NEWS
School of Ed Brings Mini-Courses to Middle School
Through its long-running partnership with Science Leadership Academy Middle School, Drexel faculty, staff and students teach special courses in health, technology, arts and more.
In the last couple of years, Drexel faculty, professional staff and students have been going back to middle school for an hour or so. Specifically, they go to Science Leadership Academy Middle School (SLA-MS), a public middle school housed on Drexel’s campus, to teach a myriad of mini courses in health sciences, Japanese, IT careers and more.
These Dragons have been teaching — and designing — these classes to expand the young students’ horizons and provide support for the SLA-MS community. Each “cycle” of courses compliments the SLA-MS school experience and the Drexel teacher’s areas of expertise while sharing new experiences and resources with kids.
It’s all part of an almost decade-long connection with the school, which opened in the University’s Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships in 2016 and moved to its current building, which was constructed with funds raised by Drexel to house both SLA-MS and Samuel Powel Elementary School. The partnership is led by the University’s School of Education, but students and faculty in other Drexel colleges and schools have volunteered their time and talent.
The College of Medicine and College of Nursing and Health Professions are two of the biggest collaborators — which makes sense, since they’re located in Drexel’s Health Sciences Building next door to SLA-MS. In those courses, students in the fifth to eighth grades learned all about health sciences, as most — but not all — courses are geared toward professions or academics. A “Drexel Experience” course, for example, brought SLA-MS students to Drexel to sample daily campus life: visiting the athletics facilities to meet with student-athletes and touring Drexel’s Mandell Theater to meet with dance faculty and students.
“The goal for me is to try to introduce students to different colleges, majors and career opportunities. That way, they can start thinking about that path,” says School of Education Director of Strategic Partnerships Andrea DiMola, who oversees the Drexel partnership. DM
“The goal for me is to try to introduce students to different colleges, majors and career opportunities. That way, they can start thinking about that path.”
Your Kid’s New Classroom Assistant? How AI Is Changing K-12 Education
As AI tools enter the classroom, educators weigh the promise of personalized learning against the need for ethical guardrails and thoughtful implementation.
“Educators, regardless of whether they like AI or not, are obligated to prepare their students for tomorrow, not yesterday. AI is being integrated into almost everything that affects us, from medicine to job requirements. Not preparing students for using AI should be considered educational malpractice.”
Greeting the AI when dropping your kid off at school hasn’t exactly happened yet, but its presence in K-12 classrooms is already reshaping how students learn and how educators teach.
Michael Kozak, assistant clinical professor and program director for Educational Administration in Drexel’s School of Education, argues that while AI presents ethical and logistical challenges to be addressed, it also offers powerful tools for personalization, engagement and support — making it imperative for educators and school leaders to thoughtfully integrate it.
He foresees teachers using AI like a personal assistant and teacher’s aide to create individualized and differentiated lessons for diverse learners or engage and motivate disengaged students. Gamified lessons, conversational tutoring or simulations are all ripe for AI. “People who are resistant to change will usually become more open to innovative ideas when they see a personal benefit from the change,” says Kozak.
He’s optimistic that teachers will benefit from using it to tailor lesson plans to individual learning styles. “AI is not replacing teachers’ knowledge or skills, but it certainly can enhance their skills by handling tasks such as designing lessons, aligning assessments with the curriculum map and standards to ensure students are being assessed on what they are actually being taught, and handling routine tasks that are time consuming,” Kozak says.
Creating, and updating, existing “guardrails” like ethical standards, appropriate usage, and guiding principles will help educators and school administrators adapt, just as an earlier generation of teachers evolved to the rise of the internet. DM
Millions in Scholarships, 3,500 Dreams Fulfilled
Drexel’s Celebration of Scholarship highlights the life-changing impact of over $15 million in donor-funded aid, opening doors for thousands of students to pursue their dreams.
Photographed at the Celebration of Scholarship event: then-Interim President Denis O’Brien; Dorine Adechokan, finance ’25; Ahmad Curtis, second-year finance student; and Zuleyha Kumas, finance and business law ’25. Photo credit: Kelsey McKee.
Drexel awarded more than $15 million in scholarships to over 3,500 students in the 2023-2024 academic year — a transformative investment celebrated at the 2025 Celebration of Scholarship event. Held on April 10, the annual gathering brought together student recipients, donors, University leaders, and board members to honor student accomplishments made possible by the removal of financial barriers and burdens.
The evening spotlighted students whose lives have been shaped by generosity. “Receiving the LeRoy Brandt Scholarship has been life-changing for me,” says Zuleyha Kumas, a first-generation student who graduated in June 2025 with degrees in finance and business law. Kumas credits the financial assistance with helping her achieve her dreams of studying abroad in Rome — and, after graduation, preparing for a master’s degree in political science.
