Contact Us

Partnership administrative and managerial staff in McKeesport, Reading, and Philadelphia provide direction,
commitment, and guidance to those involved with the statewide PEPP effort. The PEPP staff represents a
vast wealth of knowledge, many years of outreach experience, and an overall passion for the empowerment
of Pennsylvania youth. Program leadership plays a major role in the success of any collaboration or
partnership. This PEPP Staff is positioned and committed to the academic progress and post-secondary
matriculation/graduation of all Partnership participants.

PEPP McKeesport

Darrell Thomas

Director (Statewide Operations)
dgt2@psu.edu
Penn State Greater Allegheny Campus
106 Main Building
4000 University Drive
McKeesport, Pa. 15132
Phone: 412-675-9183; Fax: 412-675-9224

Darrell Thomas is Director of statewide operations for the Penn State Educational Partnership Program (PEPP). The Partnership, an early intervention unit in the College of Education - Office of Multicultural Programs, operates in McKeesport, Reading, and Philadelphia. He designed and implemented the PEPP Academy and PEPP Institute extended school-day models and the Middle School Academic Bowl, all of which have been replicated at a number of other Penn State Commonwealth Campus locations.

Mary Furlo

Program Assistant
mcf124@psu.edu
Penn State Greater Allegheny Campus
106 Main Building
4000 University Drive
McKeesport, Pa. 15132
Phone: 412-675-9183; Fax: 412-675-9224

Mary Furlo is Program Assistant to the PEPP Director, in a statewide capacity. Although new to PEPP, Mary has been employed in a variety of educational settings with a broad age-range of students from pre-school to adult. Ms. Furlo's administrative duties include assisting the PEPP Director in all operational and budgetary phases of the partnership program. This includes supervising and coordination of Penn State students as PEPP Learning Assistants (PLAs), classroom teachers as Site Supervisors, and office staff at other PEPP locations.

Prior to employment with PEPP, Mary was owner of an educational child care center and yoga studio in Greensburg, PA. Ms. Furlo is currently pursuing a baccalaureate degree in business from Seton Hill University.

Jeannetta Thomas

Educational Diversity Specialist
jlt30@psu.edu 
Jeannetta Thomas is the Partnership Educational Diversity Specialist. Jeannetta's duties include the development of innovative and practical educational programs that are designed to enhance PEPP participant  academic performance and individual self-esteem; promote group/team learning and peer teaching; increase understanding and appreciation of multicultural learning/teaching; and improve PEPP Learning Assistant (PLA) understanding of the student populations that they assist, on a statewide level.

PEPP-Reading

Guadalupe Kasper

Program Manager
gur10@psu.edu
Penn State Berks Campus
238 Luerssen Building
Tulpehocken Road, Box 7009
Reading, PA 19610
Phone: 610-396-6272; Fax: 610-396-6271

Guadalupe Kasper was hired as the Program Manager for PEPP Reading in January 2005. Many people in the College of Education will recognize her previous name, Guadalupe Rivera. Guadalupe graduated with a bachelor's degree in anthropology and went on to pursue a Ph.D. in anthropology from Temple University. Guadalupe teaches anthropology at Penn State Berks.

In her time with PEPP, Guadalupe has greatly expanded the program's presence on the Penn State Berks campus, in Reading, and in Berks County. When she first arrived at PEPP Reading, there were only a handful of PLAs and several dozen PEPP students involved. Now PEPP Reading consists of approximately 35 PLAs per semester and 200 students at five school sites.

Alicia D. McCracken

Administrative Support Assistant
adm13@psu.edu
Penn State Berks Campus
238 Luerssen Building
Tulpehocken Road, Box 7009
Reading, PA 19610
Phone: 610-396-6270; Fax: 610-396-6271

Prior to commencing work with PEPP, Alicia was employed by the Reading School District at several school locations and was promoted to the level of Head School Secretary. She worked in the District for 8 years. Alicia volunteers time working at The (Reading) Police Athletic League as a Summer Camp Counselor and participates in other evening programs throughout the year. As well, Alicia works in her local church as the Youth Department President.

PEPP Philadelphia

Maria Schmidt    

Assistant Dean for Multicultural Programs
Penn State University Park Campus
123 Chambers Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-0904
mjs125@psu.edu