2015

December
- Drexel’s New UConnect Initiative Connects West Philadelphia Residents with Essential Social Services
  
  December 21, 2015
  A new initiative from Drexel University’s Lindy Center for Civic Engagement and the College of Arts and Sciences will address this issue through a service called UConnect, which will train members of the Drexel community to act as navigators, helping local residents get connected with a range of services and opportunities.
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- A Galaxy Far, Far Away: Drexel Professor to Use New Telescope to Map Beyond Milky Way
  
  December 15, 2015
  Due to his past involvement with another survey of the night sky, Drexel’s Gordon Richards will take a look out of our galaxy with the help of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, which is capable of mapping the entire night sky every three days.
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- Four Drexel Teams Receive Awards in Michelin Connected Mobility Challenge
  
  December 10, 2015
  Drexel University and Michelin North America have announced the winner of the Connected Mobility Challenge, a six-week competition to identify innovative solutions with the potential to impact people and their mobility and change the transportation industry.
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- Top Drexel Stories of 2015
  
  December 07, 2015
  Drexel made a lot of news this year. Check out the best stories about Drexel that came out in 2015.
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- Co-op Turned Career: How One Student Used the Co-op System to Find a Job After Graduation
  
  December 07, 2015
  Hannah Abrams wasn’t too sure about what she wanted to do after graduation. One international co-op changed everything for her.
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- The Nightmares Before Christmas – And How to Avoid Them
  
  December 07, 2015
  It’s that time of year again! The time when your stress levels go through the roof as you shop, cook, wrap, decorate, travel and party-plan yourself into a tizzy while trying to create the perfect holiday season. Drexel experts have identified some of the top stress-inducing holiday nightmares and offer some helpful tips for avoiding them this year.
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November
- Turning the Tables on Terry Gross
 
 November 23, 2015
 Terry Gross is currently celebrating 40 years as the award-winning host of National Public Radio’s “Fresh Air,” which boasts nearly 5 million listeners each week across more than 450 NPR stations. The show also has a massively popular podcast. Gross is widely considered one of the country’s leading and most important interviewers, but earlier this month, the legendary interviewer became the interviewee. 
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- Have an Apple-Shaped Body? You May Be More Susceptible to Binge Eating
 
 November 12, 2015
 Women with apple-shaped bodies – those who store more of their fat in their trunk and abdominal regions – may be at particular risk for the development of eating episodes during which they experience a sense of “loss of control,” according to a new study from Drexel University. The study also found that women with greater fat stores in their midsections reported being less satisfied with their bodies, which may contribute to loss-of-control eating.
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- A.J. Drexel Institute for Energy and the Environment Plots a Course for Philadelphia to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
 
 November 04, 2015
 Researchers from the A.J. Drexel Institute for Energy and the Environment issued a 97-page report to the City of Philadelphia that plots a detailed course for how the city can reduce its emission of greenhouse gasses—with the goal of an 80 percent reduction by the year 2050. Among its suggestions are retrofitting hospitals, grocery stores, schools and retail stores with better windows and insulation; drawing electricity from low-carbon sources like nuclear, wind and solar power; and encouraging the use of electric vehicles, public transportation, walking and cycling.
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October
- Deputy Police Commissioner Awarded Stoneleigh Fellowship, Coming to Drexel to Expand School-to-Prison Pipeline Diversion Program
  
  October 28, 2015
  Philadelphia Deputy Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel will spend the next three years expanding the successful pre-arrest diversion program in the School District of Philadelphia for students with no histories of juvenile justice involvement.
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- Drexel Co-ops by College
  
  October 26, 2015
  These statistics, facts and stories highlight the best that the co-op program has to offer for students in each and every school and college at Drexel.
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September
- Debating the Pope: Social Scientists Engage Pope’s Call for Climate Change Dialogue in Top Journal
  
