Left to right: Youngmoo Kim and Marla Gold
Drexel recently made two significant personnel announcements that will affect the University’s leadership and community engagement efforts.
Youngmoo Kim, the founding director of the Expressive and Creative Interaction Technologies (ExCITe) Center and professor of electrical and computer engineering, was appointed as the new vice provost for University and Community Partnerships, effective April 1. Kim’s appointment follows the successful tenure of Lucy Kerman, who was the inaugural head of that position and played a vital role in securing Drexel’s status as a community partner and civically engaged anchor institution.
Since joining Drexel in 2005, Kim has been instrumental in building the ExCITe Center into a thriving hub of learning and innovation. The center has fostered collaborations with numerous community, cultural and educational organizations in Philadelphia, including the Science Leadership Academy and the SLA Middle School, the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Innovation and Technology, Opera Philadelphia, and the United Way of Greater Philadelphia. Kim’s leadership has also contributed to the development of Drexel’s West Philadelphia Promise Neighborhood initiatives, which includes hosting Action for Early Learning and organizing the Young Dragons Summer STEAM camp, benefitting hundreds of middle school students in West Philadelphia since its inception in 2018.
At the same time, Drexel University said goodbye to Senior Vice Provost for Community Health and Chief Wellness Officer Marla Gold, who retired. Gold’s contributions to the University spanned three decades, during which she held pivotal roles, including dean and professor at the school now known as the Dana and David Dornsife School of Public Health. During her tenure, Gold played a key role in establishing the school as the region’s first highly ranked and fully accredited school of public health. She also made significant contributions to the establishment of the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute and the Center for Hunger Free Communities.
Gold’s leadership continued during the challenging years of the pandemic. As senior vice provost and chief wellness officer, she led the University’s pandemic response efforts, heading the Return Oversight Committee and implementing crucial recommendations for Drexel’s Police Department. Furthermore, she oversaw the establishment of the Drexel Public Safety Oversight Committee, which contributed to ensuring the well-being and safety of the community.