The LeRoy Brandt Scholarship is one of many scholarships at Drexel created by alumni. Established by Brandt’s family in memory of the 1941 alumnus — who was named to the University’s all-time great roster for men’s lacrosse — the scholarship supports first-generation students, just as Brandt once was.
“I am glad my extended family is able to carry on the memory of my uncle, Leroy Brandt.”
“The fund in his name targets students who are in the first generation of their families to receive a college degree. Their success at Drexel affirms the value of investing in the opportunity for students to start a tradition of higher education,” says Knoche.
Drexel and its donors have continued to sponsor college access in the 2024–2025 academic year, with another $12.7 million scholarships awarded to 2,823 students.
Open doors for talented Drexel students. Your support for scholarships and financial aid removes barriers, empowers future innovators, and ensures students can pursue their ambitions regardless of financial circumstances. Give to Student Scholarships here. DM
A $30M Commitment for St. Christopher’s Hospital
New two-year pledge builds on nearly $50M in prior support to secure St. Christopher’s future and expand care.
Philadelphia’s most prominent health care and higher education organizations came together last year to extend a $30 million commitment to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children — fueling the hospital’s transformation from stability to growth under co-ownership by Drexel and Tower Health.
The funding from Jefferson Health, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Temple Health and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia supports St. Christopher’s critical role in maintaining the health and well-being of an underserved community.
The pledge of two-year financial support comes three years after those same groups committed almost $50 million to St. Christopher’s. The initial assistance helped provide St. Christopher’s time to develop and implement strategies to regain its financial stability following its 2019 purchase out of bankruptcy by Drexel and Tower Health. In addition, since returning to nonprofit status that year, St. Christopher’s fundraising has increased from $500,000 in 2020 to more than $4 million in 2024.
St. Christopher’s also benefited last year when Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker added it to the Philadelphia Hospital Assessment — a joint city, state and federal program that provides substantial funding to hospitals that serve a high number of patients insured by Medicaid. About 85% of St. Christopher’s patients are insured by Medicaid, which is the highest percentage of Medicaid patients served by any children’s hospital in the nation.
The results of St. Christopher’s strategic efforts, and the support received from its community partners, are evident in increased patient volume, substantial additions in staffing, clinical quality and patient safety — key indicators that the hospital is meeting its mission of delivering outstanding pediatric care to the families of Northeast Philadelphia.
Advance health equity for children who need it most. Your gift supports exceptional care while addressing critical social factors such as food access, behavioral health and systemic barriers that impact lifelong health. Give to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children here. DM
Dashboard for Climate Action Idea Gains Google Support
With community voices at the center, Drexel and local partners chart a path toward climate justice — and secure Google.org funding to build a powerful new accountability tool.
“It is intended to guide a just climate transition by addressing systemic barriers, promoting resilience and elevating community leadership.”
What does an environmentally just climate transition plan look like? At Drexel, it starts with listening — and then working alongside community leaders to co-create solutions to the challenges affecting their neighborhoods.
Leading the effort is the Philadelphia Climate Justice Collective (PCJC) — a coalition of four community-based organizations across the city: Nueva Esperanza Inc. (Esperanza), Mantua Civic Association, Overbrook Environmental Education Center and the Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition (SEAMAAC).
Working with Drexel’s Environmental Collaboratory (TEC) — a university-wide initiative that connects researchers, students and community partners to co-design data-informed, justice-centered environmental solutions — the group published a report late last year filled with neighborhood-specific climate recommendations.
The Philadelphia Climate Justice Collective Report is a blueprint for a more equitable climate future driven by community needs. Drexel provided funding, technical expertise and student, faculty and consulting support.
“It is intended to guide a just climate transition by addressing systemic barriers, promoting resilience and elevating community leadership,” said Mathy Stanislaus, vice provost and executive director of TEC.
The report tackles urban challenges like heat islands, air quality and aging infrastructure, while building community leadership to drive local change. Each group designed its own approach to gathering feedback and setting priorities, ensuring the work reflects real community needs from the ground up.
One recommendation from the report has already gained traction: a public-facing Climate and Environmental Accountability Dashboard to track local environmental health and government action. The idea received a $500,000 boost from the Environmental Justice Data Fund of Google.org to build out the dashboard as a community-owned advocacy tool.
Students and faculty at Drexel have also used the report to advance environmental justice research and develop policy briefs. Through student research, the Environmental Collaboratory is finalizing a memo that identifies policy gaps related to heat and advocates for policy makers to adapt a “right to cooling” framework.
