University Life Space & Events
Meet Leadership
Saleem serves as the principal advisor for University Life Space and Events, overseeing the management and operations of collaborative University Life spaces, with a special emphasis on Houston Hall—the nation’s oldest operating student union in the country. In his role, he works closely with the central administration team within University Life and reports directly to the Assistant Vice Provost for Strategic Planning & Operations.
Before joining Penn, Saleem received a B.A. from Rutgers University and an M.P.M. from the University of Maryland. He also previously held positions within operations and talent at Princeton University, developing a core expertise in operations and logistics, organizational development, and team engagement. Today, Saleem leads a dynamic team dedicated to creating meaningful campus experiences through diverse services and programs.
To schedule an appointment with the Director, please email Regina De La Cruz.
If you would like to learn more about the functional areas within Space & Events or connect with another member on our team please visit our contact page.
Meet Administration & Finance
As the Associate Director for Administration and Finance for University Life Space and Events Management (ULSE) LaShanetta is responsible for overseeing the department’s financial and administrative operations, ensuring compliance, integrity, and efficiency in all business processes. In her role, LaShanetta maintains close partnership with the Provost Administrative Affairs finance team to prepare budgets, ensure adherence to established procedures, provide financial and administrative updates to senior leadership and collaborate on human resource functions, including onboarding, payroll, and staff performance processes.
Additionally, this role supervises the financial and administrative support staff, develops policies, oversees departmental communications, and ensures the effective financial stewardship of Penn Student Agencies. LaShanetta also support the Director of ULSE and the Assistant Vice Provost for Strategic Planning & Operations by monitoring staff professional development, managing resource allocation, financial activity, and delivering clear reports for forecasting and strategic planning.
LaShanetta is a graduate of Chicago State University in Chicago, IL with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and has a Master of Public Administration from Governors State University in University Park, IL. Prior to accepting this position, she served as the Department Administrator for Westphal College’s Performing Arts department at Drexel University and the Administrative Coordinator I at Rutgers University New Jersey Medical School. LaShanetta is originally from the Chicagoland area and recently relocated to the Philadelphia area with her husband. She is the mother of five adult children: three sons, one daughter and a bonus daughter. In her free time, she enjoys reading, shopping, singing in her church choir, working with the youth and traveling. She is also a member of Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society for Public Administration and Public Affairs.
Regina is an alumna of Arcadia University, where she graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. She is originally from Florida and is new to the Penn Community. Regina loves to experience new things whether it’s traveling to a new country, trying new cuisines, or just adding some spontaneity to her everyday routine. She isn’t afraid to go outside of her comfort zone, which is what led her to the University of Pennsylvania, where she now serves as the Administrative Assistant and Office Coordinator to University Life Space & Events. Her role is crucial in supporting the Director of ULSE, the administration and finance team, and the strategic goals and principles of University Life Space & Events.
Sarah was born in Cuba and has lived in Minnesota, California, Iowa, Spain, and Japan. She speaks English, Japanese, and Spanish, and wishes she had time to learn a million more languages, write books, cook fancy things, and go hiking in beautiful places. She got her BS in Economics and International Business at Penn State way back in 2000, and then went on to get her MA from the University of Pennsylvania in 2007. After graduating, she worked as an architect in San Francisco and Stair Designer in Seattle before coming back with her husband to Philadelphia to raise their daughter near family. Since returning, she worked at Penn in the Weitzman Architecture department as a Graduate Student Records Coordinator for 7 years and is currently the Financial Coordinator for University Life Space & Events. She is responsible for the day-today financial operations of the department, which includes maintaining all financial records, assisting in the oversight of budgets, and ensuring the integrity and compliance of financial transactions processed within the budgetary units. Additionally, she coordinates all event billing activities of the department, utilizes KX Event software to maintain client records, reconcile charges, and send out invoices.
Meet Events & Operations
As Senior Associate Director, Patrick manages the day-to-day operations of Houston Hall, Irvine Auditorium, the ARCH building and oversees the vision, strategy and execution of ULSE events management &operations.
In this role, he leads departmental and university-wide initiatives to align event practices with industry and higher education standards, develops policies, procedures, and service-level agreements that support Penn’s strategic vision for events management to ensure consistent and high-quality representation of Penn across public and private events. Patrick also fosters strong relationships with external campus partners, student groups, and Penn departments to promote collaborative planning and ensure the seamless execution of events.
If you have any event related questions please email Andrea Krapevka.
Pat has over 10 years of Youth Development/Community Experience. He was born and raised in Camden, NJ and spent a lot of time visiting the city of Philadelphia growing up. He loves watching sports and spending time with his family.
Andrea is a 2015 graduate of Rowan University where she earned her B.A. in Theatre Arts and M.S. in Teaching: Theatre Education. She spent a decade as a theatre arts educator and program director. That chapter of her professional journey allowed her to foster supportive communities, create student-centered experiences, and helped shift her career into Event Management. She is also a yogi, loves to keep active, and seeks all opportunities to soak up the sun with her loved ones and pup named Sophie! She manages scheduling and event reservations and a team of Event Coordinators for Space and Events.
