Change is the heartbeat of this University. It pulses through our history, shapes our present and guides us toward the future.
Maybe you felt it during Alumni Weekend, when we revisited a 1984 deal between Drexel and a plucky California startup called Apple Computer Inc. Though Apple’s unreleased Macintosh was still behind curtains, Drexel signed on to become the first university in the nation to mandate that all students own one. As Alissa Falcone recounts in “Fruitful to the Core,” faculty and administrators overhauled labs and curricula, equipping Dragons with the know-how for a tech revolution.
It was a bold move that didn’t just embrace the future — it helped create it. The project gave Drexel national attention and planted Apple’s flag in the higher education market.
That same spirit is alive and thriving today, as we stand at another time of transition. This past year, we said goodbye to John Fry after 14 years of visionary leadership that cemented impactful partnerships, redrew West Philadelphia’s skyline and expanded our research horizons. A national search is underway for his successor.
Before he left, he set in motion an academic transformation that promises to be profound. As Interim President Denis O’Brien writes on the previous page, the University is re-examining itself from top to bottom. The goal is to deliver on an education that’s truly relevant, flexible and interdisciplinary. Rarely does an old institution go back to the factory for a modern rebuild. Doing so puts Drexel again leaps ahead of social and technological change.
Meanwhile, we’re in the midst of a merger with Salus University, which will enhance our leadership in the fast-growing health sciences field. And we’re securing existing partnerships, too. By affirming a second round of funding for St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, we can ensure the city’s youngest citizens get the care they need.
We’re also aligning with alumni who share Drexel’s entrepreneurial mindset. Our cover subject, Splunk Cofounder Michael Baum ’85, launched his first digital company at Drexel during the Macintosh mandate era before becoming a Silicon Valley mogul; and he believes in this University’s unique spirit. On a recent campus visit, he announced support for Drexel student startups through his foundation, Yope. He is mentoring young entrepreneurs to blend profit with purpose — demonstrating that success doesn’t just come full circle; it reaches outward, creating ripples of opportunity for others.
All of these milestones and transitions are a reminder that Drexel’s story has always been about motion — adapting, evolving and staying ahead of what’s next.
And now Drexel Magazine is changing, too. As of this issue, we’re moving to a digital format and a new production schedule. By this time next year, the magazine will have a refreshed website design and a digital-first content strategy: more immersive, more interactive and more reflective of how we live and connect today.
Thank you for being with us on this journey as Drexel continues to redefine what education can be.
Sonja Sherwood
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