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June 8, 2010
Next Information Sessions at the Graduate Center: June 16, June 30, and July 17
Upcoming Events:
June 11-12: 123rd Commencement Exercises at Drexel University!!
June 22: "Conversation" with Teri Takai, California State CIO
July 17-18: GMAT Prep Session
July 19: "Conversation" with Margaret Wong, McWong Environmental and Energy Group
August 18: Sacramento Region Young Leaders Summit (details coming soon)
Save the Dates:
August 27-28: Orientation/Classes begin for the MPH program
September 1: "Experience Drexel" party at the Grad Center
October 10: Eagles vs. 49ers game in San Francisco
In this issue of Dragonfire:
- June 12: Drexel Gets Its First Sacramento Graduate
- June 30: Special "Understanding Financial Aid" Information Session at 5 pm
- Second-Generation Dragons on the Rise in Sacramento!
- Human Resources Professionals Convene at Drexel
- Sacramento Students Recognized at Goodwin College Honors Day Convocation
- Drexel Business School Alumni Convene in Sacramento, Receive Honor from City
- MBA Candidates: Register Now for "Priceless" GMAT Prep on July 17 and 18
- "Outside the Box" Nonprofit Developer Scott Syphax Featured at "Conversation"
- Executive Public Health Student Establishes Partnerships in Haiti
- State CIO Teri Takai Is Our June "Conversation" Guest
- The Art and Science of Librarianship
- Our Grad Center Is Green
- "Pink Dragons" Raise More than $1,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation
- Rocklin Chamber Announces New Partnership with Drexel
June 12: Drexel Gets Its First Sacramento Graduate
Drexel opened its doors in Sacramento in January 2009, so it's amazing to us to realize that when the University's 123rd (!) Commencement Exercises occur in Philadelphia on June 11-12, a member of our initial cohort will be there! MS Information Systems student Kevin Lewin will be "taking the walk" in Philly on Saturday, June 12, and receiving his degree, thanks to having taken three courses per term. "I'm really excited about being the first graduate. I have accomplished a great deal," said Lewin in a March 19, 2010 newspaper article. "Drexel is on its way to becoming the most prestigious school in the Sacramento area. As the first Sacramento graduate, I represent Drexel and that means a lot to me. I have high expectations of what a Drexel degree will mean for me in terms of my future career and I am excited to tell everyone about the excellence of the education I have received."
June 30: Special "Understanding Financial Aid" Information Session
at 5 pm
Drexel is offering a wide variety of scholarships, fellowships, and grants specially designed for (and only available to) its students at our Graduate Center in Sacramento, but there are many other opportunities for you to help finance the top-ranked graduate education you will receive here. At 5pm on June 30, Drexel's Director of Financial Aid, Melissa Englund, will provide information about those programs and answer any and all questions — as well as demonstrate Drexel's high-definition videoconferencing (she'll be talking with us from Philly). Melissa gives seminars at professional conferences around the country, so you won't find anyone more knowledgeable and creative. Come have dinner on us, and learn about the money side — and then stay to speak with our students and learn about our programs at an Information Session. You do have to reserve a place. Parking is complimentary.
Second-Generation Dragons on the Rise in Sacramento!
He's still looking a bit weary, but it's not just the pressure of maintaining of full-time job plus intense Drexel graduate education. Cohort two MS-Human Resource Development student Philip Seibel became a dad for the third time on March 20, welcoming daughter Clara Jean into the family. Philip is also a veteran of our armed services (and we thank him for his service to our country).
This is the fourth child born to a Drexel Sacramento student which means... if they can do it, surely you can do it, too! Come to an Information Session, check out our high-tech educational center, and speak with other Drexel students about why they are Dragons. You'll leave knowing that it really is time for you to take that next big step up.
Human Resources Professionals Convene at Drexel
Drexel University's Center for Graduate Studies hosted the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), Sacramento's business meeting event, on May 17. Dr. Salvatore Falletta, associate clinical professor and associate director of Drexel's MS Human Resource Development program in Sacramento, was the featured speaker and spoke to a capacity crowd of over 70 workplace learning and performance professionals on the topic of employee engagement and organizational intelligence surveys.