LaShae attended Peirce College for Business and Marketing, with plans to eventually run her own business. She currently works as an Event Coordinator, focusing on coordinating events for Penn-affiliated departments. Off the clock, you can find LaShae watching the Phillies alongside her puppy Harper (Rhyse Schwarber), and an iced coffee in hand.
Monica graduated from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington with a B.A. in Chemistry and a Minor in Japanese Studies; she currently attends Georgetown University where she is a candidate for M.P.S Higher Education Administration. Her hobbies include watching anime, cooking, baking, playing with her puppy (Mary Jane), and playing video games. She currently serves as one of the Events Coordinators at University Life Space and Events, specializing in student organizations.
Barthel is responsible for timely setup and breakdown of events within University Life spaces, central pool classrooms, and other University Life supported venues. He provides advisement to part-time and student staff assisting with events. Barthel assists with the overall operational needs of venues managed, supported, and occupied by the University Life team.
Ben received his Master’s in Communications from West Chester University, with a focus in Public Relations. As the Systems Manager, he is responsible for maintaining the scheduling systems, facilitating the effectiveness of the reservation processes, and managing the implementation and utilization of event planning and reservation software. When Ben isn’t working, he enjoys playing soccer, gaming, and listening to podcasts. GO BIRDS!!!
Brian received his Bachelor’s in Adult and Organizational Development at Temple University in 2018. Before graduating from Temple, he received an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts at the Community College of Philadelphia in 2014 and used to serve as a Facilities Manager at North Light Community Center. Brian is a Philadelphia native, who grew up as an only child within the Roxborough & Manayunk community. As an Operations Coordinator, Brian is responsible for assisting with the management of daily operational activities and facility related issues for both, Houston Hall and Irvine Auditorium, contributing within a leadership role to help observe, review, and analyze processes to improve inefficiencies and areas that need improvements, and facilitating daily event planning information between team members, while presenting a customer service atmosphere toward clientele. During his free-time, Brian loves watching sports, playing basketball, managing fantasy sports, hiking, gaming, and traveling.
Caleb is responsible for monitoring the daily operation of facilities including the student union at Houston Hall, Irvine Auditorium, and Iron Gate Theater. This includes serving as a customer service point person, performing opening and closing the facility, assisting with room set ups and take downs, and assisting with training and supporting staff. Caleb’s role encompasses identifying areas of improvement and growth within the operation and aiding in creation solutions. Caleb is responsible for being forward thinking and ensuring all operational practices, procedures, and policies are followed.
DaShawn was born and raised in Philadelphia and began his career as a Personal Care Attendant at Universal Institute Charter School. He is responsible for timely setup and breakdown of events within University Life spaces, central pool classrooms, and other University Life supported venues. Provide advisement to part-time and student staff assisting with events. Dashawn assists with the overall operational needs of venues managed, supported, and occupied by the University Life team.
He loves traveling, spending time with family, learning new things, and watching as well as playing sports. Love all my Philadelphia teams.
Julian is responsible for timely setup and breakdown of events within University Life spaces, central pool classrooms, and other University Life supported venues. He provides advisement to part-time and student staff assisting with events. Julian assists with the overall operational needs of venues managed, supported, and occupied by the University Life team.
Laron is responsible for timely setup and breakdown of events within University Life spaces, central pool classrooms, and other University Life supported venues. He provides advisement to part-time and student staff assisting with events. Laron assists with the overall operational needs of venues managed, supported, and occupied by the University Life team.
Jerwayne’s bio coming soon…
Tauheed’s bio coming soon…
Meet Facilities
Under general supervision, the Associate Director (AD), University Life Facilities is responsible for oversight of all physical plants operations, including the coordination and supervision of the daily operations, building services, and utilization of all facilities within University Life (UL). The AD will also ensure the effective on-going operations, maintenance, renovation, and upkeep of all UL facilities and equipment; coordinate major building repair/replacement projects, including remodeling, refurbishment, and expansion projects, and will ensure ADA and building code compliance. The AD serves as principal administrator for all facilities issues concerning the operations, maintenance, and renovations of the Space and Events Management [student complex] and University Life Facilities. The AD will work closely with Penn’s Department of Facilities and Real Estate Services, Office of the University Architect, the University Registrar, building administrators, faculty, architects, contractors and technology consultants to continuously improve UL facilities. This position reports directly to the Director of Space and Events Management.
Chris brings over 20 years of experience managing Penn’s student activities and performing arts facilities to our team.
Meet the Student Development Team
Jonathon is responsible for supervising the Student Engagement Team, providing development and advisement to the Welcome Desk, Building Ambassador, and Penn Student Agencies teams, while also collaborating with colleagues across the university to provide student focused programming for Houston Student Union. As the Associate Director (AD) for Community Engagement and Student Development is responsible for the overall management of student leadership, development, programs and support for University Life Space and Event Management, most notably Penn’s student union, Houston Hall.
