Rita A. Hodges, C'05, G'Ed'15
Associate Director, Netter Center for Community Partnerships

Rita Axelroth Hodges is Assistant Director of the Netter Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania. In her role as Assistant Director, she supports all aspects of the Netter Center’s mission and operations as a university-wide center working to improve the quality of life in the community while simultaneously advancing research, teaching, learning, and service at the University.  Hodges previously worked as an independent consultant in university-community engagement. Her writing and research has focused on the democratic engagement of colleges and universities as anchor institutions.

Hodges has co-authored two books: The Road Half Traveled: University Engagement at a Crossroads (2012, with Steve Dubb); and Knowledge for Social Change: Bacon, Dewey and the Revolutionary Transformation of Research Universities in the Twenty-First Century (2017, with Lee Benson, Ira Harkavy, John Puckett, Matthew Hartley, Francis E. Johnston, and Joann Weeks). Hodges received her BA in Psychology from Penn in 2005 (summa cum laude) and her M.S.Ed. in Higher Education from Penn's Graduate School of Education in 2015. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in Higher Education Management at the Graduate School of Education.

Bianca del Rio
Executive Director of University-Assisted Community School Programs

Bianca del Rio serves as the Executive Director of the Netter Center’s University-Assisted Community Schools (UACS) at the University of Pennsylvania. In her work, she collaborates with school principals and develops Penn staff and community partnerships designed to foster the empowerment and development of youth and communities by enhancing collaboration and opportunities for deep engagement and problem-solving learning. Bianca supports and leads staff, Penn students, faculty and partners at public schools in West Philadelphia. She is an experienced leader and passionate about providing multiple points of access to teaching and learning across Penn and the West Philadelphia community using schools as the hub for such learning. As a practitioner and scholar, she works for continual program improvement and shares her work across local, national and international networks of higher education peers.

Bianca is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker from Philadelphia. In 2002, she received an M.A. in Mass Communications from the University of Florida’s Documentary Institute and a B.A. in Film and Media Arts from Temple University in 2000. Some of Bianca’s film credits include: Nihon Style, Pandora’s Box, POET, Rising on the Hill, Justice for Her and the award winning Ocoee: Legacy of the Election Day Massacre. Bianca has screened her work across the United States, Japan, Brazil, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Dr. Valarie Ena Swain-Cade McCoullum
Provost’s Distinguished Senior Fellow, Graduate School of Education and Vice Provost for Student Engagement

Dr. McCoullum is a native Philadelphian who is a graduate of the Philadelphia High School for Girls, has served at Penn since 1977, including 25 years as Vice Provost for University Life. She has held a wide range of positions encompassing such areas as undergraduate honors programs, Commonwealth Programs, graduate academic affairs, and campus space allocation. At other points in her career, she has been Interim President of Cheyney University, Faculty Director of Du Bois College House, and a teacher in both the Philadelphia and Camden school systems, leading to her lifelong commitment to pipeline and college preparatory programs.

As Vice Provost for Student Engagement and Provost’s Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Graduate School of Education, she is charged with aligning goals and approaches, and implementing a comprehensive strategy, for Penn’s K-12, baccalaureate-level, and graduate pipeline and enrichment programs on campus, with the aim of improving students’ experiences and outcomes in these vital programs. She also works with students, faculty, and campus leaders to enhance student engagement in campus and community initiatives, while collaborating with Philadelphia school leaders to support college preparation in Philadelphia schools. At Penn GSE, she partners with faculty to pilot innovative new approaches to educational leadership resiliency while teaching two courses a year in her areas of expertise.

Jude Dartey, C'21
Former Acting President, University Assembly and current Vice President of Finance, Class of 2021

Jude Dartey is a senior at Penn in the Philosophy, Politics and Economics program. During his time at Penn Jude has been extremely involved in Student Government, serving in a variety of capacities.