March

If you live in the residence halls on the north end of campus or in one of the homes in Powelton Village, you’ve probably seen Drexel Police on the beat — along with several other law enforcement groups with jurisdiction over the area. Here’s how they all work together to keep you safe.

While most scientists believe that TCF4 proteins degraded and disappeared after they assigned jobs to cells in the nervous system, a Drexel University research team discovered that the proteins were hanging around afterward and telling the cells how to do those jobs.

The announcement of a landmark partnership between Drexel and Brandywine Realty Trust to develop a 14-acre district called Schuylkill Yards on long-underutilized land adjacent to 30th Street Station inspired headlines, conversation, pride — and also questions. DrexelNow spoke with Keith Orris, Drexel’s senior vice president for corporate relations and economic development, about what this long-term project means for the Drexel community right now.

In year 2020, Philadelphia will serve as a backdrop for women leaders to convene and celebrate the anniversary of women securing the right to vote.

As a part of a National Science Foundation macroecology study spanning two continents, a team of researchers from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University will compare river systems in grassland areas of Asia and North America to see how they function and how human activity, including the effects of climate change alters that.

Started about 90 years ago, the Drexel Women’s Club changed what it meant to be a woman tied to Drexel through personal or professional connections.

Drexel’s participation in the annual United Nations Conference on Climate Change in December empowered eight Drexel faculty, staff and students. Each came away with a different, rewarding experience that they’ll share at a public event next month.

Drexel researchers have reported on a new method for producing the polymer "nanobrush" coating that is used to prevent ships from corroding, glasses from smudging and artificial joint replacements from locking up. The procedure, which involves growing two-dimensional sheets of polymer nano crystals, is more efficient and controllable than current methods — according to the researchers, it's like making a lawn by putting down sod, rather than planting grass and hoping it grows.

The coming of spring means changes, and this March is no exception. From updates to the P-Card policy to workshops you can use to improve yourself, change is all around. In case you missed them, here are some campus developments that might just be the change you need.

Student-run radio station WKDU, center for the support of nonprofit communications Drexel Edits and the Lindy Center for Civic Engagement come together to welcome local nonprofit organizations with “Good Morning, Neighbors,” a series of biweekly radio interviews.

At Match Day 2016, Drexel University College of Medicine students discovered where they would begin their careers as doctors.

Researchers from Drexel University’s College of Computing & Informatics, the School of Education and the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute are trying making it easier for behavioral health professionals in the classroom to stick to their plans and understand how well they’re working. Their solution: an information tracking system called Lilypad helps behavioral specialists take notes in real time and track students' progress — even in chaotic classroom environments.

Junior Rachel Bernhardt’s drive to constantly improve herself earned her a spot in the 2016 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. She is the first swimmer, male or female, to represent Drexel at the NCAA.

Provost M. Brian Blake announced on March 16 that Gloria Donnelly will conclude her service as dean of Drexel’s College of Nursing and Health Professions at the end of the 2015-16 academic year

A gathering of international researchers, developers, professors, entrepreneurs and physicians will convene at Drexel University’s Expressive and Creative Interaction Technologies (ExCITe) Center at the end of March to have a discussion about video games and how they can help improve people’s health, aid the healing process and guide caregivers.

Joe Giandonato, Drexel's manager of health promotion and resident fitness expert, is once again fielding questions from the Drexel community. This month, he discusses high-tech and low-tech ways to get the most out of your workout.

Although other studies on cave-dwelling creatures have found that animals that spend all of their lives in the dark of caves are more likely to be genetically isolated, a recent study on two groups of crickets found the opposite.

The Drexel Department of Psychology is hosting multiple student- and community-oriented events during Brain Awareness Week, March 14-18, with the goal to educate community members about current trends in scientific research as it relates to brain health across the lifespan and, more generally, to raise awareness about healthy brain habits.

A team of engineers at Drexel University recently published research on a method for using electric fields to help tiny bio-robots propelled by flagellated bacteria navigate around obstacles in a fluid environment. These microrobots could one day be used for building microscopic devices or even delivering medication at the cellular level.

The food-based online journal Table Matters returns in its third incarnation with a hunger for peculiar, erudite contemplation of just exactly how we are what we eat.

A study of army ants revealed that some species increased their brain size, including visual brain regions, after evolving above-ground behavior. Their ancestors had lived mainly underground for nearly 60 million years. Such increases in brain capacity are a rarely-studied evolutionary phenomenon.

Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business has named Penn Mutual Chairman and CEOEileen C. McDonnell as its 2016 Business Leader of the Year. McDonnell will be honored at a luncheon celebrating her achievements on April 5.

Five Drexel vets gathered on March 2 to discuss the hardships and successes of serving as women in the American and Israeli military.

College of Medicine Researchers are conducting an emergency medicine study to find out the most effective drug for treating a life-threatening condition.

When it comes to climate change, serious issues can sometimes hide behind walls of data. In talking to nomadic herders in Mongolia, the Academy of Natural Sciences’ Clyde Goulden was able to confirm their feelings that they were experiencing a significant increase in short, intense rainstorms that threaten the herders’ way of life.

A series of experiments showed that sudden insight may yield more correct solutions than using gradual, methodical thinking.

If you live in one of four major U.S. cities chances are you’re letting the benefits of a ubiquitous natural resource go right down the drain — when it could be used to cut down your water bill. Research by a team of Drexel University environmental engineers indicates that it rains enough in Philadelphia, New York, Seattle and Chicago that if homeowners had a way to collect and store the rain falling on their roofs, they could flush their toilets often without having to use a drop of municipal water.

John A. Fry’s annual president’s report shows off the fruits of 2015 — prioritizing ‘right fit’ students and investing in financial aid, co-op support and advising and collaborations with other like-minded organizations.

Drexel will hold a triathlon/duathlon inside the Recreation Center, allowing you to run, bike and swim despite the chilling weather, and registration is open now.

Seen any fun shows or events on campus or in the city? Chances are, Laurelle Holley might have helped put the show on.

Drexel and Brandywine Realty Trust made history as they announced their partnership and unveiled plans for Philadelphia’s Schuylkill Yards innovation development, a 14-acre master planned community. Initial phases of the projected 20-year development plan will consist of 5 million gross square feet of mixed-use real estate on a 10-acre site next to Drexel’s main campus and adjacent to Amtrak’s 30th Street Station and Brandywine’s Cira Centre.

Amtrak, Drexel, and its partners will hold an open house to review the 30th Street Station District Plan. The development of this Draft District Plan brings the 30th Street Station community one step closer to the final District Plan, which will present a vision for the 30th Street Station District for the next 25 years and beyond.

A selection of Japanese woodblock prints from The Drexel Collection also known as ukiyo-e, are on display in the Rincliffe Gallery. These gorgeous prints depict actors, beauties and scenes of daily life in 19th-century Japan.

Media critic Anita Sarkeesian, known for her Feminist Frequency video series “Tropes vs Women” and “Video Games vs Women,” answered student-submitted questions about her beginnings, the state of the video game industry today and what she sees for the future.