Kristyn Palmiotto named Executive Director of Penn Abroad

After an extensive search process, Penn Abroad is pleased to announce the appointment of Kristyn Palmiotto as the organization's new Executive Director. In her role, Kristyn will provide strategic direction and leadership to advance Penn's global strategy by strengthening Penn Abroad's current programs and developing new initiatives.

Throughout her tenure at Penn Abroad, Kristyn has been at the heart of many key Penn Abroad initiatives, with her most significant contributions in the Semester Abroad and Exchange@Penn spaces. With support and collaboration from partner organizations, she played a pivotal role in leading Penn to resume student global opportunities post-COVID. As she looks ahead, Kristyn's leadership will chart Penn Abroad’s path forward as we set out to achieve the goals of Penn Global's 2023-2028 strategic plan. The future is exciting at Penn Abroad, with dual ambitions of programmatic expansion and new program development. By 2028, Penn Abroad plans to expand participation in each of its flagship programs – Semester Abroad, Exchange@Penn, Penn Global Seminars, and the Global Research and Internship Program. Concurrently, Penn Abroad is setting goals to launch a summer term for academic credit, expand the reach of our programming to graduate and professional schools, and establish a gap-year initiative for incoming Penn students. The Penn Abroad team is excited to usher in this next era of growth under Kristyn’s leadership.

Amidst this expansion, Kristyn is committed to centering the core values of access, diversity, and inclusion in all facets of our work at Penn Abroad. Equally as critical to her goals is fostering a strong team culture to support the students, faculty, and partners that are the cornerstone of our success. Her work ethic, dedication to partnership, incredible attention to detail, and ability to implement initiatives will ensure that Penn Abroad’s mission to provide a meaningful global experience to every Penn student continues to be realized in the years ahead.