Admissions Committee
The MBA Admissions Committee is a diverse and talented group who share a commitment to bringing the best possible student body to Wharton. The Committee is open, accessible, and interested in you as an applicant.
Admissions Committee
- Ankur Kumar, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid
- Kathryn Bezella, Senior Associate Director
- Tiffany Gooden, Senior Associate Director
- Meghan Bass, Associate Director
- Claire Bruno, Associate Director
- Anthony Penna, Associate Director
Ankur Kumar is Director of Admissions and Financial Aid in the Office of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at the Wharton School.
Ankur has deep connections to Penn and Wharton; she received her BS in Finance from Wharton and her BA in Economics from the College of Arts & Sciences and returned for her MBA in Strategic Management and HR & Organizational Management. While at Wharton, Ankur was actively involved with MBA Admissions, serving as a co-chair of Wharton Welcome Weekend and also as a student member of the Admissions Committee. Prior to joining MBA Admissions, Ankur worked in investment banking, finance, and strategy consulting in New York.
Kathryn Bezella is a Senior Associate Director in the Office of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at the Wharton School. In addition to her responsibilities on the Admissions Committee, Kathryn leads the Wharton MBA Admissions marketing and communications efforts. She also oversees women's recruitment initiatives for the office.
Prior to MBA Admissions, Kathryn was a Regional Director for Undergraduate Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania. Before coming to Penn, Kathryn was a licensed real estate professional in Manhattan at Cantor & Pecorella. Kathryn graduated from Barnard College with a bachelor's degree in English and is a classically trained opera singer, having studied and performed throughout the United States and in Europe. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Education at Penn.
Tiffany Gooden is a Senior Associate Director in the Office of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at the Wharton School. Tiffany joined the MBA Admissions Office in July 2008. She is responsible for diversity recruitment, including pipeline development for prospective students of color.
Immediately prior to joining Wharton, Tiffany graduated from Harvard with a Master’s degree in Education. Prior to graduate school, Tiffany spent several years in the Dartmouth College Undergraduate Admissions Office, her alma mater. In that office she focused on diversity and international student recruitment. Before transitioning to the field of admissions, Tiffany worked at the Advisory Board Company, a Washington, DC-based healthcare consulting company.
Meghan Bass is an Associate Director in the Office of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at the Wharton School.
Prior to joining Wharton, Meghan served as Assistant Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at Fordham University Graduate School of Business in New York. During her time at Fordham, Meghan specialized in advising conditionally admitted candidates and also managed the school's private scholarships and loan opportunities. In addition to her work in admissions, Meghan has also worked in academic advising for students at the graduate level, both at City University of New York (CUNY) and at Drexel University. Meghan completed her Master's degree in Higher Education in 2005 at Penn and has her bachelor's degree in Journalism and English from New York University.
Claire Bruno is an Associate Director in the Office of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at the Wharton School.
Prior to joining Wharton, Claire served as the Associate Director of Graduate Enrollment Management at the Fox School of Business, Temple University. In addition to MBA Admissions, she has a background in undergraduate admissions, having previously worked at Dickinson College, where she focused on international and multicultural recruiting. Before transitioning to the field of admissions, Claire worked in the Equity Research field as well as with special situation funds, dealing with acquisitions and labor relations. Claire graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor's degree in International Mass Communications, which lead to her interest in romance languages — she speaks both French and Spanish.
Anthony Penna is an Associate Director in the Office of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at the Wharton School.
Anthony focuses on student engagement, and he oversees the Admissions Fellows program, as well as the Volunteer Admissions Committee and all on-campus visit programming. Prior to joining the admissions team, Anthony spent five years with the MBA Career Management office at Wharton, most recently as a Recruiting Relationship Manager. During his time with the MBA Career Management Office, Anthony focused on working with companies and students interested in the investment banking, diversified financial services and public interest industries. Anthony holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from East Stroudsburg University and is currently working on his master’s degree in higher education and organizational management at Drexel University.
