In memory of Penny L. Hammrich.
A garden tucked behind Drexel’s School of Education has been dedicated to Penny L. Hammrich, a faculty member since 2010 who served as dean of the school from 2019 until her death in August 2022.
Penny Park, located at Warren and Filbert streets, was named in February 2023 and informally dedicated in June, giving people who knew her an idyllic venue in which to recall the leadership and commitment to civic engagement that made Hammrich a beloved figure.
The park’s tiled murals date to 1982, when the space was affiliated with the Institute for Scientific Information and accommodated its daycare center. Additional painted murals have been contributed by the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design’s Leonard Pearlstein Gallery, located in the nearby URBN Center Annex.
“The Arts Festival” mural pulled Associate Dean Sarah P. Ulrich like a magnet when she toured the newly named park for the first time. “This one is perfect, with all the colors and diversity and different mobilities and ages and families — all the things that Penny cared about,” Ulrich notes.
“Penny was a visionary leader who infused innovation and civic engagement throughout the School of Education and its programs. I will always remember the spark of her joyful determination,” President John Fry says. “When students and colleagues come to Penny Park to gather, study, socialize or reflect, they will also remember Penny’s joyful spirit, her devoted service to the School of Education and her lasting contributions to Drexel University and beyond.”