People First. Possibilities Always.
Dr. Alex Posecznick brings nearly 30 years of experience across higher education, combining applied anthropology, qualitative research, teaching, and academic leadership. His work has taken him from community colleges to the Ivy League, giving him a broad perspective on the institutional cultures, organizational dynamics, and human relationships that shape educational experiences and outcomes.
At the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, Alex spent 15 years running graduate programs while serving on the associated faculty. During his tenure, programs he ran grew by approximately 400% through sustained recruitment, program innovation, and improvements to the student experience, while maintaining high levels of student satisfaction and academic quality. His responsibilities included strategic planning, budget management, admissions and financial aid, curriculum development, faculty coordination, communications, assessment, and student support. Much of his work involves building strong partnerships and translating broad institutional priorities into effective practices.
Alex has developed joint-degree programs across Penn's schools, led cross-functional initiatives, and navigated competing priorities and organizational change. He has developed administrative systems and processes that were adopted or adapted by others.
His scholarship explores organizational culture, meritocracy, college admissions, and how educational institutions define and distribute opportunity. His book, Selling Hope and College (Cornell University Press, 2017), examines the tensions between institutional survival, educational ideals, and student opportunity. His work has been showcased in The Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed, and he has published in leading academic journals and held editorial and leadership roles in the field. He also helped lead Penn’s Ethnography in Education Research Forum with Roberto G. Gonzales, and established its Erickson and Hornberger National Book Award.
Drawing on diverse experiences in research, teaching, and academic administration, Alex brings a distinctive perspective to consulting, coaching, and applied problem-solving. His approach begins with careful listening, understanding organizational culture, and examining how people experience institutions before proposing solutions. He helps individuals and organizations clarify challenges, identify opportunities, and develop thoughtful, context-sensitive paths forward.
I help people work together to accomplish ambitious goals in education. I connect. I teach. I solve problems.
Training & Practical Experience
Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Anthropology
Teachers College; Arts & Sciences – Columbia University, New York, NY, 2010
Master of Philosophy in Applied Anthropology
Teachers College – Columbia University, New York, NY, 2009
Master of Arts in Anthropology and Education
Teachers College – Columbia University, New York, NY, 2006
Master of Science in Public Administration
Audrey Cohen College, New York, NY, 2000
Bachelor of Arts in History and English with a minor in International Studies
St. John’s University, New York, NY, 1997
People & Programs
Designed training for faculty, staff, and students across academic and professional functions.
Supported recruitment and marketing strategies contributing to 400% enrollment growth while maintaining quality and satisfaction.
Coordinated faculty advising and recruited, hired, and mentored professional faculty.
Shaped academic vision, coherence, and intellectual identity with faculty partners.
Aligned curriculum, advising, and professional development with institutional and workforce needs.
Led curriculum improvement, developing degree pathways, joint programs, concentrations, and capstone models.
Organizational Leadership
Managed student services, curriculum implementation, scheduling, budgets, staffing, and academic operations.
Revitalized a 50-year-old research forum serving 300+ scholars and practitioners annually.
Established a national book award and expanded conference programming and partnerships.
Managed logistics, communications, marketing, budgets, and stakeholder relationships for complex programs.