Above all: the group hopes this report will advance and inform projects that intend to produce environmentally just results to the Philadelphia community. DM
How a Drexel Alumna Is Transforming College Access in New York
Inspired by her own limited access to college prep, Asya Johnson founded a program to help high schoolers earn both a diploma and a degree.
By Shaniya Golden-Riddle '27
Growing up in North Philadelphia, Asya Johnson, EdD ’20, remembers learning about college visits from “posters on the wall.” Though she craved academic challenges, her school lacked access to advanced coursework. As a result, “I opted for an easier option,” she explains, describing her focus on humanities in high school.
Memories of those early obstacles stayed with her. She knew then that she wanted to create a different kind of school — one where students who looked like her could see their potential reflected and their ambitions supported.
That vision eventually led her to found HBCU Early College Prep High School in Queens, New York — an innovative school designed to equip students with both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree by the time they graduate.
“I didn’t want students waiting until the 11th grade to start challenging themselves.”
For Johnson, the school represents both where she came from and what she hopes to build.
Through a unique partnership with Delaware State University, students at HBCU Early College Prep graduate with an associate’s degree and a guaranteed admission offer from Delaware State. Though the school is public, applicants submit two short essays and a video introducing themselves and explaining their interest in attending. Johnson’s primary goal is to give students “a leg up, exposure, and get them prepared for life after school.”
Students at HBCU begin taking college courses as early as the ninth grade, taught by high school teachers who are trained as adjunct professors by Delaware State, qualifying them to grant course accreditation. By the second semester of their junior year, students enter a hybrid model taught jointly by Delaware State professors and high school teachers. Johnson believes early exposure to professors is crucial: “I didn’t want students waiting until the 11th grade to start challenging themselves.”
She attended Delaware State herself, where she embraced the HBCU experience — and even then, she dreamed of building a high school that would prepare students for the kind of education she found there.
At Drexel, where she earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership, her innovative ideas were nurtured. A class in creativity and innovation proved especially impactful, encouraging her “to think outside the box to be able to create schools of innovation, schools of the future, things that didn’t exist right now.” She says that class planted the seed for her high school initiative.
As her vision took shape, she researched HBCUs and discovered that while some offer early college programs, none operate in New York. Drexel’s community, particularly her Philly Cohort 8 peers, offered incredible support. “The people in my cohort felt like a community,” she says, emphasizing how the cohort model created “life-long friendships” and a sense of “connectedness.”
She also describes how one professor whom she was “inspired” by the moment she met him impacted her. “He was a professor you could talk to after hours and pick his brain about anything,” Johnson explains. That allowed her to confirm that her vision was something she really wanted to do. “I really enjoyed my time in his class, and he was very inspirational to me.” She also credits her Drexel dissertation chair, Joyce Pittman, for pushing her “to think outside of the box” and encouraging her to think creatively.
Johnson’s experience as a teacher and principal also shaped her approach. Working in New York, she often reflected on “opportunities that did not exist” for her students, especially those in detention facilities. Her commitment to supporting these students led her to take on the challenge of “turning around a school that was persistently struggling and out of time.” Under her leadership, and with new implementations like optional and required AP classes, the school saw rising graduation and attendance rates. According to Johnson, “the school has been in good standing for almost four years.”
Balancing rigorous coursework with flexibility was key to her success, and her goal was to provide exposure to academic challenges for every student. To that end, she required students to take AP English, ensuring that each had the opportunity to engage with at least one college-level course — an experience she herself had missed out on as a child. Her motto — “access isn’t optional” — became her guiding principle, driving her to make these resources available for students’ long-term success.
Johnson’s HBCU Early College Prep has received overwhelming community support, especially in Southeast Queens, where residents had advocated for an accelerated high school for some time. “The community threw a pep rally for the school that included a marching band, majorettes, and people from HBCUs who talked about their experience,” Johnson shares. As the first school of its kind in New York, excitement has been building around her initiative.
For Johnson, the school represents both where she came from and what she hopes to build. Having once seen college as something distant, glimpsed on a wall — now, she’s made it part of her students’ everyday reality. DM
Her motto — “access isn’t optional” — became her guiding principle, driving her to make resources available for students’ long-term success.
This Collection of Alumni Stories Is a Masterclass in Resilience
The newest volume of “A Legacy to Share” continues the powerful storytelling project launched by the Drexel University Black Alumni Council.
By Lauren Hertzler Walsh
“I hope that by standing in my truth, other leaders, particularly young Black leaders, will see themselves in me. Then, perhaps they will begin to believe that no matter their mistakes or limitations, they can do almost anything within their lifetime. Assisting them along their journey is my highest calling as a leader.”
