January

Rising Leaders: Shahmar Beasley

January 25, 2019
Shahmar Beasley is a community leader in the truest sense. His internship experience — with two Pennsylvania state representatives, a Philadelphia judge and a criminal defense attorney — is matched only by his civic engagement. Between fundraising for underserved communities and studying for the LSAT exam, he also organized the Thomas R. Kline School of Law’s first District Attorney candidates debate as the past president of Drexel Democrats.
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Rising Leaders: Kiana Williams

January 25, 2019
Kiana Williams has conducted research on cancer-causing enzyme misregulation, engaged patients in programming at a children’s hospital, and cared for infants with severe medical conditions. A mentor to underprivileged middle school students, Williams is a strong believer in inspiring people to work together — a motivation that underlies her goal of becoming a medical doctor.
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Rising Leaders: Sumita Gangwani

January 25, 2019
Sumita Gangwani has taken her passion for sustainability into diverse roles — studying green energy in Iceland, researching the politics of energy development in Philadelphia, and influencing sustainable retail policies on co-op in Washington, D.C. As an on-campus leader, she has advocated for Drexel to remain committed to its environmental initiatives and has helped empower new Dragons as a student ambassador and mentor.
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Rising Leaders: Anthony Perez

January 25, 2019
Anthony Perez is an advocate for underserved populations. He’s written grants for nonprofit funding, worked as a human rights intern in Argentina, and helped raise money for disaster relief in Puerto Rico. At his most recent co-op, he assisted immigrants and asylum seekers in attaining permanent residency and public benefits in the U.S.
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Rising Leaders: Sara Aykit

January 25, 2019
Sara Aykit has harnessed the power of storytelling to celebrate diversity and the common experiences that unite us. A Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholar, she has attended writing workshops in Ireland and served as a memory writer for people with Alzheimer’s disease. Her focus on community building has led her to become a student advocate with Drexel’s Student Center for Diversity and Inclusion and to assist with refugee resettlement while on co-op at the nonprofit Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society Pennsylvania.
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Follow My Lead: Maggie Deptola

January 24, 2019
A drive to address economic inequalities — and a less-than- engaging high school experience — led Maggie Deptola to Coded by Kids, a local nonprofit that aspires to make technology education accessible to all middle and high school students. Her work caught the eye of professional networking giant LinkedIn, which featured Deptola in its #InItTogether campaign. Her likeness has since been featured on billboards throughout Philadelphia and even in a commercial that aired during the 2018 Winter Olympics — a fitting nod to her Olympian determination to transform education.
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Follow My Lead: Amber Racine, Esq.

January 24, 2019
Stumbling upon personal injury law during her co-op as a history and politics student and A.J. Drexel Scholar at Drexel, Amber Racine has since become a rising star of the field. Her accolades range from “Lawyer on the Fast Track” from The Legal Intelligencer to being named chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association Board of Governors for 2019. Her successes aside, Racine is most grateful for the chance to make a difference in people’s lives.
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Follow My Lead: Anthony DeSimone, PhD

January 24, 2019
No matter the day or season, Anthony DeSimone’s mornings start the same: a 4 a.m. wakeup and quick email check, followed by a one- to three-hour run. The discipline required to maintain these morning rituals weaves its way through every aspect of DeSimone’s life, allowing him to tackle the pressures of leading more than 2,000 engineers and a unit that brings in $5 billion in revenue annually.
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Follow My Lead: Nicholas Barber

January 24, 2019
For recent alumnus Nicholas Barber, science doesn’t end with discovery. A good scientist, he believes, uses research to inform policy, improve communities and mitigate harm to our planet. After five years at Drexel University — a journey brimming with awards, mentorship experiences and research — Barber is now studying earth science on a full scholarship at the University of Cambridge as the second Gates Cambridge scholar in Drexel history.
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Follow My Lead: Ekwoge Abwe, PhD

January 24, 2019
Ekwoge Abwe has a gift for rallying others to the cause of conservation. From hunters to farmers to local community members, he has worked for two decades to empower the citizens of Cameroon to protect the country’s fragile ecosystems and its numerous endangered and endemic species.
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Follow My Lead: Madelyn Caltabiano, PhD

January 24, 2019
For 37 years, Lyn Caltabiano has been a leader in the field of pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) at two of the top pharma companies in the world — GlaxoSmithKline and Merck & Co. From leading operations for GSK’s early phase clinical development and oncology R&D to strengthening project and alliance management at Merck, she has sought one challenge after the next, never allowing herself to get too comfortable.
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Antarctic Paleontological Expedition: Week 7

January 22, 2019
Windy days at our Deception Glacier camp made for challenging working conditions, but nonetheless we got some good work done to wrap up our field season.
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Striking It With Fossil Trove: Week Six

January 14, 2019
Weather this week has been clear but cold and windy. We’ve explored about 10 miles from camp around Alligator Peak, with some good finds of dense bone beds of Devonian fish remains.
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Faculty Highlights: Grants and Awards From Fall 2018

January 11, 2019
This update reflects the sponsored research and major gifts, honors and recognition that were recently received by faculty at Drexel University.
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Psychology PhD Candidate named 2018 Muslim Mental Health Policy Advocate

January 09, 2019
Mona Elgohail, a clinical psychology PhD candidate mentored by Pamela Geller, PhD, has been named Muslim Mental Health Policy Advocate of 2018 for her research and advocacy around mental health wellness, particularly in the area of fertility and infertility, by the University of Southern California's Center for Muslim Mental Health and Islamic Psychology. She will be receiving this award at their annual conference in February of 2019.
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Finding Fossil Fish in Antarctica: Week 5

January 07, 2019
Week 5 in Antarctica started with clear skies but strong winds creating dangerous wind chills. Winds dropped to more normal levels after a couple of days, and we’ve gotten several good workdays on the rock outcrops.
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Spring Courses

January 04, 2019
Explore celebrity philanthropy and activism, identify birds in local parks and reserves, and examine the media’s portrayal of environmental issues in these new and noteworthy spring courses.
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Support and Resources for Drexel Faculty and Administrators Seeking External Funding

January 04, 2019
Drexel’s Office of Foundation and Corporate Relations (FCR) builds strong partnerships with private and corporate foundations that grow Drexel's teaching, research and civic engagement initiatives. FCR offers a wide range of support and resources for Drexel faculty and administrators seeking external funding for their academic research and programs.
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CoAS Accomplishments in Brief

January 03, 2019
We are pleased to recognize the recent grants, publications, presentations, awards and honors of the members of the College of Arts and Sciences.
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Student Organization Spotlight: The Criminal Justice Society

January 03, 2019
Learn about Drexel’s Criminal Justice Society — and how you can get involved — from two criminology and justice studies majors: Sean McClellan ’21, president of the society, and Yih-Chia Lam ’19.
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CoAS Appoints Director of Online Education

January 03, 2019
In her new role, Vadell will collaborate with faculty, College leadership and Drexel University Online to shape and support a vision for curricular and faculty development, as well as student success, in the College’s technology-enhanced pedagogy.
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Meet Politics Prof Jack Santucci

January 03, 2019
Assistant Teaching Professor of Politics Jon “Jack” Santucci, PhD, has studied proportional represenation and attitudes toward the electoral process, and encourages his students to dig deeper into political narratives.
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John Medaglia Named as APS Rising Star

January 03, 2019
The Association for Psychological Science (APS) has named John Medaglia as an APS Rising Star. This designation is presented to outstanding APS members who are in the earliest stages of their research career.
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