  September 24, 2015
  In Pope Francis’ nearly 200-page climate change encyclical, Laudato SI, published earlier this year, he explicitly calls for a “dialogue with all people about our common home.” A group of leading social scientists provide a scholarly foundation for that dialogue in a special series of commentaries published online this week in Nature Climate Change.
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- As Demand for African Timber Soars, Birds Pay the Ultimate Price
  
  September 08, 2015
  A new study co-authored by scientists at Drexel University reveals the devastating impact of illegal logging on bird communities in the understory layer of Ghana’s Upper Guinea rain forests, one of the world's 25 “biodiversity hotspots."
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August
- Drexel and Michelin North American Partner in Connected Mobility Challenge
 
 August 24, 2015
 Drexel announced a new collaboration with Michelin North America to help find and develop new technologies that have the potential to impact people and their mobility, and change the transportation industry.
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- New Book Argues that Social Sciences Are Critical to Climate Conversation
 
 August 20, 2015
 According to the new book “Climate Change and Society: Sociological Perspectives,” engaging the social – and not just natural – sciences in the climate conversation is essential for effecting large-scale change.Edited by environmental sociologists Robert J. Brulle, PhD,a professor in Drexel University’s College of Arts and Sciences, and Riley E. Dunlap, a professor at Oklahoma State University, the book breaks new ground by presenting climate change as a thoroughly social phenomenon, embedded in behaviors, institutions and cultural practices.
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- Most Adults Are Sexting and That May Not Be a Bad Thing
 
 August 10, 2015
 More than 8 out of 10 people surveyed online admitted to sexting in the prior year, according to a new study from Drexel University’s Women’s Health Psychology Lab.
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- Drexel Experts Available to Comment on Pope's Visit to Philadelphia
 
 August 04, 2015
 Pope Francis – and an estimated 1.5 million people – will descend upon the city of Philadelphia in late September as the capstone to the weeklong, international World Meeting of Families event, during which the Pope will deliver a public mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. From concerns about security measures to transportation, anxiety is already on the rise among Philadelphians regarding how the city will handle the influx of tourists expected to double the city’s population. Drexel University experts are available to comment on a range of issues related to the visit including safety, public health, environmental impact, infrastructure preparedness and tourism. Experts also are able to weigh in about what this once-in-a-lifetime event – and the Pope’s progressive views – mean for the Catholic church.
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- Bushmeat Trade Grows with Economic Prosperity
 
 August 03, 2015
 The bushmeat market in the city of Malabo is bustling—more so today than it was nearly two decades ago, when Gail Hearn, PhD, began what is now one of the region’s longest continuously running studies of commercial hunting activity. Hearn’s team has now published its comprehensive results of 13 years of daily monitoring bushmeat market activity.
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July
- Employee Spotlight: Rachel Wenrick
  
  July 28, 2015
  Since 2007, the College of Arts and Sciences' Rachel Wenrick has been a champion of the written word at Drexel and her latest effort promotes writing in Drexel's surrounding neighborhoods.
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- In Photos: #CoASDayintheLife
  
  July 28, 2015
  From the remarkable, to the beautiful to the breathtaking, the College of Arts and Sciences community did its best to documented just another day as part of its third annual photo contest.
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- Students, Community Members Use “War Stories” to Connect With Veterans
  
  July 20, 2015
  Drexel's English course "War Stories" up to its name, creating opportunities for Drexel students and community members to learn more about veterans.
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- Non-STEM Students Equally Benefit from Undergraduate Research, Study Finds
  
  July 17, 2015
  Most undergraduate research programs cater to STEM majors. A team of Drexel researchers shows why that's a bad idea.
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- Communications Professor Analyzes Local Media Coverage of Japanese-American Incarceration Camps
  
  July 06, 2015
  Ron Bishop, professor and head of the Department of Communication, published a book analyzing how the internment of people of Japanese descent, more than 60 percent American citizens, was covered by local newspapers during World War Two.
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June
- Thick Cortex Could Be Key in Down Syndrome
  
  June 19, 2015
  The thickness of the brain’s cerebral cortex could be a key to unlocking answers about intellectual development in youth with Down Syndrome, according to a new study led by a Drexel psychologist.
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- Check Out Some of Drexel’s 2015 Senior Projects
  
  June 17, 2015
  Drexel seniors were especially creative this year when creating and completing projects that encompassed everything they've learned during their studies.
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- Do Insect Societies Share Brain Power?
  
