Communication Program Team

Administration

Ily Houston
Office Manager
ihouston@wharton.upenn.edu
215.898.2435

Sunida Witayakarn
Systems and Administrative Support
sunida@wharton.upenn.edu
215.898.5036

Undergraduate

Andrea Dolph
Director, Undergraduate Program
Lecturer: WH 2010

Bio/Contact Information

dolpha@wharton.upenn.edu
215.898.5331

Andrea is the Director of the Wharton Undergraduate Communication Program. She designed and led the implementation of all aspects WH 2010 Business Communication for Impact, receiving a team Model’s of Excellence Award for her work. She now leads the delivery of this course and related workshops and activities.

Andrea’s professional experience is diverse. She began her career at the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley VA. For almost 2 decades she worked at GE and then Lockheed Martin, ultimately as a program manager and director of strategic planning. After working briefly as a strategy consultant to local Fortune 100 companies, Andrea co-founded a training/consulting company, Pragmaticus, Inc. with former colleague Ray Sarnacki. This work eventually led them both to teach at Wharton.

Andrea developed a passion for coaching young professionals during a layoff situation at GE. Surprised by why people were let go or retained, she and co-author Lynda Clemens captured their findings in Hit the Job Running. Their book was the topic of a WSJ radio interview, a feature Washington Post article and countless speaking engagements at corporations and universities. Ray and Andrea later updated the book, using it as the basis for their company.

Andrea earned a master’s degree in computer science from George Washington University and a BA in Russian Studies from the University of Virginia.

Sara Mangat
Associate Director, Undergraduate Program
Lecturer: WH 2010
Lead: Teaching Assistant Program

Bio/Contact Information

smangat@wharton.upenn.edu
215.573.7883

Sara Mangat is an Associate Director and Lecturer in the Wharton Undergraduate Communication Program. She came to Wharton in January 2020 just in time to help the undergraduate program pivot to online learning. She manages the undergraduate TA Program and promotes the delivery of WH 2010 and other activities that prepare students to communicate effectively in business.

Sara started her career in Marketing and Public Relations, eventually founding her own consultancy. Prior to coming to Wharton, she served as Chair of the Speech Department at Alvin College, teaching public speaking and interpersonal communication to a diverse student population. She also managed the coaching and train-the-trainer program for The Center for Supportive Relationships. She has lived all over the United States and internationally. She attributes her passion for student success to her time working at the United World College of SE Asia.

Sara earned her M.A. in Speech Communication from the University of Washington and a B.A. in English from Vassar College.

Chris Morse
Associate Director, Undergraduate Program
Lecturer: WH 2010

Bio/Contact Information

morsech@wharton.upenn.edu
215.898.4173

Chris Morse is Associate Director for the Wharton Undergraduate Communication Program. In this role he teaches WH 2010 Business Communication for Impact. He is responsible for course operations, including curriculum updates, scheduling, and Canvas. He also manages the processes for instructor hiring, onboarding, and training.

Prior to joining Penn, Chris spent 11 years at Drexel University, managing graduate programs in systems engineering and engineering management. He also taught technical writing for engineers and the undergraduate and graduate level.

Graduate

McDermott_whcp(sam_edit_small)Antionnette McDermott
Director, Graduate Program
Lecturer: WHCP 6110, WHCP 6120, WHCP 6150
Program Lead: PhD Coaching

Bio/Contact Information

mcdera@wharton.upenn.edu
215.898.7219

Antionnette is the Director of the Wharton Graduate Communication Program, where she leads the design and delivery of communication courses for MBA and Executive MBA students. She also leads the communication coaching initiative aimed at helping Wharton doctoral students with their research presentations and job talks.

A lecturer at Wharton since 2011, Antionnette is passionate about teaching, receiving Wharton’s Teaching Excellence Award for outstanding performance based on student evaluations. She currently teaches WHCP 6110 Management Communication and WHCP 6120 Fundamentals for Prospective Entrepreneurs.

She has served as a lecturer and facilitator for several co-curricular initiatives with the McNulty Leadership Program, Penn Carey Law School, Fulbright Scholar’s Program, and the Strategic Leadership in Education Certificate Program at the Penn Graduate School of Education. She has also facilitated programs for corporate, government, and non-profit executives in partnership with Wharton’s Executive Education Program.

Prior to joining Wharton, Antionnette spent most of her career designing and marketing wireless technologies for AT&T Microelectronics/Bell Labs, Lucent Technologies, and Agere Systems. She served as a board member of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, a consortium that led the design and promotion of Bluetooth wireless technology.

