia provides that opportunity. I love how alumni events and volunteering have introduced me to so many of “classmates” whether we were at Penn together or not! Whether you are interested in community service projects, speed networking, the Phillies, or grabbing drinks at a cool venue in the city, we have something for you. Like our next event this Thursday, Ben Franklin’s Birthday at the old Philadelphia establishment, McGillins. Check it out.  I hope to see you there!

P.S. If you are not in Philadelphia, there is a whole Global Alumni Network out there – see where your club is!

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Clubs, Events, GAN, Nicole O., Penn Clubs, Philadelphia, Uncategorized

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December 30, 2011 · 2:25 pm

Penn Men’s Basketball Faces UCLA in Anaheim, CA

Author: Kiera Reilly, C’93

On December 10, the Penn Men’s Basketball team made their first trip to Southern California since 2003. The last time the Quakers came to town, they played the USC Trojans at the Forum in Inglewood (and beat them quite soundly). This year, Penn was scheduled to play the UCLA Bruins. As the famous Pauley Pavilion on UCLA’s campus is undergoing renovations, the game was set for the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA (home of the Anaheim Ducks Ice Hockey).

The Honda Center in Anaheim, CA - location for Penn vs UCLA on Dec. 10th

Colleagues in Alumni Relations, Athletics and Development coordinated to plan a pre-game reception before the game and invited all alumni and current parents in the Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego areas to attend. We hoped for an enthusiastic crowd but weren’t entirely sure how many Penn fans would attend. In fact, we had an informal bet, with all of us guessing the number of attendees. Everyone thought I was a bit crazy for making the high guess of 380, but I knew that our Southern California alumni would want to come cheer for our Quakers! I underestimated the turn-out by a bit – over 400 people attended our reception before the game.

Jerome Allen, W’95, the Jordan R. Rockwell Head Coach of Men’s Basketball, stopped by early in the reception to say a few words. PennClubLA President Melissa Wu, C’98, thanked him for coming and presented him with a local treat – an In-n-Out t-shirt and gift certificate.

PennClubLA president Melissa Wu, C'98, and Coach Jerome Allen, W'95

Below are some photos from the reception. We must thank PennClubLA (www.pennclubla.com; Twitter: @PennClubLA) , Penn Club of Orange County (twitter: @PennClubOC), Penn Club of San Diego (twitter: @PennClubSD) and the Wharton Club of Southern California (www.whartonsocal.com) for their help in spreading the word about the reception and game. If you are in Southern California, I encourage you to connect with any of these Penn alumni groups!

A good time was had by all, but unfortunately the Quakers came up short on the court, falling to UCLA 77 – 73. Senior Tyler Bernardini, from nearby Carlsbad, CA, had a career high 29 points in the game, so we congratulate him on a great performance in front of a home crowd.

We hope the team comes back to visit us soon! Go Quakers!

For a re-cap of the game see: http://www.pennathletics.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=1700&ATCLID=205345011

Follow the team as they are set to play Duke on Jan. 1. Updates via twitter @PennBasketball

(As we post this, the Lady Quakers are in San Diego for the Surf N Slam classic – after defeating UNC-Greensboro yesterday, they will play host the SDSU Aztecs in the championship game at 2 pm PST. For more information see: http://www.pennathletics.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=1700&ATCLID=205353175 and follow the team @PennWomensbball)

Ed Balsamo C'96, W'96, brought his son to meet Coach Allen.

Dedicated Quaker fans Allan, C'81, and Dale, MT'81, Bell traveled from NJ for the game and caught up with Don Rosen, C'78

Penn Club of Orange County's Jeannie Quan Hogue, C'88, and her daughter were excited to see so many alumni in Anaheim.

I caught up with classmate, Mitchell Kraus, C'93, and we reminisced about when Jerome Allen and his teammates won the Ivy League Championship our senior year.Ed Balsamo, C'96, W'96, brought his son to meet Coach Allen

Me and Penn Club LA members, Gloria Lee, C'97, GCP'98, WG'07, Melissa Wu, C'98, Terry Baris, C'84, and Andy Firchau--all of us sporting our Red & Blue.

It was a beautiful California day, perfect for socializing outside.

The basketball team strategizing during a time-out.

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Athletics, Clubs, GAN, Kiera R., Penn Clubs, West Coast Regional Office

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October 26, 2011 · 1:54 pm

Penn Club of LA is the Place to Be

Author: Lisa Ellen Niver, CAS’89

Join us in Los Angeles for awesome Penn Club events. Our Quaker spirit needs you!! There are over 9,000 Penn alumni in our vast city alone and we’re looking for you go join us.

President Melissa Wu, pictured here at our annual summer dinner on the beach at the Jonathan Club with TJ, Kevin, Lisa, George and Kiera.

