Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) is pleased to announce the 2026 SP2 Award Winners. SP2 Award recipients were recognized for their outstanding achievements by Dean Sara S. Bachman at the School’s 2026 Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 16, at the Palestra.
Note: The full SP2 2026 commencement program is available online.
SP2 Student Prizes & Awards
Hal Levin Award
Tony Shaw
This award is presented to a meritorious student in the Doctor of Philosophy in Social Welfare Program who is continuing the process of completing coursework.
Dr. Ram Cnaan Award
Jen Panhorst
This award is presented to a meritorious student in the Doctorate in Clinical Social Work program who has completed the third year of course work.
Wilson- Spigner Award for Social Policy Excellence
Jaelyn Liu
This award is presented to a graduating student in the Master of Science in Social Policy program who has a demonstrated record of intellectual inquiry and academic excellence and who is committed to using research to analyze and shape social policy locally, nationally, and/or globally. The award is named in honor of the Reverend Dr. Welford Robinson Wilson II, and his daughter, Dr. Carol Wilson Spigner, the first faculty director of the MSSP program, who have notably increased equity and equality among people who are often forgotten, through research-based change in policy and organizations.
Excellence in Social Impact Award
Krista Smith
This award is presented to a meritorious graduating student in the Nonprofit Leadership Program who has a record of academic excellence and has shown promise in using their talents and knowledge to create positive social impact.
Richard J. Estes Global Citizenship Award
Sina Barzegar
This award is presented to a graduating international student in the Nonprofit Leadership Program who embodies a commitment to social impact, who has a record of academic excellence and who is committed to using their talents and knowledge to make a difference in the world.
Rosa Wessel Award
Jeanne Chang
This award is presented to a meritorious graduating student in the Master of Social Work program who is selected on the basis of academic performance and one or more of the following: exemplary student leadership, innovative activities in the field practicum, and exceptional community service.
Dr. Ruth Smalley Award in International Social Welfare
Elizabeth McGuinn
This award is presented to the member of the Master of Social Work graduating class who, through their writing, participation in class discussions, and experience, has demonstrated an interest in, and a working knowledge of, the international and cultural dimensions of social work practice, and the application of practice to research.
Student of Excellence
Jeanne Chang
The award is given to a graduating SP2 student who has had a positive impact on the SP2 community through their collegiality, service, and community engagement inside and outside of the classroom.
The Excellence in Teaching Award
The Excellence in Teaching Award is presented to members of the standing and non-standing faculty in recognition of excellence in teaching and mentoring.
Full-Time Faculty:
Allison Werner-Lin, PhD, LCSW
Dr. Allison Werner-Lin is Associate Professor at the School of Social Policy and Practice. Her research addresses the intersection of genomic discovery and family life. Her work is among the first to explore the psychosocial challenges unique to women and men of reproductive age who carry a genetic mutation that confers elevated risk of cancer. Dr. Werner-Lin has served as an investigator of multiple interdisciplinary, NIH-funded grants examining dissemination and implementation of emerging genomic technologies in reproductive, pediatric, adolescent, and emerging adult contexts. Presently, Dr. Werner-Lin is an investigator on a Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot Grant with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where she is examining barriers to cascade genetic testing in families of pediatric cancer survivors. For over a decade, Dr. Werner-Lin served as an advisor to the National Cancer Institute where she oversaw a program of psychosocial research addressing hereditary tumor predisposition syndromes, including Li-Fraumeni syndrome and inherited bone marrow failure syndromes. She is a member of the Scientific Committee governing the International Meeting on Psychosocial Aspects of Hereditary Cancer, and in 2019 she was a visiting scholar at the Hastings Center for Bioethics. In 2021 she served as Director of Research for the Association of Oncology Social Work.
Kim McKay, PhD, LSW
Dr. Kim McKay is a Senior Lecturer teaching in both the MSW and MSSP programs of SP2. They have 25+ years of social work experience, including case management, administration, supervision, policy, and clinical work. They have taught undergraduate and graduate students in social work programs for 15 years. Kim has taught many courses throughout the social work curriculum, with a particular focus on the integration of gender and sexuality. At SP2, Kim currently teaches reproductive justice policy and policy analysis in the MSSP program and human behavior in the social environment and LGBTQ+ social policy in the MSW program. Kim loves teaching and working with students and has been recognized with teaching awards. Kim is the Director for the Certificate in LGBTQ+ Policy & Practice and appreciates deeply the time spent with students working towards this graduate certificate.
Part-Time Lecturers:
Meredith Myers, PhD
Dr. Meredith Myers is a Senior Fellow in the Wharton School’s Center for Leadership and Change Management. She has served as faculty at the University of Pennsylvania since 2009, teaching within the Wharton School, the School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2), and the Positive Psychology Center. She has received excellence in teaching awards from both the Wharton School and SP2’s Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership program.
Dr. Myers served as the Executive Director of Job Crafting LLC for a decade, leading an organization dedicated to helping individuals and organizations cultivate greater purpose and engagement in their work. Through her research and consulting, she coaches international leaders, executives, and board members across corporations, nonprofits, governments, and mission-critical teams. Her work focuses on empowering leadership, the science of human thriving, collaboration in high-stakes contexts, and training the trainer to scale change.
Reggie Jones, LCSW, MSS, MLSP
Reggie Jones has been teaching in the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice as a Part-time Lecturer for over a decade. She uses a feminist anti-oppressive social work lens to bring critical awareness, engagement, and analysis of the field of social work practice into the classroom. Empowering future social workers to interrogate what is believed to be known and cultivate curiosity to reclaim subjugated knowledge and alternative narratives/histories is foundational to her teaching pedagogy. For over 15 years, Jones was the Director of Counseling Services at Bryn Mawr College and later the inaugural Associate Dean for Health & Wellness at Bryn Mawr College leading the psychological and medical services. Jones retired from her role as Associate Dean in 2023 to focus on her private practice and consultancy work. Jones provides individual and group psychotherapy, as well as clinical supervision. Her clinical work is grounded in liberation, group process, community healing, and experiential learning. Jones at also consults with organizations to develop and facilitate trainings that support the creation of more affirming and healing-centered spaces. Jones is a faculty member at Bryn Mawr College’s Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research at Bryn Mawr College-Nonprofit Executive Leadership Institute (NELI).