For generations, Black Drexel alumni have forged paths, broken barriers and lifted others as they rose. Now, their stories return to the spotlight in the second volume of “A Legacy to Share: Navigating Life’s Challenges & Celebrating Our Greatest Achievements” — a powerful anthology of lived experience, perseverance and community, published by the Drexel University Black Alumni Council (DUBAC).
The newest edition expands on the original volume released in 2022, showcasing the authentic and resilient voices of Drexel-credentialed CEOs, scientists, scholars, entrepreneurs and more. Proceeds support the DUBAC Endowed Scholarship Fund, which provides opportunities for current and future students.
Angela Dowd-Burton, a two-time Drexel graduate, University Trustee, and the book’s chief editor, emphasizes the importance of honoring these alumni legacies. “I want to institutionalize what has been outstanding achievements by my fellow Dragons,” she explains. “They are ordinary people who have done some extraordinary things, and many if not most are humble as they climb one mountain after another.”
Often, Dowd-Burton says, these same alumni “find a way to reach back out and elevate the next generation.”
Take Jesse Rhodes Jr. ’98, for example. A longtime mentor to Chantee Butler ’13, Rhodes first connected with her through their respective involvement with the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA). Butler followed in Rhodes’ footsteps, not only serving as an officer of NABA’s Drexel chapter but also working at Deloitte after college, eventually launching her own business as a successful entrepreneur.
Here, Rhodes, Butler and other contributors of the new volume share their personal and professional journeys and reflect on resilience, mentorship, advocacy, leadership and community building.
LEONARD COMMA ’92
Q: In “A Legacy to Share,” you reflect on some significant obstacles you’ve faced and withstood. What does resilience mean to you?
A: As human beings, we can sometimes get a little lost in our problems, and we swim in them, and they almost drown us. We have to get to a place where we can sort of come ashore, get out of that “problem swimming pool” long enough to just gain perspective. It is a courageous decision to take that step forward into the unknown. I call it a “mezzanine moment.” A mezzanine in a building is a transition place from the cold weather or the rain and everything else that’s outside. When you are in a bad place and you decide to get out of it, the first couple of steps that you take, you’re just entering into the mezzanine. Yes, you don’t know what’s next, but you’ve made a decision to step away from what was. In the mezzanine, your head can clear, and you are strong for getting yourself there.
Comma graduated with his bachelor’s degree in finance from Drexel in 1992. He began his career at Mobil and later worked as an executive at Jack in the Box, where he served from 2014 to 2020 as chairman and CEO. He currently serves as a mentor at The ExCo Group, an executive coach and leadership development firm.
JESSE RHODES JR. ’98
Q: In your excerpt, you note a lifechanging experience in high school, and how it’s impacted your perspective on mentorship. You often advise youth to not let adversity take them down a path of disruption. Why is this so important to you?
A: I want the world to know that if you do the work at your center, in your heart, and look within, address fear, set boundaries, provide and seek clarity, lean in and build that trust, you are unstoppable — no matter how much society, especially right now, will try to make you think otherwise. At the end of the day, the world is desperate to see the impact that only you can make. It’s challenging to say, “Yes, I’ve fallen.” And then you get back up and fall again, right? But it’s critical, it’s human. The best part of my story is sharing not only my falls but what I learned from those falls, and hoping what I’ve learned can provide guidance for others.
Rhodes is a 1998 graduate of Drexel, where he majored in accounting and management information systems and minored in African American studies. While a student, he was active on campus and founded the Drexel chapter of NABA and his fraternity Alpha Chi Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. An entrepreneur and a philanthropist, Rhodes’ career spans management roles at Amazon, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Target and Walmart, and he’s recently published a book titled “Leadership Unlocked: Harness the Power of Your Ambition.”
BRIAN ELLIS ’05
Q: Even with your impressive credentials and hard-earned roles, you’ve discussed facing imposter syndrome throughout the years. How have you been able to leverage those experiences into advocacy work?
A: I am a kid from West Philadelphia. I first witnessed imposter syndrome when I moved to the suburbs in New Jersey for high school, and again as I started to really grow in my profession. Then again as I pursued a PhD, and again and again. I was so afraid of failing, and I kept wondering if I was smart enough to be where I was. My heart would pound during meetings. But, over the course of time, I started to realize that I did have something to contribute. I do belong. Everyone tends to question themselves, so I try to pay it forward to others, especially young people, to share my lived experiences with them and help them realize that they, too, belong.
