Awards & Service

Penn Alumni Faculty Award of Merit, University of Pennsylvania Alumni Association, 2022

This award recognizes faculty members who have made outstanding contributions to alumni education and engagement at Penn by sharing their unique scholarship work with the alumni community. Special emphasis is placed on a faculty member who goes above and beyond the call of duty by engaging alumni with the university as their intellectual home. 

 

“This award holds special meaning for me as a teacher and Penn alumna,” Professor Perna says. “It is such a privilege to work with students—teaching and advising them, collaborating with and learning from them. GSE’s master’s and doctoral candidates, as well as the undergrads who work on my research team, constantly push me to grow intellectually. I treasure the opportunity to stay connected with them as they move into their own careers.”

 

Member, National Academy of Education

In 2019, Professor Perna was elected to join the National Academy of Education, an organization dedicated to advancing high-quality education research and its use in policy and practice. NAEd members are elected on the basis of outstanding scholarship related to education.

 

President, Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), 2014 to 2015

With about 2,200 members, ASHE advances research on higher education administration. As president and with financial support from the William T. Grant Foundation, Professor Perna worked to improve connections between higher education research and higher education policy and practice. Over the course of a year, ASHE members met with leaders of five intermediary organizations to consider the state of research-based knowledge on important current issues facing policymakers and practitioners, and how researchers can better work with policymakers and practitioners going forward. Findings were presented at the 2015 ASHE Conference in Denver, Colorado.

 

Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching, University of Pennsylvania, 2010

Penn awards eight Lindback Awards annually; award winners are determined by nominations and recommendations made by faculty and students.

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Member, Board of Directors and Treasurer, Postsecondary Network Policy Institute (PNPI)

PNPI is dedicated to promoting professional development for current and prospective policymakers who work on higher education issues.

 

Member, THRIVE Advisory Board, Bowdoin College

THRIVE is a college-wide initiative, with a range of programming and mentorship, that helps low-income and first-generation college students thrive.

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Member, AERA Grants Program, Governing Board (2018-2025)

The AERA-NSF Grants program enhances the capability of the education research community to conduct policy- and practice-relevant research using nationally and internationally representative data sets supported by NCES, NSF, and other federal agencies.

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Member, Gates Foundation’s Postsecondary Value Commission

The Postsecondary Value Commission brings together higher education experts and national leaders to examine, explore, and define the value of postsecondary education in the United States.

 

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, Golden Quill Award 

The Golden Quill Award is presented each year at the NASFAA National Conference to an individual or individuals chosen for their contributions to the literature on student financial aid.