The fifth cohort of Penn P4P teams will receive up to $100,000 each to support education, health, and urban agriculture, respectively, in Philadelphia.
3 min. read
For five years under the direction of Penn’s Office of Social Equity & Community (SEC), the Projects for Progress initiative has supported teams of University staff, students, and faculty in their efforts to address serious issues that impact everyday lives in the city of Philadelphia. SEC received 16 applications for the award this year.
“It is always exciting to see the thoughtful proposals that come in from the applicant teams, especially when they use this opportunity to take an interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving,” says Nicole Maloy, who oversees the initiative and serves as director of the Office of SEC. “As we all know, incorporating a range of perspectives leads to greater innovation and better results, so that’s exactly what you want to have whenever you are attempting to generate real-world solutions.”
Maloy emphasizes that all of the applicants deserve accolades for embodying Penn founder Benjamin Franklin’s assertion that serving humankind is “the great aim and end of all learning.” University Chaplain and Vice President of Social Equity & Community Charles “Chaz” Howard agrees. “Penn is at its best when we are in a posture of service,” he says.
As Howard congratulates the 2025 cohort, he hopes that others will find encouragement in their example. “This year’s award recipients, like their predecessors, will help our University and our community to keep working to be our best selves.”
The The College App Classroom cohort (from left): Danielle Fitzgerald, Lamesha Brown, Ronald Harvey, John Haggerty, and Ellen Rhudy.
Danielle Fitzgerald, senior content producer, communications, in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Lamesha Brown, director of the Penn College Achievement Program (PennCAP) at Penn First Plus
Ronald Harvey, director of the Penn Rising Scholar Success Academy (PennRSSA) in the Division of Student Engagement
John Haggerty, senior associate director of undergraduate aid in Student Registration & Financial Services
Ellen Rhudy, associate director of instructional design in the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Innovation (CETLI)
The College App Classroom is a free 28-lesson modular course created to address the curricular gap for students and their supporters who need vetted instructional resources about applying to college and financial aid. The course is currently piloted in six schools. Our goal is to build sustainable models to increase college access for students across the School District of Philadelphia.
The Providing Access to Health (PATH) cohort (from left): Bayan Galal, Ziad Hassan, Jaya Aysola, Christina Bach, and Allison Hoffman.
Bayan Galal, medical student in the Perelman School of Medicine
Ziad Hassan, medical student in the Perelman School of Medicine
Jaya Aysola, executive director in the Penn Medicine Center for Health Equity Advancement, and associate professor at the Perelman School of Medicine
Christina Bach, psychosocial content editor, OncoLink, Penn Medicine Department of Radiation Oncology
Allison Hoffman, professor of law at the Penn Carey Law School
PATH aspires to address the lack of availability and accessibility of health system navigation support among under-resourced communities. The team will assist in applying for public health insurance, finding providers, scheduling appointments, managing medical bills, and securing medications. PATH will establish support sessions at community sites, develop a call center for follow-up, and create a platform for medication procurement and delivery.
The Urban Food Systems Community of Practice cohort (from left): Emylee Fleshman, Maris Altieri, Elliot Bullen, Frankie Cameron, and Doris Wagner.
Emylee Fleshman, program coordinator for Public Health and Wellbeing, Wellness at Penn
Maris Altieri, UACS nutrition systems and education manager for the Netter Center for Community Partnerships
Elliot Bullen, research associate and project manager at PennPraxis
Frankie Cameron, a program manager in the Penn Center for Public Health at Penn Medicine
Doris Wagner, professor of biology in the School of Arts & Sciences and director of the Center for Plant Adaptability and Resilience
This award will establish the Urban Food Systems Community of Practice, uniting Philadelphians to improve the city’s food system. It will address the varied and continuous needs of urban growers through the Urban Growers Institute and Keep Growing program. This CoP will facilitate collaboration between Penn staff and students and food system leaders in our city.
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