Ellis currently serves as associate dean of academic programs administration at Drexel’s LeBow College of Business and executive director of the Goodwin College of Professional Studies. He earned his undergraduate degree in communications from Temple, his master’s degree in higher education from Drexel and his PhD in global leadership from Indiana Institute of Technology. One of the most satisfying endeavors of his career, he says, was founding the Drexel LeBow Building Relationships in Diverse Group Experiences (BRIDGE) program in 2012.
MONIQUETTA SHAFER
’09 & ’11
Q: You’ve held many leadership roles and often seek out opportunities to mentor others inside and outside the workplace. What is one of your biggest pieces of advice for those who aspire to lead?
A: I am really big on self-confidence. When you walk into a room, the mindset that you need to have is that you are one of the smartest people in the room, and if you’re not one of the smartest people in the room, you’re one of the hardest-working people in the room. You can’t control who is in the room, or how many people look like you in the room, or how others are going to perceive you in the room. But what you can control is your own perspective, and your own perspective will be what makes you successful at the end of the day. Self-confidence can go a very long way in overcoming a lot of obstacles and even sometimes knocking down barriers.
Shafer is a two-time graduate of Drexel, earning her undergraduate degree in biology in 2009 and her master’s degree in science of instruction in 2011. After successful stints at Integral Molecular and WuXi Advanced Therapies, and working on the side as an adjunct professor at various higher education institutions, she’s now pursuing her PhD in pharmacology at Cornell’s Medical School in New York City, where her research is focused on cancer metabolism.
CHANTEE BUTLER ’13
Q: As a student, you made sure to get involved in every way you could, from joining clubs and studying abroad to finding mentors and being a mentor. Why was doing this transformative for you?
A: I am a first-generation college graduate, and I was always seeking out people who could lend me advice or talk through big decisions. When I was in college, I knew it was important to have those types of people around me, in my corner, helping to lift me up. And even as a student, I found ways to also be a mentor — there is tremendous value in both the mentee and mentor roles. My motto is, “If you don’t see it, create it,” and I made sure to build my community. There is so much power in networking and relationships.
While an undergraduate student studying accounting and finance at Drexel, Butler landed co-ops at high-profile companies BlackRock, J.P. Morgan and Ernst & Young, and during her senior year, she helped found DUBAC. After graduating from Drexel in 2013, she worked at Deloitte and then earned an MBA at Wharton, before landing managerial roles at Vanguard and DoorDash. She has since pursued her entrepreneurial journey full-time with all-natural skincare company Nayko Naturals and baseball training company Graveyard Mentality. DM
Co-op for Life:
How Drexel Alumni Carry On the Tradition
From launching careers to building pipelines, there are many ways Dragons are carrying co-op forward to new generations.
By Louisa Wilson
Co-op: It’s at the heart of the Drexel experience for many. Short for cooperative education, co-op has been central to a Drexel education for more than 100 years, providing students with the opportunity for meaningful, hands-on work experience before they graduate.
Drexel co-op truly is a continuum of professional development and job training that connects students, alumni and organizations across industries and generations. This past academic year, 89% of undergraduate students were enrolled in co-op, and many alumni talk about how their co-op experiences gave them a head start in their career. For prospective students, too, co-op is key. “For 86% of students, co-op was the most influential reason why they chose to attend Drexel,” says Lynne Hickle, executive director of cooperative education in the Steinbright Career Development Center, which manages co-op experiences at Drexel.
First Jobs, Big Leaps
We spoke to three Drexel students who are living the co-op experience right now — Maria-Louisa Ching, user experience and interactive design ’27; Hannah Pittenturf, psychology ’27; and Milind Sangani, biology ’27.
Underscoring the program’s reputation, Sangani says, “Co-op is the whole reason I came to Drexel. You get six months in a job getting as much experience as you can.” From fostering practical job skills to building professional networks, co-op helps students cultivate pride in the real impact they make within a company and confidence as their academic and career plans move forward.
Ching (pictured) is currently on co-op with the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) as a digital marketing analyst. Tasked with making their webpages more accessible, she’s turning her passion for digital equity into real change. “NBME needed someone to remediate everything on their webpages, with accessibility in mind, for customers and stakeholders,” she says. “I’m proud of my work making sure content is accessible to all users, like those with a visual disability or who use a keyboard instead of a mouse.”
Ching is also building a strong foundation of technical skills in UX, coding and design. “With every co-op I get more confident about my communication skills, and one of the big values is the network I have built. Looking at my résumé, I’m proud of how far I’ve come.”
Like Ching, Pittenturf (pictured) provided essential work during her co-op at the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC), a position she pursued to enhance her minor in climate change. Supporting PEC’s Upstream Suburban Philadelphia Cluster, which works to mitigate excess stormwater runoff, Pittenturf took the lead in creating an interactive StoryMap, highlighting successful projects within the initiative.