The club is run by President Melissa Wu and a group of alumni leaders who are active, engaged, and fiercely loyal to Penn. Together, we support Penn’s interests and goals, acting as the primary alumni connection with the University, and engaging as many alumni as possible through social, networking, and educational activities.

You don’t even have to take my word for it. Recently, the club learned that it would receive the prestigious Alumni Award of Merit for its outstanding merits. To quote from the citation:  “For creative events, unstoppable energy, uncorked enthusiasm for all things Penn and, most of all, for not letting a 2,400-mile distance diminish its passion for the University, Penn Alumni is proud to present PennClubLA with the Alumni Club Award of Merit for 2011.”

In addition, the club regularly hosts fun and thought-provoking events for our members.  Recently, our club was part of the National Event, Meet Plan Go! to inspire career break travel. A sell-out crowd of over 100 participants gathered at India’s Oven to hear from a panel including Richard Bangs (PBS Adventure with a Purpose), Jennifer Leo (LA Times), and Lisa Napoli (KCRW).

Standing Room Only

Local leaders have noticed our efforts. I am proud to say that City Council member, Bill Rosendahl, recently honored me and my partner, George Rajna, along with our group, We Said Go Travel, for our leadership and community building with group and events alongside the Penn Club of LA.

The Certificate

Participating in Meet Plan Go for the first year, the Los Angeles meet-up was one of the biggest events of all seventeen cities. The October 18 event was the fourth event planned by my husband and me this year. I hope you will join us for our next club-affiliated event on November 29 at Century City’s X-Bar with the theme: Travel With Technology: “My Favorite Travel App.” App designers from Ship Mate and Studio Mini will be in attendance. For more information on all our events, visit www.wesaidgotravel.com or contact me directly.

You can also see what’s happening at the Penn Club of LA by going to www.pennclubla.com.

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Clubs, GAN, Lisa Ellen Niver, Penn Clubs, West Coast Regional Office

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September 14, 2011 · 4:37 pm

Time for First September

Author: Nicole Oddo, C’05

There is a sense of beginning with the start of every school year, even when you are not a student (after a few years of grad school, I am happy to not have to think about textbooks, finding my classrooms, writing papers or a required selection of reading).

It’s a chance to start again and continue working on those goals on your to do list. It is also a chance to meet new people. Of course, one of the best things about September as a Penn alumna is First September.  This event happens in cities all over the world. It’s our way of welcoming the newest class of alumni, this year the class of 2011. I particularly like this event because I have participated and planned First Septembers in Phoenix, Chicago, and Philadelphia. When I returned to Philadelphia in 2008, I volunteered to help for that First September.  I worked the registration table and quickly had the chance to meet so many alumni in the area. In Chicago, we did Quizzo, a bar trivia event that we adored in college (and many of us still play!). I also remember setting up the first event in Arizona, at the Ritz Carlton bar. While we didn’t have many young alumni there, we had a great turnout of people new to the club and new to Phoenix.

So, regardless of whether you are the class of 2011, new to the area, or just want to meet new people at the start of another school year, join us at First September!

If you are in Philadelphia, we’ll be touring Yards Brewery and will have a chance to meet over a pint!

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Clubs, Events, GAN, Nicole O., Penn Clubs, Philadelphia

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September 1, 2011 · 8:00 am

Of Storms and Books

Author: Lisa Ellen Niver, CAS’89

With Hurricane Irene this weekend, I have been reminiscing about my freshman year in the Quad and my first hurricane, Hurricane Gloria. Raised on the West Coast, I only knew earthquakes with no warning; the 48 hours of waiting to end up playing in the rain in our flip-flops was a new experience. While at Penn, I learned so much in and out of the classroom, but never imagined learning how to handle a hurricane would be one of my adventures!

Now back on the West Coast, it has been my honor to participate with other alumni in the Penn Club of Los Angeles.  I am so excited that fellow alumnae, Rachel Friedman, will be joining our club for a reading of her book about travel and personal transformation. It’s called The Good Girl’s Guide to Getting Lost: A Memoir of Three Continents, Two Friends, and One Unexpected Adventure and I highly recommend it.

So, if you happen to be in the LA area on September 6, please join us at Traveler’s Bookcase at 7 PM to hear from Rachel, to meet other travelers, and to hear more about past trips and future travel dreams. This will be our third event since March and at each event, the group continues to grow. Read the details at www.wesaidgotravel.com or you can email me directly at for more information. I would love to hear your travel stories too if you would like to share them with me.

Want more?  You can read my most recent article here and also view the Penn Club LA event listing here.

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Alumni Programming, Clubs, GAN, Penn Clubs, Travel

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