Jonathon joined the UPenn family in May 2024, bringing with him over twenty years of Student Affairs experience. Jonathon graduated from the University of Mary Washington with a BA in Sociology and Religion; he earned an MA in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University, and a Doctor of Education degree from Nova Southeastern University. Prior to joining Penn, Jonathon served as the Class Dean for 3rd & 4th year students at Allegheny College and as Director of Student Services at Larkin University.
Michael graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, in December 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology concentrating in Law & Society. He is now pursuing his Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics, also at Penn. He is originally from Pittsburgh and before returning to Penn, he spent some time living in New York City working for a consumer wellness start-up. During his undergraduate years at Penn, Michael discovered his innate passion for business and entrepreneurship as a devoted member of Penn Student Agencies (PSA). Now, as the Program Manager of PSA, he plays a pivotal role in molding the next generation of student entrepreneurs. His role is crucial in providing and supporting transferable skills development for students in the program, overseeing the overall operations & compliance, budgeting & financial procedures, and general administrative functions of the department. Beyond his professional endeavors, Michael knows the importance of balance. He finds solace in the great outdoors, usually Wissahickon, with his two dogs, Nola & Gio!
Mo graduated from Syracuse University in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Photography focusing on the Commercial & Advertising track. They minored in Sociology and Entrepreneurship. Mo is the Operation & Engagement Coordinator for University Life Space and Events. They oversee the students at the Welcome Desk, help to plan and put on Houston Hall Programming events, as well as assist in maintaining operational needs of the venues University Life Space and Events support. When they are not at work, Mo can be found playing all types of games, consuming horror media, or spending time with friends.
Spencer’s bio coming soon…
Yoanna’s bio coming soon…
Sophia’s bio coming soon…
University Life Space & Events Campus Partners
Meet the Audio Visual Team
Dawn is the Director of Client Services/Operation for the University Life Spaces and Events Audio-Visual Department. She gained corporate experience during her ten-year career with Mellon Bank (now called Citizen’s Bank) as a Sales & Marketing Support Manager. After leaving Mellon Bank, she pursued a career in Entertainment as a singer, songwriter, and producer whose accolades include a vast number of performances for corporate, private, and public events throughout the United States. Dawn’s combined corporate and entertainment backgrounds are reflected in her ability to interact and build relationships with clients and direct the AV team in the logistical and creative execution of Audio-Visual services. Dawn is intentional on loving life with family, friends and music with a focus on ministry.
Arnab serves as a Technical Support Coordinator for the University Life Spaces and Events Audio-Visual Department, specializing in AV logistics, technical equipment, and event management. He is also a DJ, music producer, audio engineer, and graduate of Temple University. In his free time, Arnab enjoys creating music and performing across the country. Arnab takes pride in balancing his professional and creative life.
Brian is the Technical Operations Manager for the University Life Spaces and Events Audio-Visual Department and is passionate about ensuring operational efficiency and quality assurance. In his role, he oversees all technical operations of the staff, equipment and run of shows. Brian is a graduate of Full Sail University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Film Production. One of his fondest memories was meeting Lloyd Kaufman from Troma Films during his time at Full Sail University. Outside of work, Brian enjoys skateboarding, motorcycle mechanics, and is an avid dirt bike rider. He is also a full-time Cat Dad to Michelangelo, a domestic short hair tabby.
Will serves as a Technical Support Coordinator for the University Life Spaces and Events Audio-Visual Department, specializing in AV logistics, technical equipment, and event management. He attended Johns Hopkins University, where he was the recipient of the I. Cyrus Gutman Scholarship Award and earned a BA in The Writing Seminars. After school, he built his interest in music production into a career, working with live concerts and events before returning to the education sphere. In his free time, he enjoys guitar, Nintendo games, seeing family/friends, and spending time in nature.
Meet the Bon Appétit Catering Team
Kala N Williams is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in Event and Project Management spanning over a decade. Currently serving as the Director of Catering for Bon Appetit Management Company, Kala brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table. Her journey in customer experience spans various industries, including non-profit, legal, and customer service, cultivating a deep-rooted dedication to ensuring a positive client journey. Driven by a passion for people, Kala has centered her career on community engagement and client satisfaction, making a tangible impact in every role she undertakes. Her commitment to delivering exceptional service led her to the vibrant University of Pennsylvania campus, where she leads a team dedicated to providing an unparalleled catering experience. Kala’s enthusiasm and commitment to excellence shine through as she strives to create memorable and satisfying experiences for clients, reflecting her unwavering dedication to the art of hospitality and service.
Dedicated catering sales professional with a rich background from Widener University. Proven track record in selling large conferences to intimate weddings. Backed by a robust operational expertise ensuring seamless execution. Let’s turn your events into unforgettable experiences.
Kito Pearson, originally hailing from Accomac County, VA, ventured to Philadelphia in his early years. Initially trained in culinary arts at the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, Kito’s journey took a fortuitous turn when he found his true passion lay in front-of-house operations. His career path has led him through esteemed establishments such as Ruth’s Chris, Hotel Palomar, Philadelphia International Airport, and Di Bruno’s House of Cheese. Today, as the Catering Operations Manager at the University of Pennsylvania, Kito seamlessly combines his culinary expertise with his exceptional management skills to create memorable dining experiences for the university community.