  June 17, 2015
  A new Drexel study suggests that social behavior evolved very differently in the brains of social insects than in vertebrate animals such as mammals, birds and fish.
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- Underground Ants Can't Take the Heat
  
  June 15, 2015
  A new Drexel study shows underground species of army ants are much less tolerant of high temperatures than their aboveground relatives—and that could mean climate change models lack a key element of how animal physiology could affect responses to changing environments.
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May
- The Drexel Connection to ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’
  
  May 19, 2015
  As freshmen in a war literature English course discovered, Drexel has a lot more in common with one of the greatest war novels of all time, and the most destructive bombing in World War II, than you would think.
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- Drexel Researchers First to Detect Air Quality Effects of Natural Gas Extraction in Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale Region
  
  May 19, 2015
  A team led by environmental engineers from Drexel University are the first independent researchers to take a closer look at the air quality effects of natural gas extraction in the Marcellus Shale region of Pennsylvania. The group used a mobile air quality monitoring vehicle to survey regional air quality and pollutant emissions at 13 sites including wells, drilling rigs, compressor stations and processing areas. Their work establishes baseline measurements for this relatively new area of extraction.
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- From Syria to Drexel: Freshman Tells His Rebel Story
  
  May 15, 2015
  In Syria, Mahmoud Hallak helped coordinate protests against the Bashar al-Assad government, lost his father to government forces, and was wounded by a grenade during a demonstration. Now the Drexel freshman is sharing his story.
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April
- Drexel Professor Behind International LGBT Comics Conference
  
  April 29, 2015
  A Drexel professor has helped organize a conference recognizing and celebrating the work of the LGBT comics community.
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- Why is Reforming the United Nations So Hard But So Important? Q+A with Former U.N. Ambassador Joe Torsella
  
  April 24, 2015
  As the United Nations celebrates its 70th anniversary, DrexelNow checked in with Ambassador (Ret.) Joseph M. Torsella, distinguished visiting fellow in the Center for Public Policy in Drexel University’s College of Arts and Sciences, who formerly servedas the U.S. Representative to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform. From 2011-2014, he was responsible for leading efforts to make the U.N. a more efficient, accountable, respected and effective organization. On Wednesday, May 13, Torsella will give a public discussion at Drexel on “The U.S., the U.N. and U.N. Reform: Why its So Hard...and So Important.” The event will take place from 1:30 – 3 p.m. in the Bossone Research Enterprise Center’s Mitchell Auditorium (32nd and Market Streets, Philadelphia).
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- Employee Spotlight: Miriam Kotzin
  
  April 24, 2015
  Miriam Kotzen has been teaching at Drexel for 45 years. She's written a history of the University, led departments and creating groundbreaking online literary magazines. But what does she feel is her greatest legacy?
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- Drexel Joins Philadelphia Science Festival's Weeklong Celebration of Science and Technology
  
  April 22, 2015
  Students, faculty and staff from Drexel University will help make the fifth anniversary of the Philadelphia Science Festival one of the biggest citywide celebrations to date. More than 200 regional partner organizations from museums to cultural centers and educational institutions will present over 100 events across the city during the nine-day celebration intended to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.
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- Mapping Language in the Brain
  
  April 16, 2015
  Aphasia, an impairment of language common after stroke or other brain injury, can make it difficult to return to work and maintain social relationships. A new study published provides a detailed brain map of language impairments in aphasia following stroke.
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- Putting on a Show, and Then Some
  
