Our Team
Denise LaMarra, MS, CHSE
Director
lamarra@upenn.edu
Prior to joining Penn as director of the SP Program in 2006, I worked at the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), helping launch national SP exams for allopathic and osteopathic physicians. Here at Penn, I oversee all aspects of SP programming for students, house staff, faculty and other professionals. I currently serve as Vice President of Operations for the Association of SP Educators (ASPE). A member of ASPE since 2002, I was recognized as Outstanding Educator of the Year by the association in 2021. I’m a member of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH), and am a certified health simulation educator (CHSE). I have presented regionally and nationally on the creative application of SPs beyond the realm of undergraduate medical education. I’ve designed professional-development workshops for SPs and SP educators on a variety of topics, including the enhancement of verbal and written feedback from SPs, and best practices in program administration. I’ve authored or co-authored a number of publications and book chapters related to SP methodology. I led the creation of SP Management System (SPMS), which about a dozen medical schools in the U.S. and Canada have acquired to facilitate hiring, scheduling, managing expenses and streamlining of operations.
Janice Radway
Associate Director
rjanice@upenn.edu
I have been involved in SP education for over 10 years - first as an SP, then as SP Specialist and now Associate Director at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. I have a background in performance and organizational change management. I am also a Certified Trainer for Crucial Conversations (Vital Smarts). I am an active member of the Association of SP Educators (former Board Member and Chair of Communications and Connections Committee) and the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (current Chair of SP Special Interest Group). I have presented at the annual ASPE and IMSH conferences on topics such as scheduling, SP Educator wellness, on-boarding practices and recruiting SPs from diverse populations to promote health equity.
Catherine Hagele, MFA
Associate Director
hagele@upenn.edu
I have happily been part of the Penn Med SP Program since 2010. I’ve been an SP, Program Assistant, SP Trainer and now serve as Associate Director. I am the Chair of the Membership Committee for the Association of SP Educators. Originally from Chicago, my background is in theater. I hold an MFA from Brandeis University and have many acting and directing credits from across the country under my belt. I also was associate artistic director of a theater company in Chicago for several years. I am inspired by the difference the SP department makes in the lives of medical students and medical professionals across the health system. I am looking forward to many years of growing and learning here at Penn.
Cori Maskart
SP Specialist
cmaskart@upenn.edu
I became an SP in 2018, shortly after completing my BFA in Theater at Temple University. I came in to the program hoping to use my training as an actor, my passion for health equity, and my lived experience as a transgender person to inspire empathy and compassion through the sharing of my perspectives and feelings. Parallel to my work in this field, I also have completed post-undergraduate education in the field of Behavioral Health and Human Services. I have been a speaker on several panels, podcasts, and news media surrounding such topics as Disability and Accessibility in the LGBT Community, Medical Discrimination in the LGBT Community, the importance of Diversity and Inclusion in Medical Education, and Conceptualizing Transgender Identities through a Childhood Development lens. I am ecstatic to be joining the Full Time SP Staff in the role of SP Specialist as well as becoming a member of ASPE.