“No one in the office knew how to use the ArcGIS software platform necessary for the project, so I oversaw creating the StoryMap, mapping all the local partners that were involved,” says Pittenturf. “It was challenging, but the whole project was a big contribution to PEC and one I felt really proud of.”
Biology major Sangani (pictured), on the pre-med track, used his co-op at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to gain firsthand experience with patients.
“Part of my co-op as a clinical research assistant…was recruiting patients to clinical trials and collecting data for the studies,” he says. “Working directly with patients was a big deal for me because one thing I wanted to get from that co-op was patient interaction skills.”
Sangani also sharpened essential soft skills. “I learned professionalism, communication skills and how to conduct myself in front of members of the team: doctors, nurses, medical assistants,” he says. “Teamwork is such a valuable skill, and it was something I really developed.”
Once a Co-op, Now a Boss
Businesses and organizations that partner with Drexel — both large and small — benefit from co-op, too. It’s a symbiotic relationship that not only provides students with learning opportunities but also offers employers a network of motivated students who are ready to make real contributions to a workplace and fills the talent pipeline.
While many students benefit from co-op, some alumni have come full circle — now serving as mentors and employers themselves. Among them are Timothy Vernile (pictured), animation and visual effects ’10, associate art director of motion graphics of MJH Life Sciences, and Dylan Steinberg, media arts and design ’09, founder-director of Dream Machine Creative, along with Kyrie Fisher, volunteer engagement manager at Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Philadelphia Region. For these employers, Drexel students are making a lasting impact and are becoming coworkers, too.
Vernile and his colleague Tatiana Holt (pictured) need co-op students who can hit the ground running for the work they do at MJH Life Sciences, a multimedia communications company in the health care industry. “Our team creates short animations that show biological processes at the molecular level,” says Holt. “Our co-ops help us move through projects much quicker. We teach them how to do something, they pick it up right away, and then we can rely on them to complete the work.”
Remarking on how essential co-op students become, Vernile adds, “One co-op had such a great work ethic that when she returned to Drexel, we hired her to work part-time while she completed her senior project. Because she was so talented, the minute she graduated from Drexel, we hired her full-time.”
Fisher (pictured) recounts how a Drexel co-op student added value to the volunteer management team at Ronald McDonald House, which relies heavily on volunteers to support families of children going through medical treatments. “Our co-op has been a huge asset in collaborating with our operations team,” she says. “She initiated a weekly meeting to show what volunteer shifts are open and worked on how to bridge the staffing gaps. Having a student take the lead in setting this up has ensured that we’re all on the same page.”
Like Vernile, co-op has been source of talent for Fisher. “One of our co-ops is just fantastic, and we’re in the process of having her come back part-time to support the operations teams,” says Fisher. “It’s a great example of a co-op turning into a job opportunity, another way to keep the professional connections going.”
Steinberg, founder and director of Dream Machine Creative, a full-service video production company, sees the fresh perspectives that co-op students bring. “They see things in new ways because they’re coming from an education setting where professors are always imparting new knowledge,” he remarks. “They’re on the cutting edge of the science of filmmaking, so when they come to Dream Machine, they talk about new technologies and techniques, and about AI. They bring a lot to the industry.”
At Dream Machine, Steinberg provides opportunities for students to take on real-world responsibilities. He says, “Depending on the project, a co-op student will have full responsibility over the video production process. Right now, we have a co-op student with full autonomy over an editing project. He’s working directly with the client, doing all the editing work and managing that client relationship.”
Like other employers, Steinberg often returns to the co-op talent pool. “With one co-op student, after he returned to Drexel, I hired him as a freelancer during his senior year,” he says. “When he graduated, I brought him onboard, and he now sees through every Dream Machine job from inception to delivery.”
You Can Help the Next Dragon Rise
All co-op employers can tap into Drexel’s network of students. For alumni, establishing that co-op connection is also a way to come full circle, having benefited from the program themselves, then giving back to the Drexel community as an employer.
On being part of that co-op continuum, Vernile says, “It’s an honor. My mom went to Drexel and told me how meaningful co-op was. When I got to Drexel it was amazing to see how co-op changed people, the life moments they gained. They came back with amazing portfolio pieces and learned how to be in a workplace.”
“Now as an employer, I’m on the other side,” he continues, “I feel like I’m driving forward one of the pillars of Drexel.”