Antionnette earned her MBA from Temple’s Fox School of Business and her B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Howard University.

Barret_whcp(sam_edit_small)Gina Barrett
Senior Associate Director, Graduate Program
Lecturer: WHCP 6110, WHCP 6120, WHCP 6140, WHCP 6190
Course Lead: WHCP 6120 Impromptu, WEMBA Global

Bio/Contact Information

barrettg@wharton.upenn.edu
215.898.5198

Gina Barrett serves as Senior Associate Director with the Wharton Graduate Communication Program, where she has been a lecturer since 2006. She is the Course Lead for WHCP 6120 Impromptu Speaking and Elements of Story for Business and for Wharton Global’s WHCP courses. She is also in charge of WHCP Graduate Instructor Onboarding and Training, and regularly coaches the Wharton students chosen to serve as the school’s graduation speakers.

Working with Wharton’s Executive Education Program, Gina has facilitated programs for executives from companies such as Samsung, AXA Equitable, Grupo Alfa, Hai Nan Airlines and Hilliard Lyons. She has also served as a facilitator and coach with organizations such as the Fulbright Scholar’s Program.

Prior to Wharton she spent most of her career in coaching and training, particularly working through a boutique PR firm coaching executives in giving persuasive presentations. She has received a Pennsylvania Distance Learning Association (PADLA) award for online learning design and was a semi-finalist (District Champion) in the Toastmasters International World Championship of Public Speaking.

Nathinee Chen
Senior Associate Director, Graduate Program
Lecturer: WHCP 6110, WHCP 6120 PE, WHCP 6150
Course Lead: WHCP 6120 Prospective Entrepreneurship, WHCP 6150, Fellows Program

Bio/Contact Information

nathinee@wharton.upenn.edu
215.898.7264

Nathinee Chen is the current course head for WHCP 6160: Management Communication. She also serves as the chair of the WHCP Fellows Program and leads partnership initiatives with other Wharton and Penn programs to deliver workshops on leadership and entrepreneurial communication. She has taught MBA writing courses, coached PhDs and startup founders, and taught undergrads. Prior to Wharton, Nathinee worked for over a decade as a development editor, helping authors shape contributions to their fields into digital and print titles exploring topics in business leadership, nonprofit management, executive coaching, and other disciplines. She is a first-generation immigrant who grew up in Wyoming. She has called California, Georgia, Bangkok, Canada, and Johannesburg home, but it’s Philly that captured her heart for good. She is passionate about parenthood, teaching, travel, cross-cultural understanding, and helping leaders hone their voice and shape their story.

brennan_(sam_edit)Brennan Maier
Senior Associate Director, Graduate Program
Lecturer: WHCP 6210, WHCP 6240
Course Lead: WHCP 6210, WHCP 6240, Writing Waiver Exam

Bio/Contact Information

bmaier@wharton.upenn.edu
215.898.9087

Since 2011, Brennan has taught persuasive writing to Wharton’s MBA students. Brennan developed the MBA Writing Requirement and Wharton’s two writing courses WHCP 6210: Clear and Persuasive Business Writing and WHCP 6240: Persuasive Writing for Business Leaders.

Brennan did his undergraduate work at Penn, and received his Master’s and doctorate from Yale.

Reima Shakeir
Associate Director, Graduate Program
Lecturer: WHCP 6110, WHCP 6180, WHCP 6210
Course Lead: WHCP 6180

Bio/Contact Information

reima@wharton.upenn.edu

Dr. Reima Shakeir is an internationally recognized scholar, author, and consultant with expertise in communications, interpreting power dynamics within organizational systems. She has worked in five countries and across different sectors: the arts, health, education, and entrepreneurship. She has also coached entrepreneurs and executives for over 15 years, and her work has informed the strategic roadmaps and operating models for several organizations such as the Edmond de Rothschild Foundations. Reima is also a  Startup Advisor & Serial Entrepreneur.

Dr. Shakeir’s experience spans cultures as well as countries, and through both her formal academic research and practical on the ground execution, she is committed to more inclusive, high-quality education systems and corporate spaces at large. Her current interests revolve around entrepreneurship, higher education, Managment ,organizational culture and communication, innovation in relation to education and business innovations in femtech , generative AI , female wellness, sustainability, and the complex relationship between business and society. Dr. Shakeir is committed to building communities of belonging within organizations and improving education systems and corporate spaces.

Reima is also is an avid reader, a published poet and author.

Reima earned her doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania with double distinction.