Alumni Association

From 2009 to 2025, Donna served as the Regional HIstoric Preservation Officer for the Mid-Atlantic Region of the U.S. General Services Administration. The role entailed ensuring the agency’s compliance with various preservation related laws, regulations, and executive orders, as well as project and program management. From 2015-2020, she served as the Regional Fine Arts Officer, overseeing new public artwork commissions and the maintenance of ~100 installed artworks throughout the six-state region. Prior to beginning her federal career, Donna worked in the private sector undertaking preservation compliance efforts for various private entities.

As Senior Associate, Senior Project Manager and Commercial Studio Lead, Katie leads the firm’s most complex commercial projects in hospitality, higher education, and mixed-use development. Well-respected by clients, colleagues, and consultants alike, she brings a fresh perspective and energetic leadership to every project. She is a natural mentor who values open dialogue and fresh ideas, encouraging a collaborative environment where everyone feels encouraged to contribute. With a passion for problem-solving, Katie excels in the complex space planning and project team leadership that is essential to successfully repurposing existing structures. Adaptive reuse projects are her passion and make up a large part of her work in the hospitality, multi-family and mixed-use sectors. Katie is a member of the AIA and graduate of University of Pennsylvania and Lehigh University. Outside of her role at CosciaMoos, she is an active member of the Penn Weitzman Alumni Association, Co-Chair of the AIA Philadelphia L&I Committee, member of the BIA of Philadelphia, is a member of the Design Advocacy Group (DAG) Steering Committee and sits on the Swarthmore Planning Commission.

Mansi Dhanuka is a Principal Architect at Jacobs, leading multidisciplinary design and delivery projects across the U.S., Europe, and India. With over 8 years of experience, her work spans life sciences, semiconductor, and data center sectors, with a focus on sustainability, global collaboration, and high-performance design. As a Strategy Champion, Mansi drives innovation and delivery transformation across teams, while representing India in global forums such as the Architecture Summit and Challenge Accepted initiatives.

She earned her Master of Environmental Building Design from the University of Pennsylvania and remains actively involved in mentoring and cross-regional alumni engagement. Now based in India, Mansi serves on the Alumni Board to support global connection, knowledge exchange, and professional growth across the Penn community.

Peichao Di is the Real Estate Project Manager at the University of Pennsylvania’s Facilities and Real Estate Services (FRES), where he oversees complex development projects, coordinating planning, design, construction, and operations. With a Master of Architecture from Penn, Peichao combines strong design expertise with strategic project leadership. He is a licensed architect (RA, NY) and holds AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, and PMP certifications. Before joining FRES, he gained valuable experience at Coscia Moos Architecture, building a strong foundation in design and construction. Peichao is passionate about creating spaces that foster innovation, community, and sustainability. He currently serves as Vice President of the Penn Weitzman Alumni Association, supporting alumni engagement and leadership initiatives. Active in ULI Philadelphia, he remains deeply connected to the broader real estate and design communities. Peichao is committed to delivering projects that balance design excellence, operational efficiency, and long-term value.

Jennifer Hagan is an award-winning strategist, digital and experiential marketing leader and executive coaching professional. Following academic studies in city planning, the success of an early-to-market blog has evolved into a noteworthy career of building partnerships, driving strategy, and creating meaningful experiences globally.

Dynamic, strategic and dedicated to her work, Jenn is a true culture champion with a proven track record of building communities, creating robust programming and driving engagement. Collaborating with CEOs and executives of Fortune 500 companies, private clients and innovators, she has been an invaluable counsel to both individuals and businesses seeking to acquire a market edge, and maintain it into perpetuity.

Erika Johnson, AICP, LEED AP BD+C, ENV SP is an urban planner with over 20 years of experience in permitting, campus planning, and sustainability planning. She joined VHB in 2021 as a Senior Environmental Planner on the Urban Permitting Team, where she currently manages multi-disciplined technical teams to prepare and file permit documentation for private developers, public agencies, utilities, and universities to the Cities of Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville, Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Office. She also advises clients on permitting strategy, sustainable development zoning requirements, and building performance standards reporting. Prior to joining VHB, Erika was a Senior Campus Planner with Harvard University for nearly 9 years, primarily focused on regulatory due diligence, demographic reporting, mobility planning, and student housing trends analyses. Her experience also includes time as a campus planning consultant for colleges and universities across the United States, a Master Planner for expeditionary military bases in eastern Afghanistan, and a town planning consultant for communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Outside of work, she volunteers her time to the Built Environment Plus Women in Green roundtable and the Boston University IMP Task Force.

