Communication Program Team

celina@wharton.upenn.edu

Celina Gray, Senior Director of Academic Affairs, came to Penn in fall 2018. She oversees the Wharton Undergraduate advising program and is the primary contact for Wharton-approved study abroad programs in Germany and the Netherlands and non-Wharton programs. Celina began her higher education career as a professor of classical archaeology, with her research focused on funerary imagery and issues of citizenship and immigration in ancient Athens. She earned her B.A. in Greek from Vassar College & her M.A. and Ph.D. in ancient history and Mediterranean archaeology from the University of California, Berkeley. In her spare time, Celina loves to cook, is a grave gardener at the Woodlands Cemetery, and is learning to play cello.

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.

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.

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 business communication courses for MBA and Executive MBA students. Known for her engaging teaching style, Antionnette earned the prestigious Wharton Teaching Excellence Award and is passionate about helping MBA and Executive MBA students develop persuasive communication skills. She currently teaches WHCP 6160X Management Communication to first-year MBA students and coaches PhD students on their research papers and job talks. Her teaching experience also includes entrepreneurial communications and foundational courses for Wharton undergraduates.

Antionnette’s expertise extends beyond the classroom through her collaborations with Wharton’s Aresty Institute of Executive Education. She has facilitated impactful programs for corporate, government, and non-profit executives such as ABB, Alfa, AXA Equitable, Hai Nan Airlines, PwC, TIAA, and the World Economic Forum. Additionally, 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.

Before joining Wharton in 2011, Antionnette enjoyed a successful career in the tech industry, designing and marketing integrated circuits at AT&T Microelectronics/Bell Labs, Lucent Technologies, and Agere Systems. She also served as a board member of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, a consortium that played a critical role in shaping the future of Bluetooth wireless technology.

Antionnette holds an MBA from Temple University’s Fox School of Business and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Howard University, bringing a wealth of technical expertise and business acumen to her teaching and leadership at Wharton.

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 Wharton Executive MBA courses (WHCP 6140 and 6190). 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@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.

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@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.