December 5, 2025

On September 18, 2025, the College of Nursing and Health Professions hosted an end-of-program lunch and celebration for the first cohort of the 2025 DREAM Scholars. The event allowed participants in the inaugural Spring/Summer cohort to present their research findings, connect with professors and celebrate their hard work and dedication.

The Drexel DREAM Program (Health Disparities, Research, Experiential Learning, Research Skills, Aging Science and Mentorship) was created to enhance the training of the biomedical, behavioral and clinical research workforce in aging research.

The program is designed to expose undergraduate students to a plethora of research topics in aging, from cellular research to systemic public health implications, and foster a long-term increase in the biomedical workforce. The program leverages the expertise of nationally and internationally recognized faculty researchers across Drexel University who are members of the Cell2Society Aging Research Network (Cell2Society), a Drexel Area of Research Excellence, and are committed to diversifying and training the next generation of researchers in aging studies.

The DREAM Scholars Program is a powerful example of what makes Drexel distinctive – pairing hands-on experience with mentorship to advance science and diversify the research workforce. We are proud to see our students leading work that has the potential to transform aging research and improve lives,” noted Emily Roper, PhD, dean of Drexel’s College of Nursing and Health Professions. “Through programs like DREAM, students not only sharpen their research skills but also develop confidence, resilience and a sense of belonging in the research community.”

The DREAM curriculum is built upon researching health disparities, leveraging the university’s areas of academic excellence and opportunities related to health innovation and health access and wellness and experiential learning. The cohort of undergraduate students completed a noncredit full-time paid aging research training program as a part of their cooperative education experience to gain expertise in aging research from lab research to policy-making data in three key thematic areas: preventing and managing chronic conditions, enhancing active and purposeful living and enabling aging in places through an innovative virtual learning community (VLC) where students obtain digital badges for mastering new knowledge in research skills and aging science. This kind of interdisciplinary research demonstrates adaptable thinking, something that today's rapidly evolving job market requires.

“Interdisciplinary research helps undergraduates develop a broader perspective through holistic thinking, breaking down silos and enhanced communications skills. Students that participate in interdisciplinary research learn how to approach problems from multiple angles—scientific, ethical, social economic—rather than through a single disciplinary lens. This fosters a deeper understanding of real-world complexity. By engaging with different fields, students see how knowledge is interconnected,” said Rose Ann DiMaria-Ghalili, PhD, RN, Interim Associate Vice Provost for Research & Innovation, Office of Research, Senior Associate Dean for Research, CNHP.

The undergraduate researchers spent their six-month co-op experience completing research and working alongside accomplished professors on projects relating to solving issues that affect the aging population. Students were paired with mentors who assisted and guided them through their research of choice. Research topics ranged from the use of artificial intelligence to support older adults’ self-management of chronic illnesses to defining regulatory changes to improve biomaterials for wound care.

Many of the students in the Spring/Summer 2025 cohort noted that through this experience, they gained a new perspective on conducting research and the process of aging.

“The training helped us really break down [what occurs during] the process of aging. After the course, I gained a whole new perspective on ageism—especially the media’s perception of aging as a negative thing that needs to be fixed, when really, it’s something to be embraced,” remarked Thiana Goode, biology ‘28.

Others in the cohort echoed the sentiment about the importance of researching issues in aging.

“[Agism] is an interesting concept, considering we are all eventually going to age and become older adults. The training shared a statistic where the number of healthcare workers in geriatrics is significantly lower than the number of healthcare workers in pediatrics. It’s interesting to me because our aging population is getting larger, whereas our younger population is declining due to low birth rates. The program has really opened my eyes to seeing the [potential] issues that could arise in our healthcare system,” noted Jenna Lisa, biology ’28.

The program was open to students across the university, with the inaugural program being many of this cohort’s first time working within CNHP, bringing diverse research perspectives.

“I have always had an interest in [researching] health disparities and housing, and I think the correlation [between the two] to aging is interesting. Before applying to this program, I did an intensive course abroad (ICA) in Chile focused on aging and Chile’s aging infrastructure. That kind of started the idea of thinking about aging differently,” explained Shailly Verma, public health ‘26.

Joe Luisi ‘27, a third-year software engineering student, echoed Verma’s sentiments about exploring new perspectives outside of their major.

“It was interesting looking into how we could use our majors to help people that we never thought we could. It was cool seeing another [application] of the [computer science/software engineering] occupation and the research aspect of it. Getting exposed to the research sector and healthcare sector was also really cool,” he said.

Throughout the experience, the students were challenged to step ‘outside the box’ of their majors and engage in problem-solving and tackling healthcare and research questions in an impactful way. For many, it was their first time completing research, and they embraced it with a sense of wonder and excitement for the future.

Participants and Mentors:

Shekinah Dorceus; health sciences ‘28

Mentor: Meghan Smith, PhD, assistant teaching professor of health sciences department; Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions

Kaleigh Gillis; biological sciences ‘28

Mentor: Meghan Smith, PhD, assistant teaching professor of health sciences department; Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions

Thiana Goode; biology ‘27

Mentor: Sudeshna Chatterjee, PhD, assistant professor of physical therapy and rehab science; Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions

Jasmine Harris; public Health ‘26

Mentor: Justine Sefcik, PhD, RN, assistant professor of nursing; Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions

Mikayla Keeler; biology ‘26

Mentor: Victoria Nash, PhD, assistant research professor; Drexel University’s School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Kara Spiller, PhD, professor; Drexel University School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems.

Jenna Lisa; biology ‘28

Mentor: Annalisa Na, PhD, PT, DPT, assistant research professor of physical therapy and rehabilitation sciences; Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions Ben Senderling, PhD Candidate.

Joseph Luisi; software engineering ‘27

Mentor: Rose Ann DiMaria-Ghalili, PhD, RN, professor and senior associate dean for research; interim associate vice provost for research & innovation; Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions

Shailly Verma; public health ‘26

Mentor: Safiyyah Okoye, PhD, MSN, RN, assistant professor of nursing; Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions; Department of Health Management and Policy.

Meng Wang; computer science ‘28

Mentor: Rose Ann DiMaria-Ghalili, PhD, RN, professor and senior associate dean for research; interim associate vice provost for research & innovation; Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions

Written by Myleah Herbert '25