"It was a stimulating event that brought together one of ASTD's largest groups of local training and development professionals in the last five years. Participants had the opportunity to learn and interact on a critically important issue," says Bruce Winner, director of programs for ASTD Sacramento and training manager for the Government Training Academy, Los Rios Community College District. 
Recruitment is under way for the next HRD cohort in Sacramento, which will begin in September 2010. Those with questions should contact Dr. Salvatore Falletta or call him at the Graduate Center at 916-325-4616.
Sacramento Students Honored in Philly at Goodwin College Honors Day Convocation
We are proud to announce that two of our students in the Master of Science in Higher Education (MSHE) have received awards in this year's Goodwin College of Professional Studies and the School of Education's Honors Day Convocation ceremony, which was held on May 14. Both students were nominated and selected to receive the Leadership and Service Award. They were both recognized for their roles at Drexel, as well as in the community at large.
John Pearl is a student in the second cohort of the Sacramento MSHE program. John works at a non-profit student loan guarantor called EdFund, and is in a position to exercise positive business influence on his peers and management group. Additionally, he is the assistant leading petty officer in his Navy Reserve unit. John has utilized his Navy Reserve status to facilitate Drexel recruitment booth presence at Navy deployment events, exposing the University to over 1,000 potential students. John has also represented the School of Education and Higher Education program at numerous information sessions and recruitment events throughout the Sacramento region.
Tip Russell is also a member of MSHE's second cohort. He was recently selected to represent the Education Department on the Sacramento Graduate Student Association's (SGSA) Board of Directors. As an SGSA Board Member, he has taken on several responsibilities including the interim communication committee chairmanship. Additionally he has served as a visible presence representing the MSHE program at various Graduate Center events, functions, and activities. Most recently, he had the honor of representing the Education Department as its SGSA Board Member on the first annual SGSA fact-finding and networking trip to Drexel's Main Campus in Philadelphia.
Drexel Business School Alumni Convene in Sacramento, Receive Honor from City
Led by Dean George Tsetsekos, Alumni Association past Chair Maria Charlton, and current Vice Chair Dennis Link, two dozen alumni, and friends of the LeBow College of Business from across the country spent April 15 in Sacramento, California. After a VIP tour of the capitol led by Assemblyman Ted Gaines (pictured here) and later of historic Sacramento, they were welcomed by many of Drexel's newest grad students at our Center, where they were able to see how high-tech higher ed has become. Felix Fernandez, president of Wells Fargo's northern California region, was the guest at a special "View From The Top." The evening ended with dinner at Frank Fat's and a surprise City Council Resolution, presented by Councilmember Rob Fong, welcoming the alumni to Sacramento and expressing the City of Sacramento's appreciation for "bringing excellence in education and service to this region."
The LEAD MBA program being taught by Drexel in Sacramento has been ranked #1 in the country in academic content for 2010 among part-time MBA programs, and in the top 10 overall, for the third year in a row! Come to an Information Session at the Graduate Center to find out why.
MBA Candidates: Register Now for "Priceless" GMAT Prep on July 17 and 18
Not all MBA programs in this region require the GMAT for admission. Applicants for our LEAD MBA are required to take the GMAT test. Why? Three reasons. First, our MBA is ranked first in the country for academic content by BusinessWeek and tenth overall for the third year in a row — no other MBA program in this region has achieved this level of renown. Second, it isn't easy to get yourself back up for taking a standardized test — it takes commitment and discipline — which is what it will take to succeed in one of the country's very best part-time MBA programs. Consider it a "market barrier to entry"! And third, how well you do will determine how much tuition assistance you receive from Drexel's Sacramento Leadership Fellowships — and that could be 15 to 30 percent (not chump change!). But there is a Secret Weapon for Success: a two-day GMAT preparation session taught by a test-prep expert. Past attendees have called the GMAT prep sessions "great," "the best," "totally worth it," and (we like this one) "priceless!"
