Hilde Van den Bulck, PhD, has been appointed Professor and Head of the Department of Communication. Van den Bulck is an internationally renowned scholar of media cultures, structures, processes and politics. She received her PhD in Social Sciences from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium in 2000 and joined the communication faculty at the University of Antwerp, where she served as Head of the Department of Communication and Chair of the Board of Deans.

Van den Bulck is the author of six books in Dutch and six in English, including the book “Celebrity Philanthropy and Activism: Mediated Interventions in the Global Public Sphere” (Routledge, 2018). In addition to publishing over 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, she has served in an advisory capacity to the Flemish Media Minister, has received funding from sources like the European Science Foundation and the Flemish Scientific Research Council, and has been frequently quoted in the media on media policy issues. In 2017, she was awarded the Senior Career Award by the Netherlands-Flanders Communication Association.

Scott Knowles, PhD, has been appointed Head of the Department of History, after serving as interim department head since 2013. Knowles is a historian of modern cities, technology and public policy with a focus on risk and disaster. He joined Drexel’s faculty in 2005 after receiving his PhD in the History of Science, Medicine and Technology from Johns Hopkins University. His research has engaged with disasters on a global scale and traced the history of our own institution, generating funding from sources like the National Science Foundation.

Knowles is author of the book “The Disaster Experts: Mastering Risk in Modern America” (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011) and co-editor of “Building Drexel: The University and Its City, 1891-2016” (Temple University Press, 2016). In addition to his numerous peer-reviewed publications, Knowles has contributed essays and op-eds to publications like The New York Times and appeared on radio programs, including “Radio Times.” He lends his expertise as a faculty research fellow at the University of Delaware’s Disaster Research Center and previously served on former Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter's Special Advisory Commission on Licenses and Inspections.

Brian Daly, PhD, has been appointed Interim Head of the Department of Psychology. Daly is a clinical child and adolescent psychologist, director of clinical training for Drexel’s doctoral program in psychology, and an associate professor of psychology. He joined Drexel’s faculty in 2010, having previously served as an assistant professor and postdoctoral fellow at Temple University. His research has provided evidence-based treatment methods for use with vulnerable populations, funded by sources like the National Institutes of Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. His areas of expertise include chronic illnesses in children, adolescent health risk behavior and mental health promotion in schools.

Daly is the author of three books and over 40 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He has appeared on numerous media outlets including headline-making studies on drivers with autism and suicide risk in adolescents. His extensive clinical experience includes his work as a supervisor at Drexel’s Psychological Services Center and formerly, as Chief Psychologist at Temple University’s Pediatric Psychology Clinic. He is an advisory board member of Turning Points for Children, the Mental Health Education Integration Consortium and the Cadence Cycling Foundation, and previously served as President of the Philadelphia Behavior Therapy Association.