The College of Computing & Informatics (CCI) congratulates CCI alumni Ian Keith Callender, BS Information Systems '05, and Kisha H. Hawthorne, PhD Information Studies '18, who have won 2025 Drexel Alumni Awards. Callender received the Alumni Entrepreneur Award, Revenues Greater Than $1 Million, while Hawthorne was this year’s recipient of the Harriet E. Worrell Society Award.
Read more about the winners and their awards:
Ian Keith Callender
BS Information Systems '05
Alumni Entrepreneur Award Revenues Greater Than $1M
Ian Keith Callender '05
Ian Callender is a first-generation Native Washingtonian and Southwest Waterfront resident, known as a cultural architect. A graduate of DeMatha Catholic High School and Drexel University, where he earned dual degrees in computer engineering and information systems and technology, he is also a serial entrepreneur and sneakerhead with Guyanese roots.
For over 15 years, Callender has led the cultural arts community, transforming his passion for sneakers into unique community experiences. He owns Suite Nation, a CBE event design and development firm, co-founded Blind Whino SW Arts Club (now Culture House), co-owns Sandlot D.C., and is the founder of Arena Social Arts Club, a nonprofit that supports Black artists in D.C.
Callender serves on various boards, including the Nicholson Project and the Georgetown BID Executive Board. He has been the creative director of the Art All Night Festival for four years, enhancing its cultural and community reach. His accolades include the Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence in the Creative Industries in 2019, being named Washingtonian of the Year in 2023, and an upcoming induction into the Hall of Fame at DeMatha High School in 2024. Ian embraces his journey with the motto, “the most known unknown.”
Alumni Entrepreneur Award
Conferred upon a graduate who through the application of his/her/their Drexel education, initiative and innovation created a new business, non-profit, or venture or expanded an existing business that reflects credit on Drexel. Candidates must demonstrate Initiative; Decision-making; Innovation; Risk-taking; and Tenacity.
Kisha H. Hawthorne
PhD Information Studies ’18
Harriet E. Worrell Society Award
Kisha H. Hawthorne '18
Kisha Hawthorne has over 15 years of experience in health care, currently serving as the senior vice president and chief information officer of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). She oversees a 550+ member Information Services Department that includes areas like project management, analytics and information security.
Previously, she held roles as associate chief information officer and assistant vice president of Health Information Management at CHOP, focusing on financial performance and operational management. Before that, she was a senior consultant at TRG Healthcare and an administrator at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Illinois. Hawthorne completed her administrative fellowship with VHA, Inc. in 2002 and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. She holds a Master of Healthcare Administration from the Carlson School of Management, an MBA from the University of St. Thomas, and a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Florida A&M University.
At Drexel, Hawthorne is part of the CCI Dean's Executive Advisory Council and was a commencement speaker for the College of Computing and Informatics in 2022. She has also contributed to the Kisha H. Hawthorne ’18 Women in Computing Scholarship Fund.
Harriet E. Worrell Society Award
In 1969, the Harriet E. Worrell Society Award was established in memory of Harriet Worrell, an exceptional Drexel alumna of the Classes of 1909 and 1915 who created the Drexel University Alumni Association. This award is presented to an alumna whose contributions and service to Drexel exemplify the commitment and integrity of Harriet E. Worrell. Eligible alumnae must have graduated 5 or more years ago. Key considerations for selection include an alumna who has advanced Drexel’s mission, participates in Drexel-sponsored activities, serves on boards or committees, and demonstrates professional accomplishments and civic and community engagement.