Setting up a co-op can seem like a complex process to some prospective employers. In reality, it’s easy, says Steinbright Executive Director Lynn Hickle: “Co-op follows a typical recruitment process, from reviewing résumés and interviewing students to making a job offer. At every touchpoint, a co-op advisor is available to provide support.”
“The system is easy because, through the portal, you can select your candidate, set up an interview, and make an offer,” says Vernile. “Once the student sees we’ve put in that offer, they can choose us.”
Vernile goes on, “If we have questions, we reach out to our co-op advisor, and she’ll help with anything. She sends out scheduled reminder emails about deadlines, so nothing falls off our radar.”
On establishing a co-op with Drexel, says Steinberg, “It’s 100% worth the effort to build co-op into your company. You gain the feeling of giving back and helping someone realize their potential, while also offloading some tasks and creating more space for other work.”
“I don’t know where Dream Machine would be without the co-op program. When we got our first co-op student, I immediately felt like the company expanded.”
Start Here
There’s always a need for new co-op employers, and alumni make some of the best. Just as Drexel stays at the forefront of innovation in its research and academic programming, the co-op program seeks to provide job opportunities that keep students on the cutting edge of their field. Says Hickle, “We continually work on job development. We always have new majors at Drexel, and industries can shift dramatically. Drexel co-op evolves to meet the changes and challenges of the real world.”
The Employer Relations team in the Steinbright Career Development Center makes becoming a co-op employer easy. Whether an alumnus or alumna holds a hiring role or not, the Employer Relations team can facilitate setting up a co-op connection in any industry or company size, both locally in the Philadelphia region and nationwide.
If you are interested in hiring a co-op, or simply learning more, take a moment to fill out this brief interest form and someone will be in touch with you! DM
A Massive Overhaul of Drexel’s Calendar, Curricula and Colleges Is Coming
A historic transformation is underway at Drexel, with a switch to semesters and a reimagined academic structure set for 2027 that will position students for a more flexible interdisciplinary and experience-rich education.
By Natalie Kostelni
An immense academic overhaul at Drexel is now in the implementation phase, and the university-wide transformation is already yielding tangible results — such as enhanced programs in the Bennett S. LeBow College of Business through the Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship integration as well as a planned undergraduate AI and machine learning major in the new College of Computing and Engineering.
These early indicators reflect how academic transformation is reshaping the Drexel experience — from the way programs are structured to how students connect knowledge across disciplines.
The three-year initiative began in the fall of 2024 and has moved from the design phase into full implementation. It involves reimagining every aspect of Drexel's academic enterprise through a complete curriculum redesign, strategic college integrations and a transition to semesters to provide students more options over their educational journey, strengthen learning outcomes and better prepare graduates for the evolving world of work.
Complementing the curricular redesign, Drexel released its semester calendar framework this fall, a major milestone toward the August 2027 transition from the quarter calendar. The shift to semesters from quarter-based programs will allow for deeper learning, provide more scheduling flexibility and align Drexel with peer institutions — all while supporting cooperative education (co-op), global experiences and partnerships that define the University’s distinctive model of experiential education.
This top-to-bottom revision of academic offerings includes instilling three new core competencies across all programs:
Inquire & Analyze, Collaborate & Integrate, Apply & Engage
These competencies, already essential parts of the Drexel brand, will be embedded across disciplines to ensure every student gains the critical thinking, problem-solving and adaptability skills needed to continuously thrive.
“We’re building something almost no other institution has — a completely reimagined curriculum and academic structure designed for this moment and built with flexibility and interdisciplinarity.”
“Five years from now, we’ll look back at this moment and say: ‘Thank goodness we did academic transformation.’ It’s so much work, but it will fundamentally enhance the Drexel experience. We’ll wonder how we ever considered not doing it.”
A Collaborative Transformation
The initiative reached a pivotal milestone in May when the Faculty Senate supported a series of integrations between schools and colleges. The School of Education and the Goodwin College of Professional Studies’ First-Year Exploratory Studies program will join the College of Arts and Sciences, while the College of Engineering, the College of Computing & Informatics and the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems will unify into the new College of Engineering and Computing and become Drexel’s largest academic unit by enrollment.
Already, the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute has moved into the Dana and David Dornsife School of Public Health, and the Close School of Entrepreneurship has integrated within the LeBow College of Business.
Faculty and professional staff have volunteered to serve on working groups and devoted countless hours to this vital initiative, all while maintaining existing professional and personal responsibilities.
“You can’t do a project on this scale without faculty and staff being committed, and that commitment requires true partnership,” Jensen says. “Real buy-in means people own the work, and that only happens when you partner from the start.”
