Our People
Staff
Sanda Balaban, Executive Director
Sanda Balaban (she/her) leads strategy, fundraising, and partnerships to strengthen member institutions’ impact on civic learning and democracy. She previously co-founded and led YVote/Next Generation Politics, a cross-partisan initiative equipping Gen Z changemakers for their civic roles and responsibilities. Her career spans leadership in education, philanthropy, and youth development, including positions at the NYC Department of Education, the Ford and Goldman Sachs Foundations, and nonprofits such as Facing History and Ourselves. An alumna of Swarthmore College and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Sanda brings a systems lens, cross-sector fluency, and unwavering belief in the civic potential of young people to all her work.
A college class that transformed me: Introduction to Urban Education
Email: sanda@projectpericles.org
Arielle del Rosario, Associate Director
Arielle del Rosario (they/them) joined Project Pericles in 2017 and plays a role in supporting innovative course design, facilitating national convenings, and co-creating practical civic resources including dialogue guides and voter engagement tools. Their work is informed by their experience as a Bonner Leader alum and AmeriCorps member supporting college access in Chicago and Colorado. Arielle holds a BA in Psychology from Rutgers University-New Brunswick and M.Sc in Cognition in Science and Society with distinction from the University of Edinburgh.
A college class that transformed me: Community Psychology
Email: arielle@projectpericles.org
Harry Hou, Communications and Civic Impact Coordinator
Harry Patton Hou (he/him) advances civic engagement and democratic participation. As Civic Impact and Communications Coordinator at Project Pericles, he supports national programs empowering students and faculty while leading communications efforts. He co-founded Students for Ballot PA, organizing statewide to repeal closed primaries, and has presented at multiple universities. A Thomas B. McCabe Scholar and Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellow, Harry holds a B.A. in Philosophy with High Honors from Swarthmore College.
A college class that transformed me: Chester Semester
Email: harry@projectpericles.org
Jason Vadnos, Civic Impact Assistant
Jason Vadnos (he/him) joined the Project Pericles team in Fall 2024, where he provides input and assistance across all areas of Project Pericles work, from operations to program evaluation and data management. Jason is a current junior at Vanderbilt University, pursuing a B.S. with Honors in Human & Organizational Development and Culture, Advocacy, & Leadership with a minor in Business. Jason holds numerous leadership roles both on and beyond Vanderbilt’s campus, through which he seeks to promote youth civic engagement and civil discourse. In his free time, Jason loves hiking, traveling, and exploring new cuisines.
A college class that transformed me: Learning at the Intersection of Joy and Play
Email: jason@projectpericles.org
Maddie Wolf, Human-Centered Designer
Maddie Wolf (she/they) works to strengthen civic life and education through design. After studying Social Design at the Maryland Institute College of Art, she led the development of the Ask Every Student initiative at the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition. Since then, she has advanced the work of diverse clients through applications of human-centered design. Maddie partners with nonprofits and universities to create iterative, collaborative solutions that amplify community voices and clarify complex ideas.
A college class that transformed me: Finding Baltimore
Email: maddie@projectpericles.org
Board of Directors
Ronald B. Cole
President, Allegheny College; Chair
Lauren McGrail
Executive Director, Eugene M. Lang Foundation; Vice-Chair
David A. Caputo
President Emeritus, Pace University; Treasurer
Connie Ledoux Book
President, Elon University
Way-Ting Chen
Co-Founder, Blue Garnet
Marc C. Conner
President, Skidmore College
Helen Lang Suskin
Former Vice President, Pfizer
Louis A. Martarano
Managing Director, L. Martarano Enterprises
James H. Mullen Jr.
Interim President, Hartwick College; President Emeritus, Allegheny College
Paul Schadewald
Former Project Pericles Program Director, Macalester College; Associate Director, Bringing Theory to Practice; Chair, National Advisory Board, Imagining America
Scott L. Warren
Visiting Fellow, SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins; Co-Founder, Generation Citizen
Jessica Willett
Vice President of Communications and Strategic Initiatives and University Secretary, Washington and Lee University
Program Directors
Serving as the campus leads for Project Pericles, Program Directors champion community-engaged civic learning and institutional change within their colleges and universities.
** Asterisks denote membership in the Program Director Council.
Tarah Williams (Allegheny College)
Darby Ray (Bates College)
Jenna Dela Cruz Vendil (Bates College)
Ashley Cochrane (Berea College)
Dorcas McCoy (Bethune-Cookman University)
Sinda Nichols** (Carleton College)
Emily Seru (Carleton College)
Dana Brown (Chatham University)
Gary Clark (Dillard University)
Mecca Madyun** (Drew University)
Sean Hewitt (Drew University)
Mat Gendle** (Elon University)
Amanda Tapler (Elon University)
Lindsay Johnson** (Goucher College)
Matthew Van Hoose (Goucher College)
Javiera Benavente (Hampshire College)
Delphia Shanks (Hendrix College)
Ruth Janisch (Macalester College)
Derek Johnson (Macalester College)
Anthony Wilder (The New School)
Celestina Castillo** (Occidental College)
Kelsey Sablan-Martin (Occidental College)
Heather Novak** (Pace University)
Erin Mysogland (Pace University)
Jessica Chairez (Pitzer College)
Kathy Oleson (Reed College)
Dustin Simpson (Reed College)
Natalie Person (Rhodes College)
Eric Morser** (Skidmore College)
Ben Berger (Swarthmore College)
Jennifer Magee (Swarthmore College)
Kelly Sorensen (Ursinus College)
Jazzmine Clarke-Glover (Wagner College)
Lauren O’Neil Shermer** (Widener University)