  April 09, 2015
  For his senior project, communications major Nick Stropko set out to host a concert that encapsulates what he learned Drexel student both in and out of the classroom.
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- Study of African Birds Reveals Hotbed of Malaria Parasite Diversity
  
  April 08, 2015
  A new study published this week in the journal PLOS ONE explores the scope of malaria parasite diversity in southeast African birds, and provides insight into how lifestyle characteristics of birds can influence their association with different parasite genera.
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- “Before I Die…” Artist Candy Chang to Speak at Drexel
  
  April 02, 2015
  On Thursday, April 30 from 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m., Taiwanese-American artist Candy Chang will speak on “Better Cities: Transforming Public Spaces Through Art & Design” at Drexel University’s Mandell Theater (33rd and Chestnut Streets) as the fifth lecturer in the College of Arts and Sciences' annual Distinguished Lecture Series.
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March
- How to Harness the Science of Sparking Ideas
  
  March 30, 2015
  Drexel professor John Kounios has co-authored a new book about the science of "aha moments." It’s the first book about creativity that tells a complete and faithful story of the neuroscience written by the actual scientists who made the discoveries.
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- Turning “Us” and “Them” into “We” Again: Former UN Ambassador Torsella Discusses American Community at National Constitution Center
  
  March 19, 2015
  In a public discussion, entitled “Renewing the American “We”: What We Owe James Wilson,” Ambassador Joseph M. Torsella (Ret.) will share his thoughts on how we can – and why we must – renew our sense of American community in these polarized times.
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- Elevated Childhood Weight May Increase Susceptibility to Eating Disorders
  
  March 04, 2015
  A group of researchers at Drexel University suggest that actual elevations in body mass during childhood may play a much bigger role in the development of disordered eating than previously thought.
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February
- What Stories Do You Have to Tell? Drexel’s New Storylab Can Help
  
  February 20, 2015
  The Drexel Storylab, a new initiative in Drexel University’s College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of English & Philosophy, aims to help writers of all levels jumpstart the creative process by working with established writers and looking for inspiration in unlikely places.
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- #BlackLivesMatter Panel Discussion at Drexel on Police Violence and African American Communities
  
  February 19, 2015
  During Black History Month, a roundtable discussion will be held at Drexel University on Friday, Feb. 20 from 6 – 8 p.m. to examine police violence against African Americans, the criminal justice system and community responses. The event will be held in Drexel'sMacAlister Hall, 2019-2020 (3250 Chestnut St., Philadelphia). It is sponsored by Drexel’s Office of Equality and Diversity.
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January
- Studies of Most Endangered Chimpanzees Show Complex Evolutionary Past, Perilous Future
  
  January 21, 2015
  A Drexel-led team's complementary analyses of population genetics, geographical distribution and habitat use paint a new picture of the evolutionary past and potentially bleak future of the Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzee, already the most endangered chimp subspecies.
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- New Drexel Course on Affluenza and Consumer Culture is Open to the Public
  
  January 12, 2015
  As the dust settles after the chaos of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the holiday shopping season, it’s the perfect time to take a closer look at America’s consumer culture, including ‘affluenza,’ the epidemic of overconsumption. In a new course, called “Studying Consumerism,” offered by the Department of Communication in Drexel University’s College of Arts and Sciences, students—and a limited number of alumni and members of the general public—can do just that. The winter term course, which runs from Jan. 5 – March 21, will provide students with a broad overview of critical, historical and practical issues pertaining to consumerism as well as branding and marketing.
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- A Co-op Covering the Best of Beijing Art and Fashion
  
  January 12, 2015
  Less than a year ago, Mollie Snyder "knew basically nothing about" China. But since starting her co-op at a bilingual Chinese magazine in September, she's been elevated from intern to editor, mingled with celebrities and attended high-end fashion shows.
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