This collective approach is rooted in Drexel’s 2030 Strategic Plan and the 2022 formation of the University Advisory Committee on Academic Structure, each of which comprised a broad coalition across faculty, professional staff and administrators. Colleges and schools are now leading the implementation phases, extending the collaboration that began during the initial design phase.
“Drexel is a pioneer in linking learning with experience, and Academic Transformation builds on that tradition by creating a University that’s even more dynamic, connected and student-centric.”
A Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity
This transformation is an ambitious, once-in-a-generation effort that is aligned with Drexel’s history of reinvention and innovation in higher education. From being among the first universities to establish co-op to remaining a global leader in experiential education, Drexel continually evolves to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.
These changes are designed to improve student retention and graduation rates, strengthen partnerships and enhance Drexel’s national competitiveness — all while preserving what has always made the University distinct: its integration of real-world experience into every facet of learning.
Through this process, Drexel will double down on experiential learning. A new Experiential Education Hub will help expand options and improve access through a cohesive ecosystem of hands-on opportunities — co-op, global engagement, research, civic learning and project-based courses. Starting with the entering class of 2027–28, experiential learning will be more formally and extensively integrated into academic programs.
The initiative's impact is already visible as new interdisciplinary offerings and shared resources are helping students explore academic paths that better reflect Drexel’s strengths in innovation and collaboration. For example, the integration of the Close School of Entrepreneurship within LeBow has begun to shape a broader ecosystem for undergraduate programs.
Beginning in the fall of 2027, entrepreneurship will become a required core course for all LeBow students when it was previously offered only as an elective, ensuring students are exposed to an entrepreneurial mindset. Within LeBow’s BSBA program, entrepreneurship will also become a major alongside finance and accounting, creating a robust, co-disciplinary structure within the program.
The Close integration also led to a boost in enrollment for a special topics course that opened in September for the first time to students in LeBow and quickly filled within a week.
In another example of the power of integrating academic units, the newly formed College of Engineering and Computing will launch an undergraduate degree in artificial intelligence and machine learning in fall 2026, joining a small but growing group of universities offering dedicated AI majors.
In October, Drexel launched Drexel Health Clinical Operations, a centralized structure uniting 28 clinical entities across eight colleges and schools, including programs added with the University’s merger with the former Salus University over the summer. The initiative aims to improve efficiency, reduce risk and foster innovation in clinical education and practice.
This consolidation strengthens Drexel's position as a leader in interprofessional health sciences education. It also provides students greater access to high-quality clinical placements, more consistent supervision and assessment, and broader opportunities to collaborate across disciplines — from nursing and medicine to public health.
The result is a more integrated, interprofessional approach to clinical education that reflects the future of health care and strengthens Drexel’s position as a leader in experiential, practice-based learning.
Preview to 2027: A Q&A with Provost Jensen
As this transformative process moves toward its 2027 milestone, the vision is beginning to take root across colleges, classrooms and co-ops. But what can students, faculty and alumni expect in the years ahead?
Nina Henderson Provost and Executive Vice President Paul E. Jensen, PhD, answered eight questions about what’s working, what’s changing, and Drexel’s future.
Q: What has Academic Transformation allowed Drexel to do that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise?
A: Academic Transformation provided us with a unique opportunity to step back and ask: What would make Drexel truly more student-centric and more so than any university in the country? The answer wasn’t incremental change; it meant rebuilding everything.
Q: How do core competencies fit into the vision?
A: We established core competencies that will matter long after graduation. Drexel’s core competencies aren’t static requirements, but adaptive frameworks designed to evolve as technology and work itself transforms. These competencies form a foundation students build at Drexel and carry into every job, every career pivot and every challenge they’ll face over the next 40 years.
Q: How will students experience these core competencies in their coursework?
A: At the highest level, they’re built around critical thinking and problem-solving. Every student will start with a common set of foundational courses that introduce core competencies. Think of it as building a shared vocabulary and toolkit that they'll use throughout their time at Drexel and beyond.
The first of these courses will focus on inquiry and analysis — especially information literacy — and will be designed for a world where AI is reshaping how we find, evaluate and use information. Drexel is working with industry partners to ensure students won’t only learn about AI, but also how to utilize it intentionally and effectively.
Q: What does “being the global leader in experiential education” mean for Drexel?
A: It means guaranteeing that every student will engage in meaningful, hands-on experiences — whether that is co-op, global, civic engagement and/or research — on a scale almost no other institution can match. At Drexel, we don’t just prepare students to succeed after college; we invite them to start applying what they are learning now. Every co-op, every global trip, every civic partnership and hands-on learning experience is a rehearsal for the lives they will lead and the difference they will make.
Read more stories from this issue of Drexel Magazine.
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