In truth, it is priceless — it's free — but only if you have already started the enrollment process for the MBA cohort starting in September. We are offering this session on July 17 and 18, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at our Graduate Center. For more information about it, contact MBA program director Dave Stewart by email or by phone at 916-325-4612. But don't delay: register for the GMAT Prep now and start your application today. This session is limited to just 35 candidates.
"Outside the Box" Nonprofit Developer Scott Syphax Featured at Latest "Conversation"
On May 24, Drexel welcomed Scott Syphax, president and CEO of the Nehemiah Corporation of America, as its tenth guest speaker of the year in a series called "What It Means To Lead: Coast to Coast Conversations with Business and Civic Leaders." A Sacramento-based nonprofit founded in 1997, Nehemiah is one of the largest nonprofit community development organizations in the country with over $187 million in annual revenues. Syphax is also chairman and CEO of Township Nine, a 3,000-unit master-planned smart-growth community in downtown Sacramento. Involved in civic activities on both coasts, he serves as the vice chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, vice chairman of the Corporate Fund Board for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and the chairman of the Board of Governors for the Coro Foundation in New York City. On May 24, he made a visit to Drexel, speaking with our students informally over pizza and then in a "conversation" where he explained his philosophy about leadership, offered strategies for mid-level employees on how to "break out of the box" in approaching business challenges without upsetting your organizational superiors who "own" the box, and a philosophy about "social entrepreneurism" that has challenged, and refreshed, him throughout his career. It was an intimate look at the vision and the sacrifices that leadership takes.
Executive Public Health Student Establishes Partnerships in Haiti
Lauren Clay, a student in the Executive Master of Public Health Program, recently traveled to Haiti to meet with local public health and hospital officials to establish long-term co-op experiences for Drexel University students to help the country rebuild their health and medical infrastructure after the devastating earthquakes earlier this year.
Clay traveled to Haiti with students and faculty from the University's biotechnology program, and has worked with them to establish WeServe Haiti, which is a student organization designed to help students travel to Haiti and provide support services. Similar student organizations have been established at Drexel University for countries in Africa. In addition to her studies, Clay is also a staff member with Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI) at the Drexel University School of Public Health.
Drexel's MPH program in Sacramento is one of its most popular. Because it is taught on a semester basis, it starts earliest of all — Orientation is on August 27! If you are a thoughtful and caring person, have been thinking about the impending crisis in public health in this region, and want to do something about it, come to an Information Session and learn how you can put your good thoughts into action with Drexel's MPH. We only offer this program once each year, so don't miss out.
State CIO Teri Takai Is Our June "Conversation" Guest
We live in the "information economy" and California has the sixth largest economy in the world. There is no doubt about the critical importance of updating and organizing the hundreds of different information systems (hardware and software) — not to mention all the technology officers involved — by which the government of this state is run; but can you imagine the complexities and difficulties of doing that? Who would dare take that project on? And could there be any information systems more important to our country than those securing our nation's defense? In June, our students will have the incredible opportunity of speaking with Teri Takai — the former chief information officer (CIO) for Ford Motor Company, former CIO for the state of Michigan, current CIO for the state of California, and recently nominated by President Obama to be the next CIO for the U.S. Department of Defense. We continue to be honored by having the top leaders in the state come share with our students their personal reflections on the importance of leadership, and the sacrifices it requires, at our monthly "conversations."
The Art and Science of Librarianship
iSchool alum Adrianna Del Collo (Master of Science in Library and Information Science) has the kind of job many people can only dream about — associate archivist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As an undergraduate student at Oberlin College, Del Collo majored in art history, and aspired to work as a curator. This changed when she began an internship at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and was put to work in the museum's library and archives. She fell in love with archival work, and decided to pursue a Master of Science in Library and Information Science at the iSchool at Drexel. "Drexel was the obvious choice for me because I began my degree while I was working full- time," she says. "The program was designed to accommodate working people, offering most classes in the evening hours. As a result, the students in the program were very diverse, many already working in the field, others just starting out, and others pursuing a career change."
