Executive Vice President and Nina Henderson Provost Paul Jensen recently announced the inaugural class of Nina Henderson Provost Scholars, which included three students from the College of Arts and Sciences. Congratulations to Jana Lenart, biological sciences, August Modiga, philosophy, politics and economics, and Disha Patel, chemistry.

Thanks to the generous support of Drexel alumni Bruce (BS '69, PhD '72) and Cynthia (BS '72) Maryanoff, selected College of Arts and Sciences students are able to participate in a chemistry research program during the first summer after their freshman year. Here recent Maryanoff Scholars share their research projects and their experience in the program.

To promote this educational awareness during a time when anti-Asian hate crimes are on the rise, Drexel’s Office of Equality and Diversity held a panel discussion event in collaboration with Rebecca Clothey, PhD, director of the Asian Studies minor program. This panel featured a conversation grounded in the experiences of Asian and Asian American students, faculty and professional staff members in the Drexel community, with dialogue from students and faculty in the College of Arts and Science.

Award-winning Assistant Professor of History Nic John Ramos, PhD, does not easily fit into any one category. Though he teaches in the Department of History, his doctorate is in American Studies and Ethnicity, which he describes as really being at the intersection of Gender Studies and Ethnic Studies. Meanwhile, his research exists at the intersection of race and medicine. And in his classes, students are just as likely to encounter graphic novels and poetry as they are historical documents and books.

Victoria Wible, a sociology major and research assistant on co-op this spring with the Labor and Energy Project at Drexel, presented her research at the Mid-Atlantic Undergraduate Social Science Conference, organized through Lebanon Valley College.

To address the critical shortage of skilled workers in quantum technology and quantum information, Drexel University will offer a new post-baccalaureate certificate in this area. Beginning fall 2021, the Department of Physics will accept applicants who hold bachelor's degrees in physics, chemistry, materials science and engineering, or electrical and computer engineering, and offer them opportunities to learn the fundamentals of quantum technology and quantum information. The aim is to provide a strong foundation in this emerging area, with a focus on the foundations of quantum physics, technological advances on the quantum level, and real-world applications.

Evangelia G. Chrysikou, PhD, from the Department of Psychology, has been appointed to a 3-year term as Associate Dean for Research to provide leadership to all research and scholarly/creative inquiry programs in the College of Arts and Sciences.

 Susan Gurney, PhD, and Brett Condon, PhD, who co-teach the Science Education Alliance Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) course, had a novel solution to move their extremely hands-on lab online.

The award-winning debut short story collection from Assistant Teaching Professor of English Maegan Poland, PhD, features wildly imaginative and beautifully detailed stories. In this interview, Poland discusses her interests and influences, among other things.

The 2021 Drexel Writing Festival returns virtually May 17-21, and features esteemed visiting writers Karen E. Bender, Robert Anthony Siegel, Artress Bethany White, and Kayleb Rae Candrilli.

On Tuesday, June 8, 2021, the College of Arts and Sciences will celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2021 with a virtual commencement. The ceremony will be live-streamed from Mandell Theater, where a small party of dignitaries and speakers will gather.

Due to COVID-19, Associate Professor of History Debjani Bhattacharyya, PhD, re-envisioned her usually hands-on course Rivers in History, using the advanced technology of ArcGIS.

In a short time, College of Arts and Sciences alumnus Shahmar Beasley ’19 has accomplished a lot. From being named a Forbes 30 Under 30 Scholar to campaigning for various politicians and attending Drexel’s Kline School of Law, Beasley keeps a full calendar.  

Climate change is one of the most serious challenges facing humankind today, and in the coming decades it will impact every aspect of people’s lives and careers. Even though actions are being taken to reduce global emissions, today’s students will live through a period of rapid climate change that is without precedent in human history. To help prepare students to face these problems, the Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science (BEES) will offer a new minor in Climate Change beginning in Fall 2021.

Drexel University student Renae Tingling has essay written for first year writing class accepted for publication in The Norton Field Guide for Writing, a well-known and highly regarded writing instructional used in college writing courses across the nation.