2025 was an important year in Drexel University history, as it marked the beginning of the leadership of President Antonio Merlo, PhD. Drexel faculty, professional staff and students wanted to learn more about their new president, and that’s reflected in some of the most-clicked stories about the University that were published this year.
What else did Dragons read about? Well, there was the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl win at the beginning of the year; that’s reflected in not one but two of the top 10 most-read stories. Students also read about special discounts and wellness resources only available to them, and all Dragons learned about new updates to campus and groundbreaking research from Drexel experts.
Below are the top 10 most-read stories about Drexel University, as produced by the Strategic Communications team in University Marketing & Communications
Undergraduate and graduate students can use their student IDs on and off campus to score free admission to cultural institutions and athletics games and get discounts on food and technology purchases.
Note: Some of these benefits can also be used by faculty and professional staff members with a DragonCard.
Earlier this year, the Drexel Founding Collection hosted an exhibition of the personal artwork of a publicly adored writer, courtesy of a Thomas R. Kline School of Law alumna who is the private owner of the drawings.
Researchers from the College of Computing & Informatics found that exposure to inappropriate interactions with chatbots is increasing. Led by Afsaneh Razi, PhD, an assistant professor, the research team also offered ways for lawmakers and AI companies to address it.
Another compilation of Drexel resources for students! This one highlighted ways Dragons could beat the winter blues, from checking out a sunlight lamp from the library to visiting its Wellness Zone or Serenity Suite.
Erin Nipps, BS ’23 and MPH ’24 from the Dana and David School of Public Health, was cheering for the Philadelphia Eagles every step of the way during their Super Bowl-winning season — including at the big game itself and the subsequent victory parade afterwards. This all happened during her first year as an Eagles cheerleader and her first year out of school, which she also spent balancing a full-time job and volunteering as a dance teacher for a local nonprofit organization.
More Dragons and Eagles! Aaron Levit, sport business ’24 from the Bennett S. LeBow College of Business, played a co-op with the Philadelphia Eagles into a post-graduation job with the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans. He, too, was working at the SuperDome stadium during the Super Bowl and saw the Eagles win in person.
The Patrick McGonigal Academic Resource Center received a new name and even more opportunities as an integrated hub of on-campus academic support services. Students can come to the Korman Center for tutoring, academic coaching, workshops, events and more.
The University’s new leader started in July, and this story was published shortly before that to introduce Dragons to his personal and professional background.
Drexel was recognized as a top higher education institution in a prominent annual rankings list as well as in a new book from an expert writer.
It’s fitting that the most-read story was about the biggest Drexel news: the announcement of the University’s new president.