DR. GAD ALLON, DIRECTOR, JEFFREY A. KESWIN PROFESSOR AND PROFESSOR OF OPERATIONS, INFORMATION AND DECISIONS

Gad Allon is the Jeffrey A. Keswin Professor and Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions. He received his PhD in Management Science from Columbia Business School in New York and holds a Bachelor and Master degree from the Israeli Institute of Technology.

His research interests include operations management in general, and service operations and operations strategy in particular. Professor Allon has been studying models of information sharing among firms and customers both in service and retail settings, as well as competition models in the service industry. His articles have appeared in leading journals, including Management Science, Manufacturing and Service Operations Management and Operations Research. Professor Allon won the 2011 “Wickham Skinner Early-Career Research Award” of the Production and Operations Management Society. He is the Operations Management Department Editor of Management Science and serves on the editorial board of several journals.

Gad is an award-winning educator, teaching courses on scaling operations and operations strategy and was recently named among the “World’s Top 40 B-School professors under the age of 40.” He has also been an innovative leader in many educational technology initiatives. He is the co-founder of ForClass, a platform that enables professors to drive higher student engagement and accountability in their classrooms. Professor Allon regularly consults firms both on service strategy and operations strategy.

Email Gad at gadallon@wharton.upenn.edu.

DR. SANGEETA VOHRA, DIRECTOR OF INTEGRATION

Sangeeta Vohra is the Director of Integration for the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology. In this role, she is responsible for developing and leading new initiatives for the program to integrate the learnings from SEAS and Wharton. Dr Vohra leads the integration lab that serves as the capstone for the program to provide seniors with opportunities to attack significant problems at the intersection of business and technology. She organizes the annual M&T Summit, a one day conference where faculty, alumni and students gather to present their work. Dr. Vohra co-teaches the M&T Freshman seminar and serves as an advisor to the M&T juniors and seniors.

Prior to joining Penn, Dr. Vohra was Clinical Associate Professor in the Health Enterprise Management program and Academic Director of the Center for Biotechnology Management at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She joined Kellogg in 2002. Her expertise lies in translating complex technologies for students who do not have a background in life sciences and has mentored several startup teams. Dr. Vohra has also designed, directed and taught in executive programs for those in the science and technology fields.

She received her MS in microbiology from the Punjab Agricultural University in India and her Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of New Hampshire.

Email Sangeeta at vohras@wharton.upenn.edu for more information on the program curriculum including the new initiatives – Freshman Seminar, Sophomore Immersive Week, Integration Lab and the M&T Summit.

DESIRAE CESAR, ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR

Desirae Cesar is the Administrative Director for the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology. In this role, she is responsible for multiple aspects of managing the Program’s operations and budget. She also provides key services to M&T students, including academic advising to freshman and sophomores and co-curricular programming. She serves as the internal liaison for the program, managing admissions, and other events.

Desirae is an alumnus of Temple University’s Fox School of Business where she majored in Risk Management and Insurance and Human Resources. She began her career in health and welfare consulting in New York where she worked for several years before coming to Penn in 2011 where she discovered her passion for serving student populations.

Before joining M&T, Desirae served as the Associate Director for Advising in the Computer Science Department in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. In this role, she provided high-level academic advising, and programmatic support and interfaced with various centers across campus. She proudly supported and inspired over 1,000 undergraduate students.

Desirae is very engaged in the University of Pennsylvania’s community through service to the Executive Planning Committee of Women of Color at Penn (WOCAP), Chair of the WOCAP Leadership Academy, and has received numerous certifications through Penn’s Professional Development programs.  Desirae is a mother of two children: Talani and Cj. She loves to travel and eat delightful food.

CAITLIN ADKINS, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Caitlin Adkins is the Associate Director for the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology. Caitlin is the students’ point of contact for career counseling, including placement for internships and full-time positions. She acts as the Program’s liaison for companies and organizations interested in recruiting Jerome Fisher students and works to grow our network of professional connections. In addition, Caitlin helps strengthen and grow the Program’s global alumni community, connecting alumni with students and each other for various networking and mentorship opportunities.

Before joining M&T, Caitlin served as the Program Manager for the Perelman School of Medicine Alumni Relations and Development team. There, she cultivated strategic connections between alumni and student groups through engaging programming and events, both live and digital. Caitlin began her career in the private sector where she worked in human resources and growth operations for major global fashion brands.

Caitlin earned her B.A. in Art History from Bard College and M.S. in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. She holds a certificate in Leadership and Change Management. Her masters thesis analyzes gender inequities and negotiation processes in the workplace.

Email Caitlin at adkinsc@wharton.upenn.edu for more information about the PAIP interview program, connecting with M&T alumni, and M&T recruiting.

LAURA MILES, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Laura Miles, Assistant Director for the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology works closely with the M&T faculty and staff to manage student affairs, and administrative tasks, plan, coordinate, and execute student and alumni programming, and the M&T Summer Institute.  Laura supports and mentors the student workers and student volunteers. She serves as a liaison to the M&T Student Board and works with the Social Committee to create events for the M&T student population. Laura will be the first point of contact for students, staff, faculty, alumni, and guests.

Before joining M&T, Laura served as the Assistant Director of Counseling and Assessment, at the University of Pennsylvania’s Division of Student Engagement where she assisted students prepare for and enroll in college. Laura supported students through challenges on their path to college and empowered students to be successful in attaining their academic, personal, and career goals.

Laura is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy and Practice, and received her B.A. in Sociology from Ithaca College.

In her spare time, Laura enjoys teaching yoga at Penn Campus Recreation.

Email Laura at lamiles@wharton.upenn.edu.