Staff

Professional headshot of Dana Brown, a white woman with brown hair, a gold necklace, and a red shirt

Dana Brown, Ph.D.

PCWP Executive Director, Assistant Professor of Political Science

412-365-2725
dbrown@chatham.edu

  • Dr. Dana Brown began her tenure as the executive director of the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics and assistant professor of political science at Chatham University in July of 2010. Dr. Brown earned her doctorate in American Politics and Women and Politics at Rutgers University. Dr. Brown has presented research on women in politics and political participation by women of color. Publications include: “Gendered Pathways to Power: Identifying the Role of County Party Chairs in the Candidate Recruitment Process of Pennsylvania’s Local Elective Office,” in Commonwealth – A Journal of Pennsylvania Politics and Policy and a chapter titled, “Empowering Women for Public Leadership: NEW Leadership Pennsylvania Summer Institute” Power to the Polls: A Guide to Developing Civic Learning, Election Engagement, and Political Action in Higher Education.

    Dr. Brown is also active in the community. She currently serves in the following capacity: Adagio Health's Advisory Council and the Pennsylvania Advisory Committee to the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. Dr. Brown has also served on Governor Wolf's Pennsylvania Commission for Women, PLEN's (Public Leadership Education Network) Board of Directors, been a Pennsylvania delegate to the Vision 2020 program at the Institute for Women's Health and Leadership at Drexel University, an Advisory Board member to the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh's Center for Race & Gender Equity, and the Executive Women's Council and its Women on Boards Committee.

    Dr. Brown's work and leadership in women and politics has been recognized in the following ways: The Obama White House acknowledged her work at the Center by inviting her to participate in a conference on girls' leadership and civic education. In 2014 Dr. Brown was recognized in Pittsburgh Magazine as one of Pittsburgh's "40 Under 40." In 2018 City & State PA recognized Dr. Brown as one of 25 women from across the Commonwealth who have exhibited exemplary leadership in their field as well as earning AAUW PA's Gateway to Equity Award. In 2022 she was recognized as one of Pennsylvania’s most influential leaders by City & State PA: Women 100.

Photo of Annie Guadagnino

Annie Guadagnino

Program Coordinator

412-365-1878
aguadagnino@chatham.edu

  • Annie Guadagnino is the Program Coordinator for the Center. Before joining PCWP's staff in 2012 she was a Campaign Director for Fund for the Public Interest and a Campus Organizer for the Public Interest Research Group. Annie is a 2009 graduate of the University of Michigan with a BA in Environmental Studies and a minor in Political Science.

Andria Barnes

Graduate Assistant

  • Andria Barnes is a Graduate Research Intern at PCWP. She is a doctoral candidate in Counseling Psychology at Chatham University. Andria is distinguished as a University of Pittsburgh Scholar for her studies in Organizational Behavior, and was an Instructor in Cross-cultural Communication in Germany prior to coming to Chatham.

Ashley Adams

Graduate Fellow

  • Ashley Adams is a Graduate Research Fellow for the Center. She has her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Child-Centered Play Therapy from the University of North Texas. She is a member of Chi Sigma Iota, the international and professional academic honor society for counseling students, counselor educators, and professional counselors. Ashley's training has prepared her to counsel in a variety of settings, including public schools, juvenile detention centers, cancer care services, and university mental health centers at both the individual and group level.

    Ashley values culturally competent communication skills and trauma-informed approaches when working with clients. Ashley is now in pursuit of her doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology from Chatham University.

Photo of Lauren Cox

Lauren Cox

Communications Assistant

  • Lauren Cox is the Communications Assistant for the Center. She is a second-year student at Chatham University pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Studies. She is also a member of the DIII Cross Country and Track teams, a member of the Chatham Community Service Club, and a contributor for The Communiqué, the university newspaper.

Photo of Brianna McCullough

Bri McCullough

Program Assistant

  • Bri McCullough is a communications major with a minor in political science. She wants to become involved in broadcast media and focus on stories about politics.

Photo of Abigail DiLoreto

Abby DiLoreto

Outreach Assistant

  • Abby DiLoreto is a political science and psychology major. She is also on the women's soccer team. Abby plans to possibly go to law school in the future and is very passionate about human rights activism.

Riley Hurst Brubaker

Outreach Assistant

  • Riley Hurst Brubaker is fourth year at Chatham. She is majoring in communications, following the journalism track, and has a minor in media studies: Film and digital technology. She is an editor for the student newspaper, the Communiqué and in her free time she enjoys spending time with friends

Kaya Vital

Outreach Assistant

  • Kaya Vital is a junior at Chatham University. She is studying Music Business with a minor in Communications. She is also a member of the Women’s Lacrosse team.