 Aishwarya Katta, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is an Architect and Sustainability Consultant at Jacobs, where she leads and manages high-impact sustainability projects across the Life Sciences and Data Center sectors. With a strong foundation in architecture and environmental design, Aishwarya brings a unique blend of technical expertise, strategic insight, and project management skills to her work. Her focus areas include Net Zero and Carbon Neutral design strategies, energy efficiency, and climate change mitigation. Passionate about integrating sustainability from concept through construction, she excels in delivering data-driven solutions that align with client goals and regulatory frameworks. Aishwarya is also experienced in stakeholder engagement and cross-disciplinary collaboration, ensuring sustainability remains a core priority throughout the project lifecycle. She regularly shares her expertise in Life Cycle Assessment and embodied carbon at industry conferences, both locally and nationally.

Taylor Knoche is a licensed Architect and Project Manager in the Civic and Cultural Practice at SPD’s New York office, representing not-for-profit institutions and mission-driven owners. Since joining SPD in 2022, she has contributed to projects ranging from historic theatre façade restorations and infrastructure upgrades to new cultural centers and public spaces. Taylor brings over 12 years of diverse industry experience, including architectural roles at Diamond Schmitt Architects, Foster + Partners, and Stantec Architecture, as well as facilities and operations work at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. This background informs her strong onsite construction and design-build expertise, ensuring projects are delivered on time, on budget, and in line with client goals. Known for her collaborative approach and problem-solving mindset, Taylor is deeply committed to the success of owners, users, and communities. She also leads through volunteer efforts, mentoring others and supporting community-based initiatives.

Tong Niu, RA, is an architect at STV with experience spanning residential, commercial, healthcare, and recreational projects. She also actively explores projects centered on wellness and sustainable building. Her passion for architecture lies in the power of creative design to make a meaningful impact on both communities and the environment. In her professional practice, Tong focuses on the challenge of transforming bold, imaginative ideas into real, buildable spaces—using thoughtful design and innovative technical solutions to bring them to life. She's also deeply enthusiastic about artistic expression and enjoys engaging with various forms of art and creative work beyond architecture.

Tong received her bachelor's degree in Architecture from Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology in her hometown, Xi'an, China.

Miles Owen is an experienced city planner and deeply involved community member living in the Brewerytown neighborhood in North Philadelphia. Since graduating from Penn, he has worked as the Senior Climate Resilience Specialist for Amtrak and as an Environmental Planner for the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Before graduate school, Miles served in the Peace Corps in the Republic of Fiji, trained and certified as a Paramedic in Kentucky, and fought wildfires in California and Arizona.

Meagan Whetstone is Senior Vice President of Development at Mosaic Development Partners JV. With  experience ranging from architecture to real estate strategy and commercial project management, she leverages this background to successfully execute MDP's projects throughout their lifecycle with an eye for long-term value and community reinvestment.

A licensed architect, Meagan spent the first ten years of her career working at DIGSAU Architecture + Urbanism, Stokes Architecture, and Watchdog Real Estate Project Management. She serves on the boards of the Community Design Collaborative and the University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design Alumni Association. She is part of the 2024 ULI NEXT Cohort and has been an invited juror and lecturer for University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, and Temple University graduate, and undergraduate, studios on architecture and real estate development. Meagan received her Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and Bachelor of Arts in Architecture & Urbanism from Smith College.

Debbie is a Project Manager in Facilities and Real Estate Services at the University of Pennsylvania. In her role she manages designers and contractors on capital projects across the University. Debbie enjoys being back on campus and helping to take care of the buildings that make Penn’s campus so vibrant.  

Prior to her position at Penn, Debbie spent over 25 years working in small architectural firms in Philadelphia focusing on high end residential projects. Her prior work focused on historic renovations with a sustainable focus in the Philadelphia Region.