As an archivist, her general responsibilities are records management, reference, and processing. She facilitates and conducts research on a range of topics that have an impact on current museum business practice and art historical scholarship. She says the most rewarding aspect of her job has been to participate in the museum's technological revolution, helping to develop electronic databases for the museum's archives.
Do you have a dream job? The iSchool at Drexel can help you on your path. Learn about our optional concentrations in Archival Studies, Youth Services, Library and Information Services, Digital Libraries, School Library Media, and Competitive Intelligence and Knowledge Management, and get the most out of your iSchool degree.
Our Grad Center Is Green
Our graduate programs are taught only at night for most programs and once a month on a Friday/Saturday for the others (the MPH and the EdD), so our hi-tech Graduate Center is available to businesses and associations to use as a conference center during the day. They use our state-of-the-art technology to connect with colleagues in other locations, including Smartboards that cut down on paper use and create complete records, and our hi-definition videoconferencing system, which "beams" in experts from around the world. This is not just the future of higher education, but a very green way to conduct business — saving not just time and money, but huge amounts of carbon and paper. Recently our Graduate Center received a Sacramento Sustainable Business certification in the three areas in which it could qualify: Energy Conservation, Solid Waste Reduction, and Pollution Prevention. In this we followed the lead of the Sacramento Metro Chamber (which is headquartered in our building), and are working with our landlord (AKT Development) to encourage all tenants in the building to go green. Isn't this what all of our businesses should do? Last month, Drexel received recognition from the EPA and the Princeton Review for how green our campus in Philadelphia is. How green is your office??
"Pink Dragons" Raise More than $1,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation
Our students select one "official" service project to have each month, where students, faculty, and staff all pitch in to help. But we are not limited to just one, and there are often others going on at the same time. In May, MPH student Tracee Watts collected colleagues and cash to support breast cancer research at the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and the "Pink Dragons" were born! Not everyone showed up for the Race for the Cure team photo (left), but the team was in great form on Mother's Day in May — one member of the team finished the 3.2 mile race in just 25 minutes, while another carried the Pink Dragons sign the entire course! But most impressive, the Pink Dragons raised over $1,100 for breast cancer research. "This was the first time I tried to organize anything like this," Watts said. "I have a better idea of what fundraising entails and my next endeavor should be even greater."
If you are interested in Drexel's Executive Master of Public Health program, which meets once per month at the Graduate Center, attend an Information Session. Classes start in August!
Rocklin Chamber Announces New Partnership with Drexel
Drexel has been a sponsor of Leadership Rocklin ever since we came to town in 2008, because Drexel believes in supporting the development of the region's future leaders. Starting last year, the Rocklin Chamber awarded one $10,000 scholarship to Drexel's Sacramento Graduate Center each year to a graduating member of its Leadership Rocklin program. This year, at its graduation ceremony on June 10, Rocklin's leadership will announce that every member of the Leadership Rocklin class will qualify for a $10,000 scholarship to Drexel. But there's a catch! The graduate student must agree to do at least 50 hours of public service through the Rocklin Chamber during the time period the student is at Drexel. Over two years, that's about two hours a month — not much to ask — at $200/hour, the value of the service comes to about $10,000. Drexel and the Chamber will be asking the graduate student's employer also to contribute, by providing tuition assistance to its employee, and why not? It's the employer whose operations will receive the direct benefit from the practical higher education that Drexel provides! So if you want to take advantage of this new partnership, do what it takes to be admitted to Leadership Rocklin — and make the commitment to both community leadership and excellence that this new partnership offers.
Leadership Rocklin is not the only leadership program we support with generous tuition assistance. Read about the scholarships, fellowships and grants we have designed just for the Sacramento region.
To read stories from past editions about your degree program, visit the Dragonfire archives.
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